A property owner in Ravenswood/Lincoln Square received a permit last week to tear down a garage and replace it with an Additional Dwelling Unit in a coach house. Ambala Holding LLC, which has owned the two-story, multi-unit building at 2203 West Giddings Street since purchasing it in 2019, got permission on April 17 for the ADU.
The permit, which comes with a reported cost of $120,000, calls for a coach house with one residential unit and three parking spaces. Though not specified, it is presumed this will be a two-story structure, with the residence occupying the second level. Paul Ozga of New Space Architects in Kenilworth, IL is named as the architect of record, and Sterling Group Inc is the general c0ntractor.
2203 West Giddings is a multi-unit building erected in 1915. Photo by Daniel Schell
The front of the garage in the back. Photo by Daniel Schell
The new three-car frame garage replaces a two-space structure, also of frame construction, on the alley in back off Leavitt, and will keep the one-to-one parking-to-residence ratio intact. While the permit indicates this is a two-unit building, there are three mailboxes at the front entrance, and real estate listings for the inactive property denote three units. No work is authorized to be done on the 1915-built masonry residence, which occupies the southwest corner of Giddings and North Leavitt Streets.
Nearby transit options, via Google Maps
For transit needs, 2203 West Giddings lies equidistant to the Damen Brown Line platform to the east and the Western platform to the west. Route 81 buses stop one block north at Lawrence Avenue, where there is also a Divvy bike rack. North-south buses are available within three-block walks west to Western Avenue and east to Damen Avenue.
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im gonna say something controversial here and say that an adu shouldn’t be newsworthy in this city but unfortunately i suppose it is
This is a highly newsworthy and topical story because the city ordinance that allows “by-right” construction of ADUs across the city just went into effect on April 1, 2026. This is small piece of the housing shortage puzzle.
I think this small story is a good start to a welcome change. These small infill developments could have a much greater impact on housing in this city than high rises downtown. Of course, I’d love to see both, along with lots of development of various scales between. The goal would be that so many of these are happening that it no longer becomes a news story.
In Oak Park, you see a lot of ADU-looking garages on these corner lots. (I saw ADU-looking because it’s not clear if the owners are rich and want another living space, or if it’s an actual ADU or an in-law suite). it’s really a perfect place for it. adds a tiny bit more density along the outer part of a block. would love to see more of this in the city too!