Just read on Dept of Planning/Development site. It sounds like more and more smart development is coming to the city:


TIF to assist mixed-use development at Lawrence and Damen

Four-story project to include CVS store, housing and parking

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Mayor Richard M. Daley introduced a plan to City Council today to build a four-story retail and mixed-income residential complex on underutilized land on the northwest corner of Damen and Lawrence in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.
"This project is another example of how the City's programs can create new neighborhood amenities, job opportunities, and quality affordable housing for our residents," Mayor Daley said. "Projects like this help improve the quality of life in communities throughout Chicago."

The developer, KNS Developments, plans to build a four-story, 104,000-square-foot building with 36,000 square feet of underground parking space. There will be 11,900 square feet of retail space, most of which will be occupied by a CVS Drug Store.

The project includes 42 two- and three-bedroom condominium units, nine of which will be made available to lower-income buyers. The underground parking garage will contain 100 parking spaces, the majority made available for the residential units.

Under the plan, the Department of Planning and Development would provide up to $3 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Assistance to the project, which has an estimated budget of $18.3 million. the project is located with in the Western Avenue TIF Redevelopment Project Area.

KNS, founded by Kent Knebelkamp in 1996, has developed single-family homes and three-flat buildings in the Lakeview neighborhood, and has recently developed larger-unit buildings in neighborhoods throughout Chicago.

^ isn't that one already under construction. i was riding down lawrence on the bus the other day and i remember seeing a construction site with a sign saying that a new CVS was coming, and it had to be right in that area. i thought it was gonna be another stupid stand alone, parking lot out front kinda CVS.

this news of a 4 story mixed-use building pleases me greatly.

I wouldn't call Damen and Lawrence the Northwest Side.

But other than that, good news.

There's an untraditional three-story complex going up at Howard and California, by the way. I'm not sure I like it.

I wouldn't call Damen and Lawrence the Northwest Side.

But other than that, good news.

There's an untraditional three-story complex going up at Howard and California, by the way. I'm not sure I like it.

Looks like the NW side to me.

hmmm.. northwest side... i don't know about that...what would you consider to be the "starting point" for the northwest side 'cause technically the WHOLE northside is northwest (west of state street) i've always wondered that.... i think anything past pulaski is north west.

by the way i pass by that site every day when walking to and from school. the renderings look UGLY to me... completely dark red brick with just a few awnings for decoration. and it doesn't help that the rip-off place CVS is going there. overall it is an improvement from what used to be there but it's not that much of an improvement

Pulaski is to far west for the starting point, I live on California in Logan square and the neighborhood is considered NW by most.

According to the tribune, there is also going to be a new 5-story building on the NW corner of Cicero and Peterson with a ground-level pharmacy.

The smart development is finally arriving, my friends!

I also just read that new housing is going up in Beverly/Morgan Park, including 2 five-story condo buildings (one with ground-level boutique shops) along with numerous townhouses.

WHEWEE!!