David T. Meek

Partner

847-330-2435
dmeek@mpslaw.com

SCHAUMBURG

1450 American Lane, Suite 1900
Schaumburg, Illinois 60173

David focuses his practice on land use, zoning, and municipal entitlement matters arising in the acquisition, development, redevelopment, sale, and operation of commercial real estate.

Zoning and land-use issues are often where real estate deals succeed or fail—particularly where timing, municipal process, political dynamics, and entitlement risk intersect with acquisition, financing, leasing, and development execution. David advises clients on zoning, land use, and permit issues during acquisition and pre-development due diligence and regularly handles annexations, zoning map and text amendments, planned developments, special use permits, subdivisions, site plan approvals, adaptive reuse and historic preservation matters, and related municipal approvals. He works with clients to develop legal and practical strategies for securing favorable entitlements and regularly leads presentations and handles contested hearings before city councils, plan commissions, zoning boards, historic preservation commissions, housing commissions, and community groups.

David represents developers, property owners, landlords, tenants, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders across a broad range of asset types, including industrial outdoor storage and truck parking facilities, warehouses, self-storage, retail, office, multifamily and single-family residential developments, gas station convenience stores, and special-purpose facilities. His experience includes large-scale industrial and logistics projects, redevelopment matters, affordable and inclusionary housing issues, nonconforming-use matters, and complex zoning and permit strategies for challenging sites and uses.

David brings more than 25 years of experience in land use, zoning, and real estate matters, including prior practice at national and regional law firms working on behalf of both private-sector and municipal clients.

Education

  • J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology
  • B.A., Wesleyan University

Admissions

  • Illinois
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Secured special use zoning, text amendments, site plan and PUD approvals for numerous industrial service facilities (truck repair, maintenance and parking, and outdoor storage facilities) occupying 100s of acres throughout Illinois.
  • Served as primary zoning counsel for an institutional industrial developer, evaluating the zoning feasibility of all acquisition opportunities.
  • Advised a client through negotiations with a municipality and county for favorable terms of a complex annexation agreement and special zoning classifications that facilitated sales of land and existing mining facilities, leading to significant expansion of intermodal and industrial operations.
  • Represented a regional hospital in ER expansion and secured zoning, street vacation and permission to demolish building located in landmark district; resolved significant community opposition by persuading village to accept legal mechanisms for guiding subsequent hospital expansion.
  • Represented a fund in the acquisition, annexation, zoning and entitlement of over 2,000 acres throughout metropolitan Chicago area and the sale of entitled lots to national home builders.
  • Represented a big box retailer in numerous contested hearings and secured approvals for zoning map and text amendments, planned developments, site plans and subdivision plats for several developments.
  • Guided a non-profit board through site selection, land lease, zoning and land use entitlements, community meetings and easement negotiations, and resolution of novel building permit issues for construction of a new day care facility.
  • Secured special use zoning approval for a marijuana dispensary.
  • Guided a client through municipal processes to obtain zoning approvals for conversion of a condominium into market-rate and affordable rental apartments.
  • Advised an estate beneficiary on the disposition of a historic farm estate; negotiated the donation of 102 acres to land conservancy; created private, enforceable land use restrictions to ensure preservation of 18-acre single-family estate property.
  • Provided strategic and legal advice to community groups opposed to intensive industrial development adjacent to residential properties; prepared expert witnesses for testimony.
  • Negotiated land use approvals to preserve nonconforming-use status for commercial businesses.
  • Negotiated settlement of stop work order and secured zoning to allow for conversion to multi-unit rental building.
  • Obtained site plan and zoning variance approvals for adaptive reuse of historic fire station to coffee shop and office space.
  • Secured zoning amendments and special use approvals to facilitate the conversion of a motel into a shelter for homeless families.
  • Negotiated a redevelopment agreement for large entertainment, hospitality and retail redevelopment of municipally owned properties.
  • Counseled landlord clients on tenant zoning and building permit matters.
  • Obtained rezoning and planned development approvals for in-fill developments and grocery-anchored retail centers.
  • Obtained planned development and historic preservation approvals for multi-lot single-family residential redevelopment of a historically significant property.
  • Secured annexation agreements and planned development ordinances for self-storage facilities.
  • Represented a national retail landlord in regional mall renovation and expansion projects; secured PD amendments, site plan and special use approvals for retail and restaurant tenants.
  • Represented developers in property acquisition and outlot sales, negotiation and drafting of CCRs and site development agreements for big-box anchored projects; secured approvals for zoning, subdivision and infrastructure improvements.
  • Negotiated and documented multi-party agreements for construction of water and sewer infrastructure facilities to serve large residential communities.
  • Advised industrial clients in negotiations with a city and other stakeholders concerning modifications to the city's lakefront redevelopment master plan in order to protect clients' harbor access from threatened condemnation of property.
  • “Zoning – Theory and Practice,” Presentation, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, 2010 and 2011
  • “Zoning & Land Use 101”, CLE Presentation, Financial Poise webinar, 2022
  • Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH), Advisory Board Member
  • City of Highland Park Housing Commission, Prior Board Member and Chair
  • Highland Park Community Nursery School and Day Care Center, Board Member
  • The Art Center Highland Park, Prior Executive Board Member and Treasurer