Optima receives approval for Wilmette condo development

Optima Inc has received final village board approval for Optima Lumina, a 128-unit luxury residential building in downtown Wilmette on Chicago’s North Shore. The six-story building features one- to three-bedroom residences of up to nearly 3,000 square feet, almost 5,900 square feet of retail space, a large public plaza, robust amenity package and a number of sustainable features, including Optima’s proprietary Vertical Landscaping System.

Replacing the long-vacant former Imperial Motors car dealership located at 720-739 Green Bay Road, the transit-oriented development is conveniently located directly across from Wilmette’s Metra rail commuter station. It also is immediately north of Optima’s 100-unit, high-end rental community, Optima Verdana, which welcomed residents in 2023 and is now fully leased with a significant waitlist. The residences at Optima Lumina are envisioned as for-sale condominiums but may shift based on market conditions.

“The success of Optima Verdana has demonstrated the high demand for luxury new-construction multifamily housing on the North Shore,” said David Hovey, Jr. AIA, president of Optima, Inc. “Optima Lumina builds on that demand by offering the option for current residents looking to downsize from single-family homes as well as would-be North Shore buyers struggling to find a home due to the area’s low inventory of available housing. Optima is committed to serving as responsible long-term stewards of downtown Wilmette, and we look forward to Optima Lumina enhancing the community and its vibrant character.”  

Conceived as a complementary but entirely stand-alone community from neighboring Optima Verdana, Optima Lumina is separated from its neighbor by a 75-foot-wide publicly accessible landscaped plaza containing outdoor seating, public art and a fountain. Optima Lumina further differentiates itself from Optima Verdana through its own unique architectural language and identity, which includes the company’s first-ever use of terracotta in a building facade system.  

Optima Lumina’s innovative exterior design also incorporates the developer’s proprietary Vertical Landscaping System along its roofline and terraces, which will provide greenery on the building’s facade. The system was pioneered by Optima at its Arizona communities and made its Midwest debut at Optima Verdana by utilizing plant species selected to stay green year-round. The exterior plantings provide biophilic and sustainability benefits such as improved solar shading, evaporative cooling, air purification, noise reduction, stormwater management and balcony privacy as the greenery matures over time. 

On its ground floor, Optima Lumina will offer resident amenities, including an indoor basketball and pickleball court; sports lounge with a golf simulator and indoor putting green; and a fitness center with dedicated yoga and Pilates studios. According to Hovey Jr., Optima intends to retain the existing Starbucks at 739 Green Bay Road within one of Optima Lumina’s new commercial spaces, complete with dedicated outdoor seating and off-street retail parking. The building’s rooftop amenity sky deck features a resident lounge, showcase kitchen, clubroom, outdoor grilling areas, bocce court, steam room, sauna, cold plunge and lap pools with retractable glass walls, and sweeping views of downtown Wilmette and the surrounding treetop canopy.

In addition to being designed in-house, Optima Lumina will also be developed, built, sold and managed by Optima. The building is targeting a Two Green Globes certification, a sustainability rating that evaluates a property’s environmental impact, energy efficiency, water conservation and indoor air quality. Optima Lumina’s notable sustainable features include the use of VRF heating and cooling systems, eco-friendly induction cooktops, electric outdoor grills and providing 100% EV charging capacity in its below-ground parking garage. 

As part of the firm’s zoning agreement with the Village, Optima will provide a $3.8 million contribution to advance affordable housing in Wilmette. The donation is more than double the $1.6 million affordable housing contribution the firm previously made with the approval of Optima Verdana.  

For more details and to join Optima Lumina’s VIP interest list, please visit: learnaboutoptimalumina.com.