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Following months of delays, Carvana’s proposed glass car vending machine in Skokie, Ill., must now meet strict bird-friendly mitigation measures to be approved by the Skokie village board. Carvana officials describe their glass towers as pickup locations for cars purchased online for people who opt against home delivery.
The 14-story structure was originally approved by the Skokie village board to be built near a forest preserve in February 2022; however, in May 2022, Illinois banned the online used car retailer from selling cars in the state. The ban prompted Skokie to rescind its approval for the glass tower until Carvana’s legal issues were resolved.
This past week, Carvana resolved the pending allegations with Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.
Johanna Nyden, Skokie’s director of community development, told the Skokie Review that since six months had elapsed since the village originally approved the project, the car dealer would have to restart the approval process.
Carvana’s planned tower must now comply with a new village ordinance. The new ordinance requires certain new buildings and major facade renovations to comply with bird strike mitigation requirements. Single-family homes, townhomes and residential buildings less than four stories tall are exempt from the guidelines.
The ordinance was adopted after residents expressed concerns about birds from the adjacent forest preserve flying into the clear glass.
