The Community Builders, Inc. of Boston, with Chicago’s Joseph J. Duffy Co. as general contractor, broke ground on the long-delayed project; official ground-breaking ceremony to take place on Monday, Feb. 10.
Oak Park, Ill – January 30, 2020 – A new four-story, 37-unit affordable housing development is underway on a vacant lot at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Van Buren St., with a completion timeline of spring 2021. An official ground-breaking ceremony at 801 S. Oak Park Avenue, will take place on Monday, Feb. 10 beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The development proposed by The Community Builders was approved by Oak Park in October 2018 but was delayed by a lawsuit filed by neighbors against the village in December 2018. After the lawsuit was dismissed in late October 2019, the project could finally move forward.
Joseph J. Duffy Co. was selected to provide preconstruction service including preliminary budgets. The construction phase for the “801” apartments, designed by DesignBridge Ltd., is based on a lump sum contract with Duffy.
The development fills several roles within Oak Park’s housing community.
“Besides delivering much-needed affordable housing for Oak Park, it is considered a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD),” said Joseph Beuttas, vice president of business development for Joseph J. Duffy Co. “The site is located near public transportation, the Eisenhower Expressway and Oak Park Blue Line stop. Another unique feature is the live-work units, which will cut your commute to only seconds.”
According to Kirk Albinson, project manager with The Community Builders, two live-work units flank the building, with one on Van Buren Street and the other on South Oak Park Avenue. The back of those units will have a one-bedroom dwelling unit with space in the front of the apartment that someone can use for a business or retail operation. When completed, an additional three studios, 30 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units will be available. The ground floor will also house approximately 900 square feet of commercial space plus bicycle storage.
A brick veneer and cement board siding system will cover a structural steel/light gauge steel/wood-framed building. A 28-car paved parking area, part of which is covered, an outdoor roof terrace, and a multipurpose room complete the project.
Boston-based The Community Builders has been working in the Chicago metropolitan area for nearly 20 years. They are a nonprofit real estate developer that owns or manages more than 11,000 apartments in the Northeast, the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic regions. Their business, infrastructure and community program investments have the mission to help make neighborhoods work for people of all incomes. For more information, visit tcbinc.org.
