Apartments planned at Irving Park, Mason

by BRIAN NADIG

A proposal to build a three-story building at the northeast corner of Irving Park Road and Mason Avenue appears to be moving forward following a May 30 community meeting hosted by Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th).

"I think this is something people are happy about," Sposato said. "I think this is a great thing for what is an eyesore right now."

Under the proposal, a vacant one-story building with two storefronts, whose former tenants were a liquor store and a laundry business, would be demolished. The 8,200-square-foot parcel would be rezoned from B3-1 to B2-2 to accommodate the development, according to project attorney Mark Kupiec.

A resident who used to patronize the businesses on the site said that the existing building is in poor shape and is "ready to go," and while looking at the project’s rendering, another resident said, "I’d rather see that than empty buildings."

Project architect John Hanna said that the proposed masonry building would include eight, 1,800-square-foot apartments, each with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The first-floor apartments would be duplexes, with a lower level, Hanna said.

The estimated monthly rent would be about $2,200, and each unit would include one parking space, according to project officials. Most of the nine spaces would be located in a rear garage which would be accessible from the alley.

The main entrance to the apartments would be located on Mason, and there would be one storefront, approximately 1,200 square feet in size, on Irving Park. A daycare center has expressed interest in leasing the storefront, according to project officials.

The half-dozen residents at the meeting raised few concerns about the proposal.

One woman said that the units were large enough to attract families with more than one vehicle.

Sposato responded that he would consider permit parking for Mason if the residents made the request and said that a daycare would not attract all-day parkers, as parents would park for a short time while picking up and dropping off their children.