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Techny: Society of the Divine Word
by Peter Gallanis

The Society of the Divine Word is an international congregation of more than 6,000 Catholic missionary priests and Brothers worldwide. Divine Word missionaries (also referred to as SVDs based on the Latin name Societas Verbi Divini) settled at Waukegan and Techny Roads in 1897. The SVDs opened St. Joseph's Technical School (the source of Techny's name) in 1901 as a trade school for orphaned teenage boys. The U.S. Post Office at Techny, still thriving, opened in 1906.

For most of the last century, Techny was the training center for thousands of young men interested in becoming Catholic missionaries. St. Mary's Seminary at Techny was opened in 1909 and was the first Roman Catholic seminary in the United States for the training of foreign missionaries. The seminary program included four years of high school, which could be attended by any young man interested in a Catholic education. St. Mary's closed in 1969.

Techny is still a busy place today, though its activities have changed. The Divine Word Mission Center promotes public awareness of the SVD ministries and is responsible for missionaries outside the United States; The Religious Gift Shop is also in the Mission Center. The offices of the Chicago Province, one of three SVD provinces in North America, are at Techny. Residence facilities provide housing for both active and retired SVD members.

The most prominent structure in the area, the former seminary building, is Techny Towers, an ecumenical conference center for all non-profit groups—religious, charitable, educational, civic, social and governmental. Techny Towers has sleeping, dining and meeting facilities for groups up to 150 people. A bookstore offering religious and spiritual books, CDs, DVDs, and gifts is open to the public inside Techny Towers. The Chapel of the Holy Spirit with its inspiring Romanesque style and magnificent stained glass windows is situated in the Towers. Mass is held Monday through Friday at 5pm and Sunday at 10am. A two-year restoration project of the Towers began in 2007.

In 1988, the Society and the village of Northbrook signed the Annexation Agreement, annexing all of the Society's land to Northbrook, with the exception of the approximately 157 acres east of Waukegan Road kept for the Society's own use. This section remains in the village of Techny. The Society and the village of Northbrook approved the Techny Master Plan developed by Alper & Alper, an architectural firm. The Master Plan, which sets the direction for the use of the land, includes parcels zoned for residential, retail, commercial and office developments. The village of Northbrook realizes the benefit of the property tax revenues from this major development plan. Many of the terms of the Techny Master Plan were offered by the Divine Word Missionaries to protect the image of the community of Northbrook.

Until 1989, the Society of the Divine Word owned over 700 acres of land known as Techny. In the mid 1980s, it was decided that it was no longer feasible to farm the Techny land. So, in 1988 the historic decision was made by the Society of the Divine Word to annex its land to Northbrook in exchange for police protection and access to water. The remote sites of the land, now known as Park Place and Braeside, were sold off for residential development. In addition the Society donated 42.23 acres of land to the Park District for Meadowhill South, now part of Techny Prairie Park and Fields. Earlier, 168.75 acres were made available for a sanitary waste facility — now Willowhill Golf Course.

These terms of the sale include:
• Waukegan Road is to be developed as a landscaped motorway, with a 185-foot-wide landscaped "afforested" area separating the developments from the road, and without direct access to each development from Waukegan Road.

• Access to developments is planned from the secondary road, Founders Drive, which also is designed with a landscaped median.

• Each Techny development is required to have 40 percent open space as part of the plan.

• Each Techny development is required to provide more storm water detention than any other developments in Northbrook out of consideration for neighbors to the south such as Glenview.

All of the costs related to the installation and maintenance of the afforested areas and landscaped medians are planned at the Society's expense. In addition, all infrastructure — roads, sewer and water, lighted intersections, etc. — are also the Society's cost undertaking. These costs for landscaping and infrastructure alone represent many millions of dollars of the Society's money invested in the community of Northbrook. Additional investments in Northbrook include the setting aside of two acres of the Society's land for an optional site for a fire station. When the village of Northbrook determined the site was no longer needed for that purpose, the Society paid the village for the use of that site.

One of Techny’s latest additions to the Northbrook community is the 417,000 square-foot Willow Festival, a one-stop destination for shopping, dining and entertainment. Opened in the spring of 2007 at Willow and Waukegan Roads, the development is comprised of a fusion of major chain stores including Lowe’s, Whole Foods, REI and Starbucks; also included are independently owned businesses and firms specializing in professional services.

Though space is still available within the new Willow Festival development, that does not mean it isn’t appealing to a number of potential retailers. Prospective clients are being drawn in quickly. Once the substantial shopping center is completely opened after the filling of available sites and landscaping has been finished, officials have projected that Willow Festival will result in approximately $2 million each year for the village of Northbrook in sales tax revenue.

When the Society of the Divine Word finally realizes a profit from its investment in the development of its land, the proceeds will fund support of its missionaries here at Techny and around the world. While that profit is still some years off, the Society believes their decision to lease its land on long-term leases is the right decision. Divine Word Missionaries from generations yet to come will enjoy the beautifully planned development across from Techny and can anticipate centuries of financial support for their missions.

Techny: Society of the Divine Word by Peter Gallanis

Techny: Society of the Divine Word
by Peter Gallanis