Rendering of LeClaire Courts north buildingPhoto by: SCB
Fifteen years after the Chicago Housing Authority demolished the LeClaire Courts public housing complex, the 32-acre site is finally set to be reborn. The Chicago City Council has approved a funding package for the first phase of redevelopment, a $127 million plan that will deliver 183 apartments across two six-story buildings on Cicero Avenue. The broader vision calls for as many as 700 residential units, most of them affordable, along with nearly 440,000 square feet of commercial space and publicly accessible open areas, according to reports by Urbanize Chicago and Chicago YIMBY. Together, they will offer 183 apartments in a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom floor plans. A central walkway and green park space will connect the buildings, with a 134-vehicle parking garage located behind them. One of the buildings will house a 10,000-square-foot early childhood centre on the ground floor, providing childcare for residents and the surrounding community. The other building will include a community room and about 2,200 square feet of additional first-floor retail space. Around 90 percent of the 183 homes in Phase I will be designated as affordable through income and rent restrictions tied to the project’s public funding. The City Council-approved funding package includes a $43.7 million senior construction loan, a $7 million permanent loan, $9.5 million in city multi-family program funds, $5.5 million in tax increment financing, a $24.5 million CHA loan, a $700,000 Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant proceeds loan, $33.7 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, $1.25 million in Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit equity and a $1.2 million deferred developer fee.
Chicago YIMBY reported that the affordability structure is supported by a complex stack of public and private financing. The first phase consists of two six-story mixed-use buildings designed by architecture firm SCB. The design includes surface parking, two playgrounds, landscaped gathering areas and accessible walking paths intended to link eventually to on-site retail and services. Those amenities are meant to support daily life for families and create a sense of community within the development, as per the reports. The remainder will be available as market-rate apartments. Some of the affordable units will be reserved for households using Chicago Housing Authority vouchers, ensuring that former public housing residents and other low-income families can access the new homes.
Permits for the new construction have been filed, and work is expected to begin in late 2026, with a groundbreaking approved for this fall, as per reports. The 15-year gap between demolition and reconstruction highlights the challenges of redeveloping large public housing sites. The redevelopment is being led by a collaboration between Cabrera Capital Partners and The Habitat Company, working with the local office of SCB. Construction of the residential phase is being led by The George Sollitt Construction Company. Financing, planning, community input and market conditions all play a role in determining when and how a project moves forward. For LeClaire Courts, the combination of city funding, CHA support, tax credits and private investment has finally made the first phase viable.