Fifth City Commons celebrates grand opening

Mayor Brandon Johnson recently joined city officials and developer Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) to celebrate the grand opening of Fifth City Commons, a new affordable housing complex in East Garfield Park. Located at 3155 W. 5th Ave, the project won the C40 Reinventing Cities competition for the site back in 2019.

Designed by Perkins&Will and Nia Architects, Fifth City Commons delivers 43 affordable apartments for East Garfield Park residents earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income level. The project’s unit mix includes one-beds, two-beds, and three-bed rentals. Residents will have access to community rooms, a fitness room, an outdoor terrace, and three laundry rooms.

The complex will be all-electric, with sustainable features such as triple pane windows and air sealing to lower the building’s energy needs in accordance with Passive House principles. Two-thirds of all its energy needs will be supplied by rooftop solar panels. The property will also have mature landscaping, EV charging stations, extensive bicycle parking, and on-site composting. 

Funding for Fifth City Commons came from tax increment financing and HOME Investment Partnership Program assistance, sales tax returns, bonds, and low-income housing tax credits. Most of this funding was provided through the City of Chicago.