Foundation work is underway for a new residential building at 4913 North Damen Avenue in the Ravenswood neighborhood. Developer Heffernan Builders, which real estate sites report bought the property earlier this year for $995,000, filed an application on December 30 of last year, and the permit came through on November 17 with a reported cost of $1.2 million.
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Designed by Michael Cox & Associates, the four-story plus basement, four-unit building replaces a 1900-built masonry residence permitted for demolition on November 7. The new construction permit calls for four parking spaces, with two in an attached garage and two in a detached garage. The residential building will have rear porches on the first three floors and a private deck on the fourth level, which the permit indicates will be for the private use of the top-floor residents.
From the alley. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
There is to be a second roof deck atop the attached garage, indicating those two parking spaces will be at ground level rather than in the basement. The elevator building will be surrounded by privacy fencing, with a shorter iron fence at the front of the property. A masonry trash enclosure will be added near the detached garage off the alley at the back. Heffernan Builders will act as their own general contractor; Carlos Group was the contractor for the demolition.
4913 North Damen Avenue, demolished November 2025. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
The garage will be replaced with a two-car structure. Photo by Daniel Schell
Site context, via Google Maps
Local transit options, via Google Maps
4913 North Damen is just north of the intersection of Damen Avenue and Ainslie Street, where the Route 50 CTA bus makes stops going northbound and southbound. One block south, the Route 81 bus stops at Lawrence Avenue, and two blocks south of that is the Damen Brown Line elevated platform. The Ravenswood Metra station and it BNSF trains lies four blocks southeast at Lawrence and Ravenswood Avenues, where the newly rerouted #9 Ashland bus begins is southbound route.
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Of course they tear down a perfectly fine looking building just to probably make some cookie cutter space. Chicago is rapidly losing its character and will become just like any other US city if we don’t stop this from happening. Yes, more housing is needed but we don’t need to tear down what’s already here to make cookie cutter buildings. Renovate buildings that are already here and then build on vacant lots.