A controversial 98-unit senior living complex near the Six Corners Shopping District threw open its doors Wednesday, with Ald. John Arena (45th) welcoming the opening as a great addition to Portage Park. View Full Caption Facebook/john Arena

PORTAGE PARK — A controversial 98-unit senior living complex near the Six Corners Shopping District threw open its doors Wednesday, with Ald. John Arena (45th) welcoming the opening as a great addition to Portage Park.

The four-story building at 4417 N. Kilpatrick Ave., which is adjacent to the Union Pacific railroad tracks and a Jewel grocery store, drew fire from nearby homeowners for being too tall and too big for their neighborhood of about 90 single-family homes.

Arena said the apartments — set aside for those 55 and older — would bring new life to Six Corners and allow long-time residents of the Far Northwest Side to grow old near their friends and family.

Eighty-one units in the complex are reserved for residents making no more than 60 percent of the area's median income. The median income in Portage Park is about $53,500 a year, which means the apartments will only be available to those 55 or older making less than about $32,000 a year.

Another 10 units are reserved for seniors making less than 30 percent of the area's median income, or about $16,000.

The $20 million complex includes studio, one- and two-bedroom units as well as a sun room, fitness center, library and community garden. There are 34 parking spaces, as required by the city's code.

Before the Great Recession, 12 single-family homes were set to be built on the property, which members of the Triangle Homeowners Association told Arena would have been a better fit for the area.

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