Chicago City Wire

Sixteen new multi-unit residential buildings are set to be developed in North Lawndale following City Council approval for the sale of 12 city-owned lots and related financial incentives.

The projects will be carried out by minority developers Sunshine Management and Beauty for Ashes LLC. Both efforts are part of the Department of Planning and Development’s Missing Middle Infill Housing initiative, which seeks to redevelop vacant city lots with walk-up buildings that have been lost over decades of disinvestment. The initiative also aims to promote community wealth-building by ensuring that each completed building is sold to at least one owner-occupant.

Sunshine Management plans a $13.2 million development on the 1400 and 1500 blocks of South Spaulding Avenue and the 3200 block of West Douglas Boulevard. This project will replace seven vacant lots with 11 three-flat buildings. The combined area of these lots is 36,090 square feet, valued at $164,849, but they will be sold for $1 each.

Beauty for Ashes LLC will undertake a $6.7 million project on the 1400 and 1500 blocks of South Christiana Avenue. Five vacant lots totaling 15,593 square feet—valued at $77,966—will be sold for $1 each to enable construction of five three-flat buildings.

Both developers will receive additional support from the city in the form of $150,000 in bond proceeds per unit constructed within each project. This funding is intended to help keep purchase prices aligned with current market rates.

"Each completed building will be sold to at least one owner-occupant as part of the initiative’s community wealth-building goals," according to information provided by the Department of Planning and Development.

More details about these initiatives can be found on the Missing Middle website.