Chicago Construction News staff writer
A $23 million transit-oriented mixed-use development with 46 mixed-income residential units has been selected to redevelop nearly an acre of long-vacant city-owned land in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, city officials said.
Proposed by GonSosa Development, the project will be built on 0.84 acres at 8676-94 S. Vincennes Ave., adjacent to the Gresham Metra station. The site has been vacant for more than 25 years.
The 65,812-square-foot building would include three stories of residential units above 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Plans also call for surface parking for 22 vehicles at the rear of the property.
“This project maximizes the site’s proximity to the train and bus lines with much needed mixed-income homes and space for neighborhood-serving retail,” said Chicago Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright. “After decades of vacancy, the site’s going to start serving the people of Auburn Gresham once again.”
The city will sell the property at its market value of $110,000, pending approvals.
“This site stood vacant at a key gateway in Auburn Gresham — the community that raised me,” said Ald. Ronnie L. Mosley. “Now, we are raising the bar with an investment that reflects the kind of transit-oriented, community-centered growth our residents deserve and the future they have long been working toward.”
The proposal was selected from three responses to an October 2025 request for proposals issued by the Department of Planning and Development for transit-oriented redevelopment of the site. Submissions were evaluated on design, financial capacity, developer experience and feasibility.
The city may provide up to $5.25 million in grant funding to support eligible development costs.
If approved and completed, the project would replace a long-vacant parcel near commuter rail service with housing and retail space aimed at supporting both residents and neighborhood businesses.
