Ravenswood

Whatever happened to....?

Dec 23, 2003

Ravenswood Hospital?

Remember when RCC led the charge to try to save the hospital? Advocate Healthcare ended up closing it anyway but many concessions were made to the community. Key among these was the setting aside of 5 acres of prime property at the corner of Irving Park Road and Western Avenue (on the former Martha Washington Hospital campus) for senior housing. That housing development will be under construction this coming spring 2004. Approximately 200 units have been planned so far?—roughly half to be built by TACH, a nonprofit developer, and half by Catholic Charities. Very low, low and moderate income seniors will be the primary tenants in these affordably priced units. A third developer is still being sought to add an additional 100 units or other senior-related services for this unique project.
You may also remember that RCC hosted the Lehman Real Estate group at our 2002 annual meeting. LRE purchased the main campus of Ravenswood Hospital at Wilson and Damen. RCC issued development guidelines (a wish list) for the property and the developers have been highly cooperative in adhering to them. For more than a year, LRE, RCC and a consortium of local groups have been working intensely through the Hospital Redevelopment Task Force at Alderman Schulter?’s office to agree upon a final development plan. Plans for this major redevelopment, to be called Ravenswood Town Center, are nearing completion and a public review meeting is expected to be announced soon. Among the key features anticipated are:
A medical office building with the Northwestern Rehabilitation Institute as an anchor tenant
Day care facilities
An elementary school
209 residential condos with 31 (15%) priced at ?“affordable?” levels
88 rental apartments with 58 (66%) ?“affordably?” priced
The Neurologic & Orthopedic Institute of Chicago specialty hospital
A basic emergency room open 24/7
832 on-campus parking spaces (a 58% increase)
Landscaping and a pocket park

Neighbors of the development will have an opportunity to vote on approval of zoning changes needed to make the project possible.

Watch for future announcements from Alderman Schulter and from RCC.