Updated August 15: The new owners are seeking a second zoning change, to be able to build more units on site. 24 apartments, 4,000 square feet of commercial/retail space, and a new rendering and architectural drawings.
The Lincoln Square community area is one of the top areas for teardowns, when a house is demolished (often a 2 or 3 flat) and a new house goes up in its place (often a single-family).
A property next to the Damen Brown Line station (4646 N Damen Ave) was sold last year and the new owner requested a zoning change from 47th Ward Alder Ameya Pawar, in March 2016, according to Eric Rojas, a local realtor.
The property was zoned RS-3, which only allows single-family homes, and the owners, Bob and John Mangan, needed a zoning change to at least B3–3 in order to build 9 condos in a 4-story building with ground-floor retail. The Mangans own other residential buildings in the 47th Ward, and in Lakeview.
However, it wasn’t that smooth. Rojas wrote “According to the Alderman’s web page (and an email exchange I had with the office) the zoning change as requested is not approved.” Pawar’s website has architectural drawings.
The request was approved on January 25, 2017
The new building’s proximity to the Brown Line station cuts the minimum parking requirement to 1 space per 2 units, down from the normal 1 space per unit. With further approvals from the city’s zoning department, the number can be cut to zero spaces. The property will provide 4 spaces.