ETI Blog

What's Being Built Across-Chicago's Northern Suburbs in 2026

While much of the conversation about Chicago real estate centers on the city itself, an equally significant story is unfolding in the suburbs to the north. Across the North Shore and surrounding communities, the development pipeline is more active than it has been in years.

Multifamily towers are rising in downtown Evanston. Mall sites in Northbrook and Lincolnwood are being reimagined as mixed-use neighborhoods. Highland Park is redeveloping a former industrial site into hundreds of new homes. Restaurants and retail are filling spaces that sat empty during the pandemic-era retreat. For developers, architects, investors, and property managers, the suburbs are no longer the quieter cousin to Chicago. They are an active and competitive market in their own right.

Why the North Shore Is Suddenly So Active

Several forces are converging to drive the current pace of activity:

• Strong household demand for high-quality suburban housing, particularly walkable downtown options
• Aging mall and retail formats creating large redevelopment opportunities
• Municipal interest in revitalizing downtown districts and adding tax base
• Rising tolerance for higher-density mixed-use formats in historically low-density villages
• Statewide policy conversations around housing supply, including Governor Pritzker's BUILD proposals
• Renter demand from professionals seeking proximity to North Shore schools and Metra access

Evanston: The Most Active Market on the North Shore

Evanston's downtown and Chicago Avenue corridor have become one of the most active development zones in the entire region. Several projects illustrate the scale of activity.

Vermilion Development received narrow City Council approval in late 2025 for a 419-unit, 29-story tower at 605 Davis Street. When completed, it will be the tallest building in Evanston. Geotechnical work was completed in December, and the project is targeting groundbreaking later in 2026.

Construction has begun on Legacy Evanston at 1621 Chicago Avenue, an 11-story, 110-unit project. A separate 30-unit apartment building at 2206 Maple Avenue began construction in late 2025 with expected completion in summer 2027.

These projects sit within a broader policy conversation. Evanston is pursuing zoning reform aligned with statewide housing supply efforts, and the development community is watching closely.

Highland Park: Adaptive Reuse at Scale

Highland Park is moving forward on one of the largest single redevelopment projects on the North Shore. Habitat and M/I Homes are partnering on the Bowery of Highland Park, the redevelopment of the approximately 28-acre former Solo Cup manufacturing site at 1700 Old Deerfield Road.

The Highland Park City Council unanimously approved the plan in February 2026, calling for 227 townhomes, more than 9 acres of preserved open space, a resident clubhouse, and infrastructure improvements. Closing on the property is scheduled for spring 2026, with construction expected to begin in the second half of the year.

Downtown Highland Park is also growing. The Ashbury, an 11-unit luxury condominium building from Platinum Homes, was unanimously approved by the City Council. Units in the six-story building range from 2,200 to 3,200 square feet with prices from $1.65 million to $2.8 million.

Northbrook Court: A Mall Becomes a Neighborhood

One of the most-watched suburban projects in the region is Brookfield's redevelopment of Northbrook Court. The plan reimagines the more than 100-acre site as a mixed-use neighborhood combining apartments, row houses, townhomes, retail and dining destinations, parks, and community amenities.

The Village of Northbrook approved the multifamily component ahead of the broader retail overhaul, with the earliest construction potentially starting in summer 2026. The project represents a significant shift in suburban retail thinking, with rooftops over retail emerging as a model for aging malls across the region.

Lincolnwood Town Center: Demolition and Reinvention

A short distance south, the Lincolnwood Town Center mall is undergoing an even more dramatic transformation. Acquired by an affiliate of Prairie Ridge Development in late 2025 with XR Advisors managing the property, the mall reached over 50 percent vacancy by January 2026.

On April 21, 2026, the Lincolnwood Village Board approved a Pre-Development Agreement for the redevelopment. The master plan moves away from a traditional mall format toward a mixed-use commercial development that includes a 150,000 to 175,000 square foot retail anchor, a car dealership, and additional retail and commercial spaces. Demolition is scheduled to begin in May 2026.

Glenview: Downtown Mixed-Use and Restaurant Activity

Glenview's downtown continues to add density. A new 62-unit development called Cerca is taking shape at 1850 Glenview Road on the former Bess Hardware site, with completion targeted for 2026. The ground floor retail will include the return of The Bagel Restaurant and Deli, an iconic Jewish eatery that previously operated on the North Shore.

The project illustrates a trend repeating across the North Shore: residential density on upper floors paired with restaurant and retail tenants drawing existing customer demand back to downtown corridors.

Skokie: Restaurant Concepts and Adaptive Reuse

Skokie is seeing a steady stream of restaurant and retail activity. A development at 5440 Touhy Avenue includes a Chase bank, the Mediterranean concept Cava, and breakfast and lunch operator First Watch. These additions reflect national chain interest in the strong demographics of the North Shore corridor.

Adaptive reuse is also showing up in unexpected forms. Pickledilly Skokie opened in 2025 at 4919 Main Street, converting a previously vacant industrial space into 11 indoor pickleball courts with leagues, classes, and events. The project illustrates how alternative experiential uses are filling spaces that might have struggled as traditional retail.

Winnetka and the Smaller North Shore Villages

Smaller North Shore communities are pursuing their own downtown evolution. Winnetka continues to advance planning around the West Elm Business District and the Post Office site, with a focus on walkability, mixed-use formats, and modernized commercial space. Similar conversations are underway in Wilmette, Glencoe, and other communities seeking to balance heritage character with new development pressure.

Common Themes Across the North Shore Pipeline

Several patterns emerge across the projects taking shape:

• Large redevelopment sites, often former retail or industrial parcels, are anchoring the most ambitious projects
• Mixed-use formats are replacing single-use retail, with residential added above or beside commercial space
• Downtown densification is happening even in historically low-density villages
• Restaurant and experiential retail are leading commercial absorption, with national chains following
• Public-private coordination is essential, with village boards playing active roles in shaping projects

What Developers and Investors Should Know

Working in North Shore suburbs is meaningfully different from city work, even for experienced Chicago developers. A few realities are worth understanding:

• Each village has its own zoning code, design review process, and political culture
• Approval timelines can be longer than city projects, with multiple board meetings often required
• Community engagement matters substantially and can shape project outcomes
• Construction logistics can be more challenging in low-density settings with limited staging area
• Local trade availability and pricing differ from Chicago, particularly for specialty work
• School district considerations affect both market positioning and political reception

Construction Realities Specific to North Shore Projects

Several construction considerations come up repeatedly on North Shore projects. Site preparation is often more involved than expected, particularly on former industrial parcels with environmental considerations. Utility coordination with municipal systems can require longer lead times than ComEd or Peoples Gas work in the city. Material delivery sequencing matters more in residential neighborhoods where ongoing community impact is closely watched.

Working with contractors familiar with both the technical realities and the community sensitivities of suburban work consistently produces better outcomes than treating these projects as scaled-down city jobs.

Final Thought

Chicago's North Shore and northern suburbs are experiencing a development cycle that deserves more attention than it currently receives. The combination of demographic strength, aging retail formats ripe for reinvention, municipal openness to mixed-use density, and renter demand for high-quality suburban housing has created a pipeline that is both deep and varied.

For developers, architects, investors, and property managers willing to learn the rhythm of suburban work, the opportunity is real. The most successful projects will be those that combine sound construction execution with genuine respect for the communities that make these markets desirable in the first place.