Pulte Group Buying 18 Acres of Walgreens Campus in Deerfield

A large chunk of the Walgreens Boots Alliance campus in Deerfield is poised for a makeover, roughly two years after the company put two-thirds of its 40-plus acre property up for sale.

Atlanta-based Pulte Group, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, is under contract to buy 18 acres on the northern portion of the site at 300-304 Wilmot Road, with plans to construct 42 single-family homes, Crain’s reported. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Walgreens, which listed most of the property last February, in light of remote-work patterns, has opted to retain the remaining portion of the campus.

“In a decision to return to work in-office, Walgreens is retaining the 200 Wilmot Road building to provide team members with space to collaborate in-person and build connections while working,” a spokesperson told the outlet.

Pulte’s purchase coincides with other large office redevelopments in the Chicago suburbs. In Glenview, for instance, Dermody Properties is converting the 232-acre former Allstate campus into a 10-building, 3.2 million-square-foot logistics park.

Chicagoland is showing strong demand for new homes, with 5,046 sold last year, the outlet reported, citing consultant Tracy Cross & Associates.

Pulte’s plan entails demolishing existing structures on the site while preserving and enhancing the wooded area to the north, creating a 2.3-acre buffer. The two-story homes will range from 2,700 to 3,900 square feet and offer four to six bedrooms and full basements. Three will meet Deerfield’s affordable housing requirements.

Approval is needed from village officials to rezone the property from office, research and industrial use to residential. The Deerfield Plan Commission is scheduled to review the proposal on Feb. 22. There will be a public hearing if the proposal advances.

—Quinn Donoghue