City Council approves funding for Missing Middle housing in Morgan Park

The Chicago City Council has approved city funding and a land sale for the four residential buildings in Morgan Park as part of the Department and Planning and Development’s Missing Middle infill housing initiative. The four city-owned lots are located at 10734 S. Loomis, 10730 S. Loomis, 10726 S. Loomis, and 10717 S. Glenroy. 

The Missing Middle program incentivizes the redevelopment of vacant City lots with market-rate buildings that have gone “missing” due to decades of disinvestment. Each completed structure will be sold to at least one owner-occupant as part of the initiative’s community wealth-building goals.

Planned by Far South CDC, the four three-story buildings will each have three three-bedroom condos, for a total of 12 residential units. Each site will have two parking spaces. 

Designed by Canopy / architecture + design, the three-flats have been designed to be identical, using a palette of two-tone metal paneling with contrasting punched window openings. Corner balconies will be included on the front corner of each building. 

To finance the $7.8 million project, funding sources will include $2.6 million in lender financing, $2 million from the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, a $150,000 Chicago Community Trust Neighborhood Champions grant, a $100,000 Chicago Community Trust Predevelopment Grant, and $1.8 million from a city grant provided through Housing and Economic Development Bond proceeds. The city is also selling the four city-owned lots for $1 each. 

With city funding approved by the City Council, the developer can look to proceed with its financial closing before moving forward with construction. A timeline for the project has not been announced.