The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) has unveiled a finalized master plan for the redevelopment of the former Cabrini Green sites on the Near North Side. Earlier this year, we covered three proposed development schemes with varying densities presented to the community. After receiving feedback, an updated plan was presented this week ahead of its implementation next year.
Overall site plan of Cabrini NOW sites by SCB
This development master plan will guide the redevelopment of the lots and existing buildings over the coming years, in collaboration with private developers who will lead design teams and other aspects of the project. However, CHA remains bound by all legal requirements and court orders related to Cabrini Green, as well as the promises made when residents were relocated.
Overall massing diagram of Cabrini NOW sites by SCB
Nearly a decade after the demolition of the Cabrini Green complex began, CHA is moving forward with its replacement, with local firm SCB leading the design. The plan is divided into four main sites, with area residents requesting that CHA prioritize road connectivity, the preservation of some vacant rowhomes, more contiguous park space, and the relocation of urban farms.
Rowhomes
The area near the intersection of W Chicago Ave and N Larrabee Street will start with the extension of Locust Street along with the expansion, removal, and addition of other surrounding roads. Durso Park will also be extended as a linear park all the way to Seward Park, featuring a memorial walk and connecting to a relocated Urban Farm.
This portion will include 10 renovated rowhomes with green space surrounding them. The plan also includes the construction of a new high-rise, four mid-rise buildings, 61 townhomes, and several low-rise buildings, providing over 1,000 new units. Some buildings will feature ground-floor retail space, and most will include parking.
Sedgwick Sites
Located across from the expanded Durso Park and centered around N Sedgwick Street, this site will see the extension of Sedgwick Road and the restoration of the grid with Walton Street. This area will include several six-flat buildings, 18 townhomes, a high-rise, and multiple mid- to low-rise buildings. This will also be the home of the relocated Urban Farm currently along Chicago Ave.
Division Sites
Located to the west of the Target and bounded by N. Halsted Street, this area will include two new roads and is expected to be one of the densest portions of the redevelopment. The plan includes small parks, nine townhomes, a high-rise, and several mid-rise buildings, potentially featuring ground-floor retail and on-site parking. This site will connect to Stanton Park to the north.
Larrabee Sites
This portion, the most complex of all four sites, spans multiple smaller lots around the intersection with N. Clybourn Avenue. However, no additional roads will be needed here. The current City Farms Chicago will be relocated behind the Target to make room for low- and mid-rise buildings, as well as eight- and six-flat buildings. A small park will be created in front of the Stranger’s Home MB Church.
Project Impact
The four sites will collectively bring around 4,080 new units to the area, slightly surpassing the density of the most densely proposed scheme presented earlier this year. With some buildings growing in size, the new plan also added around eight new acres of green space.
The updated master plan will now incorporate additional community feedback before being finalized in the first quarter of 2025. Local residents can submit their comments until January 8th here. Once the final plan is issued, CHA will begin applying for zoning changes across the sites and will release site-specific solicitations for development partners, starting with the first lots in 2025.
In addition to this plan, several other projects around Cabrini Green are already underway, including 1450 N Larrabee Street, Parkside Phase 3, and 547 W Oak Street, which will contribute an additional 1,000 units to the area.
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Seeing the diagram makes me curious: what is the situation with North Union?
I remember talks of the entire project being completed by 2026, but have heard nothing all year.
Is it still going ahead, or has it stagnated?
Hi Lillan!
North Union is still actively being built, currently the lofts and low rise buildings behind the first two towers are being built. However I don’t think that 2026 date will stick
I will add to this that JDL (the developer) has another project they’re proposing in the Fulton Market. They used to only have North Union as their only project in Chicago – but now it seems they’re refocusing their efforts (as it appears) to the 1200 W Fulton Street for now.
Also, if you go to their North Union website, all of the years have been removed and are only showing “Coming soon”. The only project that still has a date of 2025 is for the low-rise 859 N Franklin St.
I think JDL also is weathering the storm of interest rates (as every developer is) but I personally REALLY hope most of the whole project goes through. But we’ll see.
Why is the CHA so inept at getting projects moving? these talks have been going on for years.
Perhaps it’s because they’re not inept, just bound by many complex laws and many stakeholders to engage. It’s part of the deal in being a public entity that tries to serve everyone well with public dollars.
I mean they started in 1997…. that’s not that long ago.
Hahaha
Hopefully the new administration abolishes HUD and all the BS restrictive covenants the Feds have locked up our inner cities for years with. Then this land is liquidated to the highest bidders for 100% market rate housing that generates the most return to the tax payers. This is OUR land, we the tax paying people. Not the moochers’. Not the Feds’. Not HUDs’. Fight for it, vote them out. If you want to see this city live up to it’s potential then unshackle it from the opressive tyranny of Big Government.
Ed, maybe try not to always be angry or show your racism.
In what way was Ed’s rant about race?
The new administration is a racist one for one. Also when have private developers ever cared for building practical affordable housing? They don’t because the market doesn’t entice them too. Keep the new administration out of the city.
Stop the gaslighting, it’s so 2024.
I stand with Ed on this one, the government agencies will always be plagued by outdated covenants, bureaucratic gridlock, and the inability to attract human (lost to the private sector) talent that can actually execute. The private sector is obviously nimble and expedient in achieving the end result. If the CHA functioned as a real oversight agency over private operators then maybe things would move a lot quicker. A mix of market rate, affordable, and section 8 housing should have already been built and benefited everyone if we had a responsible overseer in charge and the political will. Yet we regress and hide under the vail of racism anytime someone suggests to execute and shake up the system that has continued to fail us time and again. So we let the land lay fallow for a decade or two instead. We don’t let the private sector profit (okay fine), but the real pain is felt by the poor and underprivileged that could have had housing, perhaps even flourished in a dynamic mixed socioeconomic part of town. So for now we continue to wait.
Try not to bring racism into everything, it’s a big word you’re throwing around very lightly
Don’t whistle so loudly and people won’t comment on it. We have enough luxury and modern units being built, mainly the only ones, nothing wrong with people making under 120k affording homes.
Affordable does not equal section 8.
amazing that “affordable” apartments cost $700,000 each to build
That would be classism not racism, at most, then
Ed, how much of your own personal money would you say that you were contributing to public housing? Let’s say it’s $24 a year. If I send you two dollars, could you stop posting comments about “your money“ here for a month? If I have the total contribution an individual makes per year calculated incorrectly, could I still get two dollars worth of non posting time?
Took a spin through the linked website to see the details and noticed they are expanding the number of streets and parking – but no mention of public transportation. If you take the Halsted bus (#8) you immediately notice more public transportation is needed in this area. The North Ave. red line station badly need rehab and the ability to handle more people, and the #8 is the only north-south bus line. What happened to an infill station on the brown line? Does the CHA think everyone moving to this area will have a car and drive everywhere? Have they driven down Division during rush hour recently?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the development – but transportation is key and needs to be addressed.
I was thinking the same thing Deb. How regressive a plan is it to spend our tax payer dollars on every development including parking, encouraging, instead of discouraging, more driving (and making our streets more congested and less safe). Why is it so hard to get more public transportation in a city that already has a strong foundation? I could understand this in a mid-size Midwest city that doesn’t already have it, but here? It should be constantly expanding and getting better especially if we’re serious about all of our values and things we care about as a progressive city.
My thoughts exactly. There needs to be a brown line stop added somewhere around Division and/or Oak St. Especially with the incoming North Union Project, Old Town Park redevelopment that was completed a few years back, and now this. There needs to be an infill station here.
Yes, I plan to leave feedback on the linked form that
1. I fully support the project and think it should move forward as fast as possible.
2. Without delaying the construction of units, less consideration should be given to parking and other car-centric infrastructure where possible. More emphasis should be placed on making the area walkable and transit oriented.
With so much money going to the red line extension, surely a new stop at Division/Clybourn wouldn’t be too far fetched to go along with this (theoretical) development.
Been to all the meetings. This isn’t going to get completed in our lifetime. It’ll probably be another Chicago Fire Arena situation where the city sucks it up and sells a bunch of the land. I hope that’s not the case, but the development has a double whammy of NIMBYs that want to create low-income low-rise buildings and NIMBYs who worry that building anything except parks will lead to CoNgEsTiOn. It’s a beautiful place for photos for anyone doing them though, you get the skyline basically across the entire city from a unique perspective (instead of the usual LSD or Shedd viewpoints).
Is there any talk of building an infill Red Line stop at Larrabee and Clybourn?
Would be perfect
That would probably be a very expensive project to add an underground station. I doubt it would be a priority for the CTA, with all of the other needs they have.
I can’t confirm the date of this report, but I think it’s about 15 years old or so. Take a look at Page 2. The city determined a Red Line station at Clybourn & Larrabee would be cost prohibitive, but would revisit the idea in the future if it made sense. https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Planning_and_Policy/Publications/Reconnecting_Neighborhoods/06_Near_North_Study_Area.pdf
Has it been funded and any information on how it’s funded?
I’d love to see some dense redevelopment around the former projects on the south side around 35th Street. That land has been vacant for more than 20yrs…. CHA needs to have fire lit under their behinds and stop dragging their feet.
You mentioned 1450 N Larrabee Street was underway. I’d love it if that was the case, but I haven’t seen anything about zoning approval or funding. Do you have any confirmation that it’s actually moving forward? Thanks.
facepalm at building a new 4 way intersection
Ian, the “Division Sites” pics has Sedgewick as the current pick not a Division pick.
Hey Steve, thanks for catching that! went ahead and changed it.
Why on earth would anyone want to save acres of tiny row homes in the center of this dumpster fire? Cabrini Green has been synonymous with gangs, drugs and crime during my entire adult life in this city (50+ years). ‘Preservation’ of a wasteland seems out of place, plus it’s a missed opportunity for a massive architectural statement (or simply more green space) in the center of these precious parcels.
Only a tiny bit are being preserved. as for why, it’s obviously historical significance. These are some of the oldest surviving public housing buildings in the country/world, and they have always been more successful than the cabrini high rises. I’m not saying it’s smart to preserve so many, but over time they will become more valuable for their history, as a reminder of the past. Also preserving buildings rather than demolishing is often better for the environment, especially with how cheaply built new construction often is. as for parks, there’s already a lot of park space there and more planned