Kolossal Group, a builder based in Richton Park, has quietly turned one Washington Park block into its own mini construction zone. The company just secured a City of Chicago permit to put up a three-flat at 5653 South Prairie Avenue, its fourth three-unit project planned on the same stretch. The filing reports a $500,000 construction cost for a three-story, three-unit building tucked under the Green Line tracks near Garfield Boulevard, extending a recent run of small infill projects that have been reclaiming long-vacant lots for multifamily housing.
What the permit covers
The Kolossal Group first submitted its application on October 15 of last year, and the city signed off on the permit last week, with the filing listing an estimated cost of $500,000, according to Chicago YIMBY. The permit describes a ground-up, on-grade structure with three dwelling units, surface parking on a concrete slab, and new fencing around the lot. Kolossal Group is named as both developer and general contractor, with Kathryn Shahbaz Obrien listed as architect of record. The filing does not include a public construction schedule or target occupancy date.
Three earlier permits on the same block were approved last June for nearby parcels at 5637, 5641, and 5643 South Prairie, each showing reported costs of roughly $450,000 on public permit trackers, according to Chicago Cityscape. Those approvals have been followed by demolition fencing and site preparation at several of the addresses. Taken together, the permits add up to a cluster of small infill projects packed within just a few blocks.
Block context
The new building at 5653 South Prairie would sit two blocks south of the Garfield Green Line elevated station at East Garfield Boulevard. CTA Route 55 runs along Garfield, while the #3 King Drive bus stops three blocks to the east. Recent Google Street View images show demolition fencing already in place around 5637–5643 South Prairie, a visible sign that the work has started to move from paperwork to site prep, as noted by Chicago YIMBY. The location is also within walking distance of neighborhood fixtures such as Washington Park’s Arts Block.
Why it matters
Projects like these three flats add a modest amount of market-rate housing on long-empty lots and fit into a broader uptick in private development along South Prairie. In recent months, the corridor has drawn a mix of infill three-flats and larger mixed-use proposals, including a grant-backed project at 5050 South Prairie. The 5653 South Prairie parcel itself sold last spring for a fraction of the projected construction budget, according to public listing data, highlighting how relatively low land prices are helping spur redevelopment in the area, per brokerage records on Compass. Local planners argue that clustered small projects can help stabilize a block when they are well built, while housing advocates continue to press for deeper affordability in the larger developments coming to the neighborhood.
Next steps
City permit records specify that construction cannot begin until the required fees are paid and the permit is activated, so a groundbreaking will depend on Kolossal Group picking up the permit and clearing any remaining conditions. The company has not publicly posted a start date. As work advances, the city’s permit record will track inspections and key milestones. This story will be updated if a construction timeline or building rendering is released.
