Chicago Construction News staff writer
Senco Properties has unveiled plans to redevelop a Bucktown strip mall into a seven-story, mixed-use building with apartments, retail and public parking.
The proposal, led by developer Bill Senne, would replace the one-story shopping center at 1704 N. Milwaukee Ave., which now houses Garfield’s Liquor, CorePower Yoga and a 24-space lot.
Under the plan, the 80-foot-tall structure would include 58 residential units, 12 of them designated as affordable, along with about 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. A two-level garage would provide 105 parking spaces, with 75 open to the public and 30 reserved for tenants.
Designs call for brick and gray metal panel cladding, a fourth-floor amenity deck, and private balconies on many units. Block Club Chicago reports that the apartments will range from studios to three-bedrooms, with roughly 40 per cent geared to family layouts.
Construction is expected to take 12 to 14 months once zoning approvals are secured.
The parking element has drawn attention, with Senne saying it is meant to offset spaces lost to Milwaukee Avenue’s new protected bike lanes. Bicycle parking will also be added.
At recent community meetings in Wicker Park and Bucktown, residents expressed support for denser housing on the corridor but raised concerns about building height, traffic on Wabansia Avenue and noise from the adjacent CTA Blue Line tracks.
If approved, the project would bring new housing, retail and parking to a transit-rich stretch of Milwaukee Avenue, where two Blue Line stations are within walking distance.
