LINCOLN PARK — Plans for a 17-story condominium tower that was slated to replace the Market Place Foodstore on Diversey have been pulled.
Ald. Michele Smith (43rd) denied the proposal from moving forward due to irreconcilable issues with the plans.
Smith said the plan, which would have required a zoning change, "could not be realistically modified to address neighborhood concerns."
"I denied the proposal after long negotiations with all the parties," Smith said Thursday afternoon. "We could not get the proposal modified in a way to meet the neighborhood concerns."
The developer on the project, Lexington Homes, sought to build a 205-foot-tall residential tower on the site of the grocery store, 523 W. Diversey Pkwy. The project also called for four single-family homes that would be built on the current parking lot of the Market Place Foodstore.
In total, the development would have included 78 condos and 7,700 square feet of retail.
The development was presented to the community in September and during that time Smith said the proposal was a scaled-back version of what the developer initially wanted to build.
Smith said neighborhood parking was a main concern.
She said there were other issues such as building height, but "you wrap them all together and we could not find adequate public benefit," to allow for a zoning change.
Market Place Foodstore has been located in Lincoln Park since 1927 and has been a family operation since its inception. Current owner Peter Stellas is the grandson of the store's founder, and had been working with the developer.
When reached by phone Thursday, Stellas said he was unaware the development plan had been nixed.
Smith said there had been months of discussion and prolonged negotiations between the developer, her office, the Park West Community Association and local neighbors to explore potential changes.
"The property owners are being encouraged to carefully consider the feedback they received as they contemplate future development concepts," Smith's email read.
The developer did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
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