By Adam Harrington
Special to Inside
As the impending sale and demolition of a Lincoln Park apartment building nears, members of the Mid-North Association are working to ensure that any new construction at the site maintains the architectural character of the community. Residents proposed ideas for redeveloping the site on Dec. 10, at Grant Hospital, 550 W. Webster Ave.
The building is located on the northeast corner of Grant Pl. and Geneva Terr. It is a three-story condominium complex dating from the 1950s, with long concrete terraces running across the front at each level, and nondescript outdoor entrances to the units. Although the building is located in the Mid-North Historic District, it is considered a non-contributing structure, and members of the Mid-North Association said its loss would not be significant.
“It’s not a stellar building architecturally,” said David Chernhoff, vice president of the Mid-North Association.
However, neighborhood residents want to ensure that the property is sold as quickly as possible, and that they have a voice in deciding what developers will construct in its place. The three story, three lot property is currently for sale by the existing condo owners for $3.7 million.
“I have a friend who is a developer, and he asked, ‘Does [the sale value] compute at all?’ and he said the only way would be to build three buildings,” said Bill Wobbekind, who owns the property on Geneva Terr. next to the building. “Three separate buildings with two feet between them — I think that would be an eyesore.”
Wobbekind also said he was afraid disputes about development may keep the property vacant or undeveloped for years.
“That [for sale] sign can stay up there for 10 years, and I’d be really hurt if I wanted to sell my property,” he said. “Half a block north at Belden Ave. and Geneva Terr., the former site of a church has been vacant and up for sale for several years. “
Bob Olins, director of planning for the Mid-North Association, stressed that his group would exercise some regulations over what went up at the site, but that any new construction had to be cost-effective for developers. Although single-family home construction in Lincoln Park has been booming in recent years, Olins said the financial return rates for a lone house at that location would be too low.
“You can all rest assured that we will have a good deal of review capability with this property,” Olins said. “For a developer to buy it and put in a single-family home, it’s a big ‘not’ for him. [A townhouse] is a little more reasonable venture.”
Attendees also raised concern about zoning restrictions, with some suggesting changing the zoning designation for the building from R5 to R4. Buildings under the R4 designation have lower height and density limits than those under R5. Olins said such a change is not an option presently.
“If we tried to [change the zoning] now with the property for sale, we’d get sued,” he said.
Although the city is about to pass a new zoning code that will lower building height limits and restrict new construction, Olins said that because the area is a historic district, the changes would not have a dramatic effect on the site’s redevelopment.
Most of the meeting’s attendees ultimately agreed that a row of townhouses would be the best use for the property, rather than one single-family residence or a condo complex which is what is presently there.
“I’d say the preferable arrangement would be, if not a single-family, then three townhouses, probably attached,” Olins said. “Frankly, I’d be in favor of townhouses.”
Attendees said that maintaining the character of the neighborhood and the historic district was the most important concern.
“It seems to me the sense is that there’s a clear preference for making certain that [the new development] is in the context of the neighborhood,” said Lincoln Park resident Andrew Robertson. “Therefore, I would say there should not be anything more than three single-family units, and preferably no more than two stories.”
The Mid-North Association serves as a liaison to the Illinois Landmarks Commission for properties in its historic district, a triangular area bounded by Lincoln Ave., Fullerton Pkwy., and Lincoln Park West. |
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