Chicago City Wire

More than 350 vacant lots owned by the City of Chicago are available for purchase and redevelopment into the winter, Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright announced today.

“The City is making these properties available for strategic uses that help achieve neighborhood goals for housing, farming, community open spaces and side yards,” Commissioner Boatright said. “These properties will literally help neighborhood residents and businesses take ownership of their communities, lot by lot.”

Interested buyers are invited to review and submit applications for available locations through the ChiBlockBuilder.com land sale portal. ChiBlockBuilder features an interactive map of available properties, pricing information, and a digital submission process that provides for efficient purchases through quitclaim deeds.

Applications will be open for either 45 or 90 days, depending on lot type.

Each lot has a preferred use based on current zoning, community plans, input from the public and elected officials, and local redevelopment goals. The uses include:

Missing Middle Housing: Forty-four lots are available for redevelopment as one- to six-unit residential buildings that are “missing” from local streets. Part of a strategic repopulation initiative under Mayor Brandon Johnson that is starting within a targeted section of North Lawndale, the lots are available in predetermined clusters of five or more properties. Lots are priced at $1 each for qualified market rate housing developers with up to $150,000 in DPD development incentives available per unit.

Market Rate Development: One hundred twenty-five lots are available for redevelopment as residential, commercial or mixed-use projects, depending on zoning. Market values range from $4,470 to $378,675.

Affordable Housing: Sixty-nine lots are available through the Department of Housing's City Lots for Working Families program for redevelopment as affordable housing. Homes must be made available to buyers with household incomes below 140% of the area median income. Lots are priced at $1 per lot for qualified affordable housing developers.

Side Yards: Seventy-six lots are available for adjacent property owners as side yards or other uses allowed by zoning. Prices are set at 10% of each lot’s market value.

Urban Agriculture: Thirty-two lots are available for community-based agriculture or productive landscapes that must operate for a minimum of 10 years. Lots are priced at $1 each.

Open Space: Five lots are available for community open space projects that are managed by local residents or organizations. Prices are set at 10% of each lot’s market value.

Since launching in 2022, ChiBlockBuilder has helped connect purchasers with more than 450 lots from three previous application rounds. For more information, visit ChiBlockBuilder.com.