New Alderman says Teachers Village resi project “does not meet my standards”

Just before taking office, new Alderman Daniel La Spata told developers in the 1st Ward they would soon be in for a rude awakening. Now, RBH Group may be among of the first to see what that means.

La Spata said the Newark, New Jersey-based developer is going to have to “go back to square one” on its Teachers Village project in the old Von Humboldt school, according to Block Club Chicago. It “does not meet my standards,” he said.

The plan, in the works for more than two years, calls for 111 residential units to go along with 14,000 square feet of retail in the old school at 2620 Hirsch Street in Humboldt Park. Roughly 25 percent of the units would be set aside as affordable housing, 35 percent as workforce housing that would rent at below market rates, and the remainder market rate, a spokesperson said last week.

RBH, which built a similar development in Newark, formally submitted its plans to the City Council last week. But La Spata said he asked the Department of Planning and Development to remove the project from the agenda of an upcoming Plan Commission meeting.

In a statement, RBH CEO Ron Beit said the firm has been “engaging in a robust community process” and plans to work with La Spata to address his concerns. [Block Club] — John O’Brien