Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development has issued a request for proposals for the former 3rd Ward Streets and Sanitation office at 5021 S. Wabash Ave. in the Grand Boulevard community. The deadline for responses is June 30.

The 11,800-square-foot development site represents a prime investment opportunity in greater Bronzeville, one of the priority neighborhoods for Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s INVEST South/West initiative. 

Located within walking distance of Washington Park and the CTA’s 51st Street Green Line Station, the one-story, city-owned building dates to the 1910s. The target sales price is $90,000, based on a December 2020 appraisal.

Respondents to the RFP should seek to rehabilitate the existing structure. The prairie-style building has an orange rating on the Chicago Historical Resources Survey and could be eligible for a landmark designation.

City of Chicago development assistance could include Tax Increment Financing support, Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grants, purchase-price write-downs, and other resources. 

Pictured: 51st Street Green Line Station. Photo credit: Cragin Spring/Wikipedia.