Developers wanted: city seeks applicants for Bronzeville project

Chicago has opened the door for developers to embark on a transformative project near the south lakefront in Bronzeville.

The city Department of Planning & Development is seeking applicants for a transit-oriented mixed-use development that will revitalize a cluster of vacant, city-owned lots and potentially yield up to 890 residential units, with a considerable chunk reserved as affordable housing, Crain’s reported. 

The land will be offered for what the city deems market value. Exceptions will be made for developers with proposals that exceed the city’s minimum affordable housing requirement, or that serve nonprofit or cultural purposes that the city considers a significant public benefit. 

The sites, bounded by 39th Street, Oakwood Boulevard, South Lake Park Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive, represent the first cluster of land being offered for a higher-density mixed-use project under planning and development Commissioner Ciere Boatright, who assumed the position in January. 

The properties are listed on ChiBlockBuilder, a website that the city uses to market for-sale development sites, primarily on South and West Sides, to attract developers and streamline the sales process. 

The Bronzeville initiative echoes elements of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Invest South/West Initiative, which sought bids from developers to revitalize historically disinvested neighborhoods. Last fall, Mayor Brandon Johnson scrapped the program, with plans to take a “very different path” to form an initiative with a similar aim.

Alderman Lamont Robinson, whose 4th Ward encompasses the Bronzeville sites, was “thrilled” about the prospective development and its potential to bring much-needed affordable housing to the area.

“This is a fantastic starting point to ensure the cleanliness, safety, and economic potential of our communities,” Robinson told the outlet. 

The properties’ proximity to Chicago Transit Authority bus routes, along with discussions about a potential Metra station on 39th Street, positions the development as a potential transit-oriented project, aligning with a city ordinance that allows denser development near transit hubs.

Prospective developers must submit applications by July 1 and will be pre-qualified based on their financial capacity, relevant experience, prowess with large-scale projects and initial concepts. 

—Quinn Donoghue 

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