The Chicago Community Development Commission (CDC) today granted the Department of Community Development (DCD) the authority to negotiate a land sale with JD Real Estate, Inc. to construct a Pete’s Fresh Market on vacant city-owned land at the southeast corner of Madison Street and Western Avenue on the city’s Near West Side and to recommend the sale of the property if no alternative proposals are received..

The development will consist of a 55,170 square foot Pete’s Fresh Market full-service grocery store and 11,271 square feet of additional retail space.  The city is proposing to sell the land to JD Real Estate for $1 million, a write down of $5.5 million. The land is appraised at $6.5 million.  The project will create 75 to 100 construction jobs and 120 full-time and 30 part-time permanent jobs.

“We have worked for years to bring a full-service grocery store to this site,” said Acting Department of Community Development Commissioner Chris Raguso.  “This grocery store and additional retail space will complement the Walgreens developed on city-owned land immediately north of it, and will bring jobs and fresh food to this community. We look forward to the economic and other benefits this development will have on the City’s Near West Side”    

The CDC also granted DCD the authority to advertise its intention to enter into a negotiated sale of vacant city-owned land at 3045 W. Franklin Blvd. to West Side Veteran’s Housing, LP and to recommend the sale of the property if no alternative proposals are received.  The Hope Manor Apartments project in Humboldt Park creates the city’s first-ever supportive housing specifically for veterans, allowing residents to customize their social service and housing needs over time, while the services provided are coordinated and delivered by full-time on-site staff.  The four-story, 52,000 square foot building will provide an affordable supportive housing development for 80 veterans with 30 studio units, 10 two-bedroom units and 10-three bedroom units.  The appraised price of the land is $540,000 and sale is price is $1, for assistance in the form of a land write down of $539,999.  The project will create 25 temporary construction jobs.

The Commission also gave DCD the authority to enter into a negotiated sale with Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) for city-owned vacant land at the southwest corner of 104th Street and Michigan Avenue in Roseland and to recommend sale of the property if no alternative proposals are received.  The appraised market value of the land is $360,000 and the city’s sale price is $1 for assistance in the form of a land write down of $359,999.

NHS has 30 years experience in developing affordable rental housing in Chicago and this will be its sixth project dedicated to the unique needs of seniors and its third in Roseland.  This project is part of a three phase senior campus that will allow low- and moderate-income seniors to continue to live and receive vital services in Roseland.  Phase one, is a 122-unit supportive living development and Phase two, a 60-unit independent living building is currently under construction.

The third phase, Roseland Village, is a 10-unit facility for grandparents raising their grandchildren and is dedicated to meeting the critical needs of grandparents who have taken on the responsibility or raising their grandchildren, often in family crisis situations.  The project will create 25 to 30 temporary construction jobs and 10 to 12 permanent jobs in on-site program staff and maintenance.  The project helps to meet the goals of the City’s five-year senior housing plan which calls for creating 4,000 units of affordable senior housing by the end of 2010.  To date, 3,895 units of senior housing are in various stages of development, representing 97 percent of the goal.