CHICAGO, IL - The Habitat Company was honored to host Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and city officials on Oct. 26 at Ogden Commons to mark the one-year anniversary of the mayor’s Invest South/West initiative. Ogden Commons, a new 10-acre, $200 million mixed-use project in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood is under development by a public-private partnership led by Habitat in conjunction with Sinai Health System, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, the Chicago Housing Authority and the city of Chicago. Ogden Commons’ combination of housing and commercial investment are consistent with the initiative’s core goals.
Launched in 2019 under Mayor Lightfoot, Invest South/West is a community improvement program meant to marshal the resources of multiple city departments, community organizations and corporate and philanthropic partners toward the long-term revitalization of 10 underinvested communities on Chicago’s South and West sides.
“It was a privilege to have Mayor Lightfoot on site, as we all look forward to seeing this first phase of Ogden Commons come to life later this year when the first tenants take occupancy and subsequently start to open their businesses, bringing much-needed resources into the neighborhood,” said Matt Fiascone, president of The Habitat Company. “While Ogden Commons has been in the works for the past three years, it shows potential partners in the Invest South/West program the high level of enthusiasm there is for projects like this and the positive impact these developments will have on a neighborhood.”
Located in a federally designated Qualified Opportunity Zone, Ogden Commons will be developed in multiple phases. The first phase is a three-story commercial building featuring 50,000 square feet of office and retail space. Ground-floor retail tenants include Steak n’ Shake, Ja’ Grill and Wintrust Bank. The rest of the building will be leased to Sinai Health System.
The residential component of Ogden Commons, which will include approximately 350 mixed-income housing units upon completion, is expected to break ground on its first building in 2021. The entire Ogden Commons project is expected to be complete by 2026 with James McHugh Construction Co. and Bowa Construction serving as general contractors for the development.