The Chicago City Council has approved the residential development at 2300 W Ainslie Street in North Center. Located near the intersection with N Claremont Avenue and encompassing the whole of the St. Matthias rectory, the proposal has gone through several iterations and options due to neighbors complaining about an increase in density. Now CKG Realty Group can move forward with their revised plan for redeveloping the site.
Site context for 2300 W Ainslie Street via Google Maps
St. Matthias, like many churches recently, was closed in a consolidation effort and thus rendered the already vacant rectory fully unnecessary, the existing structure sits on a large plot of land used as a garden that is bound by N Oakley Avenue to the east. However CKG stepped in with plans to remodel the existing building and construct an additional rental structure, but these plans were scrapped leading us to the current design which was one of two options revealed earlier this year.
Floor plans of rectory at 2300 W Ainslie Street via CKG Realty Group
The approved plans will see the rectory remaining and fully gutted to become 12 rental residential units made up of one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts of which three would be considered affordable. There will also be three vehicle parking spaces in the basement level. Additionally five new three-story townhomes will be built along Oakley Avenue made up of three- and four-bedroom layouts, these will be clad in a light brick facade with private parking available as well.
Rendering of option one for 2300 W Ainslie Street via CKG Realty Group
Previous coverage on the project shows that the townhomes will cost more than $500,000 each, with this proposal also consuming roughly 40 percent less of the lot’s open space than the original plans. At the moment no construction timeline has been announced, but with the community’s approval also secured, the development team can now proceed to pull building permits as soon as funding is secured.
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We should make it clear that people in neighborhoods generally aren’t concerned about greater density, they’re concerned about increased car traffic. And that’s a real concern and something no US city addresses well. The answer is not adequate off street parking, because that legitimizes more cars. The real answer is a set of robust and ever improving alternatives to so many people feeling the need to own a car (or two). This is what needs to be talked about at city hall and in neighborhood development review committees.