Commercial Land Uses (1200 Series)

Table of Contents

Detention/retention basins occupying commercial parcels are coded 1565 Stormwater Management.

Primarily Retail/Service (1210 Series)

Shopping Malls (1211)

Definition: This category is reserved for what are referred to as “super-regional centers,” which have a minimum Gross Leasable Area (GLA) in excess of 750,000 square feet.

Primary Reference Layer: CoStar_Shopping_Centers.lyr in ReferenceData folder

Discussion: There are a total of 27 malls in the region of this size. This list is determined solely on data provided by CoStar, based on a region-wide query of shopping centers; only these 27 malls should receive the 1211 code. This classification should include the entire mall and associated parking, access roads and landscaping. This category should NOT include peripheral commercial properties that are not owned/managed by the mall (such as restaurants & banks found outside of a mall’s perimeter road).

Examples: Spring Hill Mall and peripheral uses.

Q&A:

Regional & Community Retail Centers (1212)

Definition: Retail centers with between 100,000 and 750,000 sq. feet GLA.

Primary Reference Layer: CoStar_Shopping_Centers.lyr in ReferenceData folder

Discussion: Again, this use is determined primarily by the CoStar reference data, although a little more judgement needs to be exercised to ensure that the center isn’t actually a stand-alone big box store (1214: Single Large Site Retail); also, there may be qualifying shopping centers that did not make the CoStar list. As with the malls, perimeter stores not associated with the main shopping center are not included.

Examples:

  • Example 1:Two Regional/Community centers in South Elgin, with peripheral “urban mix”: In the photo below, each of the parcels shown to be coded 1215 Urban Mix have a different owner which is not the same as the owner of the shopping center parcels, The Shops at South Elgin and The Shoppes of Stony Creek. Also each urban mix parcel has some land devoted to parking for that building.

  • Example 2: The photo below is a bit different situation. Five of the six small parcels on the west side of this shopping center all thave the SAME owner as all the parcels for the shopping center. Because the owner is the same, code these 1212 also. Even the very small southern most parcel with a different owner, has no parking as part of that parcel. Patrons of that restaurant must park in shopping center lots. In this case, also code this parcel the same as the other small parcels, 1212.

Q&A:

  • Q: I have identified a 138,000 sq. ft. building at 42nd & Ashland that is Swap-O-Rama, a flea market. Should this be coded as 1212 because of its size and commercial activity or coded something else?
    • A: The Regional/Community Retail Centers category implies a certain level of employment and transportation activity that this place does not support. From looking at their website, it appears that the building is only active on weekends. During the week it is either closed or activities are restricted to the outdoor portion of the property. Because of this, 1215 Urban Mix is a more appropriate code.

Single Large-Site Retail (1214)

Definition: Parcel contains single retail operation in excess of 100,000 sq. feet GLA.

Discussion: “Single Large-Site” is a euphemism for a Big Box store. While it is a commonly-used term, we do not have a set definition for it that would allow for easy automation or querying. Essentially, while coding commercial properties, one needs to keep an eye out for very large retail properties that did not show up in CoStar. Frequently, but not always, the property is owned by the retailer, which makes them easier to identify in the parcel data. Use the drawing tool to get an estimate of building square footage; only those larger than 100,000 s.f. should be included in this category.

If one of these stores is part of/attached to a Mall (1211) or Regional Retail Center (1212), then code it as a part of that center. The 1214 code should be in instances where the store is stand-alone, or physically separated from a shopping center (its own distinct parking lot, with property owned by the store or at least by a different agency than the owner of the shopping center).

Examples:

Target store on Randall Road

Q&A:

Urban Mix (1215)

Definition: This category includes smaller retail trade not elsewhere identified in Series 1210 as well as smaller office/professional activities not identified in Series 1220. Examples include but are not limited to: grocery stores; department stores; eating and drinking establishments; gasoline service stations; motor vehicle sales; garden supplies; finance, insurance, and real estate services; personal services; business services, repair services, professional services; construction services. Buildings that are adjacent to larger retail centers but are distinct from them fall in this group.

Discussion: This category, along with the 1216 (Urban Mix w/Residential) category, will constitute the majority of commercial parcels in this Inventory; basically it is a catch-all for those commercial parcels that do not fit into any other of the Commercial categories. This includes strip malls, stand-alone retail establishments, blocks of urban storefronts, multi-tenant commercial buildings with a mix of retail and office, and commercial districts in the urban core where none of the other uses in this category apply.

This category also includes private, for-profit child day care centers where the county has applied a Commercial code to the parcel. It also includes organizations providing services for animals such as animal shelters, doggy day care centers, and dog training clubs.

Examples:

  • Example 1: Distinction between Commercial Vacant and Urban Mix. The photo below shows the buildings formerly used by the Rockenbach Chevy dealer. The new dealership is a now a few blocks away. This vacant property is in move-in ready condition so it should be coded 1215 Urban Mix. See 4120 Vacant Commercial for more information about situations when this code would apply.

Q&A:

  • Q: What if a house is used by a religious or other non-profit organization solely as offices and there is no indication that anyone lives in the house? Also, the house is NOT adjacent to any other larger parcels for that organization.
    • A: If the county codes this parcel as Commercial, then code the parcel for this house used solely as offices as 1215 urban mix.
  • Q: How do I code a parcel containing a social service organization that is a ministry of a religious organization?
    • A: Since there is no house of worship on this parcel, this will NOT be coded 1350. IF the county says it is tax exempt, most likely it will qualify to be coded as institutional other 1370 for the specialized professional services provided. IF the county codes it as Commercial, then code it 1215 Urban Mix.
  • Q: How do I coded property owned by a service organization such as VFW, Moose, Elks, Masons, etc. which is defined as part of Other Institutional, but the county codes it as Commercial property?
    • A: Rather than taking a great deal of time to try to ferret out exactly how the property is being used, code this 1215 Urban Mix since the county codes it as Commercial even though it is owned by a service organization. This would be also true if it was owned by a social service organization such as the YMCA. If the county codes it as Commercial, then code it urban mix unless you have overwhelming evidence otherwise.
  • Q: How do I code a preschool or day care center?
    • A: If it is owned by a school district or some other government entity or nonprofit AND the county use code is Exempt, then code it 1321 K-12 Educational Facilities. If it is owned privately, is for-profit, and the county use code is Commercial, then code it 1215 Urban Mix. One caveat to this is if the County codes a parcel as Commercial even though it is owned by a church, for example, and has a day care center on it, put more weight on the County Code of Commercial and code it 1215 urban mix. Since the county did not code the parcel Exempt even though it is owned by a church, likely the church is renting out the building or has this as a for-profit arm of the church so urban mix will be more the appropriatecode.
  • Q: The parcel in red in the photo below has a county usecode of 517 (One Story Commercial Building) and it has been coded as Urban Mix as part of a thematic coding process. However, Google Maps street view and D&B indicate that this is a professional building (dentist & physician offices). The coded parcels just to the north and south have been coded as Urban Mix even though they too have a 517 county usecode and contain lawyer and insurance agencies. These buildings are on Milwaukee Ave in Niles. Should these parcels be left alone or coded as 1220 Offices since they are small professional office buildings?

    • A: You can leave these buildings as 1215 Urban Mix. See the discussion in 1220 Office about Offices in Older Urban Settings. Niles is considered an “inner-ring suburb” so these offices would need to meet the higher office building standard in this suburb to be coded as 1220 Office.

Urban Mix with Residential Component (1216)

Definition: Similar to 1215 Urban Mix, but in areas where there is a likelihood of one or more residential units included in the parcel on the upper floors of the building. In newer “mixed-use” developments, this category is applied if the residential and commercial components share a single parcel. In older urban areas characterized by a block of storefronts, all parcels in the block receive this code provided the majority of buildings are 2-4 stories high and that there is evidence (such as Census housing unit counts) that some of the buildings contain dwelling units in the upper floors. Buildings taller than 4 stories that are predominantly multi-family should be coded 1130 Multi-Family.

Discussion:

Examples:

Q&A:

  • Q: I have encountered a parcel in Will County that has a small food mart with parking lot and then a separate building is an older house. How do I code this?
    • A: This can also be coded 1216 since the land use is also retail for the food mart and residential for the house. No need to change residential units since only those parcels coded with a residential code will use residential unit numbers in final processing.
  • Q: The aerial photo below shows one building divided into 3 parcels. Two of the parcels are coded Commercial by the county and one is coded Residential Condo. GoogleStreetView shows this building, in reality, has stores on the first floor and residential condos on floors 2 and 3 and probably a 4th floor. How do I code this?

    • A: In this case, the street view photo shows us the actual land use activity so code all 3 parcels for this building as 1216.

Office (1220)

Definition: Office buildings, including: stand-alone office buildings as well as office complexes and corporate campuses. Includes dominant 2-digit NAICS where available. (NAICS will be added through automated post-processing)

Discussion: The distinction between certain office types and other land uses is often not very sharp. A small office building situated among retail/service-oriented “urban mix” uses could be argued into either the urban mix or office category; the same can be said for a publishing company, which might have its main office and production facility under the same roof.

Office or Urban Mix? For smaller, service-oriented office buildings with multiple tenants which might qualify as Urban Mix, the Dun & Bradstreet businesses can help you decide. Check the NAICS code; you really only need the two-digit version in most cases to understand what types of activities go on there. Link to NAICS lookup website This link takes you to the Census Bureau’s list of NAICS codes at the 2-digit level, and lets you drill down to see more specific four- and six-digit codes. For the most part, you only have to concern yourself with the two-digit code. If the businesses on the site are predominantly 44 or 45 (Retail Trade) or 72 (Accommodation and Food Services), then the site should be coded Urban Mix. Sites with predominatly professional services (medical, legal, insurance, real estate) would be coded Office. An exception to this strict NAICS-based rule are bank branches–they have a NAICS-2 code of 52 (Finance and Insurance), but they should be treated as Urban Mix. Here’s another way at looking at this issue: if you were to visit the property, would you need an appointment? If yes (doctor, lawyer, realtor), then it’s probably an office. If no (you can just walk in: bank, dry cleaner, camera repair shop), then it’s urban mix. House now offices A house that is now used solely as offices for commercial activity will be coded as Urban Mix since it could just as easily be used for some other commercial or retail activity and was not originally built as a small office building.

Offices in Older Urban Settings: Different standards are applied to urban and suburban settings for this category. This is for expediency’s sake: the central business districts of older cities are a jumble of old, new, and repurposed buildings. For a parcel to be coded Office in these settings, a building must:

  • be four (4) or more stories high, AND
  • contain Dun & Bradstreet businesses with NAICS-2 codes that are not retail (44/45) or Food Service (72).

For the purposes of this project, you can count the entire city of Chicago and also the inner-ring suburbs as an “older urban setting”. This will also include the central areas of older suburbs and outlying towns, particularly those with Metra stations.

Super Tall Buildings Mostly In Chicago Loop: Super tall buildings mostly in Chicago Loop are a bit more complicated than the typical urban setting rules regarding urban mix versus urban mix with residential or office versus urban mix. As a general rule, if the building does not appear to have changed significantly from 2010, go with that code. For new or changed buildings, go by floor majority, unless there is a land use that generates an abundance of activity even though it uses less floors. An example of this is Water Tower Place which contains 40 floors of residential condos, 20 floors of hotel, and only 8 floors of mall, but that mall is one of only 20 in the entire region and generates the greatest activity of the building.

Office or Industrial? For this decision, you can usually let the Assessor decide: did they classify it as Commercial or Industrial? There are some “commercial” properties that do have more of an industrial function: for this you can check the D&B business name/type (are they making things there?), and use visual cues (space for a lot of truck activity) to determine whether the property really functions as office or industrial.

Examples:

Two small office buildings, with banks (urban mix) on either side. D&B shows that most businesses in the offices are medical:

Same property, oblique view (north is at bottom):

The example below is on an Industrial parcel, but is coded as office because:

  • No evidence of manufacturing or warehousing,
  • Large parking lot & multi-story buildings more consistant with office
  • D&B lists Chase Bank at this location with 2,000 employees

Same property, oblique view:

Office in older urban setting in downtown Elgin:

  • Tall building (long shadow),
  • Classed as Commercial by the county,
  • D&B lists several non-retail businesses; in this case, many are NAICS 54: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
  • Lower buildings to east and north are coded Urban Mix.

Same property, oblique view:

Q&A:

  • Q: How do I code a parcel owned by a utility or communications company that is an office building for this company?
    • A: Code this as 1220 Office. If it is a much smaller building that is an outpost for repair/service staff or land with utility or communications equipment on it, then this can be coded 1564 Other Utility/Waste or 1550 Communications depending on the company.
  • Q: How do I code a medical office building which is not near a hospital?
    • A: Code this as 1220 Office. If such a building is adjacent to a hospital, then it can be coded with the hospital as medical.
  • Q: How does a publishing company get coded?
    • A: If the building actually has production of published materials going on and it is under 100,000 sq ft, then code it as 1420 General Industrial. You can probably tell this by seeing that it has docks for loading published materials and has a fairly large parking lot for employees involved in the publishing. Also much of the building will have a flat roof and few windows. If there are many docks, but a very small parking lot, then this may just be a warehouse. If the building appears to have many offices and no docks, then it’s probably an office building for the publishing company and no actual publishing is going on at that site.
  • Q: The parcel in red in the photo below has a county usecode of 517 (One Story Commercial Building) and it has been coded as Urban Mix as part of a thematic coding process. However, Google Maps street view and D&B indicate that this is a professional building (dentist & physician offices). The coded parcels just to the north and south have been coded as Urban Mix even though they too have a 517 county usecode and contain lawyer and insurance agencies. These buildings are on Milwaukee Ave in Niles. Should these parcels be left alone or coded as 1220 Offices since they are small professional office buildings?

    • A: You can leave these buildings as 1215 Urban Mix. See the discussion above about Offices in Older Urban Settings. Niles is considered an “inner-ring suburb” so these offices would need to meet the higher office building standard in this suburb to be coded as 1220 Office.

  • Q: How do I code the Abbott Laboratories Corporate Campus in Lake County that has the corporate world headquarters?
    • A: While the Abbott Laboratories Corporate Campus, Abbott Park, IL does contain large office buildings for their world headquarters, that corporate campus also includes manufacturing and distribution facilities. Because of this, code the entire corporate campus as 1433 Industrial Flex or Indeterminate. If corporate offices were at a separate location for a manufacturing company, then it would be appropriate to code such an office building as 1220 Office.
  • Q: In Northbrook on the Allstate Corporate Campus are a couple of parcels that contain 2 baseball fields, a network of walking paths and a pond. Would this be considered Non-Public Open Space or Office?
    • A: No, since this is part of the Allstate Corporate Campus, code it 1220 Office as you do the rest of that corporate campus. This does meet the definition for 3400.
  • Q: How do I code a house that now is used as offices?
    • A: Code this as urban mix even though it is currently being used as commercial offices. Since it was not constructed as a small office building, but rather is a house that has been converted to offices, it could just as easily be a flower shop or a yoga center instead of offices now, so code it urban mix.

Cultural/Entertainment (1240)

Definition:

  • Cultural activities: museums, planetaria, aquaria, zoos, historic sites.
  • Public Assembly: amphitheaters, drive-ins, stadiums, arenas, race tracks, exhibition halls, conference/convention centers.
  • Amusements: fairgrounds, amusement parks, miniature golf, go-cart tracks.
  • Recreational activities: tennis courts, ice rinks, bowling, swimming pools (all when not associated with a larger facility such as a hotel or park); recreation centers (stand-alone, not next to a field facility); land-based portion of yacht clubs, marinas, and riverboat casinos.
  • Not included in this category are beaches, botanical gardens, arboretums, camping and picnicking, golf courses, riding stables, ski resorts, toboggan runs, playgrounds, or organized camps/retreats (see Open Space).

Discussion: The Definition section pretty much covers it. One clarification should be made for park district recreational centers. If a park district facility is essentially an “activity center” (such as an aquatic park) with no real open space, then it should be coded 1240. So…if a swimming pool is in a park, it’s open space; but if the swimming pool is the park, then it’s cultural/entertainment.

In terms of places of Public Assembly such as conference/convention centers, if the facility also has a large hotel as part of of the facility in the same parcel, then code this as 1250 Hotel/Motel since from an activity standpoint, the hotel is 24/7 and the convention center is most active only when there’s a convention going on. See a specific example of this in the Hotel/Motel Q&A below.

Examples:

The photo below shows a good example of a small marina for recreational activities. This would be included in this code.

Q&A:

  • Q: How do I code a theater owned by a park district and that is in a separate parcel?
    • A: Code this as you would any theater in a separate parcel as 1240 Cultural/Entertainment.
  • Q: How do I code an AMC movie theater that is a part of Northbrook Court Mall? The theater and adjoining parking lot is in a separate parcel. That parcel has a different tax owner from those adjoining parcels for the mall.
    • A: Code this 1240 Cultural/Entertainment since it is on its own distinct parcel.
  • Q: How do I code a parcel owned by a park district that only has a building on it that is a fitness center along with parking. There is no grass, park, tennis courts, etc. on this parcel.
    • A: Since there is only a building for indoor fitness activities and parking in this parcel and no “open space”, code it 1240 Cultural/Entertainment.
  • Q: I’m looking at a parcel in Yorkville that contains two buildings with a shared parking lot. The first (larger) building is a bowling alley, and the second (maybe 1/4 the size) houses a Subway and a Chinese restaurant. 1240 or 1215?
    • A: Since the parcel has a “mix” of uses, the safer course would be to code it 1215.
  • Q: How do I code an equestrian center that is mostly used for boarding horses, riding instruction, and competitions?
    • A: Code this as 1240 Cultural Entertainment. An equestrian center with riding instruction and competitions is usually more of a commercial enterprise and is not usually as low-impact as the activities described in 3400 Non-Public Open Space category.

Hotel/Motel (1250)

Definition: Includes associated parking and recreational facilities.

Primary Reference Layer: HotelsAndMotels.lyr in Reference folder, which contains:

  • Hotel/Motel points from the IDES 2007 employment file,
  • Hotel/Motel from 2005 Land Use.

Discussion: Most hotel properties are rather simple to code, and using the two reference layers listed above should quickly identify the bulk of them. This is another category where I recommend (in the suburban counties, at least) that you turn on the reference layer and do the whole county in one fell swoop, prior to tackling any of the general commercial/office categories. Keep in mind that not all hotel properties are owned by recognizable names such as “Marriott” and “Hyatt.” Many times they are owned by property management companies or developers. Use Bing Birds-Eye and Google Street View to verify.

Examples:

Q&A:

  • Q: How do I decide if a parcel should be coded 1250 Hotel/Motel or 1130 Multi-Family Residential? The photo below shows this building to have rooms for rent, weekly or monthly only.

    • A: The main reference layer to use will be the Census data. Look at how many housing units are in that census block in the HU_TOT field. If the only way to account for that number would mean counting each unit in this building as one residential housing unit, then that would most likely mean it would be coded 1130 Multi-Family Residential. On the other hand, keep in mind that at least one manager’s apartment would occupy this building, whether hotel or apartments. Also, look at all the other residential buildings in this census block. If the number of housing units for this census block is not large enough to be able to count each unit that you estimate to be in this building as a housing unit, then you probably have reason to code it 1250 Hotel/Motel. Also, see if there’s a DnB (Dun & Bradstreet) point for this building saying it is a hotel or use other reference layers which may code it as a hotel such as the Hotels/Motels reference layer and/or the 2005 Landuse to further substantiate your 1250 Hotel/Motel code.
  • Q: How do I code the parcel in the photo below? This is Schaumburg Convention Center which also has a large 15 story hotel as part of the facility all contained in the same parcel.

    • A: Convention Centers are generally coded 1240 since they are considered places of public assembly, but in this case the large hotel is in the same parcel as the convention center. From an activity standpoint, the hotel operates 24/7 and the convention center only when there’s a convention going on. Because both are in the same parcel and because of the activity standpoint, code this as 1250 Hotel/Motel.

  • Q: The parcel highlighted in turquoise in the photo below is coded as residential by the county, but it appears to be something else. Not only does it have a large parking lot, but it also has a giant tent-like structure. These two pieces of information make it seem more like a commercial parcel, possibly some form of wedding or other celebration area. Looking at the 2005 coding, this parcel and the one that it surrounds were both coded hotel in 2005 and both look exactly the same as it does now in the aerial photography. In addition, the only access to a road is through the parcel the hotel is on. Do you have any other data that could assist with this parcel. Should it be coded residential, or commercial?

    • A: Since both parcels are owned by the same people, it’s usually safe to assume that they have the same (or an interconnected) land use. In this case, the entire property seems to be a part of the Oscar Swan Inn, a bed and breakfast that hosts meetings, weddings, etc. On the website they refer to having “an 1836 barn, with side gardens attached,” which is what I’m assuming the buildings in the NW corner are. This would help explain the parking lot since the people attending the weddings/meetings need a place to park. So, I say to code it 1250 Hotel/Motel.