HRA ends contract with Temperance Trail developer

Amidst a busy end to construction season for projects supported by the Cook County Housing Redevelopment Authority, the group voted at its October meeting to end the developer contract with Peter Grubish for Temperance Trail, a proposed housing development in Tofte.

The project would have been located on the parcel directly behind Birch Grove School, and comprise of 16 single-family homes.

In May, WTIP reported on a series of legal challenges the developer was facing related to other projects. The complaints made against Grubish and his company, which changed names several times over the past few years, alleged non-payment to subcontractors and suppliers, and abandoned building projects.

HRA Executive Director Jeff Brand notified his board of the situation at that time. Grubish had only recently received an extension to his developer contract, giving him until July 31 to have a final plat approved by county Land Services, and to arrange for a closing date on the land, which the HRA owns. When Grubish failed to complete those items, his contract expired.

Brand told WTIP, however, that he reached out to Grubish before formalizing the dissolution of the developer relationship. Brand said that Grubish has not contacted him since July.

Now that the HRA board has officially voted to terminate the contract with Peter Grubish, the group heads back to the drawing board for a potential development at that site. Brand said the HRA remains committed to using the land for a housing project. He said this could be an opportunity to explore other options that serve the needs of the west end.

“We’re going to involve the township again and have some of those conversations about what we want and what things look like,” Brand said. “We have the freedom to have conversations about single family and maybe in a different way, maybe a different type of construction, or more opportunity to talk about energy efficiencies and operating costs in a-long term of the operation of that home. And so more opportunities, I think. For us, it’s kind of a clean slate. We’re starting over.”

One result of the HRA’s experience with Grubish is a change in approach to vetting developers. Earlier this year the HRA board created an application for developers to complete, before the organization signs on with them. Brand added, “I think that our vetting process is going to be a little bit more in depth, and we’re going to get more information right away in the start.

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with HRA Executive director Jeff Brand about Temperance Trail. Audio of that interview is below.

Kirsten Wisniewski October 18, 2025