The Cabrini Green neighborhood in Chicago’s Near North side has had a rough history. Back in the mid-19th century, Swedish and Irish immigrants constructed shanties in the area. The nearby gas refinery gave the neighborhood the nickname “Little Hell.”
The neighborhood's current name comes from the Federal Housing Agency's now demolished projects in the area. Though the neighborhood’s demographic makeup shifted drastically throughout the years, violence and poverty was a staple to the area.
According to the Chicago Architecture blog, the neighborhood’s Romanesque, red-brick Saint Dominic’s Church “was instrumental in taming a part of the city that grew up from the swamps as a lawless district of vice and poverty.”
Screenshot via Google Maps, taken in September 2013
But the church, originally built in 1905, has been closed for two decades. Curbed Chicago reports that a new condo project will take its place.
Renderings that have circulated online for the project show a six-story, 45-unit building designed by Sullivan Goulette & Wilson. The apartment building will feature a south-facing, second-floor terrace and enclosed parking for bikes and cars.
According to Curbed, the condo’s construction is fueled by a real estate upswing in the area that comes with an influx of tech jobs.
The Chicago Architecture Blog has more information on the building's specifics and floor plans.
Related Stories
Building Enclosure Systems | Mar 13, 2013
5 novel architectural applications for metal mesh screen systems
From folding façades to colorful LED displays, these fantastical projects show off the architectural possibilities of wire mesh and perforated metal panel technology.
| Mar 6, 2013
Dual towers designed by SHoP create new affordable housing in NYC
With the construction of Hunters Point South, New York City will get its first large new housing development for middle-class families in more than 30 years. Related Companies is partnering with the nonprofit Phipps Houses in the project, designed by SHoP Architects with Ismael Leyva Architects.
| Mar 6, 2013
German demonstration building features algae-powered façade
Exterior of carbon-neutral demonstration building consists of hollow glass panels containing micro-algae "farms."
| Mar 4, 2013
Gehry unveils design for Santa Monica hotel-condo tower
If all goes as planned, Frank Gehry will design the first building in his hometown in some 25 years.
| Mar 3, 2013
Hines acquires Archstone's interest in $700 million CityCenterDC project
The Washington D.C. office of Hines, the international real estate firm, announced the acquisition of the ownership interest of their partner, Archstone, in the mixed-use CityCenterDC project that is currently under construction in downtown Washington, D.C.
| Mar 1, 2013
China mega developer enters U.S. market
China Vanke Co., Ltd., is making its debut in the U.S. property market with a joint venture high-rise condominium project at 201 Folsom St. in San Francisco, according to CoStar's Randyl Drummer.
| Feb 28, 2013
Novel multifamily solutions to be presented at New York Modular Construction Summit
The New York Modular Construction Summit will be co-hosted by the Modular Building Institute and Pratt Institute School of Architecture on May 16, 2013, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
| Feb 28, 2013
Lend Lease builds world's tallest timber apartment building
Construction giant Lend Lease recently put the finishing touches on Forté, a 10-story apartment complex in Melbourne, Australia's Victoria Harbour that was built entirely with cross laminated timber (CTL) technology.
| Feb 27, 2013
Bronx residents get LEED Platinum public housing complex, rooftop farm
The New York City Housing Authority has opened Arbor House, a 124-unit LEED Platinum complex in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx.
| Feb 25, 2013
What end-users do (and don't) know about lighting technology (infographic)
The fifth annual SYLVANIA Socket Survey from OSRAM SYLVANIA finds that consumers are adjusting to new legislation and energy-efficient lighting options, with about half saying that they plan to switch to new lighting technologies.