$30M affordable housing project pitched for Rogers Park

Development will sit directly across from the Howard Street Red Line stop

Housing For All's Shelly Tucciarelli with the northeast corner of Howard and Paulina street and 1646-1660 W. Howard St.
Housing For All's Shelly Tucciarelli with the northeast corner of Howard and Paulina street and 1646-1660 W. Howard St. (Cordogan Clark/49th Ward Office, Getty, Housing 4 All)

Rogers Park is considering a new mid-rise apartment building that will offer its residents a convenient public transportation option.

Development group Housing For All is proposing the $30 million, six-story complex with 110 units and ground-floor retail, Block Club Chicago reported. The development will replace a strip of retail and a storage facility at the intersection of West Howard and North Paulina streets, across from the Red Line.

Its proximity to the Howard Street Red Line stop makes it an ideal location for high density housing, and makes it an attractive location for potential tenants.

The plan would help revitalize a neighborhood that has been plagued by violence and disinvestment. It calls for 16 studio apartments, 24 one-bedroom, 42 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom units. Of the 110 units, 88 will be reserved for households that make 60 percent or less of the area median income — about $43,800 for a single-person household — and the remaining 22 units will be reserved for households making 30 percent of the area median income or lower.

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The 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail would replace a single-story retail property at 1646-1660 West Howard Street that is currently home to a currency exchange, Post Office and restaurant.

The mostly vacant, historic Werner Bros. Storage building at 7613 North Paulina Street, which was built in 1921, will have to be demolished. Since the building is listed as an “orange-rated” property on the city’s historical survey, the city has to review the building and the plans before approving a demolition permit. As is, it cannot be redeveloped for residential purposes due to ceiling height requirements.

The project still requires funding approval, but work could begin later next year in late 2023, and be ready for residents by 2025, according to the developer.
Rezoning will not be necessary to move the project forward, but the city will require “planned development” due to its size.

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Victoria Pruitt