New retail and apartment complex cleared to rise at Lawrence and Laramie

A long-discussed plan to redevelop a blighted parking lot in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood is finally ready to put shovels in the ground. Yesterday, the City of Chicago issued the four-story, mixed-use development at 5201 W. Lawrence Avenue a new construction permit estimated at $8.5 million.

Slated to contain roughly 10,000 square feet of commercial space, 41 interior parking spaces, and 39 rental apartments, the structure comes from developer Mega Group and Gurnee, Illinois-based design firm Archamerica, Inc. The two companies are also teaming up on a planned 16-story, 114-unit development at nearby 4849 N. Lipps Avenue.

In addition to the soon-to-rise building at Lawrence and Laramie, the developer will revamp an adjacent lot between Laramie and Avondale avenues with a new public plaza and 21 parking spaces. The Northwest Side development was first unveiled in mid 2015 and was eventually approved by the Chicago Plan Commission this past February.

Google Street View

Archamerica, Inc.

• New construction permit at 4758 N. Laramie Avenue [Chicago Cityscape]
• A 'Grand Gateway' to Jefferson Park Proposed For Blighted Land [DNAinfo]
• Jefferson Park apartments approved by Chicago Plan Commission [Curbed Chicago]
• Previous Jefferson Park coverage [Curbed Chicago]