LINCOLN PARK — A plan to build a small mixed-use development on Webster Avenue calls for rents up to $4,000 for approximately 1,400-square-foot apartments.
Thad Wong, co-owner of @properties, is seeking zoning changes to tear down the 1920s-era building at 1211 W. Webster Ave. — which currently houses élu boutique and Owen + Alchemy juice bar — and build a four-story, mixed-use development in its place.
The industrial-style development would offer three apartments on the top floors — each with three bedrooms and giant windows — one ground-level retail space and three parking spaces in the back. A roof deck is a possibility, but plans haven't been finalized yet.
Rents would range from $3,500-$4,000, which Wong said is comparable to similar buildings in the neighborhood.
Wong said élu won't be returning if the project is built because the boutique is moving out of the building by the end of October, which is partly why he pursued the project. He envisions a fitness center as the retail tenant, adding that Go Cycle Studio has reached out to him, but no deals have been made yet.
Neighbors said the 96-year-old building used to house an auto repair shop long before the boutique and juice bar moved in. Despite its age, the building holds no historical significance by the city's standards, so Wong and his team wouldn't save any materials.
The 96-year-old building at 1211 W. Webster Ave. [Google Maps]
Still, Wong said his team designed the building with Webster Avenue's historic architecture in mind.
"We really tried to keep it looking designed in such a way that doesn't feel brand new," Wong told neighbors at a Sheffield Neighbors Association meeting held at Little Sisters of the Poor's auditorium, 2325 N Lakewood Ave., Tuesday evening.
Both Wong and his attorney, Nicholas Ftikas, said the four-story development is small for the neighborhood.
"We think it's the best use of the property. We think it's modest, given the size of the lot. We don't think we're overdeveloping," Ftikas told neighbors.
At the meeting, immediate neighbors brought up a few concerns without ever getting heated, including how the development would impact garbage pickup and traffic. The development requires approval from Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), who attended the meeting.
élu boutique has additional locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Aspen, Colo. according to its website. A representative for the boutique didn't appear to be at the meeting and didn't respond to a previous request for comment.
Owen + Alchemy opened its first Lincoln Park location as a pop-up inside élu in the beginning of August.
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