Barrington Development Plans $100M Apartment Concept

Barrington’s Golden Triangle may be in line for another jolt of density.

Michael Fleck and Nick Marrocco of Barrington Development Company this week unveiled plans for The Residences at Liberty Commons, a roughly $100 million apartment and townhouse project near the corner of Liberty and Hough streets. The Daily Herald reported that the proposal, brought before the village’s trustees on Monday, would bring 223 units to a key stretch of the village’s Redevelopment Area #1, a district long eyed for mixed-use revival.

Fleck and Marrocco, who also founded Gateway Development Partners in 2012, assembled eight parcels for the project and are negotiating to acquire the building housing Paul’s Burrito Express at 402 North Hough Street to round out the site. The development would be about a half-mile from the Metra station and within walking distance of downtown, according to the outlet.

The unit mix includes 16 studios, 119 one-bedrooms, 66 two-bedrooms and six three-bedrooms, plus 16 townhouses. Plans call for a Chicago brownstone-style façade, along with a pocket park with a fountain, two dog parks and a walking path.

Fleck pitched the project as a catalyst for downtown vibrancy, arguing that 223 new households would bolster local businesses and potentially attract new ones. He said he plans to seek tax-increment financing support and is targeting a spring or summer 2028 completion.

Village trustees signaled cautious interest, but flagged traffic as a potential dealbreaker. Fleck said the development team has hired traffic engineering firm KLOA to study impacts. Trustee Brian Prigge said he liked the concept and design, but warned that traffic concerns could sink it if not addressed early.

The proposal lands as other Barrington projects face headwinds. The village’s plan commission earlier this month rejected a 21-unit condo proposal on North 20th Street, citing density and neighborhood fit, prompting the developer to pause and reconsider. Meanwhile, a separate $2 billion data center proposal in nearby Barrington Hills was recently withdrawn following resident pushback.

Liberty Commons would join another planned retail and residential redevelopment in the Golden Triangle by Compasspoint Development’s Joe Taylor III, as part of a broader push to retool and increase density in Barrington’s core, according to the publication.

— Eric Weilbacher