Structured Development has announced its second phase construction of Harrison Row Townhomes at 2849 W Congress Parkway, an affordable for-sale townhome community in Chicago’s East Garfield Park. This phase includes 33 total residences, each with three bedrooms and 1.5 baths. There will be a major modular element to this project, with 14 of these duplex townhomes, a total of 28 units, built with modular construction. The homes are to be priced from $245,000 under the City’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance, targeting prospective residents making up to 120 percent of the Area Median Income. These buyers are to be sourced through the Chicago Community Land Trust, whose objective is to preserve long term housing affordability. This development serves as a means to provide reasonably-priced housing to those who may not be able to afford market rate housing, but are excluded from other ARO developments targeting those making up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income. A portion of the project will help Structured Development fulfill its ARO obligations for the underway Shops at Big Deahl masterplan, located along the Clybourn Corridor.
The need for more housing targeting this niche was emphasized by Mike Drew, founding principal of Structured Development. “Teachers, police officers, firefighters, healthcare professionals, factory workers – they form the backbone of our city, yet they typically struggle to find affordable workforce housing. Ironically, their income levels disqualify them for low-income housing options yet they don’t earn enough to afford market-rate homes, especially those that are newly constructed and large enough to accommodate a family,” Drew said. “Harrison Row will give more people the opportunity to achieve the dream of homeownership, putting down roots in the community and building equity from the day they close.”
Harrison Row Townhomes modular assembly. Photo courtesy of Structured Development
Chicago-based Kinexx Modular Construction will assemble the modular townhomes offsite, then will transport and lift each component into place from its Southwest Side factory. The timeline for each module’s installation will take just 90 days, significantly faster compared to standard construction. The homes are set to open in a staggered fashion over the course of the year. Kinexx was founded in 2020 by Joshua Braun and Paul Tebben, with the aim of mitigating the lack of affordable housing in and around the city.
“We started Kinexx in the hopes of addressing Chicago’s affordable housing shortage. This is exactly the type of project we envisioned when we created our mission statement, ‘We make homes that make communities,’” said Braun, principal and CEO of Kinexx. “Our modular homes are indistinguishable from homes built using traditional construction methods, and we believe Harrison Row will prove the viability and scalability of our model as we look to partner with the city and developers like Structured to create homeownership opportunities for low- and middle-income households that, until now, have been severely underserved.”
Residents will find access to a variety of public transit options in the vicinity, including the Eisenhower Expressway directly to the north, the CTA L Blue Line at Kedzie Homan station via a nine-minute walk east, and bus service for Routes 7 and 126 within walking distance.
With work currently underway and the quick-paced construction process, the second phase is expected to be fully completed this year.
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The first signs of gentrification moving west from the West Loop.
How is this gentrification if they are set for only $245k? I am disappointed by this development.