HRA takes preliminary action on strategic priorities

Kirsten Wisniewski | August 23, 2025

The August meeting of the Cook County Housing Redevelopment Authority had a full agenda. Executive Director Jeff Brand guided the commissioners through several action items related to strategic planning, and gave updates on ongoing projects.

Action on strategic planning priorities

The board completed strategic planning conversations in July, identifying their top five priorities. This meeting included agenda items to move forward with several of those priorities, laying the ground work for larger projects ahead. One of those priorities is to support efficient building and energy use. The meeting included a conversation about how the board could incentivize improved building and energy use practices for developers, as well as a presentation from Andrea Orest from Cook County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS), focussed on the Energy and Envelope program.

The program was launched as a pilot in partnership between the HRA, the City of Grand Marais, PHHS, and Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP). The program supported efforts by home owners to make improvements to the envelopes of their homes that would improve energy efficiency. The home owners’ whose projects were approved for funding could receive up to $5,000. The first round of projects has been completed, and Brand told WTIP that they are working on allocated the remainder of the funds they have available for the second round.

The next step for the HRA and their partners on the Energy and Envelope Program is to plan how they will fund the program going forward. Brand said he is looking into several state funding sources, but also considering how they can leverage local partnerships. One of the potential future funding sources is the housing trust fund the HRA has also named as a strategic planning priority.

Brand hopes that by establishing a housing trust fund in Cook County, the HRA will be able to invest the money they currently have in order to support future projects. He said, “That money could be used for things like new development, rehabbing homes and redeveloping homes. And so there’s some opportunities for us to do some things like rent stabilization as well.”

Ongoing Projects

While the board members work toward their strategic goals, there are a number of HRA supported building projects in process. The most obvious progress has been made on The Heights. The modules that will make up the structure have begun arriving in Grand Marais, with the most recent ones arriving shortly before the beginning of the Aug. 20 HRA meeting. The 36-unit apartment building will consist of a mix of units priced at market rate and some with rents adjusted based on 60% and 80% of the Annual Median Income (AMI) for Cook County. Inclusion of the AMI adjusted rates was required by the HRA when they initially opted to support the development.

One project much further away from the construction phase is Temperance Trail. The status of the planned development in Tofte is unknown at this time. The development agreement with Peter Grubish and Timberline Construction (formerly Green Bull, LLC) elapsed at the end of July, without Grubish meeting the criteria of setting a closing date on the property abutting Birch Grove Community School, or having a final plat approved by the Cook Count Planning Commission.

Grubish received an extension on the development agreement before the HRA was made aware of a series of legal complaints that had been filed against him over the past several years. The commissioners did not discuss an additional extension.

Brand wasn’t able to share many details with WTIP after the August meeting, but hinted at progress that could be announced soon. “We’re still in the process of finding a developer, whether it be Peter or somebody else,” Brand said. “I don’t have anything concrete to give you today, but in the next month, there might be a big development in this saga of Temperance Trails, and who gets to be the developer.”

The property, currently owned by the HRA, has presented challenges for development, because of the presence of wetlands. Brand said he remains optimistic, however, that a high density development can be build on the parcel, and that the HRA will be able to find the right contractor to finally construct housing on the land, an effort already a decade in the works.

Public Engagement

The next several weeks and months will include a lot of public outreach and engagement for the HRA. Both their strategic priority focussed on elder care and assisted living, and the goal of creating a county housing plan will mean extensive conversations with community members about their housing needs. Brand said he looks forward to collecting information and speaking to local residents, which he anticipates will take the form of town hall meetings.

In the immediate weeks, the HRA will be cohosting a series of town hall meetings with Cook County Land Services. The meetings will be an opportunity for residents and land owners to ask questions about the Residential Open Space Overlay (ROSO) district amendment to the zoning ordinance that was approved earlier this year. Brand will be joined by Zoning Administrator Neva Maxwell, and a meeting will be held in each of the five commissioner districts in the county.

The meeting dates are as follows:

• Tuesday, 8/26 – Hovland Town Hall
• Tuesday, 9/2 – Colvill Town Hall
• Monday, 9/15 – Schaap Community Center
• Monday, 9/29 – Schroeder Town Hall
• Tuesday, 9/30 – Cook County Courthouse

While land owners whose properties have been preliminarily identified as eligible for the ROSO district will receive invitations to attend a meeting in the mail, Brand said that anyone can attend any of the meetings. “We want to make sure we’re able to find as many people as possible that are interested in this to have that conversation,” he said.

Brand added that he hoped that others with a stake in the housing and development sector, like realtors and contractors, would also consider attending one of the meetings. Registration is recommended but not required for the meetings, and residents are not required to attend the meeting in their district.

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Jeff Brand. Audio of that interview is below.