34 townhomes approved for vacant lot on Blue Island Ave. in Heart of Chicago

Published on Feb. 8, 2017 by Steven Vance

Editor's note: These townhomes were built. View one of them on Chicago Cityscape.


The site plan on the left shows that the townhomes will face each other across walkways. The site plan and the Google Street View are oriented in the same way, looking slightly northwest.

A zoning change was approved two weeks ago to allow for the construction of 34 townhomes on a vacant lot that’s approximately 29,000 square feet in Heart of Chicago at 2530–2538 S. Blue Island Ave. The neighborhood is adjacent to Pilsen, in the Lower West Side community area.

The townhomes are designed by Vari architects. The zoning change ordinance didn’t list the applicant, or property owner.

Blue Island Avenue south of Cermak Road has a weird mix of residential and industrial on the north side of the street, and industrial on the south side of the street. Historic aerial photos show that the site became vacant between 1988 and 1999.

Map of the El Paseo trail that will use mostly abandoned right of way of BNSF tracks.

The city is constructing a multi-use trail called El Paseo on a railroad right of way along Blue Island from Cermak Road to 26th Street, passing by the townhome development. The trail extends further in both directions.


← Older article
The zoning change for the Den Theatre’s remodeling plan in Wicker Park was approved
Newer article →
Feb. 9th: Neighborhood news from Pullman, Pilsen, and more

Other posts by Steven Vance full archive

March 2026
February 2026
January 2026
December 2025
November 2025
September 2025
August 2025
July 2025
June 2025
April 2025