Move-ins are officially underway at Inside Info Fremont, a five-story mixed-use infill project at 1549 North Fremont Street, bringing a new crop of small-format apartments to the Near North Side. The development replaces a long-vacant lot next to a multi-story car dealership and now offers street-level commercial space, a compact parking garage, and a rooftop deck. With 132 units, most of them studios built around a central courtyard garden, the project shifts a previously quiet stretch of North Avenue into a denser, rental-heavy block.
According to Chicago YIMBY, an opening event took place on June 5, and residents have already started hauling in their boxes. The building, designed by NORR Architects and constructed by ENC Construction and Development, rises to about 75 feet and includes roughly 8,000 square feet of divisible commercial space along Fremont. The ground floor also houses the residential lobby and an entrance to a 29-vehicle parking garage tucked at the rear of the site.
Developers and Design Intent
The project is a collaboration between CityPads and Wayland Real Estate Capital, pairing a local operator with a newer boutique investment firm. As described by Wayland Real Estate Capital, the firm targets sub-institutional, growth-focused investments in urban micromarkets. Together, the team set out to add smaller, more attainable rental options to a neighborhood that skews heavily toward higher-end housing.
Units, Affordability, and Amenities
The U-shaped building holds 132 apartments, reported as 112 studios, 12 one-bedroom units, and eight three-bedroom layouts, all arranged around a shared central courtyard with a garden and a sizable rooftop deck facing east. Per Chicago YIMBY, some of the apartments are reserved as income-restricted units, while others are calibrated to higher area median income thresholds to cater to the so-called “missing middle” of renters. A large mural on the back wall of the neighboring dealership garage provides visual interest in the courtyard, and the exterior finishes combine gray brick at the base with multi-tone tan metal panels above.
Transit and Neighborhood Context
The site sits about two blocks from the North/Clybourn Red Line station and is also served by several CTA bus routes, giving new residents straightforward transit options. The North/Clybourn stop is listed as a Red Line station on the CTA website, which also provides nearby bus connections and schedules. Inside Info Fremont joins a growing lineup of apartment projects along this stretch of North Avenue as the corridor continues to fill in and climb in density.
Leasing for the apartments and build-outs for the ground-floor retail are expected to follow as more residents move in, likely boosting weekday foot traffic for nearby businesses. For now, the development team is focused on getting tenants settled, finishing exterior landscaping and completing storefront work through the summer, with more announcements promised as the street-level spaces lease up and the building moves toward full occupancy.
