EDGEWATER — Just over a year after Know No Limits Gym closed its doors for good, its former building is being converted back into 13 rental units slated to be ready for leasing by August.
Peter Koch, partner at Mavrek Development, bought the building at Hood Avenue and Clark Street in January and last week got a $959,400 permit to renovate the two-story structure.
"We're trying to build something out a lot more community-based," Koch said. "It seems like from Hood and from all those streets that are running from Clark to Broadway have a pretty good neighborhood group, or kind of sense of neighborhood where everyone kind of knows what's going on."
Construction is already underway to turn the building into 11 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units, with a pair of two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments.
The building's parking lot, which sits in the back facing out toward Hood Avenue and a back alley, will become the entrance courtyard for the complex, whose back will look out to Clark Street.
Koch said the idea to face inward toward the residential street rather than the busy Clark Street came after talks with Ald. Harry Osterman's (48th) office, which brought him up to speed on the "tight-knit" neighborhood.
"This was the first time I got a call from Dan [Luna], I think Harry's chief of staff, and he said, 'Hey we want to sit down with you, can you come in?' " Koch said. "Usually you don't get that in the other districts — but it was good, it was refreshing."
"It seems like everyone really cares about the community in which they live in, and that's kind of what you see with I think Andersonville."
In the future, Koch said he sees North Clark Street in Edgewater developing similarly to how its evolved in Andersonville: Building solid blocks of residential spaces while businesses develop around it.
As the father of a 1½-year-old, and with another baby on the way, the Lakeview resident said getting to know Edgewater better through this project has put the neighborhood on his radar as his own family looks to expand.
"We've looked at quite a few — haven't pulled the trigger on anything, but we're hopeful to find something soon."
Where the parking lot for Know No Limits gym was, 6125 N. Clark St., will become the front courtyard for a new apartment building, which will begin leasing late this summer. [DNAinfo/Linze Rice]
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