Big Plans.
Big Questions.
Bannockburn deserves better answers — and a better plan.
We are an independent group of neighbors concerned by the scope and speed of the plans proposed for the former Trinity campus: a regional destination with hotels, restaurants, retail, entertainment and extensive sports facilities across 116 acres. We support youth sports and thoughtful redevelopment. We believe The QUAD, as proposed, needs substantial changes before major zoning decisions advance.
We support the mission.
We question the plan.
Many of us first heard about youth sports. The October 2026 application describes much more, and key details remain unresolved. Before the Village advances this plan, residents deserve clear answers and enforceable commitments.
Why we believe changes are needed →- A 79-foot-tall, 7-acre dome The site plans show a 79-foot-tall, 310,000-sq.-ft. air-supported dome. Current zoning caps buildings at 35 feet or three stories; other buildings would reach 45 feet. Field-light poles, regulated separately, would reach 80 feet.
- About 7,600 more vehicle trips a day The developer’s preliminary estimate, before tournaments and special events are counted. It assumes one 120-room hotel; the plans show two with 226 rooms.
- Two hotels, fast food, a gas station Along Half Day Road: two hotels (226 rooms), two drive-through restaurants, a gas station and tunnel car wash, retail outlots and a 50,000-sq.-ft. entertainment center.
- Homes 758 feet away, no screening plan yet Four homes sit roughly 758 to 1,238 feet from the dome. No landscape, berm or screening plan has been submitted.
- Public dollars and Village land requested The developer proposes a TIF district that would redirect future property-tax growth to project costs, plus buying a Village parcel for $1,000 and leasing another for $999 a year. No terms are set.
What the developer has submitted
Plans and illustrations filed by the Donato Foundation for the Village’s review. Shown here so residents can see the proposal for themselves; they are preliminary and not endorsed by Bannockburn Neighbors.
How big is the proposed dome?
Proposed domeFigures conflict: site plans and the application show 310,000 sq. ft.; the presentation’s fiscal table lists 217,500 (≈ 3.8 fields). Final size needs confirmation. Documents ↗ · Sources
This is more than a sports complex.
The QUAD could reshape one of Bannockburn’s largest properties for generations. The plans raise significant questions about traffic, commercial development, public financial incentives and fit with the Village’s long-term vision.
-
1 Can our roads handle what’s proposed? A preliminary memo estimates 7,586 net new daily vehicle trips. Tournament-day traffic hasn’t been analyzed.
The documents say: The developer’s preliminary KLOA memo estimates 7,586 net new daily one-way vehicle trips, with up to 967 in the weekday PM peak hour. Access would be from Half Day Road; no Duffy Lane road connection is proposed. The developer also asks for flexibility to use off-site parking for occasional tournaments.
Still unanswered: A full-buildout intersection study; tournament-day and special-event conditions; a corrected Saturday table; inputs that match the current program; any visitor forecast.
-
2 Who pays — and who benefits? Sports parcels would stay tax-exempt, and a proposed TIF could reimburse development costs. Terms are undefined.
The documents say: The applicant intends sports and community parcels to be tax-exempt and commercial lots to be taxable. It proposes a TIF district and redevelopment agreement and projects about $1.18M a year for the Village at full buildout.
Still unanswered: TIF boundaries, eligibility study, reimbursements, duration and effect on schools and other taxing bodies; current status of exemption requests.
-
3 Why is Village-owned land part of the deal? The developer requests a $1,000 sale and a $999-a-year, 99-year lease of Village parcels. Neither is agreed.
The documents say: The developer requests a $1,000 sale of a 0.23-acre parcel and a 99-year lease of 11.08 acres at $999 a year, each tied to a redevelopment agreement. The Village is not a co-applicant.
Still unanswered: Appraised value, public benefits, maintenance and liability obligations, and whether a separate public process applies.
-
4 What happens to Bannockburn’s character? A 79-foot-tall dome, 80-foot light poles, drive-throughs and a car wash. Enforceable limits aren’t set.
The documents say: Bannockburn is a quiet, low-density village of large lots, largely without streetlights or sidewalks. Current College District zoning caps buildings at 35 feet or three stories, whichever is less. The applicant requests a 79-foot-tall dome, other buildings up to 45 feet, 80-foot light poles and 25-foot signs, alongside retail outlots, two drive-throughs and a gas station/car wash. The dome was moved toward I-94 after resident feedback, but its size differs between documents.
Still unanswered: Screening along the eastern residential edge; sightline studies; lighting photometrics, dome equipment noise and operating hours as enforceable conditions; how the plan fits the Village’s Comprehensive Plan; and what emergency evacuation, severe-weather, structural safety and first-responder access plans will be required for the proposed air-supported dome, and how they will be reviewed with the Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District.
-
5 What’s promised — and what’s guaranteed? A library, event space and trails appear in the plan. Whether any would be required is unclear.
The documents say: The program lists a 32,000 sq. ft. library (the developer’s own assumptions mark public-library dedication as a question), 5,000 sq. ft. of mansion/event space, and an estimated 33 acres of open space that counts fields, trails, wetlands and stormwater detention. The application schedules community and cultural uses last.
Still unanswered: Which amenities would be built, when, who could use them, and whether they would be enforceable conditions of approval.
-
6 Who’s financing and operating The QUAD? The application lists possible funding sources but names no investors, commercial owners or operators.
The documents say: The application lists possible funding sources: foundation equity, philanthropy, grants, institutional lenders, development partnerships and tenant/operator investment. The foundation would own and operate the sports facilities; commercial parcels would be sold or leased.
Still unanswered: Named investors and partners, who would own and operate the commercial businesses, and what agreements would connect them to the nonprofit. The filings name no private equity firm.
Answers first.
Then decisions.
We welcome youth sports, recreation and genuine community amenities on the Trinity campus. The Village’s 2024 Comprehensive Master Plan Update anticipates redevelopment here, with uses such as a sports complex, recreation and retail. The open question is whether this proposal’s scale and intensity fit. We’re asking the Village to secure five things before major zoning decisions advance.
What residents deserve before this plan advances
- 1 Demonstrate compatibility with Bannockburn’s character. Show how the proposed development’s scale, building heights, lighting, noise, traffic, operating hours and commercial uses align with the Village’s long-term vision, and what enforceable conditions or changes would protect surrounding neighborhoods.
- 2 A thorough traffic analysis covering peak tournaments, special events and neighborhood roads.
- 3 Full disclosure of the proposed TIF structure, reimbursement amounts, financing partners and fiscal effects.
- 4 Transparent terms for any sale or lease of Village-owned land.
- 5 Specific, enforceable commitments on public amenities and community access.
These are the requests of Bannockburn Neighbors, not requirements set by the Village. Not every resident shares our view.
Know the Plan.
Have Your Say.
November 2 continues the public hearing on the overall concept. It isn’t confirmed as a final vote, but this stage can set which uses are allowed, how intense they can be and how the site is organized. Showing up matters now.
1959 Waukegan Road, Deerfield · East Entrance, east parking lot