Chicago City Wire

Mayor Brandon Johnson, alongside city officials and residents, marked the opening of Auburn Gresham Apartments, a $47 million affordable housing initiative on 79th Street. This project is aimed at enhancing living conditions on Chicago's South Side and promoting growth.

Mayor Johnson stated, "The investments we are seeing today on the South Side will ensure that Chicago continues to grow and thrive not just today but for generations to come. We want to continue to attract people, businesses, and jobs to Chicago, particularly to our South and West Sides, and these projects in Auburn Gresham are an important step forward for our city."

Developed through a collaboration between the minority-owned Imagine Group and Evergreen Real Estate Group, the project offers apartments priced for households earning 60% of the Area Median Income, with rental prices between $995 and $1,600 per month. The project arose from a 2020 initiative by the Department of Planning and Development to rejuvenate City land along the 79th Street corridor.

Community consultations shaped the final design, expanding the initial proposal at 838 W. 79th St. to include another structure at 757 W. 79th St. Ross Barney Architects and Nia Architects were the designers, while GMA Construction Group served as the contractor.

Commissioner Ciere Boatright commented, “This is tremendous reactivation of vacant land that’s going to revitalize the 79th Street corridor and support other neighborhood investments that are essential to area needs.”

Funding for the development came from various sources, including $18 million from Tax Increment Financing, $21 million from Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity, $7.3 million from Chicago Recovery Plan funding, and a land write-down worth around $180,000.