The former home of Briny Swine on N. Clark Street could soon give way to a seven-story mixed-use building packed with 47 apartments, 10 of them set aside as affordable housing. An unnamed developer is behind the proposal for 2577 N. Clark, located near the intersection of N. Clark Street and W. Wrightwood Avenue in Lincoln Park.
The redevelopment plan calls for a seven-story structure with a brick facade and large, gridded windows, according to Urbanize Chicago. Beyond the residential units, the building would include ground-floor retail space, and the developer is seeking a zoning change from B3-2 to B2-5 to make the project possible.
Affordable Units and an Unannounced Design Team
Of the 47 planned residential units, 10 would be set aside as affordable to meet affordable housing requirements, per the same report. The article notes that the architect behind the design has not been announced, and no timeline for approvals or construction has been shared publicly either.
43rd Ward Alderman Knudsen announced the proposal in a newsletter to constituents, and the alderman's office is hosting a community meeting on November 19th to discuss it with neighbors. The meeting gives Lincoln Park residents their first real chance to weigh in before the project advances any further through the city process.
A Busy Stretch of N. Clark Street
The proposed building would sit across the street from a five-story building that Initium Development currently has under construction, the report notes. That company is also behind a separate mixed-use proposal a few blocks away at 2600 N. Clark Street, which was redesigned down from seven stories to five stories, or approximately 60 feet in height, according to Chicago YIMBY. That redesigned project now includes 48 residential units, down from a previously proposed 66, along with roughly 11,000 square feet of retail space and 10 parking spaces. As with the Briny Swine site proposal, no construction timeline has been announced for the 2600 N. Clark project.
Affordable Housing Push Extends Across Lincoln Park
The push for affordable units on N. Clark Street arrives as other affordable housing projects move through the pipeline in the same neighborhood. Block Club Chicago reported that Over the Rainbow has proposed replacing its existing building at 754 W. Belden Ave. with a five-story building containing 30 affordable, accessible one-bedroom apartments. That project has already cleared the city's Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards, though it still needs approval from the full City Council, with construction expected to begin in summer 2027 and wrap up in winter 2028-29.
Block Club's reporting also pointed to a broader city settlement requiring Chicago to provide 2,800 affordable accessible units over 12 years, including 2,000 units for people with mobility impairments and 800 for people with hearing and vision impairments. Whether the 2577 N. Clark proposal's 10 affordable units fall under that settlement or a separate requirement has not been detailed publicly. For now, the project remains in its early stages, with the November 19th community meeting likely to shape what comes next for the long-vacant Briny Swine site.
