Chicago Cheat Sheet: Wicker Park resi project draws ire, South Side church converts to condos…& more

Wicker Park neighbors cry foul over 16-story building’s approval
A 16-story apartment development approved in the 11th hour of Ald. Joe Moreno’s tenure is drawing renewed criticism from Wicker Park residents. On the last City Council meeting under Moreno and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, RDM Companies received a zoning change to allow the 168-unit building to rise 16 stories. The rezoning shocked neighbors, who say that development at Ashland and Division would make the area too dense. The development would neighbor a 33-unit apartment building and a 15-story rental complex. [Block Club]

Century-old South Side church being converted to townhomes
Hyde Park Capital has listed the first of 13 planned townhomes built behind the facade to the 100-year-old Shiloh Baptist Church. The church at 4840 S. Dorchester Avenue has been vacant since 2003, and Hyde Park Capital bought it in 2014 for $650,000. Only the church’s front-facing facade was saved, and condos in the building will be priced at over $1.1 million. [Crain’s]

Schaumburg’s longest-running retail vacancy to come to a close
A long-closed former Lowe’s store in Schaumburg will finally get a new tenant after nearly eight years. Interior decor retailer At Home will take 90,000 square feet in the vacant big box, and 24 Hour Fitness will lease 37,000 square feet. At Home will leave a similarly sized space in the Woodfield Village Green Shopping Center. The Lowe’s store opened in January 2006 and closed August 2011. [Daily Herald] 

UIC to unveil $100M Academic and Residential Complex
The University of Illinois at Chicago next week will cut the ribbon on its $100 million Academic and Residential Complex. The building, at the corner of Harrison and Morgan streets, will house 550 students and enough classrooms to house over 500 students daily. UIC is also working on an improved streetscape, since the building is across Harrison Street from the main campus. [Sun-Times]

Installation of smart water meters halted after heightened lead levels
The city has stopped installing new smart water meters in homes after finding that new meters have caused a spike in lead levels. City officials halted the program after discovering that 22 percent of homes with the new meters saw lead levels spike with 7 percent having levels above the federal guideline. Installations will be halted until the city determines the cause of the spiking led levels. [Curbed]