A full build out permit has been issued for the mixed-use affordable housing development at 2909 W Irving Park Road in Irving Park. Located mid-block between N Richmond Street and N Francisco Avenue, the new structure would replace a vacant lot along the busy corridor. Efforts for the project are being led by Full Circle Communities and Visionary Ventures.
Rendering of Jigzibik by Canopy Architecture + Design
Dubbed Jigzibik, or Potawatomi for ‘at the river’s edge’, the new building will be the city’s first Native American focused affordable housing project. In collaboration with the Native American Advisory Council, local firm Canopy Architecture + Design worked on the design which celebrates Native culture through built form, per their website.
Rendering of unit within Jigzibik by Canopy Architecture + Design
The new structure will rise seven stories and around 80-feet in height. Its ground floor will be anchored by new office and community space for local Native American non-profits. There will also be 16 partially covered parking spaces. Above this will be 45-residential units, these will focus on larger, family-sized layouts.
Rendering of rooftop community space within Jigzibik by Canopy Architecture + Design
The building will be capped by a rooftop community space and garden, to be used for meditation, gathering, and other cultural practices. The structure will have a saw-tooth design along the streetfront that conceals balconies. It will be clad in a mix of white and blue brick that imitates a flowing river across the facade.
With permits in hand, the team can now commence construction. Permits also show that Skender Construction will serve as the project’s contractor. A timeline is currently unknown.
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Love the design – and color as an added bonus! So different from the boxy cookie cutter buildings that are springing up everywhere. And celebrating Native American traditions in innovative ways – bravo to the teams who are making this happen.
How will this project be funded?
Wonderful. Great design. Nice infill. Wish there were more units for those in need.
Nice design BUT I’d love to see some floorplans!!
Urbanize has em. Every bedroom comes with window access. What a concept! The layouts are quite desirable. Very similar to the better chunk of contemporary stuff you’d find in San Francisco.
No information on costs. Betting it’s another $700k-$1m per unit building built with “affordable” housing funds. For the uninitiated, that’s close to double the cost of privately funded projects.
Yes, it’s nice looking, and the layouts are desirable. But it’s a grotesque waste of scarce public resources to spend this lavishly on housing meant to house people of modest means. We should focus on producing as many units as possible with the money we have.
Had a feeling you’d whine about this one.
This project has a host of funders. I looked up almost all of them, and there’s strong support from donations, various loan and bond options, a community landbank, and other reputable organizations. Some grants and other public funds are used for aspects of the organization, which then evolve into projects like this. But it’s wrong to come at this project in a hostile manner, where there is a lot of credible work from all parties involved.
There is a lot of private money at play, and certainly not the waste like many other problematic organizations toying with such scarce funds.
Based on city data from March 12, 2025, “the development will be supported by $2,114,544 in 9% LIHTC, $9,995,484 in Multi-Family funds, and $465,000 in Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credits.” With all that considered, we are not even at 300k per unit. Unsure if that cost covers all construction and later support, this organization has sufficient backing for recurring funds.