By Townhall Chicago News Staff
The Chicago Housing Authority and its development partners broke ground Monday on the first residential phase of the LeClaire Courts redevelopment, a long-planned project that will transform a 32-acre vacant site on Chicago’s Southwest Side into a mixed-income, mixed-use community.
The project replaces the former LeClaire Courts public housing complex in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood, which was built in the 1950s and demolished in 2011. At full build-out, the multiphase redevelopment will deliver up to 700 residential units, approximately 440,000 square feet of commercial space and publicly accessible open space.
“Today we break ground on a transformative project many years in the making to begin a new chapter for LeClaire Courts and the Southwest Side,” Matt Fiascone, president of developer Habitat, said during the Oct. 13 groundbreaking event, according to a CHA news release published Sunday.
Mayor Brandon Johnson attended the ceremony and framed the project as central to his administration’s housing agenda.
“This is a significant investment in affordable housing and in the future of Garfield Ridge,” Johnson said. “We are taking a site that has been vacant for 15 years and putting it back to work for this community.”
The $119 million first phase includes two six-story mixed-use buildings along Cicero Avenue between 44th and 45th Streets. The buildings will contain 183 apartments in studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Ninety percent of the homes will be designated as affordable for qualifying low- and moderate-income residents, while the remaining units will be offered at market rate.
Funding sources for the first phase include a $27 million capital loan from CHA, $9.5 million in city multifamily program funds, $5.5 million in tax-increment financing, $33.7 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, $1.25 million in Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit equity and a $1.2 million deferred developer fee. Bank of America is among the investment partners.
“Our financing for LeClaire Courts puts that commitment into action, connecting quality housing, childcare, and essential services to help families build stability and strengthen Chicago’s Southwest Side,” Chris Nash, senior vice president and senior relationship manager at Bank of America, said in the release.
Martin Cabrera, founder and CEO of co-developer Cabrera Capital, said the project would serve as an economic engine for the surrounding area. “This development will serve as an economic engine to stimulate affordable and mixed-income housing, early childhood education, and neighborhood services,” Cabrera said.
Beyond housing, the first phase will include a 14,000-square-foot early childhood education center operated by Chicago Commons. The center will serve more than 100 children and create 30 to 40 jobs, according to Edgar Ramirez, CEO of Chicago Commons. “Families in Garfield Ridge and Archer Heights have had little to no access to center-based early childhood education, and that changes with this project,” Ramirez said.
CHA CEO Keith Pettigrew said the agency’s role is to ensure public housing remains at the center of the redevelopment. “CHA succeeds as an agency when we deliver quality housing for this city and when we keep our promises,” Pettigrew said during the groundbreaking event.
The site is bounded by Cicero Avenue, 45th Street, Lavergne Avenue and the Stevenson Expressway. Infrastructure improvements including street realignment, utility upgrades, new sidewalks, ADA-accessible pathways and lighting enhancements are already underway.
Future phases will include additional multifamily buildings, townhome-style residences, senior housing, retail and commercial development, healthcare services and additional open space. SCB designed the initial phase, and George Sollitt Construction Co. is serving as general contractor.
U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García called the project a model for public-private partnership. “At a time when families are facing rising housing costs and limited options, LeClaire Courts will expand access to affordable housing while strengthening the neighborhood,” García said.
Construction of the first phase is expected to be completed in 2028.
