A long-vacant stretch of South Michigan Avenue in Bronzeville is finally getting a pulse. Chicago City Council on Thursday signed off on a four-building residential complex at 3746–3766 S. Michigan Avenue, clearing the way for 90 new apartments where there has been little more than empty land for years.
The plan calls for 18 income-restricted units averaging 60% of area median income, plus shared rooftop decks and on-site parking. With council approval in hand, the development team plans to move into permitting and is eyeing a potential groundbreaking as soon as March 2026.
According to Urbanize Chicago, the City Council rezoned the site from RM-5 to RM-5.5 and granted a Planned Development designation that allows the project to seek permits and construction approvals. Capricorn Design + Build LLC is listed as the developer, with Hanna Architects serving as the designer.
The Chicago Sun-Times breaks down the unit mix: buildings A and D will each include 22 apartments, while buildings B and C will have 23 units apiece, for a total of 90. Across the site, plans call for 19 one-bedroom units and 71 two-bedrooms, with 18 of those units reserved to meet the city's Affordable Requirements Ordinance. Architect John Hanna described the design as "very articulated masonry buildings," the paper reported.
Site, Parking and Design
Renderings and plans show four distinct, four-story brick buildings with front balconies and rooftop decks, likely rising in phases across the roughly 47,000-square-foot parcel not far from Guaranteed Rate Field. Per Chicago YIMBY, each building will provide 14 parking spaces split between a small basement garage and alley-accessible spaces, along with bicycle storage in the basements.
Timeline and What’s Next
With full council approval secured, the developer is cleared to file for permits and expects to begin construction in March 2026, targeting completion of the first building in December 2027. Urbanize Chicago reports the total project cost is estimated at about $24 million, with work planned in phases.
The proposal picked up local backing during the city review process. Third Ward Ald. Pat Dowell and neighborhood institutions including St. Thomas Episcopal Church, The Renaissance Collaborative and the South Side Community Art Center were among those submitting letters of support, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. In city filings, Capricorn notes it has already developed hundreds of units across Chicago and manages a substantial local rental portfolio.
The approval effectively turns a long-empty block into mid-density housing close to transit, adding another cluster of residents to a changing corridor. Neighbors and transit riders will now be watching to see how quickly the site transforms from vacant land into a lived-in stretch of Michigan Avenue, and how smoothly the construction phase unfolds.
