Mayor Johnson announces winner of Roseland Michigan Ave RFQ

Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced 1Fifteen at Michigan Station as the winner of the Roseland Michigan Ave RFQ. The RFQ was issued in December 2022 to leverage transit-oriented development opportunities along the RLE route and to create an anchor for additional commercial corridor investments following decades of disinvestment due to nearby industrial job losses and other factors starting in the early 1970s.

Planned by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives Far South Community Development Corp., and Hope Center Foundation, the $48.3 million mixed-use housing project will occupy a large site at the corner of E. 115th St and S. Michigan Ave.

"I congratulate the Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives team on being the winning respondent and thank them for their efforts to serve and revitalize our neighborhoods," Mayor Johnson said. "My administration sees housing as the foundation for safe, affordable and thriving communities, and we are proud to select this mixed-use housing project in a community area that needs further investment."

Designed by Gensler and Beehyyve, the four-story, 97-000-square-foot complex will replace two acres of vacant City land adjacent to the CTA’s planned Michigan Avenue Red Line Extension (RLE) station. The building will feature 58 affordable apartments, with 27 of the units at 80% AMI, 30 units at 60% AMI, and 1 unit at 30% AMI. The 23,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space is expected to include a grocery store, market hall for small businesses and a restaurant. 

Parking facilities for building tenants and visitors remain to be determined, pending finalized designs for a CTA parking lot being planned nearby.

“The size and scope of the project is a direct response to the community’s goals, so we’re thrilled to advance a vision that’s been a generation in the making,” Department of Planning and Development (DPD) Commissioner Ciere Boatright said.

Potential City assistance could include Tax Increment Financing, bond proceeds, Low Income Housing Tax Credits and a land write-down. A redevelopment agreement and zoning for the project could be proposed to City Council this fall, with construction potentially starting in 2027.