Permit issued for second building at Encuentro Square

A full building permit has been issued for the second building of Encuentro Square, an all-affordable residential development just west of the 606-trail terminus. Formerly the Magid Glove factory site, the newly permitted building will rise at 3759 W. Cortland. The project is being developed by Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA) and Evergreen Real Estate Group.

Designed by Canopy Architecture & Design, the four-story building will hold 32 units, complementing the 57 units of the adjacent building at 1844 N. Ridgeway. With all units set to be affordable up to 60% AMI, the unit mix will include six one-beds, 12 two-beds, and 14 three-beds. Residential amenities will include a tenant room and auxiliary kitchen, a computer room, an office suite, and laundry rooms on each floor. Parking for 11 cars will be included just south of the building and more will be provided for the whole development in a satellite parking lot nearby.

Rising 50 feet tall respectively, the building massing is designed as an L-shape. The east/west leg that fronts W. Cortland St is designed like the sister building at 1844 N. Ridgeway. The volume has rounded corners and is clad in corrugated aluminum paneling with punched window opening highlighted with colored metal accents. The north/south leg sits along N. Hamlin Ave and keep an orthogonal rectangle shape in plan. On the outside, the facade is clad in a modular metal paneling system that creates a frame design with gray panels and colored accent panels inset into the frames. 

The southern end of the site will become a new public park to link to the terminus of the 606 trail. As of now the park space is under remediation along with the rest of the site. Once work is done, the Chicago Park District will engage in a community process to determine how the park should be developed. At that time, they will seek funding sources to build out the park. 

With the building permit issued for the building, general contractor Leopardo Companies can begin construction on the affordable development. A timeline for completion is currently unknown.