Proposed Chicago Mixed-Use Building Highlights Dark Masonry Exterior At Diversey And Mozart

A mixed-use development is being proposed for 2758 N. Mozart St. in Chicago, at the southwest corner of W. Diversey Ave. and N. Mozart St. The plans, led by Studio Oakley and designed by Chicago Common Studio with Gansari & Associates LLC, call for a five-story building on what is currently a vacant site.

For mason contractors and design teams watching neighborhood-scale projects, the most notable detail is the building’s exterior. The proposal features a dark masonry facade with punched window openings and horizontal banding intended to break up the massing. The design also steps back above the second floor along the south property line, then adds another setback at the fifth floor along the primary street frontages to reduce the building’s visual impact on surrounding homes.

Inside, the plan includes 40 residential units and 2,525 square feet of retail space. The ground floor would place retail and a residential lobby along Diversey, while the Mozart frontage would include four two-story duplex units designed like townhomes with private entries. The rear portion of the ground floor includes an interior parking garage with nine spaces, plus bike storage accessed from the alley.

The upper floors would hold 36 apartments, in addition to the four duplex units. The unit mix is proposed as 17 one-bedroom units and 23 two-bedroom units. To meet the city’s ARO requirements, 20% of the residential units would be set aside as affordable housing.

To move forward, the developer is seeking a rezoning from B3-1 to B2-3 and would need approvals from 1st Ward Alderman La Spata, the Committee on Zoning, and City Council. If approved, construction is expected to take about 14 to 15 months.

Read the full, original article from Urbanize Chicago (subscription required at source) here.

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