Two affordable housing projects in Logan Square are moving forward after being selected for city investment and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, according to an announcement on April 8. The Metropolitan L Apartments at 2525 N. Kedzie Blvd. and the second phase of Encuentro Square at 3745 W. Cortland St. are among fifteen projects chosen through the city’s 2025 Qualified Allocation Plan.
The selection is significant for Logan Square, where affordable housing options have been a concern for residents as development pressures increase in the area. The fifteen projects are expected to create or preserve a total of 1,223 housing units across Chicago, with 1,164 qualifying as affordable.
Alderman Anthony Quezada said at a press conference about the Metropolitan proposal, “This win is the result of sustained organizing, strong partnerships and a shared commitment to keeping Logan Square affordable for working people.”
The total available funding includes $60 million in tax credits over thirty years and $300 million from the Qualified Allocation Plan, though specific allocations per project have not yet been determined. Department of Housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda said she grew up in Logan Square and was previously executive director of LUCHA, which is developing Encuentro with Evergreen Real Estate.
The Metropolitan L Apartments plan calls for up to ninety-six rental homes in two buildings between three and seven stories tall. Joy Aruguete, CEO of Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation—the developer—said there will be ground-floor retail on Kedzie Boulevard: “These are apartments that are family sized and available for families that live in this community,” Aruguete said. “It’s an equitable transient-oriented development so [we are] making sure that low- to moderate-income people are included in these developments that are intentionally located near transit.”
Bickerdike holds a ninety-nine-year ground lease with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for the site formerly occupied by the old Logan Square train terminal. Bookstore City Lit will move into another Bickerdike project nearby as part of construction plans.
Encuentro’s second phase includes building one hundred new units along with an eight-thousand-square-foot play space managed by Children’s Place Association—a nonprofit serving low-income families—with a projected cost of $52 million according to Christian Diaz from LUCHA. The company has received a $3.15 million city grant so far; additional funding applications have been submitted to state agencies.
Alderman Jessie Fuentes called funding for Encuentro’s third building “a major step forward” and wrote: “Located near the Bloomingdale Trail, Encuentro Square II reflects a transit-oriented approach to development while responding to the housing needs of Logan Square… We know that stable, accessible housing supports the long-term well-being of its residents, and Encuentro is a proof of concept.”
Developers say construction could begin late next year if all funding is approved for Metropolitan L Apartments; LUCHA hopes financing will close by December so work can start on Encuentro’s next phase early in 2027.
