In June 1999, the Glenview Village Board officially approved “The Glen” as the new name for the former Glenview Naval Air Station. The name originates from when Glenview’s First Village President, Hugh Burnham, said he had a “wonderful view of the glen” from his home near Shermer and Glenview Roads.
The Glen consists of almost 1.5 square miles and comprises approximately 15% of the land mass in Glenview. Located within the corporate limits of the Village of Glenview, having been annexed in 1971, the site is within Northfield Township and Cook County, and twenty miles north of downtown Chicago.
From 1937-1995, the Glenview Naval Air Station was an integral part of the Village of Glenview. For 58 years, the Village enjoyed a strong, friendly and productive relationship with the Navy men and women and considers the presence of the four hundred families who continue to reside in Navy housing at The Glen an important asset.
When the U.S. Department of Defense recommended that the base be closed in 1993, the Village accepted the designation of Local Redevelopment Authority and also elected to assume the role as Master Developer. This ensured that all decisions relating to the property would be controlled at the local level, protecting the interests of residents and core jurisdictions.
According to the Mission Statement for redevelopment project, the goal was to “create a lasting source of pride for the community by building quality public amenities, infrastructure, housing plus recreational and job opportunities”.
To redevelop The Glen and integrate it into the rest of Glenview, the Village assembled a Redevelopment Team to refine the community’s reuse plan, develop a Master Plan and Design Guidelines to reflect those goals, and prepare Requests for Proposal to sell subdivided parcels.
After extensive community input, components were integrated into a comprehensive plan amendment and adopted by the Glenview Board of Trustees in February 1998. The Village then stood ready to offer individual development parcels for sale and the former Glenview Naval Air Station was ready to be transformed.
Numerous contracts to lease and/or sell parcels for public- and private-sector use have now been executed and are under development. It is anticipated that full build-out will occur as follows:
- Retail by 2004;
- Residential by 2006;
- Sports/Leisure/Entertainment by 2008; and
- Office/Light Industrial by 2010.
The reuse plan for The Glen is a compilation of the community’s hopes and dreams. With each passing year, the community’s vision for The Glen is one step closer to becoming reality.
