Developer revises apartment proposal for Chicago Joe's site in North Center

Landrosh Development is back with a new, denser proposal for the former site of Chicago Joe's restaurant just six weeks after Ald. Matt Martin (47th) denied an earlier plan to construct 8 condos at the North Center site.

"I think what we heard loud and clear [about the previous design] was that we lacked density," said developer Patrick Landrosh at a virtual community meeting on Thursday evening. "We also lacked a significant amount of affordable housing, and you'll see that this proposal is very different."

Dubbed the Irving Oakley Apartments, the updated project at 2250-56 W. Irving Park Road rises five stories and includes five studios, 18 one-bedrooms, and 17 two-bedroom rental units. Four of the 40 apartments will be set aside as below-market-rate housing for residents earning 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI).

On the ground floor, an additional four affordable units will double as live-work suites with dedicated commercial spaces for renters earning 100 percent AMI. "We wanted to create an entrepreneurial affordable housing component that allows folks to run a business and have a commercial presence on a main arterial street that would otherwise not be financially feasible," explained Landrosh. 

Designed by Sullivan, Goulette & Wilson Architects, the revised building features outdoor balconies and is clad in brick and metal panels. The renderings presented at Thursday's meeting were rough massing models that illustrate the size and shape of the proposed development but lack exterior detailing. 

As a transit-oriented development, the building will provide garage parking for 16 to 18 vehicles accessed off the alleyway plus parking for 40 bicycles. The development team will need to rezone part of the property from B1-1 to B2-3 and go before the Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance to reduce side yard setback requirements.

The 47th Ward Zoning Advisory Council will review the plans for the Irving Oakley Apartments and provide an eventual recommendation to Ald. Martin. The alderman's office will also collect feedback from the community before taking an official position on the North Center project.