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Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts
The Village of Lincolnwood, like many communities throughout Illinois, contains active Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts to assist with aging districts and corridors. When managed responsibly, this tool is a major component in a community’s toolbox to help revitalize areas that may otherwise experience ongoing decline. Click on the questions below to dropdown additional Tax Increment Finance information.
A TIF District is a specific geographic area within a community that is established to help rejuvenate the built environment. Specifically, an area that contains old structures, increased vacancy, and has witnessed a lack of investment or re-investment is generally an area that may need financial assistance to help with such rejuvenation efforts.
Once established, a TIF District lasts for 23 years, or it can be dissolved sooner based on the decision of municipal leaders.
To create a TIF District in Illinois, municipal officials must identify the area’s deficiencies, conduct a study to ensure that certain criteria are met, develop a redevelopment plan, and present all findings to a Joint Review Board and the public. After approval by the municipal board and signature by the Village President, the district is established and registered with the county —no state or federal approval is needed.
After a TIF District is officially formed, an assessed property value level is set (or ‘frozen’) when the district is created. Anytime the values of properties within that district increases, the dollar amount above the established base level, the increment, is collected and reinvested within that district.
Communities that contain active TIF Districts can utilize the increment generated to help with vital projects such as new roads, sidewalks, intersection improvements and even offset extraordinary costs associated with new private development projects.
Illinois contains a set of regulations that municipalities have to adhere to including what TIF dollars can be used for and setting minimum reporting standards.
Under the Illinois TIF Act, the items listed below are eligible for TIF funds:
- Public infrastructure improvements include roads, sidewalks, utilities, water lines, sanitary sewer/storm sewer lines, detention/retention ponds, public parking lots, and streetlighting
- Acquisition of property, demolition, and site preparation
- Rehabilitation of older buildings
- Correction and mitigation of environmental issues
- Job training, workforce readiness and other related educational and training programs
- Incentives to retain or attract private development
- Professional studies related to the geographic area
There are some additional expenses that are TIF eligible, but the items listed above are the projects and costs that are typically covered by utilizing TIF funds.
Active and Previous TIF Districts in Lincolnwood
The Village of Lincolnwood has been utilizing Tax Increment Financing to assist with the enhancement of certain areas of the community. Today, there are two active TIF District and one that recently expired. Those TIF Districts are elaborated below with corresponding documents.
The North Lincoln TIF District is the Village’s latest TIF District which was designated in 2019 – click here to view the Redevelopment Project Area Plan for the North Lincoln TIF District. This particular district was formed to assist with the Redevelopment of a blighted hotel property and adjacent properties which is now known as District 1860. Several improvements have been made to this pivotal intersection of Lincolnwood which are identified below.
- District 1860 mixed-use project which included:
- $100M + Mixed-Use Development Project (80,000 SF of commercial, 299 residential units, and 150+ room hotel under construction)
- Three restaurants open (Fat Rosie’s, Mia Francesca, FatPour)
- Two retail/service tenants (Lenscrafters open and Venezia Nails under construction)
- A new park/village green to serve as a local gathering spot
- Lincoln & Touhy roadway improvements
- Lincoln Avenue landscaped medians
New District 1860 development New hotel under construction in District 1860
Related Documents – The documents below include the Annual TIF Reports which are submitted to the Illinois State Comptroller’s Office per the Illinois State Statute. These reports help summarize the financials of the TIF and highlight any activities that took place during the specific reporting period.
- 2023 Annual TIF Report
- 2022 Annual TIF Report
- 2021 Annual TIF Report
- 2020 Annual TIF Report
- 2019 Annual TIF Report
Note, there was a TIF District previously in place called the Lincoln Touhy TIF District, but it was terminated and replaced with the North Lincoln TIF District.
The other active TIF District found within the Village is the Devon/Lincoln TIF District which was formed in 2014 – click here to view the Redevelopment Project Area Plan for the Devon/Lincoln TIF District. This TIF District was an implementation item from the Devon Avenue Corridor Report developed by a technical assistance panel from the Urban Land Institute. This portion of Lincolnwood has witnessed several years of increased vacancy and dated infrastructure. However, this area will be experiencing a major investment in 2026 with the new Devon Avenue Streetscape Project.
Devon-Lincoln TIF District Devon Avenue Streetscape Project
A multi-million-dollar streetscape project will be taking place within the Devon Avenue right-of-way in 2026.
In addition to this future project, there have been a number of other completed infrastructure projects including:
- Streetlight replacement on Lincoln Avenue
- Sidewalk and trail enhancements
- Landscaped median work on Lincoln Avenue
- Alley paving
- Monticello Avenue resurfacing
- Arthur Avenue extension paving
Related Documents – The documents below include the Annual TIF Reports which are submitted to the Illinois State Comptroller’s Office annually per Illinois State Statute.
The business park surrounding the Lincolnwood Town Center Mall was the first area in our community to be designated as a TIF District. This particular district, known as the Northeast Industrial (NEID) TIF District, was established in 1996 and expired on December 31, 2020. Substantial investment was witnessed in this area to benefit the business park and the region which included the following improvements:
- Reconstruction of deteriorated roads
- New traffic signal at McCormick Blvd. and Northeast Parkway
- New public parking lots to serve the area employees
- New streetlight installations
- Water main replacements improvements
- Bike lane striping
- Fiber optic installation
- Sidewalk replacement
- Rail line acquisition & UP line bike trail construction
- UP Trailhead/Lincolnwood Business Park parking lot
- McCormick Boulevard - LED streetlighting retrofit
- Pratt Avenue sidewalk extension
- NEID Conceptual Development Plan (Market Analysis Update & Planning Services)
Parking lots added within the NEID for the benefit of area employers
While this TIF District has expired, a small dollar amount remains within the TIF account in the event that any property taxes within this district were successfully appealed and certain monies have to be returned.
Annual Joint Review Board (JRB) Meetings
As noted above, the Illinois TIF Statute requires any municipality that contains an active TIF District to hold an annual meeting with the overlapping taxing jurisdictions to go over the activities within each TIF District. Previous JRB meetings for Lincolnwood’s TIF Districts are identified below to assist with highlighting the various activities and projects that took place.
December 9, 2025 JRB
- Presentation: JRB Annual Presentation December 2025 Summary of TIFS
- Packet: JRB Packet - December 9, 2025
November 20, 2024 JRB
- Presentation: JRB Annual Presentation November 2024 Summary of TIFs
- Packet: JRB Packet - November 20, 2024
- Minutes: JRB MINUTES November 20, 2024
April 26, 2023 JRB
- Presentation: JRB Annual Presentation April 2023 Summary of TIFs
- Packet: JRB Packet - April 26, 2023
- Minutes: JRB MINUTES April 26, 2023
January 28, 2022 JRB
- Presentation: JRB Annual Presentation January 2022 Summary of TIFs
- Packet: JRB Packet- January 28, 2022
- Minutes: JRB MINUTES January 28 2022
If there are any further questions about TIF Districts in relationship to development projects, then please call 847-745-4710. Should there be any questions on the financial aspects of the TIF Districts, then call 847-745-4701.