by BRIAN NADIG

A five-story building with 31 residential units and ground-floor commercial space is being proposed for the former Edward Fox Photography and Ernest Myer Interiors sites at 4900 N. Milwaukee Ave., across from the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal.

In his newsletter, Alderman John Arena (45th) said that the top floor would consist of an owner-occupied penthouse which would be set back so it would not be as readily visible to passers-by. No parking spaces are required under the zoning code due to the site’s proximity to the transportation center but that nine would be provided.

Arena also posted on Facebook that the project would include six affordable housing units, which would be offered at below-market rents. Three affordable units are required, but Arena has called for higher requirements on Milwaukee Avenue in an effort to halt gentrification in Jefferson Park and Portage Park.

Arena will hold a community meeting on the proposal at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, at the Copernicus Center Annex, 5214 W. Lawrence Ave. The proposal calls for the vacant site to be rezoned from B3-2 to the less restrictive B3-3.

The project has been in the works for more than a year, and initial plans had called for only the redevelopment of the former photography studio site, but the developer was able to later acquire the former upholstery store property.

The project been vetted by the 45th Ward Advisory Committee, whose meetings are closed to the public.

The developer also owns the nearby three-story building at 4872 N. Milwaukee Ave. which houses Weston’s Coffee.

The new development would help "breathe new life" into Downtown Jefferson Park, along with the $25 million renovation of the transit center and other projects, Arena said.









