ANDERSONVILLE — A developer hopes to turn a home on a prominent Andersonville corner into apartments after a previous attempt to redevelop the lot failed.
The single-family home at 5400 N. Ashland Ave. would be demolished and replaced with a five-story, 18-apartment building under plans shared by Ald. Andre Vasquez’s (40th) office.
It is at least the second time a developer has tried to replace the home, which is at the corner of Ashland and Balmoral avenues, across the street from the Andersonville commercial district.
In 2021, Candea Development sought to turn the home into a three-story building with seven condos. That project, which required a rezoning, was denied by Vasquez over a lack of affordable options and neighbor concerns about density.
Now, real estate investor Josh Bradley is looking to bring a multifamily building to the lot, this time with 18 apartments made up of two- and three-bedroom units. Four affordable units would be included to satisfy the city’s affordability requirement for projects requiring a rezoning.
The building would also have nine parking spaces and nine bike parking spaces in a rear, enclosed garage. There would be a private rooftop deck and a common rooftop deck for tenants, according to the plans.
Apartments would come with balconies. Renderings show the building have an entrance off Balmoral Avenue with the building containing a mix of facade types.
The home set for redevelopment was built in 1956 and sits on a double wide lot along Ashland Avenue. It was listed in January 2021 at $750,000 and was marketed as a redevelopment opportunity near the Andersonville retail district.
Bradley bought the building in October 2022 for $745,000, property records show. Bradley, a real estate investor with experience in civil engineering and construction management, has lived in Uptown for 10 years and bought the Andersonville house with his husband.
In proposing to redevelop the house, Bradley said bringing apartments to a single family home site is a “responsible place” to add housing options to Andersonville. Since the last development proposal stalled, Bradley said the need for more housing — especially affordable housing — has grown in places like Andersonville.
A two-bed, one-bathroom would likely rent in the low-to-mid $2,000’s, Bradley said.
“Our plan will bring modern rental options to an area with few updated units,” Bradley said in an email. “This provides options and choices for renters and adds downward price pressure on other dated inventory.”
Vasquez will host a virtual community meeting on the proposed development 7 p.m. Nov. 28. To register for the meeting, click here.
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