Belton Court mansion is still standing. 

The centerpiece of the former Zion Bible College property in Barrington remains upright despite the owners of the property having pulled a demolition permit for it more than a month ago. 

The town is currently negotiating with the owners, ShineHarmony LLC, in an effort to preserve the historic building. Belton Court is included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey said he and other officials met with the property owners and their attorney last month.

“We’re trying to understand where they’re coming from,” Hervey said during an interview on Wednesday, Nov. 2. “They indicated clearly that they’re not intending on moving forward (with the demolition) anytime soon.”

While details of the negotiation are not clear, Hervey did say that town officials are interested in conducting a third party review of the cost estimate to renovate the Belton Court mansion. The property owner reportedly told town officials that renovating the 50,000-square-foot structure would cost approximately $49 million. 

“We want to understand, what does that number entail?” Hervey said. “We need to look at the details of what the assumptions are.”

The negotiations are taking place as the property owner has revealed a new direction for the potential development of the former college campus. 

Initially, ShineHarmony officials were considering the construction of a continuing care facility — age-restricted senior housing that would include a mix of cottage living, apartments, and assisted care.

But more recently, ShineHarmony revealed its new plans for the 39.5-acre property. In January, the owner shared plans to build a high-density housing development — it includes more than 400 dwelling units; the vast majority of those units would not be age-restricted. 

Town officials caution, however, that the existing approved master plan calls for the 250-unit senior housing project, not the updated 403-unit project.

“That would need a whole new master plan,” Hervey said. 

Officials said the new proposal would also require changes in zoning for the property and a shift in the town’s comprehensive plan. 

In the meantime, town officials plan to continue meeting with the ShineHarmony group.

“We’re still engaging with them,” Hervey added. “We’ll see what they come back with.”

Hervey said the recent meeting between town officials and ShineHarmony was a good first step in the process. He said the discussions are not just about the Belton Court mansion. He said officials are taking a look at the entire property.

Age-in-place details

The previous plan called for the construction of a continuing care retirement community. It included the development of about 250 residential units, all of which were intended to be age-restricted for people 55 and older. Town officials supported the senior housing proposal — the town created a tax stabilization deal with ShineHarmony, which would have allowed the developer to pay a lesser amount in taxes initially and then increasing amounts over the next 15 years. ShineHarmony allowed the tax deal to expire.

Updated plan details

The new plan calls for 403 total dwelling units, but fewer senior housing units. The majority of the units would be apartments — 200 total — located in four, 4-story buildings constructed in the center of the property. There would be 15 townhouses on the property, each one featuring five units. The developer estimated that each townhouse unit would be 2,400 square feet. There would be another 48 duplex condominium units. There are 65 senior housing units in the new plan.