Workers clear room for controversial Logan Square micro apartments

In the works for over three years, a six-story transit-oriented development (TOD) in Chicago’s rapidly-changing Logan Square neighborhood is finally moving forward. Located at 2342-48 N. California Avenue and steps from the Blue Line, the project from Savoy Development will deliver 138 “micro apartments,” 44 parking spaces, four ground-floor retail spaces, and a public pocket park. Studio and one-bedroom units in the upcoming building will range between 439 and 537 square feet in size and rent for roughly $1,200 to $1,400 per month.

The project became a lightning rod for growing concerns over gentrification and affordability in Logan Square last winter when landlord Francisco Macias moved to evict several families from the site’s existing apartment building. Citing months of nonpayment, Mr. Macias refused to extend the move-out deadline to March.

Alderman Proco Joe Moreno (1st) then got involved and reportedly threatened to strip the property of its zoning if a solution could not be found. A compromise was ultimately reached that pushed the eviction date back from January 15th to the end of the month and provided relocation assistance to occupants, reported DNAinfo.

With the tenant-landlord dispute resolved, the developer took possession of the triangle-shaped property this spring and is preparing the site for construction. Demolition permits were recently issued for both the shuttered car wash at 2336 N. California and the aforementioned five-unit rental building at 2342 N. California. Once those structures are removed, the long-delayed TOD can finally begin construction in earnest.

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• Logan 'Micro-Apartment' Project Moving Forward As Developer Buys Properties [DNAinfo]
• Logan Square landlord and alderman at odds over evictions [Curbed Chicago]
• Previous Logan Square coverage [Curbed Chicago]