Judy Lamelza
Special to Chicago Construction News
A surface parking lot in Ravenswood is set to become a five-story, 78-unit apartment building after the Chicago City Council’s zoning committee approved the project in December. The development at 4641 N. Ashland Avenue aims to balance added housing density with pedestrian safety, transit access, and neighborhood character.
The project, next to an existing 42-unit residential building, has gone through about a year of revisions based on aldermanic input, city agency coordination, and community feedback. Of the 78 units, 16 will be designated as affordable housing.
Designed by Kennedy Mann, the five-story metal and brick building will top out at 60 feet would include 78 residential units. building will include studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and a limited number of three-bedroom apartments. It will provide 33 interior parking spaces, well below traditional minimums, reflecting its proximity to the CTA #9 bus, the Ravenswood Metra station, and local bike infrastructure.
Design features include stepped-back upper floors, a façade of brick and glass, and a recessed main entrance to create a pedestrian-friendly streetscape. The corner of Ashland and Leland avenues is reinforced by building massing, and the vehicular entrance was relocated to Ashland to reduce conflicts near Chase Park.
Outdoor space will include private terraces on the second floor and a fifth-floor roof deck totaling more than 2,000 square feet, while landscaped parkways preserve six existing trees and add two new ones. The project is intended to provide housing in a transit-rich corridor while maintaining the scale and character of the Ravenswood neighborhood.
