A long-vacant stretch at 132 North Kedzie Avenue is finally on the verge of a serious makeover. This week, the Chicago Community Development Commission signed off on $14.5 million in Tax Increment Financing for Hub 32, a mixed-use development planned next to the Kedzie Green Line stop. The roughly $41 million project is slated to bring 51 affordable apartments, about 3,800 square feet of ground-floor retail and a compact 12-space garage to the site. The funding decision moves the long-planned building closer to reality, although the full financing package still needs City Council approval.
Funding Step Moves Project Forward
According to Chicago YIMBY, the commission’s vote designates $14.5 million in TIF for Hub 32 as part of an overall package of about $41 million. The outlet also reports the plan calls for roughly 3,800 square feet of retail behind a glass-filled ground floor and a 12-vehicle parking garage accessed from Lake Street. The cash does not hit the project’s bank account yet, though; the full TIF release still needs a green light from the City Council.
Design And Units
Revised plans approved late last year trimmed Hub 32 from an earlier seven-story, 63-unit concept down to a five-story version while keeping its transit-oriented setup next to the Kedzie Green Line stop, as Urbanize Chicago reported. The updated design calls for 51 apartments, with a mix of one, two and three bedroom homes. Residents would get a lobby, fitness room and outdoor terraces created by the building’s step-backs, while retail space is concentrated on the ground floor and a small interior parking area serves the building.
Developers And Community Focus
The Michaels Organization is leading the development in partnership with KMW Communities and TruDelta Real Estate, a team that has put a public emphasis on local wealth-building and small-business opportunities. The developer’s project page casts HUB32 as a neighborhood hub that prioritizes hiring from the community and reserving ground-floor space for East Side entrepreneurs and community services, according to KMW Communities.
Site History And Neighborhood Context
The parcel at 132 North Kedzie Avenue had been sitting empty for decades before the city selected the Hub 32 team through an RFQ process in 2023, local reporting shows. Block Club Chicago documented the original seven-story proposal with 63 units and city officials’ pitch that the project would restore transit-oriented affordable housing and retail to a long-empty lot in East Garfield Park.
Next Steps
Design updates were completed late last year, and the project has already cleared a rezoning vote. Developers have not yet announced a construction start date, and the TIF allocation will not be released until the City Council finalizes the overall financing package. Per Chicago YIMBY, the commission’s approval nudges Hub 32 closer to a groundbreaking, while Urbanize Chicago recorded that the council approved the project’s rezoning in November 2025.
