Old Orchard makeover approved with large sign intact

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The sign for this Shell Station at Lavergne Avenue and Old Orchard Road is a main reason Westfield Old Orchard officials asked for and received approval to install a new 48-foot sign on its property. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media

Updated: January 2, 2012 8:13AM

Westfield Old Orchard’s extensive facelift for its regional shopping center will include a controversial 48-foot sign on the northwest corner of its property as part of the project.

Village Trustees Monday approved the shopping center’s proposed makeover even though the Plan Commission’s recommendation was for a sign less than half the size being requested.

But Westfield officials said the shopping center aims to become one of the company’s relatively few “flagship” retail centers in the world, which requires expanding Westfield’s market by bringing in new shoppers beyond the Skokie area.

“We’re trying to take (Old Orchard) to its highest potential and that is a global flagship shopping center,” said Westfield Senior Vice President Chris Barnett. “But it first needs to grow.”

Village Trustees Monday approved five measures associated with the project clearing the way for Old Orchard to relocate the children’s play area; install multiple new exterior signs; create new drop-off locations; add a new car wash service as part of valet service; create new valet parking and change current valet spaces; add new outdoor cart vendors and relocate existing ones; install new seating and landscaping; add outdoor vending machines for the first time; and add a new display area to sell vehicles including electric vehicles.

The last time the mall received as significant of a makeover was in 1994, said Westfield Old Orchard Development Director Hide Kashima. It adopted an “Old English garden” aesthetic then, which will be changed to what Westfield is now calling a “modern garden.”

The mall renovation of 17 years ago is in need of transformation, Kashima insisted.

“Since that time, we’ve brought in very exciting new tenants that have done very exciting storefronts,” he said. “The mall area is not matching up with that exciting new storefront. Therefore, there is a disjointed shopping experience.”

The biggest sticking point in the plan was Westfield’s request for a large monument sign at Old Orchard Road and Lavergne Avenue intended to better lead those leaving the Edens Expressway into the shopping center. Westfield officials maintained that the sign is necessary for several reasons including making certain that those coming to the mall get to the right place.

They are especially concerned that shoppers turn at Lavergne and not nearby Lawler Avenue, which leaves them outside the shopping center perimeter.

An ongoing challenge for Westfield has been trying to get shoppers to park on the west side of the retail center, which often has spaces available, instead of the always-packed east side.

“We don’t have a parking problem,” Kashima said. “We have a parking distribution problem.”

Kashima said the sign will help remedy the situation.

Shopping center officials also maintain the 48-foot sign — significantly higher than the 18 feet allowed under village code — is needed because of nearby gas stations with tall canopies and signs that block drivers’ views heading toward Westfield. The 27-foot-high Shell gas station sign was erected before the village’s current code and would not be allowed today.

“We’re not creating (the sign) for the sake of building a monument,” said Barnett. “We’re building it as a point of navigation.”

Although several trustees questioned the need for such a large size, only Trustee Michael Lorge voted against the measure. Lorge also questioned the need for a base for the sign measuring 16 feet wide.

“It’s hard to turn to a very important commercial entity in the village and say, ‘is this really necessary?’” Lorge said. “It’s hard to say no to friends. But sometimes you have to say no to your best friend and hopefully your best friend will understand why. I’m really concerned about the size and mass.”

Westfield held a community meeting with neighbors and received no major complaints about the project. Most people who attended the meeting were even accepting of the size of the sign, which will not be located close to homes.

But some trustees Monday raised concerns about the precedent this sign could set.

“I understand the value of this sign,” said Trustee Randy Roberts. “As a lawyer, I know what precedent is.”

But Roberts said he sees the situation as unique, especially with the impeding Shell sign, and doesn’t believe there will be cases like this one.

The only other no vote in the Westfield package came from Trustee Don

Perille concerning increasing the number of outdoor cart vendors — referred to as retail merchandise units or RMUs — from 18 to 21.

Perille noted that the shopping center has come before the village

Board several times since it first asked for six such outdoor vendors.

“I think I’m going to have to dodge around to get from one store to another because there’s so many RMUs in the place,” said Perille who wanted to a commitment from Westfield of 21 as the maximum.

“Every time we’ve turned around you’ve added more RMUs and I think this has got to be it,” he said.

Almost all retailers in the shopping center will be impacted by the renovation except Macy’s and Fontera Fresco, officials said.

Westfield will begin work on the project immediately and officials would like to see the makeover completed next summer.