“We don’t build houses. We create communities – an environment, and ambiance that speaks to home buyers. The managing partners come from diverse backgrounds - from street smart city kids to suburban kids steeped in 40 years of contracting and building to big business and finance. KZF brings a vision and breadth of experience not often found in residential development.”

When KZF Development was formed in 1987, partners, Suzann Kogen-Friedman, Joel Kogen, Daniel Zivin, and Steven Friedman sought to bring their vision of a new standard in custom homes to Chicago’s North Shore. KZF’s signature homes would showcase quality, style, and value without sacrificing the luxury and customization for which the North Shore is known.
 

Throughout its history, KZF has forged a reputation as one of the North Shore’s premier builders of high-end single-family homes. From individual custom homes in established neighborhoods to entirely new subdivisions of up to 72 homes, KZF has become known as a leader in the single-family home construction market. Today, KZF’s single-family homes set the standard for quality in communities such as Northbrook, Deerfield, and Highland Park.
 

Following its single-family achievements, KZF ventured into town home and luxury condominium development, while always maintaining its commitment to the highest quality. Along the way, KZF was to became a key player in the introduction of a new and exciting form of upscale multi-family housing: the long-term residential ground lease. In 1996 KZF built the North Shore’s first ground lease development, Northbrook’s Royal Ridge. Royal Ridge is an exclusive, gated community of 151 luxury single-family homes and town homes. With its extensive landscaping, gatehouse, and concierge service, Royal Ridge remains among the most exclusive addresses in the North Shore.
 

KZF in 2000 was pursuing ground lease development again with Northbrook Greens, a higher-density, upscale community of 160 row homes and smaller manor homes. Like Royal Ridge, Northbrook Greens met with strong market demand, and today both projects’ homes are highly sought-after on the secondary market.
 

By 2006, KZF was still innovating, this time into office condominiums with its Northbrook RiverPark development. Located on seven landscaped acres, Northbrook RiverPark brings 52,500 square feet of luxury single-story office space to East Techny Road.
 

KZF is now proud to announce its latest project, Meadow Ridge. Located on 40 acres in east Northbrook, Meadow Ridge is a new residential community of 164 luxury duplexes and town homes ranging from 2,200 to over 3,500 square feet. With its gated entrance, lush landscaping, and its many upscale amenities, Meadow Ridge is setting a new standard for maintenance-free living in the North Shore.
 

Today, KZF is poised to further build upon its reputation by continuing to meet the demand for upscale development of the highest quality, throughout the North Shore and beyond.