NORTH PARK — Mayor Rahm Emanuel celebrated the opening of a 63-unit affordable senior housing complex named after a labor leader in North Park Friday.
Located in the North Park Village and Nature Center, the complex at 5801 N. Pulaski Road honors J. Michael Fitzgerald, who helped lead the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and served as a member of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Illinois Medical District and Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority boards.
“This development is a win-win — it will provide quality affordable housing to seniors in North Park while honoring an individual that helped build Chicago into the thriving international city it is today,” Emanuel said in a statement. "It’s the perfect example of what Chicago’s five-year plan to invest $1.3 billion in affordable housing is designed to do."
All of the units in the $19.3 million complex built by the Elderly Housing Development and Operations Corp. are set aside for seniors earning up to 60 percent of area median income, which is $33,180 for a single-person household and $37,920 for a two-person household, according to city data.
"The setting and amenities at North Park Village have made this one of the most sought-after senior housing facilities in Chicago," said 39th Ward Ald. Margaret Laurino.
The complex includes a lounge, library, community rooms, and a health and wellness center staffed by a social service coordinator, officials said.
City assistance for the project includes a 75-year land lease for $1 per year and $1.25 million in tax credits, officials said.
The project also is being financed with $514,000 in low-income housing tax credits as well as $10.6 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, officials said.
