Developers looking to finally build on a long-empty lot on California Avenue just north of Melrose have come back with a slimmer proposal. The new version totals 105 homes, splitting the site into 40 townhomes and a five-story, 65-unit apartment building, after neighbors raised alarms at a recent community meeting. The updated layout still sets aside 21 below-market homes for families and keeps private drives, garages and a passenger drop-off along California. Ald. Anthony Quezada’s office is collecting public feedback on the revised plan through May 14, while the project continues to wait on city zoning approvals.
Developers Unveil Smaller Plan After Early Rejection
As reported by Block Club Chicago, Stocking Urban and Macon Construction rolled out the downsized plan at an April 28 neighborhood meeting that drew roughly 50 residents. The team said the changes were a direct response to community pushback, which had prompted Ald. Quezada to reject an earlier, larger concept for the site.
What the Revised Design Would Bring to the Block
Chicago YIMBY reports that the new approach swaps one of the previously planned multi-unit buildings for additional townhomes, with a five-story apartment building anchoring the southern end of the site. According to YIMBY, the project is structured to meet the city’s Affordable Requirement Ordinance, with about 20 percent of the homes, roughly 21 units, offered as on-site affordable housing.
Parking, Site Access and the Zoning Hurdle
Renderings and the zoning application reviewed by Urbanize Chicago show an interior garage for the apartment building with about 21 parking stalls, plus dozens of two-car garages for the townhomes, additional surface spaces and bike parking. The layout relies on two private drives for access into and through the property. To move forward, the development would need a rezoning to a Planned Development, which means it still must clear the Chicago Plan Commission, the Committee on Zoning and the full City Council.
Rents, Affordability Mix and What Comes Next
At the April meeting, the development team told residents that market-rate apartments would likely start around $2,500 to $3,000 per month and townhome rents would be near $6,000, with garage parking offered for an additional $150 to $200 a month, according to Block Club Chicago. The revised affordability plan would reserve a mix of both apartments and townhomes at different area median income levels to satisfy the on-site requirement.
Neighbors at the April meeting raised concerns about the size and density of the project, as well as added traffic, while local tenant groups and community associations voiced opposition to what they see as an oversized development. Ald. Quezada’s office will sort through comments submitted through May 14 before deciding whether to back the zoning request as the proposal advances toward a public hearing.
For now, the smaller plan keeps the site’s future in limbo. The development team argues the revision strikes a balance between neighborhood feedback and a viable housing program, while opponents counter that it still threatens to change the character of the area. With the public comment window now open, the next few weeks will decide whether this version sticks or if the project is headed for yet another rewrite.
