Hoffman Estates village trustees have signed off on a two-building, 335-unit apartment project on the long-vacant former Menards site at the east end of Barrington Square, clearing the way for one of the suburb's bigger residential plays in years. The board declared the project eligible for up to $8 million in tax-increment financing and approved the zoning and special-use requests Synergy Construction & Development needs to move into the permitting phase. Synergy, doing business as Grand Reserve HE LLC, says it wants to put residents within walking distance of nearby retailers and inject new life into this stretch of Higgins Road.
According to the Daily Herald, trustees voted 5-1 to grant a special-use permit and back the development's eligibility for up to $8 million in TIF support. The plan splits the property into two structures, a five-story front building with about 194 apartments and a four-story rear building with 141. The site layout includes roughly 486 parking spaces and about 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space.
Developer Pitch And Project Numbers
Crain's Chicago Business reports that Synergy pegs the total development cost at about $110 million and is targeting market rents just above $3 per square foot. Synergy principal Phil Domenico told Crain's the TIF assistance "de-risks the project from the lender's perspective" and argued that hundreds of new residents next door will help stabilize and support existing merchants at Barrington Square.
Design And Amenities
As the Daily Herald reported, the amenity package leans hard into wellness and lifestyle perks, with shared offices, media rooms, golf simulators, dog-wash stations, and storage lockers all on the menu. The front building is planned closer to Higgins Road, a deliberate move by the developer to create more visual presence and catch the eye of passing traffic.
Some trustees pushed on what the apartments might mean for parking around the rest of the mall, worried about spillover into shared lots. Village staff, however, said merchants in the area have generally been positive about the proposal and the prospect of more customers living a short walk away.
Timeline And Financing
According to Crain's Chicago Business, Synergy has not yet locked in a construction loan and is relying on the TIF package to make its financing stack workable. The developer outlined a roughly 16-month construction schedule for the initial phase and said it aims to break ground in early spring 2026. Village officials have emphasized that the district's incremental-tax pool is meant as a short-term tool to jump-start redevelopment on a parcel that has sat vacant for years.
Where This Fits In The Market
Trade reporting and market data show suburban apartment rents trending upward while new construction has stayed relatively limited, a mix that developers say supports demand for fresh Class A projects. Industry coverage citing Integra Realty Resources puts median net suburban rents a bit above $2 per square foot, which helps explain why higher-end projects are reaching for numbers north of that level. For more on the broader trends, see The Real Deal.
With zoning approvals and TIF eligibility in place, Synergy still needs to close on financing, finalize detailed site plans, and secure building permits before shovels can hit the ground. Nearby shop owners and residents will be watching closely to see whether the long-empty big-box site finally turns into the foot traffic and sales boost that village leaders say this project can deliver.
