While developer Enrico Plati of Savoy Development received all of the necessary approvals and permits to start construction on a 52-unit transit-oriented development for California Avenue in Logan Square earlier this year, he has recently come back to the negotiating table with the hopes of nearly tripling the density of the project. Originally introduced in April 2014, the plan was to build a five story building with 66 total units. After a heated community meeting, Plati dropped all SRO language from the plan and decreased the total unit count to 52 residences. The Chicago Plan Commission voted in favor of the plan in March of this year, and just days later, the property was surrounded by construction fencing, indicating that demolition was soon to begin. However, the property has sat idle for most of this year. According to the new plan, Plati wants to build a six story building with a total of 135 apartments and 48 parking spaces.
There's no word on exactly why Plati is coming back with these changes, but there very likely could have been some issues with the developer's bottom line and in financing the deal. Adding more units certainly addresses this type of issue. All speculation aside, Plati has already met with the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association community group in Logan Square—the same group that reviewed the original proposal last year. In order to bypass any resistance that the community might put up, Plati has added a pocket park to the plan, although in their letter to Alderman Moreno, the GGNA stated that "details [for the park] were not specified in the plans." The plan is now back in Moreno's hands for a final decision.
·Logan Square TOD, West Loop Office Project Moving Forward [Curbed Chicago]
·Logan Square SRO Studio Development Gets Public Introduction [Curbed Chicago]
·Mapping the Development Boom Along Milwaukee Avenue [Curbed Chicago]
·All previous California Studios coverage [Curbed Chicago]
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