LINCOLN SQUARE — A developer wants to tear down the former Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish buildings to build two dozen townhomes.
Regency Development Group is asking Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) to support a zoning change to build 24 market-rate townhomes and two designated affordable townhomes with 50 parking spaces at 2609 W. Carmen Ave.
Depending on the the location and final designs, the market-rate townhomes would cost $725,000-$800,000, the developers said.
The Archdiocese of Chicago announced in 2019 that Transfiguration would close and consolidate with St. Hilary Parish and School.
The property’s current zoning allows for single-family or two-flat construction only. If the zoning change isn’t approved, Regency plans to build 19 two-flat buildings for a total of 38 units, which would not trigger any affordable designations.
Rolando Acosta, Regency’s attorney, told neighbors at a community meeting this week the type of zoning change is tied to the plans it has submitted to the city.
“It’s something that the alderman insisted on,” Acosta said. “So I cannot show you something and then build something differently. Whatever you see is essentially what you get if we are approved.”
The plans include building an alley to connect the townhomes to the existing streets and landscaping to add green space. Five of the townhome garages would have hookups to charge electric cars. Townhomes would also have rooftop decks and the garages for all but the affordable units would fit two cars, the developer said.
Some neighbors said they worried about the potential for flooding at the site during heavy rains and wanted to know why the two affordable townhomes were offset from the rest of the market-rate units.
John Hanna, the project’s architect, said the courtyard green space will absorb water and a catch basin will be installed underground to feed stormwater into the city’s sewer system. The two affordable units are offset due to their design being slightly different from the market-rate units, like only having one space for a car in the garage and the odd shape of the property that juts to the south, Hanna said.
Transfiguration’s parking lot previously hosted community events. Neighbors wanted to know if the townhomes’ inner courtyards could be used for similar events.
“They’re private. These are private yards for private” homes, Acosta said.
Neighbor Michael McGovern said he disliked the plan’s 6-foot-tall brick wall east of the townhomes to separate the driveway space from Rockwell Avenue, calling it an “eyesore.”
Vasquez is still asking the community for feedback before he weighs in on the proposal. Neighbors can submit comments using this form.
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