BACK OF THE YARDS — Developers and local business owners are vying for the chance to transform a vacant lot near the 47th Street and Ashland Avenue in Back of the Yards.
As part of the city’s INVEST South/West initiative, three groups with competing proposals will present their visions for the lot at 1515 W. 47th St. at 6 p.m. Thursday. The meeting is being hosted by the Department of Planning and Development. You can register to watch here.
Back of the Yards Coffee Co., New City Redevelopment Limited Partnership and Park Row Development have submitted bids for the site on Justine and 47th streets.
The city is looking for a proposal that will “complement and elevate the heart of the business district in the Back of the Yards neighborhood,” according to the city website.
The INVEST South/West program launched in late 2019, pledging $750 million in public funds over three years to support development projects in key commercials areas in 10 South and West side neighborhoods. In Back of the Yards, the focus is the area around 47th and Ashland.
“The [requests for proposals] were designed to revitalize strategic locations with mixed-use projects that foster community cohesion and vitality, build local wealth, and cater to other local needs,” Commissioner Maurice Cox said last month.
Here is a breakdown of the projects:
1515 W. 47th St.
Park Row Development and Churchill Stateside Group want to build a 50-unit affordable housing complex aimed at serving households earning 60 percent of the area’s median income. The building will include a rooftop deck and lounge area, according to paperwork filed with the city.
The developer will team up with a local nonprofit to host community programs on the first floor. The ground floor will also set aside space for a restaurant and a commercial-grade hydroponics farm.
The overall project is estimated to cost $19.8 million.
Back of the Yards Works
Back of the Yards Coffee Co., MBE & Condor Development have plans for a three-story building featuring a coffee house, workforce development spaces and offices, a taproom and a reception area, according to plans submitted with the city.
The ground floor would include Back of the Yards Coffee Co., Sugarberry Bakery and La Selva T-shirt shop. The first-floor space also includes outdoor seating and a plaza.
Community-based Marimba Institute, offices and workforce development spaces would be located on the second floor.
The top floor would include Somos Monos brewing company, a taproom, beer garden rooftop and reception space.
The overall project, aimed at creating a “sustainable development supporting a circular economy,” is estimated to cost $15 million.
United Yards
New City Redevelopment Limited Partnership, Celadon Partners and Blackwood Group want to build a six-story 50-unit building with “ground-floor community space for youth programming and economic development,” according to paperwork submitted to the city.
Separately, the developer is proposing to redevelop the Rainbow Building at 4701 S. Ashland Ave. into a 30-unit senior housing with ground-floor retail. The developers also have plans for a senior medical clinic nearby, along with two- and three-flat buildings at 1641 W. 47th St. and a a small park at 47th Street and Marshfield Avenue.
The project is estimated to be $51.5 million.
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