A Planned Development (PD) is a special zoning classification in Chicago that allows buildings to be built that don’t fundamentally comply with the underlying zoning classification of any given property. In order to develop the plans for the Family Life Center and future Community Center, First Free sought, and was ultimately successful at getting a PD approved which encompasses all of our properties, from Berwyn south to the Andersonville Park playlot. In our case, it’s officially designated PD #1009 on the Chicago Zoning Ordinance map. While it grants us wide latitude to do almost whatever we want, it is restrictive, however, from the standpoint that only what is shown in the exhibits for the approved PD can actually be built. This special zoning district permitted us to realize the construction of the Family Life Center (completed 2008) and would allow us to eventually build the future Community Center – but is also simultaneously keeping us from being able to sell the 5237 N. Ashland apartment building, which we’re trying to do in order to pay down our expiring mortgage taken out to build the Family Life Center in the first place.
To date, three potential buyers have walked away due to the fact that under the language of the PD, there’s of course no provision to convert the garden level storage area of the existing 5237 building into an apartment (since that building would actually be demolished in order to build the future Community Center) – which potential buyers would like to do in order to make their numbers work. To resolve this, we’ve applied for a revision to our PD that would extract the 5237 property from the Planned Development entirely and yet still allow us to achieve the important aspects of the future Community Center on the remaining properties by keeping the rest of the PD intact.
Working with our architect Chad Harrell of Griskelis Young Harrell (GYH), and our zoning attorney Nick Ftikas of the Law Offices of Sam Banks, our application has made considerable progress over the last couple of years. GYH has revised the design of the Community Center in a way that retains the nature of the proposed scope of work (for instance: a full-size gymnasium, offices, community meeting spaces, classrooms, locker rooms, etc.), but on a smaller property. We’ve had meetings with the Alderman and a presentation for our neighborhood (both expressed support); we’ve had several meetings with the Zoning Department and have revised the exhibits in the application more than a few times in order to advance in the process. We’ve met with the Chicago Department of Transportation as well as the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. We’ve also prepared a separate exhibit for the Chicago Fire Department demonstrating that the revised PD complies with their extensive list of requirements. We’ve also had a few meetings (the most recent one being on 11.09.21) with the Department of Planning and Development (DPD).
However, DPD has expressed concern regarding the design of the Community Center, specifically the aesthetics of the roof line, and want to see other ideas. Chad Harrell has searched through the archives at GYH, and nothing remains from the design process that we went through nearly twenty years ago – as it was all likely done on “trace” (disposable translucent rolls of paper convenient for architects to design on). Consequently, DPD has asked that we then manufacture alternate designs that may or may not have been considered at the time and present those options to DPD. GYH is preparing these alternate designs and will forward to them for their consideration soon; we’ll see what their response is. It may be that they just want to have these for their files – or, more significantly – it may be that they want to engage in a redesign process with us.
Throughout all of this, Alderman Vasquez, along with his Director of Development & Legislation, Geoffrey Cubbage, have been instrumental at providing their support and helping to move the application forward.
Getting our application approved by DPD is the last hurdle to go through before we can get on the agenda for an upcoming Plan Commission meeting. After our formal presentation to the Plan Commission, they would (hopefully) make recommendation to City Council that they approve the revised PD. After getting on the agenda for an upcoming City Council meeting, City Council would then review our application and (likely) accept the recommendation of the Plan Commission – publishing their vote officially about one month later, which is when the revised PD would go into effect. At that point, a potential buyer would be able to pursue their own zoning revision to the 5237 property in order to convert the garden level storage area into a fourth apartment.
Clearly, we still have a little ways to go.
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