Six-story TOD proposal in Rogers Park would reuse historic terra-cotta storefront

The terra-cotta facade of an older one-story commercial building could be restored and incorporated into a new six-story rental development near the border of Chicago’s Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods.

Located at 1315 W. Loyola Avenue, the existing structure long served as office and storage space for the nearby Chicago Waldorf School. With the educational institution moving to Andersonville’s former Trumbull School, the Loyola Avenue site is a prime candidate for transit-oriented redevelopment.

The new structure, designed by Chicago-based Hanna Architects, will include a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom rental units ranging from 600 to 1500 square feet in size. The development calls for a ground-floor community room, study room, and bike storage area as well as a rooftop deck and partial green roof. Three affordable-rate units will be located on site.

The Loyola Avenue parcel is currently zoned B3-2 and the developer is requesting a change to a B2-3 designation, according to an email from the office of 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore. The proposal seeks a reduction in required on-site parking from 27 to 11 spaces under the city’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Ordinance.

A public meeting to discuss the plan is scheduled for Thursday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Ignatius Church at 6559 N. Glenwood Avenue. Alderman Moore as well as the 49th Ward Zoning and Land Use Advisory Committee have yet to take an official position on the proposal and its requested zoning change.

If approved, the project will become the latest in a series of developments taking place in and around the campus of Chicago’s Loyola University. Notable examples include the Concord on Sheridan mixed-income housing and Target store development, a seven-story TOD at Broadway and Sheridan, and Loyola’s new athletic complex.

49th Ward

• Plans for 1315 W. Loyola Avnue [49th Ward]
• Chicago development news [Curbed Chicago]