Lincoln Square Apartment Plan Needs More Family Units, Less Parking, Neighbors Say

LINCOLN SQUARE — Neighbors want the developer pitching the construction of a five-story apartment building in Lincoln Square to consider adding more units for families and to prioritize bicycle parking amenities over spots for cars.  

Developer MLV Properties, LLC needs a zoning change to construct the building at 2648-58 W. Lawrence Ave. It would feature 37 apartments and about 2,914 square feet of ground-floor retail space, according to plans shared with the community by Ald. Andre Vasquez’s (40th) office at a community meeting last week. 

The development would replace a vacant one-story building, which was formerly home to Goosefoot Food and Wine. The property sits between Gross Park, 2708 W. Lawrence Ave., and HarvesTime Foods, 2632 W. Lawrence Ave. 

Amenities include 13 enclosed parking spaces that are electric-vehicle-ready, 40 bicycle parking spaces that could accommodate larger cargo and e-bikes and an elevator. The building would initially use gas appliances and heating, but it would be constructed to be “electric-ready” for conversion at a later date, the plans show.

The apartments would mostly be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, with 30 of them market-rate and seven set aside as on-site affordable housing to comply with the city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance. 

Market-rate rents could be $2,000-$3,000, depending on market conditions, unit size and location in the building. Rents for the affordable units could be $784-$2,600.

One of the apartments in the building could have as many as four bedrooms, but it would be on the first floor, the plans show. This unit could be converted into a live-work space if the zoning change is approved. 

The rest of the first floor’s commercial square footage could be subdivided into at least three units to allow for retail or office space. It could also be used for a restaurant, according to the plans. 

Christine Mathis, who attended the meeting as the president of the Greater Rockwell Organization, said she wanted to see less parking and even more room for bikes of all sizes.  

The proposed development is near major bus lines on Lawrence and Western avenues, a short distance away from two Brown Line stops and near a variety of bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in the neighborhood, Mathis said in an interview Friday. 

“This is an incredible community where you absolutely do not need to rely on a car. So we’re advocating for less car storage and more livable spaces,” Mathis said.

Mathis said many people in the area use larger cargo bikes that can often accommodate a parent, multiple children and groceries, for example.

“Instead of minivans, we get to ride our children and our dogs around in bicycles, and we want storage for that,” said Mathis, who has lived in the neighborhood for about 15 years. 

Other neighbors at the meeting, including members of the Gross Park Advisory Council, asked if the density of the units could be increased, according to a recording of the meeting reviewed by Block Club. Some asked if it was possible to make the new construction a six- or seven-story building to accommodate more apartments for families.

“We love the idea of having more neighbors to use the park,” Carl Beien, Gross Park Advisory Council president, said in an interview after the meeting. 

In addition to being next to a popular park and a grocery store, the new building would be near Budlong Elementary School, 2701 W. Foster Ave., and Waters Elementary, 4540 N. Campbell Ave.

“Why don’t you create something for families who are going to go to the park, and then they’re going to go to the grocery store and they’re going to cook dinner?” Beien said. “You could leverage these neighborhood assets.”

The developer’s attorney, Tyler Manic, told those at the meeting that the Western Avenue Corridor study influenced the developer’s decision to pursue a higher-density, mixed-use development that’s within a 15-minute walk of neighbors’ daily needs. 

But seeking additional height would require a different type of construction that could make the project more expensive to build, Manic said.

Project architect Victor Drapszo told neighbors that another ask — eliminating the new building’s 20-foot setback facing the alley to add more apartments — could be a possibility, but it would likely require review from city officials to ensure the plan is within code.

Neither Manic nor Drapszo could be reached for comment.

_{The current conditions at the property where developers want to build a 5-story apartment building.}

Vasquez’s office is collecting neighborhood feedback on the proposal as part of the ward’s community zoning process through Aug. 3 before deciding to support or reject the proposal, said Cat Sharp, Vasquez’s chief of staff.

Neighbors can submit their feedback through this form.

If Vasquez decides to back the current plan, the soonest it could go before the full City Council for final review would be October. If OK’d, Manic estimated it could take six to nine months to get permits before construction gets started. The project could be completed by winter 2028, according to the 40th Ward and Manic.