A more detailed look at the LGBTQ-friendly affordable housing plan for Logan Square

Developers CSA Partners Ltd. formally unveiled the plan to Logan Square residents this week

By AJ LaTrace Dec 1, 2016, 11:28am CST

The latest residential plan for the booming Logan Square neighborhood officially broke cover last night. And despite the flood of higher-end apartment plans that have proposed for the northwest side neighborhood over the last few years, this project, dubbed the John Pennycuff Memorial Apartments at Robert Castillo Plaza, bucks the trend by offering 100% affordable housing. Proposed by CSA Partners, Ltd., the proposal seeks to deliver 88 LGBTQ-friendly affordable units to the corner of Milwaukee and Campbell avenues on the southern end of the neighborhood.

The proposal seeks to build a seven-story, flatiron-esque mid-rise on what is currently a surface parking lot at 2031 N. Milwaukee Avenue. When the plan was announced by Alderman Proco Joe Moreno in May, it was expressed that the project would be 100% affordable units, but other details like retail and parking were unclear. However, we now have a clearer look at both the design of the project and its makeup. Elevations depict an angular building with a blend of beige and white precast concrete, while the floor plans show that there will be two retail spaces and 18 parking spaces—including two handicap parking spaces—on the ground level.

A mix of TIF dollars and CHA funds will be used to pay for the project. DNAinfo had previously reported that the neighborhood group tasked with reviewing the proposal did appreciate the affordable housing aspect but expressed concerns with the building’s height and massing.