Workforce housing at 7603 N. Paulina misses out on funding

Developer Housing for All LLC’s proposal for a mixed-use workforce housing development at 7603 N. Paulina was reportedly not selected for the highly competitive tax credits from the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA). Announced via Alderwoman Hadden’s newsletter to constituents, the development team plans to reapply and is going to rework plans and the phasing of the project.

Planned for the northeast corner of W. Howard St and N. Paulina St, the development will demolish the one-story building at the corner, while preserving the Werner Bros. Storage building, an orange-rated structure built in 1921, despite originally planning to demolish it.

The proposal includes plans to construct 104 units over two phases, 82 of which would be set aside for households earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The remaining 22 would be set aside for households earning at or below 30% AMI. 10% of the units would be set aside as type A fully accessible units, with another 20% set aside as easily adaptable to fully accessible. 

With Cordogan Clark & Associates serving as the architect, the corner building would be six stories tall with 52 units, broken down into 7 studios, 11 one-beds, 21 two-beds, and 13 three-beds. 41 of them will be rented at or below 60% AMI, while the remaining 11 will be rented at 30% AMI. The ground floor would hold retail space, a community room, laundry room, fitness center, bike room, resident storage, and management offices.

While the developers have committed to retaining the Werner Bros. Storage building, details for the design of the second phase had not been shared. The second phase would bring 52 more units of affordable housing, including 20 inside the Werner Bros. building and 32 apartments in a new construction building in the parking lot to its north.

While waiting to reapply for funding, Alderwoman Hadden reported that the development team has met with the Departments of Planning and Development and Housing to discuss the project and get alignment from the city. Housing for All is also using this time to rework their plans for site development. They plan to switch phases - focusing now on rehabilitating the Werner Building and the new construction to the north while leaving the one-story building that houses Redz Belizean and the currency exchange at the corner. 

The developers have also closed on the purchase of the properties spanning 7603-7619 N. Paulina and 1646-1660 W. Howard. Work will begin around the building as crews begin to clean the interior, repair windows and doors, add security and new lighting, and secure the site. Additionally, the development team has been working diligently with the retail tenants to ensure a smooth transition to temporary spaces as site work is completed.