Allen Richards' Blog: Clybourn 1200 Readies the Soil At Old City Farm

The heavy equipment gone, it’s time to get some hands and feet dirty.

The plowing, hoeing, sowing, and reaping at City Farm have given way to just the plowing and hoeing parts, as ground preparation continues for Clybourn 1200, the latest project from Northbrook-based developer Brinshore. They’re building a v-shaped seven-story structure on the triangular lot formed by the intersection of Clybourn Avenue and Division Street in the Chicago’s Cabrini-Green neighborhood.

The Pappageorge Haymes Partners design is mixed-use at its finest. Mixed-use as in, there will be retail on the ground floor (17,000 square feet of it) but the building will also be mixed-income, providing housing for a wide range of tenants. Of the 84 units planned, 26 will be public housing, 26 will be affordable housing, and 32 will be market rate.

76 parking spaces are included in the plans. 21 of those will be at surface level, serving the retail space. The rest will be underground for residents’ use.

Green roof? Of course. Only this one will be really green. With not just grass, but a vegetable garden too. Oh, and the green roof will also be black and yellow. Think bees. Lots of them, There will be beehives on the roof for the Chicago Honey Co-op, lending a layer of authenticity to the buzz about this apartment project. Throw in the day-care center expected to occupy a portion of the ground-level retail space, and you’ll have as much buzzing activity down low as you will sky-high.