The city also wants its New Harbor Renaissance Commission to take the lead in hiring a project manager and form a development team, Hyde says, then explore ways to raise some of the $245 million in public investment needed to set the table for developers.

The city lacks the manpower to proceed with a redevelopment effort, but it should not be faulted for that deficiency, says Development Concepts Inc. president Michael Higbee, who has served on the Urban Land Institute panel that visited the city and was involved in Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's master plan.

"There's no community in the country set up to undertake the redevelopment of this scale," Higbee says. "You're talking about a $1-billion initiative. That would put most developers back on their heels."

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill interviewed a dozen developers in drawing up its master plan. "What was holding Waukegan is the land," associate partner Chris Hall tells GlobeSt.com.

Although money could stall the redevelopment effort, Higbee suggests the county, state and federal governments have vested interests in some of the work that needs to be done. For example, state and federal officials are responsible for building roads, while the county has aggressively pursued open space.

County board members and state legislators have been enlisted, but Higbee suggests the city should take its case to Washington, DC "This project is so massive that this community should consider going in for a special appropriation," he adds.

Instant Insights /

GlobeSt.com UPDATE: Waukegan to Form Redevelopment Team

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