Chicago City Council Approved Pioneering Residence Project
Feb 28th, 2022
For Immediate Release
CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL APPROVES PIONEERING RESIDENCE PROJECT
The Foglia Residences at The Chicago Lighthouse will provide affordable, accessible housing for people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled and Veterans in Chicago.
CHICAGO (February 23, 2022) – The City of Chicago has approved financing to support the construction of The Foglia Residences at The Chicago Lighthouse, a 76-unit building on the city’s Near West side that will provide safe, affordable housing and independent living for people with disabilities and Veterans. Developed through a partnership between The Chicago Lighthouse and Brinshore Development LLC, The Foglia Residences is the first residential project directed at people who are blind or visually impaired to be financed through Low Income Housing Tax Credits in the United States.
Located in the heart of the Illinois Medical District, The Foglia Residences will be an income-qualifying development offering studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments for individuals and families. Leasing emphasis will be given to people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, and Veterans, who often have difficulty finding safe, affordable housing.
Located at the corner of Wood St. and Roosevelt Road in the Chicago Medical District, the Foglia Residences will provide 76 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments for income-qualifying residents.
“By approving these plans for The Foglia Residences, Chicago’s City Council is leading the way to ensure people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or visually impaired, have access to safe, affordable, and accessible housing,” said Dr. Janet Szlyk, President and CEO of The Chicago Lighthouse. “This project will provide a pathway to independence for hundreds of people with disabilities and Veterans for many years to come.”
According to the United States Interagency Council on Disabilities, nearly one-quarter of individuals who experience homelessness on any given day are people with disabilities.[1] In addition, just over 9% of people experiencing homelessness are Veterans.[2]
The 9-story, 76-unit mixed-income apartment building will be constructed along Wood Street between Grenshaw Street and Roosevelt Road, situated right next to The Chicago Lighthouse main campus. Groundbreaking is projected to take place in May 2022, with a target completion in March 2024.
In addition to featuring state-of-the art amenities to enable people with disabilities to live independently, the building will also include a roof deck, a spacious community room, an exercise/fitness room on the main floor and ground-level retail space. A management office will be located on-site.
“People with visual impairments often struggle to find independent living opportunities in safe neighborhoods near their work,” said David Brint, Principal at Brinshore Development. “This is a perfect opportunity to satisfy all of those challenges and support Chicago’s efforts to be a more accessible, inclusive city.”
For more information about The Foglia Residences, go to www.fogliaresidences.com or contact Aaron Baar at (312) 997-3662 or aaron.baar@chicagolighthouse.org.
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About The Chicago Lighthouse
Serving the blind, visually impaired, disabled, and Veteran communities through innovative education, rehabilitation, employment, assistive technology, and other programs, The Chicago Lighthouse is one of the nation’s most comprehensive social service organizations. For additional information, visit www.chicagolighthouse.org.
About Brinshore Development, LLC
Brinshore Development, LLC., is an experienced real estate development firm with twenty-eight years of expertise based in Northbrook, Illinois. As an industry leader, Brinshore excels at creating diverse teams to transform the most complex development challenges into well-designed and vibrant communities. Brinshore’s current portfolio includes 10,000 affordable rental housing units valued at more than $1.5 billion in fifteen states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.brinshore.com.
