Oak Park trustees approved the special use permit for an affordable housing development called “Keystone Apartments” for low-income residents at 1106 Madison Street.
Housing Forward partnered with Interfaith Housing Development Corporation on this project, with a goal to open in 2026. The five-story residential building is expected to have 36 units: 12 studio apartments and the rest one-bedroom units. The site was formerly the location of Fellowship Christian Church.
Keystone Apartments, as a permanent supportive housing location, will serve residents earning 30% or less of the area median income. A qualifying income in the Chicago metro area would be $23,550 a year, IHDC developer Erin Hebert told Wednesday Journal in April.
Individuals looking for housing at Keystone must also have a disability to be eligible, said Lynda Schueler, Housing Forward’s chief executive officer. The disability could be a physical one, a mental health concern, a history of long-term substance abuse, HIV/AIDS or a developmental disability, she said. Resident referrals will primarily come through Housing Forward, IHDC President Perry Vietti said.
IHDC also developed Grove Apartments, affordable housing located above the Sugar Beet Food Co-Op at 812 Madison St. Vietti told the village board Tuesday that IDHC considered using part of the new development for commercial purposes but decided against it due to the limited space available.
Trustees also approved five zoning allowances for Keystone: increased building height, increased density, reduction in front yard setback, decrease in parking spaces, and increased illumination along the front property line, according to village officials.
Zoning ordinances would have required 36 parking spaces for Keystone, or one for each unit. Trustees approved allowing the development to only have six parking spaces. Most individuals living at Keystone will likely not have cars, Vietti told Wednesday Journal.
The development will also be all-electric, a requirement set forth in the village’s electrification ordinance that went into effect Jan. 1. The developers also intend to install solar panels on the roof, according to Village Planner Craig Failor.
Oak Park’s plan commission unanimously voted to support the Keystone development, and no members of the public opposed it at the public hearing July 10, 2024, according to village officials.
Construction for Keystone, however, could be a disruption to the nearby retail spaces such as Al’s Grill or Mama Thai. Vietti said he’s hoping to make the project as “pain-free” as possible for their neighbors, but some disruption might be inevitable.
Vietti also told village trustees Tuesday that while he could apply for a tax exemption as an affordable housing development, he’s not planning to do so.
“As an Oak Park resident, I understand the need for revenue,” he said. “If the building didn’t have ability to pay it, then that’d be a different story.”
Trustees present at the meeting all expressed their support for the development. One of the village board’s priorities for 2024 is to support more affordable housing in Oak Park.
“I think this is going to be an amazing addition to our community,” Trustee Cory Wesley said.
