WEST LOOP — Looking to win over neighbors, developers this week detailed plans for a six-story, nine-unit apartment building at the corner of Randolph and May in the booming West Loop.
The steel-and-masonry building at 1123 W. Randolph St. would replace a parking lot, and offer one-bedroom apartments for an estimated $1,700 a month and two-bedrooms for about $3,400.
Firm 1123 Randolph LLC, which includes Interra Realty, presented the plans for the building, which would have retail on the bottom two levels, at a meeting Wednesday.
The proposed 69-foot building would include two one-bedroom apartments and seven two-bedroom apartments spread across four floors, said Matt Ferrino principal at MF Development.
The building would also come equipped with “rooftop amenities” accessible for residents as well as nine bicycle parking spaces, Ferrino said. The first two floors of the building would offer 3,200 square feet of retail space.
Because the building only has nine units, it falls one apartment short of activating city requirements that it include affordable units. Ferrino said there are no designated affordable housing units.
During the meeting, Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) said that even with the lower density, he personally would like to see some affordable units included as part of the project. The Affordable Requirement Ordinance calls for including 20 percent on-site affordable units in the West Loop for any new development with 10 or more residential units.
Burnett is also advocated for the developer to use union labor to construct the building.
Armando Chacon, president of the West Central Association, said the delegate agency had not taken a formal recommendation on the project but was inclined to support it unless there were major concerns from adjacent property owners.
Community members offered appreciation for a “true six-story building” that included a “brick facade to complement” other buildings in the neighborhood.
HKS Architects designed the building, which needs a zoning change to proceed.
If approved by community members and City Council, Ferrino said they hope to begin construction in the fall. The development would take 10-12 months to complete.
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