Shimer Square
Mt. Carroll, IL
203 E. Seminary Street, Mt. Carroll, IL
Mixed-Use Multi-million investment over multiple years Phase One (2021): $12.9 million investment, 37 units of rental housing Phase Two (2021): $21.5 million investment, 51 units of rental housing Shimer Square is a comprehensive redevelopment of a former college campus into a mixture of housing, business, and community amenities.
GROWTH’s goals and objectives for Shimer Square is to incorporate a dynamic mixture of uses while putting the historic properties back into a tax generating status for the benefit of Mount Carroll residents, businesses, and visitors. The end result will also increase employment opportunities and engage area residents through programmed activities. The project site encapsulates the entire campus footprint of the historic Shimer College, a 14-acre campus with a total of 17 buildings, former residential halls and instructional buildings solidly constructed between the time from 1903 and 1957. Since taking ownership, GROWTH has engaged and worked with the community on its redevelopment plans, including the renaming of the campus to define its future. The campus will be transformed into a mixed-use, diversified portfolio of housing, business incubation, artist and community space as a sustainable, diverse, inclusive, equitable historical community asset built for the future. Total development costs exceed $60 million and will be completed within five to seven years. Phase by phase, GROWTH will create new opportunity and an entirely new tax base for the Mt. Carroll, IL community and northwest Illinois. Above: In May 2019, by community ballots and ultimately a coin toss by the Mayor, the campus was renamed Shimer Square, officially kicking off the multi-year, multi-phase redevelopment work throughout five (5) phases.
Name Changes Throughout History
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Above:
Above: A historical photo of the former Shimer College campus. Shimer College was an American Great Books college, first founded in 1852 in the town of Mount Carroll, Illinois. This school was one of the first academies for women. Shimer College was originally known as Mount Carroll Seminary, having undergone multiple name changes throughout its existence.
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