Village Rethinks Development Strategy After Years of Stalled Proposals

Written by:

Rudi Davis

Date:

10 Dec 2025

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After a failed development proposal, Burr Ridge, Illinois, has changed its strategy for handling large, strategic properties. Instead of waiting for developers to pitch ideas, the village is investing in its own planning process – a notable departure from the traditional, reactive model of suburban development.

“If we made an error in the beginning, we learn from mistakes. What we’ve now decided to do is, rather than being passive, which government usually is, we decided to invest in getting our own consultant who will do a site study and give us a market analysis,” says Gary Grasso, Mayor of Burr Ridge.

This shift follows the collapse of a major proposal for the village’s 110-acre CNH Industrial property in August 2024. Rather than waiting for another developer to approach them, Burr Ridge is working to define its own vision for the site before seeking partners.

Why the Traditional Approach Fails for Major Sites

Grasso says the typical process – zoning land and waiting for developer proposals – often leaves municipalities with little control over their most important sites. Developers spend time and money crafting plans, only to be rejected if the proposal doesn’t fit local priorities. Afterward, the property remains vacant, and the municipality has gained nothing except the realization of what it does not want.

“The biggest lesson we learned in a project of this size with this much land involved is for the municipality to be proactive,” Grasso says. “It’s an overused term, but to get engaged in the beginning and get professionals in that can tell us what the best fit for the community is.”

The CNH property holds special significance for Burr Ridge. Built by International Harvester in the 1950s, it played a central role in the village’s development. Its size, location near major highways, and history make it too important to leave to chance, according to Grasso.

The most recent proposal, from Bridge Industrial, would have brought heavy truck traffic and intensified industrial use. Grasso says that while both CNH and Bridge are reputable companies, the plan didn’t align with the community’s long-term interests. The project leaned heavily toward industrial activity and trucking, he notes, and ultimately wasn’t viewed as beneficial for Burr Ridge residents.

Creating a Municipal Roadmap

Now, Burr Ridge is hiring a consultant to conduct a comprehensive site study and market analysis before engaging with developers. The aim, Grasso says, is to provide a clear roadmap for what the village will support, rather than forcing developers to guess and risk costly rejections.

This approach shifts the balance of power, allowing municipalities – not developers – to set the terms. Instead of reacting to profit-driven proposals, local officials can now present a clear roadmap of what they want, what they believe is economically viable, and what they are willing to support.

While this does not eliminate the risk of community opposition, it ensures that any debate is centered on a plan the municipality has deliberately chosen, not one driven entirely by developer interests.

Grasso stresses that this proactive approach is especially important for large or strategic sites. For smaller, less consequential projects, the traditional model may still work. But when a property will shape the community’s future and fiscal health for decades, he argues, municipalities owe it to residents to be intentional.

“We want to give the owner and the developer something of a roadmap which we will find acceptable, rather than they invest a lot of time and money, and then we say no to something,” Grasso says. By using professional consultants, municipal leaders also gain political cover – debates can focus on economic realities rather than ideology.

What Burr Ridge Wants Instead

For the CNH property, Grasso says the village wants to steer the site toward entertainment, specialized retail, and mixed-use projects rather than heavy industrial activity. He notes that anything requiring large loading bays and round-the-clock truck traffic is off the table. The goal is to attract uses that generate sales tax revenue without the disruption and operational intensity of industrial development.

Potential options include entertainment venues, sports facilities, music venues, large specialty retailers, and residential components such as condominiums or townhomes. The challenge is to find a mix that generates meaningful revenue while preserving the character of Burr Ridge.

Grasso says the village is relying on its consultant to outline what is fiscally realistic over the next few years and to identify the types of businesses likely to invest. He admits the village knows the kind of project it wants when it sees it, even if it’s hard to define on paper at this stage.

Broader Implications for Suburban Development

Burr Ridge’s experience highlights a growing problem for suburbs with large, vacant sites. As residents demand more say in development and opposition to unwanted projects grows, municipalities that simply wait for proposals risk long-term stalemates and missed opportunities.

Investing in upfront planning and analysis can be costly, but Grasso believes it will save time and money by reducing failed proposals and giving the village a stronger negotiating position. More importantly, it allows communities to guide their own future, rather than reacting to whatever the market presents.

Whether other suburbs will follow this model depends on Burr Ridge’s success. If the consultant-driven process results in a development that meets both fiscal needs and community expectations, it could encourage more municipalities to take an active role in shaping the fate of their most important properties.