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Milwaukee Avenue's transformative development boom, mapped

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While many cities across the country are witnessing construction booms, the development activity currently underway in Chicago cannot be overstated. Last year, Chicago witnessed a post-recession record number of operating tower cranes, suggesting that the economic deep freeze of the recession is all but a memory. Perhaps surprisingly, the only US city to have more construction cranes operating last year was Seattle.

But Chicago's construction boom has spread out of the Loop and into the city's neighborhoods, not only seeing the transformation of other downtown areas like the West Loop and the South Loop, but also neighborhoods along Milwaukee Avenue and the Blue Line.

Hundreds of new apartment units have been delivered along the busy Milwaukee Avenue artery over the last couple of years, and hundreds more are on the way. When including all of the proposed, under construction, and completed units that have been highlighted on this map, the stretch of Milwaukee Avenue between the Grand Blue Line station and the Logan Square station will eventually see the delivery of nearly 3,000 apartments.

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Status: open
Unit count: 227 apartments
Located on the western corner of the busy Grand, Milwaukee, and Halsted intersection, this new development in the Fulton River District is big on transit options and is close to several major nightlife and shopping hubs. The development officially opened last autumn.
Pappageorge Haymes Partners

1001 W. Chicago

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 363 apartments
Located at the old site of the Gonnella bread factory in River West, this large mixed-use project contains a grocery store and a pair of 13- and 15-story apartment buildings designed by FitzGerald Associates. The project is the largest development underway along Milwaukee Avenue during this cycle in terms of unit count.

851 W. Grand

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 36 apartments
This development in the Fulton River District will soon deliver another 36 apartments to the neighborhood. Similar to the nearby Kenect development, residents of this project will have plenty of transit options, including the popular Milwaukee Avenue bike lane.
Monroe Residential

Linkt Apartments

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Status: leasing
Unit count: 47 apartments
This transit-oriented development located at the Milwaukee and Elston intersection will deliver 47 apartments and a row of ground-level retail spaces when it formally opens. Because of its location along two major streets, the bKL-designed facade features an aluminum siding with angled panels to cut down on light pollution.
bKL Architecture

St. Boniface

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Status: site prep
Unit count: 39 condos
The Henry Schlacks-designed St. Boniface Church was closed by the Archdiocese of Chicago in the early '90s, but it will soon be transformed into new condos. While previous adaptive reuse efforts have fallen short, the plan to convert the historic church into condos while simultaneously building a Chicago Academy of Music outpost next door appears to be moving ahead.
Vasilko Architects and Associates

East Village Lofts

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 34 apartments
This new development will transform an Art Deco-era church on Ashland into new rentals. While the old masonry facade of the church will face the street, the rest of the existing building will be cleared to make room for the 34 new apartments.
Milbury Architects/East Village Apartments

1241 N. Milwaukee

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 60 apartments
This project is one of a couple of large projects currently under construction in the Wicker Park area coming from LG Development. The development is located just steps from the Division Blue Line station and will feature a row of ground-level commercial space and 60 new rentals.
LG Development

Milwood Apartments

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Status: open
Unit count: 20 apartments
These new apartments from Cedar Street Cos. are located in an old masonry building in the heart of Wicker Park that has mostly sat vacant since the '70s, The new units fall under the developer's FLATS line of trendy micro apartments which start around $1,600.
Google Street View

The Robey

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Status: open
Unit count: 69 hotel rooms
The long blighted Northwest Tower reopened late last year as The Robey, a boutique hotel with 69 guest rooms and a number of food and beverage offerings. The renovation of the Art Deco-era high-rise was architecturally sensitive as the the Commission on Chicago Landmarks kept an eye on the project.
Nick Fochtman

The Hollander

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Status: open
Unit count: 20 rooms
A companion to The Robey, The Hollander is another hotel offering for the Wicker Park neighborhood, but this one specializes in so-called "social stay" rooms. Think of it as a trendier, nicer hostel.
The Hollander

1647-55 N. Milwaukee

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Status: open
Unit count: 36 apartments
This project from LG Development went through a number of iterations and design changes before finally arriving at what is planted at 1647-55 N. Milwaukee today. The developers scaled back the unit count and included the facade of a 120-year-old building in the plan after receiving feedback from residents.
LG Development

Centrum Bucktown

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 100 apartments
This project from developer Centrum Partners is just one example of how the recently opened 606 trail has helped spur new development in the neighborhoods that it passes through. Construction is well underway and once completed, the new development will deliver 100 apartments and a refreshed Aldi grocery store to Milwaukee Avenue.

The Western

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 44 apartments
The latest development boom on Milwaukee Avenue has seen the construction of new buildings with contemporary (and at times, controversial) designs from outfits like Wheeler Kearns, bKL Architecture, Pappageorge Haymes Partners, and Brininstool + Lynch, and the new wedge-shaped apartment development at 1920 N. Milwaukee certainly ups the ante with its mixed material exterior.
Brininstool + Lynch

1968 N. Milwaukee

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 132 apartments
There's a lot of development activity happening along Milwaukee Avenue, but particularly in the 1st Ward. This proposal from the developer Clayco surfaced last July but returned a few moths later with some tweaks, most noticeably the inclusion of a 110-year-old three-story masonry building located along Milwaukee Avenue.
Clayco

Mode Logan Square

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Status: open
Unit count: 78 apartments
This new development at Campbell and Armitage welcomed its first residents recently. And similar to other new apartment projects being built along Milwaukee Avenue, the rent prices aren't exactly cheap. Studio apartments start at $1,575 while a two-bedroom unit will cost around $2,350 per month.
Mode Logan Square

John Pennycuff Memorial Apartments at Robert Castillo Plaza

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 88 affordable housing units
The neighborhoods along Milwaukee Avenue are being flooded with new luxury rentals, but the proposed John Pennycuff Memorial Apartments at Robert Castillo Plaza would be an entirely affordable housing development if it is built. 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 Logan Square neighborhood.
CSA Partners Ltd.

Congress Theater

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Status: under renovation
Unit count: 50 hotel rooms or 32 apartments
Designed by Fridstein & Co. and originally opened in 1926, the 2,900-seat Congress Theater is currently being renovated by Cadillac Palace developer Michael Moyer. While the venue has had a checkered past, the landmark theater is finally ready to move on to the next chapter in its storied history via a $55 million renovation.
AJ LaTrace/Curbed Chicago

Congress Theater apartments

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 120 residences
The high-profile renovation of Logan Square's Congress Theater will not only see the restoration of the historic venue, but it's expected to also feature a new 10-story residential mid-rise across the street on Rockwell Street. The plan seeks a maximum of 184 total residential units, but it paperwork suggests that the development would feature 120 units.
Google Street View

2240 N. Milwaukee

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 40 apartments
A zoning application filed just over two years ago laid out details for a 40-unit development at the site of what is currently a surface parking lot along Milwaukee Avenue. The application also indicated that the property was owned by three members of 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney's family. While it has been a couple of years since the plan surfaced, there has been no noticeable activity at the site since.
Google Street View

Centrum Wicker Park

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Status: open
Unit count: 60 apartments
This project is just one of a few for the area either completed, under construction, and proposed by Centrum Partners for the Wicker Park/Bucktown area. Located near the busy Ashland, Division, and Milwaukee intersection, residents will have plenty of transit options and be located within walking distance of the neighborhood's popular nightlife scene.
Centrum Partners

1739 N. Milwaukee

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Status: open
Unit count: 8
Located just step from The 606's famous bridge and park at Leavitt Street, this new rental project saw the renovation of an abandoned building into upscale and spacious units. They're certainly some of the priciest apartments in the Milwaukee Avenue development boom—one apartment for rent is seeking $4,800 per month.
Google Street View

The Row

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Status: completed
Unit count: 24 row homes
While rentals are clearly dominating the construction boom along Milwaukee Avenue, some new row houses are being planted along the major artery as well. Simply dubbed "The Row," the new development features 24 row homes ranging from $599,000 to $700,000.
Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture

Logan Square L

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Status: open
Unit count: 120 apartments
Designed by Brininstool + Lynch, this new development along Milwaukee Avenue has stood out for its contemporary design and the various gimmicks employed to drum up interest in the project. It features a repurposed 'L' car on its outdoor common space and has given "co-living" a shot. Developer Property Markets Group opened the project last summer and listed it for sale in January.
Logan Square L
Status: open
Unit count: 216 apartments
With 216 rentals spread over two towers, the new Mica apartment development at Milwaukee and California is one of the largest new developments planted along the busy corridor in terms of unit count. During the proposal phase, the Wheeler Kearns-designed development was targeted by critics due to its height, density, and rent prices. Residents began occupying the towers late last summer.
Wheeler Kearns

Wicker Park Lofts

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Status: open
Unit count: 40 apartments
This development in Wicker Park is a case study on how to build on awkwardly-shaped lots. Despite the odd shape of the property, 40 rental units in a Brininstool + Lynch-designed LEED Gold structure were planted on the site.
Brininstool + Lynch

California Studios

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 138 apartments
Like other dense apartment proposals for Logan Square, this plan for 138 units on California Avenue has been the focus of criticism and protest activity from affordable housing advocates. The plan was first unveiled in April 2014 but as of today, a dispute between the current property owner and 1st Ward Alderman Proco Joe Moreno on handling the evictions of existing tenants has delayed the construction start.
Savoy Development

2505 N. Milwaukee

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Status: completed
Unit count: 18 condos
While thousands of new apartments are being delivered along Milwaukee Avenue, there are far fewer condos on the way. However, developer SNS Realty wrapped up work on a stretch of 18 condo units across the street from the former Mega Mall complex in Logan Square a couple of years ago.
Google Street View

Logan's Crossing

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Status: site prep
Unit count: 220 apartments
The redevelopment of Logan Square's former Mega Mall indoor market is one of the biggest projects underway along Milwaukee Avenue. When completed, the new Logan's Crossing development will feature 220 apartments and 108,000 square feet of commercial space. Retail anchors include Xsport Fitness and Jewel-Osco.
Antunovich Associates

Emmett Street parking lot

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Status: proposed
Unit count: TBA
Over the last couple of months, the United Neighbors of the 35th Ward, a group closely aligned with 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, has been seeking support for a plan to transform the Emmett Street Parking lot next to the Logan Square Blue Line station into a new affordable housing complex. However, some neighbors, including a local architect that drafted a plan for community market space, suggest that there should be more discussion about the site.
Google Street View

713 N. Milwaukee

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 25 apartments
A new six-story, 25-unit apartment development is currently underway at 713 N. Milwaukee in the River West area. The project comes from developer Contemporary Concepts with Studio Dwell as the lead architect.
Studio Dwell

710 Grand

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 105 apartments
Located roughly 300 feet from the Grand Blue Line station, 710 W. Grand is a true transit-oriented development with 105 dwelling units and only 45 vehicle parking stalls. The project also includes 6,592 square feet of commercial retail space.
Brininstool+Lynch

Wicker Park Connection

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 140 apartments
Taking advantage of its location near the Division Blue Line station, the new Wicker Park Connection apartment tower will deliver 140 residential units, 52 parking space, and a stretch of new retail space. In addition to the rental tower, the plan also includes 17 townhouses and a seven-story condo building.
Hirsch Associates

1220 N. Bosworth

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 34 condos
Henry Street Partners, the developer behind the nearby 1611 W. Division TOD and Logan Square’s controversial Mica apartments, has proposed a new 12-story, 34-unit condominium building to replace the Fifth Third bank drive-through and parking lot at 1220 N. Bosworth. And similar to 1611 W. Division and Mica, Henry Street tapped the architects at Wheeler Kearns to design this proposed development.
Jay Koziarz/Curbed Chicago

1624 W. Division

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 130 apartments
If approved as proposed, this plan from RDM Development would replace an existing four-story building near the heart of the Polish Triangle with a new 16-story, 130-unit apartment tower.

716-742 N. Aberdeen

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 188 apartments
A proposal for an 13-story, 188-unit rental tower at the corner of Aberdeen and Ogden in River West was recently approved by the city. The plan originally called for a height of 11 stories with 175 apartments.
FitzGerald Associates

2835-45 West Belden

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Status: proposed
Unit count: 95 apartments
This proposal for 95 apartments on the residential Belden Avenue near the California Blue Line station was unveiled nearly two years ago, but appears to have made little to no movement since. The plan makes room for 44 vehicle parking spaces and also includes a sizable green roof space.

670-680 N. Milwaukee

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 20 condos Developer Domain Group is building a new development with 20 condos at the site of a small one-story industrial facility and yard.
Google Street View

Ace on Ashland

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Status: under construction
Unit count: 33 condos
A new four-story, 33-unit condo development in Chicago’s Noble Square neighborhood is officially on its way after receiving its construction permit in late February.
Hanna Architects

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Kenect

Status: open
Unit count: 227 apartments
Located on the western corner of the busy Grand, Milwaukee, and Halsted intersection, this new development in the Fulton River District is big on transit options and is close to several major nightlife and shopping hubs. The development officially opened last autumn.
Pappageorge Haymes Partners

1001 W. Chicago

Status: under construction
Unit count: 363 apartments
Located at the old site of the Gonnella bread factory in River West, this large mixed-use project contains a grocery store and a pair of 13- and 15-story apartment buildings designed by FitzGerald Associates. The project is the largest development underway along Milwaukee Avenue during this cycle in terms of unit count.

851 W. Grand

Status: under construction
Unit count: 36 apartments
This development in the Fulton River District will soon deliver another 36 apartments to the neighborhood. Similar to the nearby Kenect development, residents of this project will have plenty of transit options, including the popular Milwaukee Avenue bike lane.
Monroe Residential

Linkt Apartments

Status: leasing
Unit count: 47 apartments
This transit-oriented development located at the Milwaukee and Elston intersection will deliver 47 apartments and a row of ground-level retail spaces when it formally opens. Because of its location along two major streets, the bKL-designed facade features an aluminum siding with angled panels to cut down on light pollution.
bKL Architecture

St. Boniface

Status: site prep
Unit count: 39 condos
The Henry Schlacks-designed St. Boniface Church was closed by the Archdiocese of Chicago in the early '90s, but it will soon be transformed into new condos. While previous adaptive reuse efforts have fallen short, the plan to convert the historic church into condos while simultaneously building a Chicago Academy of Music outpost next door appears to be moving ahead.
Vasilko Architects and Associates

East Village Lofts

Status: under construction
Unit count: 34 apartments
This new development will transform an Art Deco-era church on Ashland into new rentals. While the old masonry facade of the church will face the street, the rest of the existing building will be cleared to make room for the 34 new apartments.
Milbury Architects/East Village Apartments

1241 N. Milwaukee

Status: under construction
Unit count: 60 apartments
This project is one of a couple of large projects currently under construction in the Wicker Park area coming from LG Development. The development is located just steps from the Division Blue Line station and will feature a row of ground-level commercial space and 60 new rentals.