PORTAGE PARK — A 2½-story office building in Portage Park would be gutted and converted into six high-end apartments, some charging monthly rents up to $3,000, under a proposal unveiled Wednesday evening.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom units at 5744 W. Irving Park Road would range between 1,700 and 2,000 square feet, according to developer John Capesius. Four of the six apartments would be duplexes.
Capesius would build stone balconies outside the brick building, girded by steel beams. A shared rooftop would offer "plain-as-day" views of Downtown, he said.
"This neighborhood is gentrifying ... this is the same kind pioneering development you see happening in Wicker Park, in Old Town," Capesius said. "You see a lot of young professionals moving in with their families, and they're paying these kinds of rents."
Capesius doesn't plan to make the existing building any taller, but changing its use would still require Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th) to approve a zoning change. Sposato signaled Wednesday he would approve the change.
If the project's approval and construction don't hit delays, the apartments could be ready for tenants as early as the summer, Capesius said.
Wednesday's meeting also discussed a request for a liquor license by the owners of Martin's Fresh Market, 5900 W. Montrose Ave. Sposato indicated support for the request.
[CS Development Partners]
The existing office building at 5744 W. Irving Park Road [CS Development Partners]
Floor plans for 5744 W. Irving Park Road by DNAinfo Chicago on Scribd
