Skokie developer to build $1.2 million homes in Morton Grove – Chicago Tribune

A Skokie developer is expected to break ground soon on six luxury single-family homes on Shermer Road just west of Harlem Avenue in Morton Grove.

The Village Board voted unanimously on Feb. 13 to grant a final plat of subdivision to Varda and Company, LLC, to build the Ponto Collection on 1.6 acres at 9312 Shermer Road.

Village President Dan DiMaria said he expects construction of the subdivision to be completed within 18 months.

“I’m sure they’re up and moving dirt already,” DiMaria said. “The foundations will be going in this spring. They cleared the site and are ready to begin digging. Once they get the first one up, sales will take off from there.”

DiMaria said the homes, which will span more than 3,300 square feet each and sell for $1.2 million each, will provide buyers with an excellent new style of housing in Morton Grove.

“Any time you can bring in more modern looking homes, it’s a nice addition to the village,” he said. “When you have values like that, it helps everyone around there.”

Brandon Nolin, community development administrator for the village, said he is not certain of the exact timeline for construction.

Nolin said he is excited about the project.

“Any new development is always good,” he said. “It’s a really helpful addition to the community to broaden the types of housing we’re providing here in the village.”

Nolin said he expects Varda and Company to break ground “in the near future.”

“They’re going through with final approvals and getting building permits as we speak,” he said.

Patrick McEneely, director of sales and marketing for the Ponto Collection, said the project will likely break ground in the next two or three weeks and construction should be completed sometime during the fourth quarter of 2024.

McEneely said the homes will be built in a “private enclave” on a street that dead-ends in the subdivision.

“Many of the potential buyers have a strong connection to Morton Grove and been living in Morton Grove and do not want to leave and want Morton Grove to be their forever suburb,” he said. “Further, we have another subset of buyers who want to move from the city of Chicago and begin life in the suburbs and take advantage of great schools, parks, shopping and more but yet still have access to downtown Chicago via public transportation.”

The project received a planned unit development special use permit from the board in January. The subdivision will be built on seven lots, according to the final plat of subdivision approved by the board Tuesday.

In a written report to the board, Chris Tomich, village engineer, said the developer has already completed the following improvements:

• Curbs and gutters, pavement base and hot-mix asphalt, brick pavers and parkway grass on Ponto Court
• Curbs and gutters, sidewalk and parkway grass on Shermer Road
• Storm sewer system
• Sanitary sewer system
• Water distribution system
• Stormwater detention facility

Tomich said the following work has not been fully completed due to inclement weather or the lack of availability of needed materials, but site improvements are “substantially completed” for constructing homes:

• Removing retaining wall in south stormwater basin
• Installing retaining wall in north basin
• Sidewalk gaps across driveways
• Driveway aprons
• Asphalt surface pavement
• Shermer Road pavement patches and markings
• Ditch grading along the north property line
• Grading ground elevations on two lots
• Street lighting

DiMaria said recent development such as the Ponto Collection is evidence that Morton Grove is no longer “that sleepy town that it used to be.”

“We have new stuff coming to town,” he said. “We have a fresh look and people are paying attention to it. It’s attracting a nice homeowner – professionals or whatever you want to call them.”