Lathrop Homes Redevelopment Plan to Be Revealed Next Week

After months of planning and behind the scenes meetings with community groups, the Lathrop Community Partners and Chicago Housing Authority are ready to unveil their proposed master plan for the redevelopment of the Julia C. Lathrop Homes housing project that lines the North Branch of the Chicago River. According to an announcement from Ald. Joe Moreno's (1st) office, the proposal will be revealed at a meeting next Wednesday, February 3 at Alcott College Prep High School starting at 6 p.m. The redevelopment of the sprawling housing project has proved to be slower than initially expected, as the proposal has drawn criticism from affordable housing advocates, preservationists, and Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd).

According to the Planned Development (PD) application submitted last September by the Chicago Housing Authority and the Lathrop Community Partners (a group composed of developers Related Midwest, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, and Heartland Housing), roughly 1,200 residences, 50,000 square feet of commercial space and over 800 parking spots are slated for the 32-acre site. The redeveloped Lathrop community will include a mix of affordable, public and market rate housing. An exact breakdown of the unit count has still yet to be release, but will likely be a key detail for discussion during next week's meeting. According to a Crain's story from 2013, the plan could include roughly 500 market rate units.

In addition to new residences, the redevelopment is expected to include a new dog park, a new stretch of riverwalk and possibly a boat launch. The first phase of the effort will focus on the property north of Diversey Parkway, which will see the preservation and renovation of the New Deal-era brick buildings. Much of the property south of Diversey will be redeveloped with buildings designed by bKL Architecture, including a six-story mid-rise that is planned for the southeast corner of the area.

·Lathrop Redevelopment Could Include Riverwalk, Boat Launch [Curbed Chicago]
·Lathrop Redevelopment [Related Midwest]
·See the Latest Renders for the Lathrop Homes Redevelopment [Curbed Chicago]