Innovative Affordable Housing Development Opens in East Garfield Park (Chicago, IL)– Mayor Brandon Johnson and other community stakeholders joined Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) today to celebrate the completion and first move-ins at one of Chicago’s first and largest Passive Housing buildings.
Fifth City Commons, which opened in December, features 43 mixed-income apartments and 4,500 square feet of commercial space, plus resident amenities and extensive measures to maximize energy efficiency. Located in the heart of East Garfield Park at 3155 W. 5th Ave., Fifth City is the first phase of a two-phased development that will include affordable homeownership opportunities across the street.
“With the opening of Fifth City Commons we have reached an incredible milestone in the creation of more affordable housing options for residents,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “This development will not only create safe, affordable, and sustainable housing, but it will help to revitalize and bring business opportunities to the East Garfield Park community. I look forward to keeping up this momentum to bring more transformative developments like this one to neighborhoods that have been historically left behind.”
“Fifth City Commons is a great example of the kind of neighborhood investment we are bringing to the community. It’s beautiful, it’s affordable and it will help attract additional development,” said Alderman Jason Ervin. “We look forward to the next phase here and to all of the other projects in process in the 28th Ward.”
Fifth City was designed and built to Passive House standards, the premier level of environmental sustainability in multifamily construction. A 100% electric building, it will include extensive rooftop solar photovoltaic panels; robust insulation, an airtight building enclosure; high-efficiency HVAC system; as well as rain gardens and native plantings to manage stormwater. Fifth City’s residential space is designed to be so energy efficient that residents’ utility bills are projected to be low.
Fifth City Commons is a wonderful example of how to combine affordability and community investment with environmental sustainability,” said POAH Vice President Molly Ekerdt, the lead project manager. “We are so grateful to the many public, community and private partners that helped us conceive of and execute on this effort.”
Fifth City was selected by city staff as part of the international C40 Reinventing Cities competition, created to drive sustainable development in urban centers worldwide. Following that award, POAH embarked on an extensive community engagement process that continues today.
Passive House is a building standard that creates comfortable and healthy structures requiring minimal energy. This is achieved through airtightness, above-code thermal insulation, mechanical ventilation heat recovery, high-performance windows and construction that minimizes thermal bridging.
Located blocks from both the Green Line and the Blue Line Kedzie CTA stations in the busy Kedzie Ave. corridor, and several high frequency bus lines. Fifth City is also a transit-oriented development, making it easier for residents to travel to downtown and other neighborhoods.
Building amenities include a courtyard, second-floor sun deck, fitness center, business center, laundry rooms, bike rooms and two large multi-use rooms. There are also five interior and exterior public art installations created by local artists, themselves competitively selected through a process overseen by POAH and neighborhood stakeholders.
The project received strong support from the local alderman — Jason Ervin, 28th Ward — as well as the Garfield Park Community Council and dozens of community residents who, through multiple committees, community meetings and a dedicated web site, advised POAH on everything from design to unit mix to the building’s name.
The City of Chicago provided the bulk of the financing for development through tax-exempt bonds and low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), plus three layers of secondary loans. Construction financing was provided by BMO Harris Bank. Enterprise Community Partners provided the LIHTC and energy tax credit equity. The project also benefits from ComEd’s Passive House new construction grant, Illinois Solar for All incentives and a grant from the Strong, Prosperous, and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC) to support equitable retail development.
Innovative Affordable Housing Development Opens in East Garfield Park
