826 Smith AveLake Bluff, IL 60044
12,500 SF commercial lot with 100 feet on Waukegan Road (IL-43) in Lake Bluff, zoned GC General Commercial. $499,000. Also offered on a ground lease or build-to-suit.
Waukegan Road commercial lot for an owner-user or developer
826 Smith Ave is a 12,500 SF commercial lot for sale at $499,000. The property has 100 feet of frontage on Waukegan Road (IL-43) in Lake Bluff, in unincorporated Lake County. The lot is also offered on a ground lease or build-to-suit.
The two lots are zoned GC General Commercial under the Lake County Unified Development Ordinance. The county's use table lists a restaurant or coffee shop, retail, office and medical office as permitted uses in GC. Those uses go through county site plan review rather than a rezoning or special-use hearing; building, engineering and IDOT access permits also apply. County standards allow up to 3,750 SF of building and a height of up to 35 feet.
Waukegan Road carries 20,400 vehicles a day (IDOT, 2025), and Rockland Road (IL-176) is a quarter mile south. A platted alley runs along the rear of the lot. An older house and garage stand on the site today. Buyer to verify all information in due diligence.
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Property highlights
Ways to own it
Owner-user
Build your own office building of up to about 3,750 SF of floor area, or a retail building of up to about 3,000 SF, with 100 feet of frontage on a state route. A restaurant's or medical office's size depends on the county's parking standard for that use. Buyer to verify with Lake County.
Buy and lease it out
Buy the land and find a tenant for it. The current owner is marketing it on a ground lease at $4,000 a month NNN or as a build-to-suit from $130,000 a year NNN; those are asking terms, not signed rent. A buyer sets its own terms.
Location & surroundings
The lot is on the east side of Waukegan Road (IL-43) between Smith Avenue and Blodgett Avenue, in unincorporated Lake County with a Lake Bluff address. The Waukegan Road frontage here is zoned for commerce, with established residential streets behind it. A McDonald's is about 730 feet south, and the Rockland Road (IL-176) intersection, carrying 16,800 vehicles a day, is a quarter mile south. Water comes from Lake County Public Works and sewer service from the North Shore Water Reclamation District.
What’s around it
| Address | Distance | Lot | County zoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1207 N Waukegan Rd | <0.1 mi | 0.14 ac | GC |
| 2211 N Waukegan Rd | <0.1 mi | 0.19 ac | GC |
| 3124 N Waukegan Rd | 0.1 mi | 0.14 ac | GC |
| 4210 N Waukegan Rd | 0.1 mi | 0.14 ac | GC |
| 5115 N Waukegan Rd | 0.1 mi | 0.29 ac | GC |
| 6116 N Waukegan Rd | 0.1 mi | 0.15 ac | GC |
The Commercial Property Lookup lists 38 vacant land parcels of 0.14 to 0.58 acres in Lake Bluff →
Built by Jason Bitton RE/MAX Commercial from public property records, then cleaned, classified and checked; records as of September 30, 2026. Distances are straight-line from this property. Not an appraisal or an opinion of value; records can be wrong or out of date.
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What is for sale at 826 Smith Ave?+
Two lots totaling 12,500 SF (0.29 acre) of commercial land, with 100 feet on Waukegan Road and 125 feet of depth, for $499,000. An older house and garage stand on the site today. Buyer to verify in due diligence.
Is the lot also available for lease?+
Yes. It is offered on a ground lease at $4,000 a month ($48,000 a year) NNN, or as a build-to-suit from $130,000 a year NNN, depending on the building. See the lease listing.
What is the zoning and what uses are allowed?+
GC General Commercial in unincorporated Lake County. Lake County handles zoning, not the Village of Lake Bluff. Under the county's use table, a restaurant or coffee shop, retail, office, medical office, bank, veterinary clinic and health club are permitted uses in GC. Buyer to verify its intended use with Lake County.
How large a building can go on the lot?+
Up to 3,750 SF of floor area (a 0.30 floor area ratio), up to 35 feet tall, with no more than 70% of the lot covered by building and paving. Parking sets the practical size at roughly 3,000 SF of retail or up to 3,750 SF of office. A restaurant's or medical office's size depends on the county's parking standard for that use. Buyer to verify.
Can it have a drive-thru?+
A restaurant is a permitted use in GC. A drive-thru also has to meet the county's vehicle stacking guideline and pass site plan review, so whether one fits depends on the layout; an architect's test fit is the first step. Buyer to verify with Lake County.
How much traffic passes the site?+
Waukegan Road (IL-43) carries 20,400 vehicles a day, and Rockland Road (IL-176), a quarter mile south, carries 16,800 (IDOT, 2025 counts).
How is access handled?+
Waukegan Road is a state route. A new driveway needs an IDOT access permit. A platted alley runs along the rear of the lot.
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