Drive-Thru Starbucks Special Use Permit Heads To Lake Forest City Council

LAKE FOREST, IL — Councilmembers are set to consider signing off on a special use permit for a new drive-thru Starbucks at a long-empty corner in southwestern Lake Forest

The southeast corner of Everett and Waukegan roads has been vacant since the closure of Pasquesi Home and Garden and an Amoco gas station that operated at the site prior to 2008.

Redevelopment was first approved on that site that same year, but it was stymied by the recession. The property was then acquired by IP Properties in 2011 as an investment.

The Lake Forest Plan Commission then considered a proposal for a gas station, car wash and convenience store in the property in 2015 and 2016, but it was ultimately rejected.

Iosue Investments, which also owns an adjacent office building, bought the land in 2019 and removed the former garden store.

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In 2021, the City Council approved its development plan with an medical office building and the coffee shop, but the developer failed to sign up tenants for the office building.

Last year, Iosue submitted a new plan, replacing the office building with a four-story apartment building while keeping the Starbucks as part of the project.

That plan was also withdrawn. The developer then returned with a plan to just start with the Starbucks and "potentially spark some other interest and ideas for development of an appropriate scale on the remainder of the site," according to a plan commission memo.

Earlier this month, plan commissioners voted 7-0 to recommend approval of a special use permit for the site.

City staff also favor of the plan, which is up for potential final City Council approval at Monday's meeting.

Starbucks currently has Lake Forest locations at 840 S. Waukegan Road, 672 N. Western Ave. and in Lake Forest Hospital at 1000 N. Westmoreland Road.

Earlier: Drive-Thru, Office Building Campus Approved At Long-Vacant Corner