Three development teams are set to begin new housing projects in Morgan Park after the Chicago City Council approved the sale of 17 vacant lots as part of the Missing Middle Infill Housing Initiative. The approval, which also includes lots in South Chicago and Chatham, is intended to address neighborhood revitalization and affordable home ownership.
The initiative will see five minority-led development teams construct a total of 27 multi-unit buildings on previously vacant sites. The city is selling these lots to developers for $1 each and providing up to $150,000 per unit through Housing and Economic Development Bond funding.
“As we work to combat the housing crisis and build a more affordable Chicago, it’s critical our investments reflect the diverse needs of families, young people and long-time residents,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement Wednesday. “By supporting housing options that are attainable, neighborhood-scaled, and rooted in the communities Chicagoans call home, we’re creating pathways to stability, opportunity, and generational wealth in neighborhoods which for too long have been overlooked.”
In Morgan Park specifically:
– Famor LLC will acquire six lots on the 1300 and 1400 blocks of West 109th Place, 110th Street, and 111th Street. Their project includes six four-flat buildings with a total of 24 units. The estimated cost is $8.9 million with $3.6 million from city bond funding.
– Superior Source LLC will purchase six vacant lots at 1320-38 W. 109th Place and 1425-29 W. 109th Place to develop six three-flats totaling 18 units. This project has an estimated cost of $6.8 million with $2.7 million in city assistance.
– Vazquez Housing Development will receive five lots at 1158-1240 W. 110th Place and 1235 W. 110th St., where they plan to construct five three-flats with a combined total of 15 units at a cost of $6.7 million, including $2.25 million in city support.
Additional developments by NHS Redevelopment Corp. in South Chicago and Project Simeon 2000 in Chatham were also approved.
The Department of Planning and Development chose these five teams last August for the current phase of Missing Middle projects. Another developer, Far South CDC, was selected at that time for housing on vacant lots at 10726-34 S. Loomis St. and 10826 S. Bishop St.; while this project was not part of Wednesday’s approval, officials indicated it remains under consideration for City Council introduction this winter.
The first Missing Middle projects were chosen in January 2025 with an initial focus on rebuilding middle-class housing stock in North Lawndale; construction began earlier this month on those initial homes.
According to the Department of Planning and Development, selection announcements for a third round—targeting McKinley Park, East Garfield Park, and West Garfield Park—are expected later this spring.
