Brinshore Development and Michaels Development Co. are helping to bring mom-and-pop retail and multifamily housing to the Cottage Grove Corridor in Chicago’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood. The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) selected the development partners to create a mixed-use and mixed-income development on a site where two public housing high-rises once stood.
4400 Grove does just that. It provides storefronts for small Black-owned businesses, including two restaurants, a facial beauty bar, a holistic healing salon, a popcorn store, women’s clothing, and an aquarium store. Plus, the 84-unit development meets the various housing needs in the neighborhood, offering 21 units reserved for CHA residents, 38 units affordable at 60% of the area median income, and 25 unrestricted market-rate units.
“We decided to work with a local nonprofit, Quad Communities Development Corp., that recruited, trained, supported, funded, and assisted local, African-American entrepreneurs prepare to lease the retail storefronts at affordable rents several years ago,” says Peter Levavi, executive vice president at Brinshore Development. “As the priority for equity and inclusion in development has increased over the past year, we were in an excellent place to showcase our efforts as a model for equitable development.”
With a variety of income tiers, the development was designed with modern finishes, stainless steel appliances, and high-quality amenities, including a fitness center with space for classes, a meeting room, workspaces, and a courtyard. 4400 Grove also is partnering with Better Tomorrows, a nonprofit housed in the building, and Bright Star Community Outreach, part of the Bright Star Church in the Bronzeville neighborhood, to bring social services, case management, and community programming to the residents.
“The development is part of CHA’s Plan for Transformation,” says Greg Olson, regional vice president of development for Michaels. “The idea with these sites is to create mixed-income communities. This one truly is a mixed-income site. There’s definitely demand for both market-rate and LIHTC units.”
In addition to the CHA, the $37.1 million development, which was completed in October 2020, had significant support from the city, including a tax-increment financing grant.
A second phase in the works, with future residential planned for the backside of the site to further anchor the retail spaces.
