Boston
Published on October 11, 2018
To some, a home is just where you go to sleep at night, but in the Near North Side of Chicago, with a buzzing rooftop apiary and a lush, thriving community garden, Clybourn 1200 has risen to prominence as a home in which residents of all income-levels come together in order to grow, learn, and partner with local organizations in order to build a stronger, more prosperous neighborhood.
On Tuesday, October 9th, housing industry leaders from all over the nation gathered in Boston, Massachusetts, for the 2018 Urban Land Institute Fall Meeting to honor five standout projects, recognized by the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing as the winners of the 2018 Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award. Among the selected winners was Michaels’ new mixed-use, mixed-income Chicago property, Clybourn 1200.
The annual award recognizes best practices in the development of housing that is affordable to people with a broad range of incomes. Developments eligible for the award are those in which all or a portion of the units are affordable to households earning up to 120 percent of the median income in the areas in which the projects are located. Selection of the winners is based on outstanding achievements in several areas, including affordability, innovative financing and building technologies, proximity to employment centers and transportation hubs, quality of design, involvement of public/private partnerships, and replicability of the development.
With 84 units (Studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom), 32 of which are market rate with the others serving residents of 80% AMI or lower, Clybourn 1200 demonstrates the latest innovation in mixed-income and mixed-use affordable living. The development stylishly revitalizes a highly visible infill site that respects the community’s traditional industrial character while responding to the needs of its demographic through the building’s highly functional plan and creative use of materials
Clybourn 1200 includes indoor parking and ground floor commercial spaces. The unique “book-shaped” 7-story concrete building maintains the acute angle of the site while glazed end walls, anchored by a glass feature and canopy at the “spine”, provide a backdrop to the corner plaza. The landscaped interior of the structure contains a play-area for children, and retail customer parking. Facades feature a staggered pattern of alternating sized precast panels with contrasting textures, creating a dynamic and vibrant impression.
Most importantly, Clybourn 1200 is an unsurpassed example of how to promote economic integration through its partnership with Near North Unity Program, which provides programs and opportunities to get involved in civic life of the larger community, the community garden on the third floor rood supervised by City Farm staff, which promotes the programs at City Farm next door, and also the apiary on the 7th floor rooftop which provides a partnership with Chicago Honey Cooperative, in order to teach bee keeping, honey collection, and product creation. Each of these activities weaves the building and the residents into the larger community, repairing the legacy of the former Cabrini Green development. Additionally, as a mixed-use development, Clybourn 1200 supports commercial growth in the area by housing storefronts on the bottom floor. The tenants include a day care center, a bank, an Italian motorcycle apparel store, and a mattress store. The strength of Clybourn’s location attracts a wide variety of shoppers and residents alike, breathing life, commercial and economic success, and a fresh diversity into the Near North community. Additional amenities include modern kitchen appliances, in-unit washers and dryers, high-efficiency radiant floor heating, slimline louvered blinds, striking city views, convenient indoor parking, a fully-equipped exercise room, computer lab, party room with kitchen, community room, secure package delivery service, on-site day care center, and a beautiful landscaped outdoor dining area.
“Providing quality affordable housing in urban areas is not getting any easier. I am always struck by the complexity involved in seeing these workforce projects developed,” said Terwilliger Center Founder and former ULI Chairman J. Ronald Terwilliger. “The Kemp winners are opening up our communities to more people – workers such teachers, nurses, police officers, and firemen who cannot afford to live anywhere near where they work. I am very proud of the committed ‘housers’ who made these developments possible.”
Clybourn 1200’s total development costs of $42,137,809 were made up of a variety of public and private funding sources. Public financing includes $8.1 million Chicago Housing Authority loan, along with $8.1 million in Tax Increment Financing assistance, $15 million in low income housing tax credit equity, and a $500,000 land write-down from the City of Chicago’s donation tax credit program. Private financing includes a $7.8 million Citibank construction loan.
Other partners include Pappageorge Haymes Partners at the architectural firm, Brinshore Development as development partner, and McShane Construction served as the general contractor. Michaels Management serves as the property manager for Clybourn 1200, ensuring that the community remains a long-term asset to the neighborhood.
The Michaels Organization is a privately-held family of independent but integrated companies dedicated to excellence in affordable, military, student and conventional multifamily housing. Serving more than 140,000 residents in 380 communities across 35 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, The Michaels Organization is a national leader in the residential real estate industry, with full service capabilities in development, property and asset management, construction, and mortgage finance and tax credit syndication.
