NORTH CENTER — Developers are seeking highly competitive tax credits to build supportive housing for domestic violence survivors at the existing Fifth Third Bank building in North Center.
This is the latest pitch from developers Ravine Park Partners and Brinshore Development, who have partnered with Apna Ghar, a human rights nonprofit that provides holistic services and advocacy in immigrant communities.
Apna Ghar is part of The Network, a coalition of more than 40 organizations dedicated to ending gender-based violence.
The proposal would convert the existing bank building at 3959 N. Lincoln Ave. into housing with wraparound services for survivors who have moved out of temporary emergency housing and are in the process of rebuilding their lives, said The Network’s housing advocacy director Jaclyn Koriath.
“Someone that’s actively fleeing violence, this would not be the place for them. And it’s not designed to be that,” Koriath said.
The current plan would also convert the bank parking lot at 3950 N. Damen Ave. into market-rate apartments with commercial space, developers said.
Financing for the project is still being worked out but one revenue source would be highly competitive affordable housing tax credits from the state, said Ravine Park Partners development manager Alex Milanoski.
These credits have previously been awarded to affordable housing developments like 4715 N. Western Ave. in Lincoln Square and Maria Elena Sifuentes Apartments in Albany Park.
“We plan on making an application soon, in the spring,” Milanoski said. “We also plan to include a request for self-funding, because the low-income housing tax credits only provide about 60 percent of the project’s [revenue] sources. And we’ll also have a small commercial loan for the project as well.”
The project would require a zoning change and signoff from Ald. Matt Martin (47th) and other city panels to move forward, developers said.
3959 N. Lincoln Ave.
In the new proposal for 3959 N. Lincoln Ave., developers would build an addition of equal size and scale as the existing five-story bank building.
The renovated building would have 64 permanent supportive housing apartments for survivors of gender-based violence, with a focus on those who may have young children, developers said. The apartments would be a mix of 14 three-bedroom, 36 two-bedroom and 14 one-bedroom units, according to the plans.
“We want to create a number of larger units and make this more of a family-oriented development,” said Brinshore’s senior vice president and development manager Michael Roane.
“There’s been a lot of thought that’s already gone into kind of how to design the property, bringing those clear sight lines, making it secure, making survivors feel very warm and welcome there,” Koriath said.
The building would also have 10,000 square feet of space for community and residential services and programs, 3,130 square feet of ground-floor retail and 18 parking spaces, according to the plans.
Apna Ghar, based in Uptown, already serves survivors in North Center. Services the nonprofit would provide in the renovated building include job skills development, educational goal planning, group and individual counseling, financial empowerment and children’s programs, Koriath said.
“The reality is that a lot of times people leave an abusive relationship with nothing,” Koriath said. “They might have low credit, they might have no credit. There’s other ways that violence affects your opportunities for housing. And so, even though someone might be farther removed from the violence, they’d really still benefit from the services that Apna Ghar provides.”
3950 N. Damen Ave.
As for the parking lot at 3950 N. Damen Ave., developers are proposing an eight-story building with 170 market-rate apartments.
The apartments would be a mix of 37 two-bedrooms, 81 one-bedrooms and 52 studios, according to plans.
The building would have 110 parking spaces, 85 of which would be for residents while the remaining 25 would be for retail customers, according to plans.
Some of the retail parking spaces could potentially include charging stations for electric vehicles or be used for a car-share program, Milanoski said.
The plans also feature a 6,700-square-foot lobby and fitness center and 4,200 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, 2,500 of which would be set aside for Fifth Third Bank.
Developers have revised and scaled down the proposed building in response to community complaints about the height of the previous design. The new staggered-height design sets the tallest part of the building back from the street, said architect Jonny Noble.
“We’re stepping down [the building height] as we move south along Damen Avenue,” Noble said.
The portion of the new building facing Irving Park Road would be seven stories while the portion closet to Damen Avenue would start at six stories and then drop to four to match existing structures to the south of the property, Noble said.
The offset design allows for a 3,000-square-foot public plaza facing Damen, Noble said.
Developers have been pitching the North Center community on their plans for the Firth Third Bank properties at the busy intersection of Irving Park Road, Lincoln Avenue and Damen Avenue since 2020.
Proposals previously rejected by Ald. Martin and neighbors included an Amazon Fresh grocery store and tearing down the building at 3959 N. Lincoln Ave. and a 16-story tower, according to Milanoski and Martin’s office.
In January, developers hosted an open house to get feedback on their plans to convert the bank buildings. The current proposal incorporates feedback from the community, Martin said.
“There’s not a specific date by which I intend to make a decision. I think that it’s more helpful to make sure that we have enough time to thoughtfully engage with the good and constructive feedback that we’re receiving,” Martin said. “My hope is simply to get to a place where I can make that final decision.”
Neighbors can still weigh in using this online form, emailing info@aldermanmartin.com or calling Martin’s office at 773-868-4747.
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