Pullman seniors just picked up a big win on the Far South Side.
Mayor Brandon Johnson and neighborhood leaders cut the ribbon on Wednesday on Imani Village Senior Residences, a five-story building that brings 70 new affordable apartments for older Chicagoans to the 95th Street corridor. The project is the first completed phase of a larger church-led master plan aimed at layering housing and community services across the area.
Johnson was joined by Ald. Michelle Harris, Department of Housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda, and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III for the ceremony, where the mayor framed the building as proof that community-driven development can deliver for longtime residents.
"Imani Village is a shining example of what we can deliver for Chicagoans through deliberate, community-driven investments," he said, according to Urbanize Chicago.
Design, Affordability, And Amenities
The new residence stacks 60 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments, all income-restricted for seniors. Eight units are set at 15% of Area Median Income (AMI), eight at 30% AMI and 54 at 60% AMI. According to reporting on the unit counts and rent ranges, starting rents run from about $214 to $1,140 per month.
Funding And Local Jobs
The Department of Housing supported the project with $13.9 million in financing, helping to get the building off the ground. Construction, led by ALL Masonry Construction, generated roughly 149 construction jobs and surpassed the city’s inclusive-hiring benchmarks for minority- and women-owned contractors, according to Urbanize Chicago.
What’s Next For Imani Village
Backers of Imani Village are clear that this building is just the start. The church-led partnership behind the project envisions a broader multi-use campus and additional housing on land it owns, described in various reports as roughly 23 acres, with some accounts tying the work to a larger 35-acre footprint through land purchases. The larger vision, which includes more apartments, an urban agriculture center, and community facilities, has been outlined in reporting from Chicago YIMBY.
