New Lathrop Plans Postponed, Designs Not Ready

After announcing they planned to present one feedback-based design for Lathrop Homes in March, the Chicago Housing Authority says they’re not quite ready for the big reveal.

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) took to his weekly newsletter to announce the Lathrop Community Partners—the five-part design team orchestrating the transformation with the CHA—didn’t have the designs ready for last week’s meeting.

Consequently, the community group Hamlin Park Neighbors cancelled their Monday night meeting after learning no new design details would be released.

“The meeting was scheduled in anticipation of reviewing and discussing the next iteration of the Lathrop Homes Redevelopment plans that were to be ready to present to the community by late February or early March,” the group said in a statement. “This deadline has been extended with no clear timeline on when the next draft of plans will be ready for review and comment.”

General plans for Lathrop Homes’ transformation include no more than 1,300 units, 70,000-square-feet of new retail spaces and a more fluid connection to the Chicago River.

“I will continue to advocate for a plan that respects both the context and character of the historic site itself, and that of the surrounding neighborhoods.”

The first phase of construction at the 32-acre site will begin at the end of 2014 on the north side of the project in North Center, making its way down toward Lincoln Park. Officials say each phase could last anywhere between 18 months to 2 years.

Although 925 units are available, only 165 families still live at Lathrop Homes, a calculated reduction to make way for construction. Representatives with the Lathrop Community Partners say they live on the south end of the site and will be relocated to the new buildings on the north side once they’re constructed.

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The meeting with Waguespack may not have included new designs, but the alderman says he stood his ground with the CHA regarding the development.

“We reiterated my position on the proposed redevelopment and my concerns about the inappropriate density (1,300 residential units), building heights (up to 28 stories), and amount of new retail (70,000 square feet),” he wrote in his newsletter. “I will continue to advocate for a plan that respects both the context and character of the historic site itself, and that of the surrounding neighborhoods.”

Another point of concern for neighbors is the balance between affordable, public and market-rate housing. Kerry Dickson, senior vice president of Related Midwest, says there will be no less than 400 public housing units at Lathrop Homes, so the question is what the other units will be.

Neighbors are also worried about an uptick in traffic. Kerry said there would be one parking space for every market-rate house, and more like one space for every two or three affordable and public units.