Plans are moving forward for the mixed-use development at 5050 South Prairie Avenue in Grand Boulevard. Located on the corner of East 51st Street, the new structure will replace a pair of commercial buildings along with a vacant, city-owned lot. The effort is being led by KLY Development in partnership with the Rockford-based 1919 Architects.
Site reference map of 5050 Prairie by 1919 Architects
The development has been in the works for nearly five years, receiving zoning approval back in 2022. This past summer, we covered the city’s initial sign-off on partial funding for the project. Now, $4.3 million from the city’s Community Development Grant has been fully approved, along with the sale of the land to the developer for $1.
Site plan of 5050 Prairie by 1919 Architects
The new structure will rise four stories along the streetfront with a relatively simple design. The ground floor will include 4,400 square feet of commercial space at the main street corner, as well as a community room, a fitness room, several residential units, and a 29-car parking lot located off the rear alley.
Floor plans of 5050 Prairie by 1919 Architects
The upper floors will contain the remaining 49 residential units, consisting of three studios, 14 one-bedrooms, 31 two-bedrooms, and a single three-bedroom layout. Of these, five units will be designated as affordable, with the developer paying a fee in lieu of providing the rest. The remainder of the project’s $15.8 million cost will be privately financed. No timeline has been announced.
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Glad that this space is being utilized, would love for this to be 6-7 stories considering it is so close to green and red lines
I am glad this development is happening, but I still struggle with the logic of the stairs. If they used a more compact switchback design, they could add a bedroom to 6 of the 1-bedroom units, without impacting their FAR.
There are also plumbing stacks on exterior walls that could be fixed as part of that tweak.
Title is wrong.
This site is in Grand Boulevard, not Grand Crossing
Yea, and just barely. The southern end of the parcel looks across 51st Street at the start of the Washington Park community area.