The Point at Six Corners wins City Council approval

The 10-story complex at Milwaukee and Cicero avenues and Irving Park Road includes a 258-unit residential building for senior citizens, 215 parking spaces and a 45,000 square-foot retail complex anchored by an Aldi.

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A rendering of the senior housing and retail development called the Point at Six Corners.

A rendering of the senior housing and retail development called the Point at Six Corners.

Ryan Cos. U.S.

After years of delay made longer by a political changing of the guard, the “eyesore” of a hole in Chicago’s once-thriving Six Corners shopping district may finally be filled.

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved “The Point at Six Corners” a day after the Zoning Committee endorsed the $130 million project.

The 10-story complex at Milwaukee and Cicero Avenues and Irving Park Road includes a 258-unit residential building for senior citizens, 215 parking spaces and a retail complex anchored by an Aldi grocery.

In April 2019, the Zoning Committee stalled approval of the project in a parting shot at outgoing Ald. John Arena (45th).

That parliamentary maneuver by now-former Ald. Marge Laurino (39th) allowed Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) to negotiate changes he said will improve the project.

Instead of 98 independent living units for seniors, Gardiner got 114 independent units; assisted living units were reduced from 114 to 95. And instead of no affordable units on site, there will be 11.

“Why is that important? It’s because, as you can see right now, businesses are dying and they’re struggling. I knew that, if we had a greater number of dependent living [units], that our businesses were gonna continue to fail,” Gardiner said Tuesday.

“By having independent living people in these units, we’ll have people who will be able to cross streets like Irving, Cicero and Milwaukee to go get a hamburger or go see a movie or go to a bar. It’s very important for our community to have that type of energy because we all know there’s people well into their 70’s who still like to go out and enjoy themselves, if not their 80’s.”

Gardiner said he is “most proud” of the 11 affordable units to be built on site. He noted market-rate rents will range from $4,000 to $7,500 a month.

“There were zero affordable units on site. And the community was told by my predecessor that it was an impossibility to put affordable units on that site. I was able to fight for and get 11 affordable units when we started off with zero. Now somebody, instead of paying $6,000 a month, is paying $1,200 a month,” the alderman said.

Gardiner acknowledged the site has been an “eyesore” and the project will be “instrumental in redefining and rebuilding Six Corners” to bring vitality back to the once-thriving area.

Asked last year whether she would allow Gardiner to block the Six Corners deal, Mayor Lori Lightfoot replied: “The alderman overstates his ability.”

Tuesday, Gardiner stopped short of claiming victory in a test of Lightfoot’s threat to follow through on her promise to eliminate aldermanic prerogative over zoning.

“I think she probably didn’t realize or maybe she didn’t fully understand what I was fighting for,” he said diplomatically.

“Once I had the opportunity to tell her exactly what I was fighting for — for affordable housing, for more independent living units — she had a better appreciation and a better respect for what ... I was doing and what I accomplished.”

“Commissioner [Maurice] Cox even said, ‘You did a fantastic job. I never would have been able to get the things that you negotiated.’”


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