The Illinois Department of Labor is requiring the developer of a senior living center in Northbrook, Ill., and two subcontractors to pay more than $1.1 million back to workers for failing to meet state-certified prevailing wage and benefit rates during its construction in 2018. It's the biggest payback reward in the history of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, the union that brought a legal action against the developer and subcontractors.
The case involves the Lodge of Northbrook, a 164-unit senior living community development funded by bonds issued through the Illinois Finance Authority, a statewide agency created by the Illinois legislature in 2004 to provide low-cost capital to development projects. The IFA replaced seven predecessor state-funding entities when it was created. The Lodge of Northbrook’s developer is Essex Corp. of Omaha, Neb. Its general contractor was McShane Construction Corp. of Rosemont, Ill. Its carpentry contractor is Horizon Carpentry, Inc., and its drywall contractor was Russ’s Drywall, Inc., both of nearby Elgin, Ill. The Illinois Department of Labor ordered the subcontractors to provide back pay to their employees after the CRCC filed charges alleging violations of the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act in 2018 during the third phase of construction on the Lodge at Northbrook.