Six-story development headed to vacant corner in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood?

If signs are to be believed, a half-acre vacant lot across from Dunbar Park in Chicago’s Bronzeville/Douglas neighborhood will be the future site of a six-story, mixed-use development. While “coming soon” signs are hardly uncommon for vacant land, the one at the southwest corner of 31st Street and Indiana Avenue is unusual for its complete lack of information regarding developer, architect, or brokerage firm.

While a little digging revealed that the 24,100-square-foot parcel was previously marketed as a redevelopment opportunity before selling to developer Senan Nugent last summer for just over $1 million, other details remain foggy. Current B1-3 zoning does allow for ground-floor retail topped by residences, however, it is unclear if the six-story structure depicted in the rendering would conform to the base Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 3.0 or seek a zoning change for additional density.

Curiously, the right-hand side of the rendering also shows a glassy new building in place of what is currently a BP gas station. Though the 31st Street corridor has seen a handful of recent developments including a four-story, eight-unit apartment building at 3108 S. Giles, the South Side neighborhood’s biggest catalyst for change—the multi-phase redevelopment of the old Michael Reese Hospital and McCormick Place truck marshalling yards—is still in the planning phase.

Jay Koziarz

• Chicago Development news [Curbed Chicago]
• Bronzeville archive [Curbed Chicago]