CHICAGO—AMLI Residential has just received final approval from the Village of Deerfield to build AMLI Deerfield, a luxury residential apartment community, at 1525 Lake Cook Rd., just east of Wilmot Rd. The company expects to break ground in December and complete the 240-unit project by mid-2015.

And some area business leaders have high hopes that AMLI's development will help improve the business climate in the northern suburbs. "One of the most important challenges facing employers in Lake County is their capacity to attract and retain talent," said Victoria J. Street, the executive director of the Deerfield-Bannockburn-Riverwoods Chamber of Commerce, in a Feb. 25 letter. "Often, young professionals who employers want to hire and are moving to the Chicago area or who already live in the region, do not find a suburban lifestyle to their liking. The AMLI Deerfield project appears to provide a suitable housing alternative for young Deerfield."

Designed to achieve LEED certification, AMLI Deerfield will include numerous green features including ENERGY STAR^TM appliances, water-efficient fixtures, sustainable landscaping, a high-efficiency irrigation system, a state-of-the-art HVAC system with programmable thermostats, bike storage, electric car charging stations, and convenient access to public transportation. In addition, it will be a smoke-free community inside and out.