Legislation Needed to Build Senior Housing Facility

The state legislature will consider a bill that would allow Evergreen Real Estate Group to build its planned 193-unit affordable senior housing facility at 4501 N. Winchester Ave.

Current state law requires supportive living facilities be exclusive to that use. Evergreen plans 119 supportive living units on the first four floors, and 74 independent-living apartments on higher floors. The facilities would have separate entrances. Construction would cost $60 million; the Chicago Housing Authority would pay $24 million for the independent-living portion.

Evergreen is not licensed to renovate the entire vacant, 10-story building into supportive living units. The structure has been plagued with vandalism and graffiti.

State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) proposed legislation to allow this type of use.

“There are many seniors in Chicago waiting to move into what would assuredly be a beautiful facility,” Feigenholtz told the Chicago Tribune. The deal would die without the legislation.

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