One of two buildings in the Auburn Gresham Apartments project at 757 West 79th, has received approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals for a series of deviations. The buildings are being created as a result of the Invest South/West RFP by Imagine Group and Evergreen Real Estate Group.
The proposal, which was co-designed by Ross Barney Architects and Nia Architects, won the RFP as a single-building project. This decision has since changed as a consequence of consultations with stakeholders and members of the local community.
An insight into the two buildings in the Auburn Gresham Apartments
The first structure, which will be at 838 W. 79th, will have three storeys and a mix of business and residential space. West African food distributor AYO Foods will occupy 5,200 square feet of commercial space on the main floor of the project.
The apartments will be distributed across the top levels in one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts. There will be 28 parking spaces available.
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The second structure will have five floors and a mixture of residential and retail space at 757 West 79th Street. KLEO Community Center and The Park Supper Club will occupy 3,300 square feet of the ground floor’s commercial space.
It will be located on the west side of 79th Street. There will be 30 apartments, with sizes ranging from one to three bedrooms, on the top four stories. Further, there are only 14 parking spaces in this building.
Expectations for the Auburn Gresham Apartment project
The $43 million development, which is almost fully supported by the city, will get $18 million in tax increment financing (TIF), $18 million in equity from low-income housing tax credits, $2.5 million in HOME loans, and around $180,000 in land write-downs.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot hosted a groundbreaking ceremony back in August, despite the project missing the required clearances and permits to really start working. As the ZBA has approved the project and permissions are now pending, work will probably start soon.
Construction is projected to take 18 months.