Industrial park plan for Baxter International Deerfield campus

A property tax projection prepared by a consultant and included in Bridge’s application estimates the Deerfield property’s annual tax bill would likely increase to nearly $3.2 million in 2027 from around $584,000 in 2021 if Bridge’s project is completed.

Industrial developers, however, have drawn pushback in some parts of the Chicago area from residents worried such projects will bring an onslaught of trucks creating pollution, noise and traffic congestion. Bridge’s plan is no different, though the most vocal opposition has come from residents in neighboring Riverwoods rather than Deerfield, which has the right to annex the site under a long-standing agreement with nearby Northbrook.

The Baxter property is across the street from — and shares an intersection with — a Riverwoods residential development with more than 300 homes. That neighborhood would be most impacted by the estimated 600-plus trucks coming in and out of the new industrial park daily, according to a statement from a group of homeowners in the development, known as Thorngate. The group has gathered more than 2,700 signatures to an online petition opposing the plan.

“This plan is detrimental to the safety of our communities and threatens the environment for our residents, our children and wildlife,” Thorngate Homeowners Association President Barbara Raff said in the statement. “This plan must be stopped and the Deerfield officials must understand they would be turning their backs on the well-being of Riverwoods and Deerfield tax-paying residents.”

Lake County records show the Baxter property is zoned today for a mix of “limited industrial” and “general office” uses. Bridge’s plan requires the property to be rezoned to allow the new warehouse use and needs the approval of the village of Deerfield’s Board of Trustees.

Bridge, which has been one of the most active industrial developers in the Chicago area in recent years, also said the Deerfield Park District “has expressed a high level of interest in leasing the recreational facility, which has been designed to meet their programming needs,” according to the agenda item.

Spokesmen for Bridge, the village of Deerfield and the Deerfield Park District did not respond to requests for comment.

Bridge aims to win final approval for its plan from Deerfield by July and begin demolition of the Baxter buildings early next year, a Bridge executive recently told village planning officials, according to public records. Based on that timeline, the developer estimated the buildings could be completed by 2024.

It’s unclear where Baxter will relocate its headquarters if it completes its campus sale to Bridge, and a spokesman for the company did not respond to a request for comment. The company said in January that it intends to “stay in the general area.”

Baxter commissioned the development of its campus in the early 1970s, and the company moved to the Deerfield property in 1975. Part of the headquarters, which includes buildings totaling 646,000 square feet, was designed by renowned Sears Tower and John Hancock Center architect Fazlur Khan. Baxter also has research and development and manufacturing facilities in northwest suburban Round Lake, as well as a small office in Chicago.

Industrial parks have been a compelling prospect for developers in the Chicago area as demand for warehouse space has soared and vacancy hovers near a record low.

In addition to the Baxter and Allstate campuses, Brennan Investment Group recently bought the distressed 40-acre Atrium Corporate Center office property in northwest suburban Rolling Meadows, which it plans to redevelop into warehouses.