By Jim Sterne
News Editor
The Greater Rockwell Organization (GRO), Ald. Gene Schulter (47th), and community members met at Lutheran Memorial Church, 2500 W. Wilson Ave., on Tuesday, Oct. 1, to decide what is going to happen at 4700 N. Western Ave., the former Adinamis Funeral Home. The vote to change zoning from B5-2 to a B5-3 was carried by 22 in favor, with one opposed and eight abstaining. The change allows a larger or taller building, which would allow an increase from 16 to 24 residential units in the building. The zoning change will go to the City’s zoning board for a public hearing and the final vote.
Pat O’Donnell and Gerald Heffernas, the developers, showed their plan drawn up by John Splitt Architects. The building will include 24 condo units, two commercial spaces, and 51 parking spaces and 13 electric lifts. The building will be four stories high with setbacks to reduce the shade on Artesian Ave..
Two of the residential units will be designated for life-long residents of the 47th Ward, such as teachers, firemen, social workers, or police officers. The plan also includes planting nine trees.
“This is a project where the developers worked closely with the community and Ald. Schulter,” said Lars Gingery, president of the GRO. “It became a model of what everyone wanted.” The developers made two presentations to GRO leadership after they purchased the property and before the votes were cast.
The actual groundbreaking for the new building will not occur until April 2004. |
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