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3 Industrial Buildings Near Bucktown '606' Park To Be Sold To Developer

By Alisa Hauser | April 1, 2016 6:40am
 A look at 1879-1885 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Bucktown.
1879-1885 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Bucktown.
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BUCKTOWN — Three industrial garages a half block north of The 606 are set to be sold to a developer who plans to tear them down and build apartments anchored by retail storefronts, according to the seller's agent and the buyer.

Located at 1879-1885 N. Milwaukee Ave., the three one-story properties totaling 8,800 square feet went up for sale in June 2014 with an asking price of $1.65 million.   

The properties "could make an excellent condominium development project or [Transit-Oriented Development] mixed-use rental project," according to real estate listing.

The nearby Bloomingdale Trail, at 1800 N. Milwaukee Ave., had not yet opened when sculptor Ron Gard put his three buildings up for sale in 2014. 

LG Construction and Development Group, which is currently building two other mixed-use residential and retail buildings along Milwaukee Avenue, plans to finalize its acquisition of the buildings within the next few days, LG Development Group Acquisitions Director Daniel Haughney said Thursday.

Haughney said his company aims to build residential apartments anchored by retail storefronts after demolishing the three buildings. The number of units and height of the buildings has not yet been determined, he said.

"We will work with the alderman and community groups, as we have with our other two projects along Milwaukee," Haughney said.

Jim Darrow, a real estate agent who is selling Gard's buildings to Haughney's firm, said the company's offer was accepted in part due to the fact it could "create a residential component" to the site.

Gard received multiple offers from interested buyers before accepting LG Construction and Development's offer, Darrow said.

"We had several offers but given that the highest and best use for the property was to have a residential component, it needed to be rezoned and the seller wanted to make sure he went under contract with a developer who could get the zoning and thus picked this buyer," Darrow said.

Gard could not be reached for comment.

Haughney said his company is paying just less than the asking price of $1.6 million for the buildings.

Over the weekend, Gard held a "demolition garage sale," where bargain hunters were observed walking away with treasures from the large studio, which was housed in a former garage.

In addition to designing and building sets for films and commercials, Gard has created several public sculptures, including "Cubis Largo," which was installed earlier this month along Milwaukee Avenue in the Six Corners Shopping District.

Yasar Guneysu, owner of Lexus Upholstery & Trim Shop at 1879 N. Milwaukee Ave., next to Gard's studio and part of the trio of buildings, was moving the last of his equipment out on Thursday. 

"Absolutely I am sad to be moving. We opened in 2001 and have been here 15 years," Guneysu said.

Guneysu said he will be moving his upholstery shop to a new garage in suburban Streamwood.

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