Allstate Seeks Rare Suburban Re-Annexation for Former HQ

Allstate is attempting a rare real estate do-over in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, seeking to rejoin a municipality it exited just last year, in response to a new redevelopment plan taking shape.

The insurance giant petitioned to annex its former headquarters site back into South Barrington, a little over a year after successfully disconnecting the 67-acre property from the village. The Daily Herald reported that the move is tied to a pending sale to Rosemont-based Opus, which is planning a light-industrial complex on the long-vacant campus.

Village attorney James Vasselli called the maneuver an unprecedented “unicorn” event.

The site, at Higgins and Bartlett roads just north of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, has sat largely dormant since Allstate demolished its former buildings following a 2012 consolidation in Northbrook. Previous redevelopment efforts stalled, including a 2022 proposal from Dallas-based Hillwood Development that ultimately fell through, according to the publication. Allstate moved to disconnect the land in 2023, with a Cook County judge approving the split in early 2025.

Now, Opus has stepped in with a scaled-down plan, proposing three industrial buildings, two fewer than Hillwood’s concept.

By bringing the site back into South Barrington through annexation, Opus and Allstate would subject the project to village oversight while unlocking potential incentives and aligning with local planning priorities, according to the outlet. Village officials, for their part, are eager to regain control of the property and capture future tax revenue.

Mayor Paula McCombie said in a message to residents that renewed interest in South Barrington driven by recent growth and development is positive for the village, adding that annexation would give it “a seat at the table” as plans advance.

The about-face highlights how fluid suburban development dynamics have become. For its part, Opus executives already met with village officials and are preparing to present its proposal to the local plan commission, with expectations of a relatively fast timeline, according to the outlet.

— Eric Weilbacher