Plan Commission approves housing at 1800 S. Michigan

The Chicago Plan Commission has approved a residential development at 1800 S. Michigan. Located along E. 18th St, the project consists of an existing building at 1801 S. Wabash and a surface parking lot at 1800 S. Michigan. With Mercy Housing in charge of the project, the development consists of the rehabilitation of the existing residential building at 1801 S. Wabash and the new construction of another affordable residential building at 1800 S. Michigan.

With Nia Architects in charge of the design, the new residential building at 1800 S. Michigan will stand five stories tall, set to deliver 50 affordable residential units. The 50 residential units will be split into 39 one-beds and 11 two-beds, with residents having access to a rooftop deck and community room on the fifth floor. On the ground floor, the residential lobby will be at the corner, with the fitness center and yoga room fronting S. Michigan Ave and the E. 18th St frontage flanked with management offices, the laundry room, and computer stations for the residents. The remaining space on the ground floor will hold 14 parking spaces.

Rising 63 feet tall, the building will be clad in a material palette of three different colors of brick with aluminum windows and Juliet balconies to create a contextual building for the neighborhood. The ground floor facade has been designed with storefront glazing to enhance the pedestrian experience along the building.

The existing building will have no significant changes to the building structure, but the interior will be renovated and reconfigured with a new interior layout. The ground floor will hold the in-house management offices, a residential lobby, package room, an activity room, a recreation room, and a fitness center. The SRO building will be converted into 100 studio units that will be fully affordable. Behind the building, the courtyard will get new amenities including a playground and bike storage.

As mentioned, the development will be an entirely affordable project. With a total of 150 units, the apartments will be income-restricted to an average of 60% AMI. This distinction will allow for some of the units to be rented at 80% AMI, allowing Mercy Housing to continue providing housing to some current residents in the Wabash building who are over the 60% AMI threshold. 

To allow for the project, the developer is seeking to rezone the sites from DX-5 and DR-3 to a unified DR-5 with an overall Planned Development designation. With approval from the Chicago Plan Commission, the proposal will head to the Committee on Zoning and City Council for final approval. The project is seeking city funding before moving forward with construction.