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Innovative Architecture: Community Development and Affordable Housing in Chicago |
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Local Initiatives Support Corporation: Media Center: Incorporating sleek design, community-building aesthetics and energy-efficient features, a variety of inspiring neighborhood projects cropping up around Chicago prove that affordable housing and other community facilities can be cutting-edge. One literally shining example is the Near North Apartments, a new single-room occupancy building designed by star architect Helmut Jahn. The five-story structure resembles a glistening, streamlined train. Tiny but bright and airy rooms with great views of the downtown sklyine serve some of Chicago's most vulnerable citizens - the homeless and the disabled. In addition to providing shelter, the building incorporates a community room and social services on the ground floor, where floor-to-ceiling glass windows welcome neighbors to come inside. Rooftop turbines heat water in the building and supplement its electricity needs, while cisterns collect rainwater for on-site irrigation. A model of sustainability and design, the $14 million, 96-unit building was developed by Chicago non-profit Mercy Housing Lakefront. The project received $6.5 million in equity from LISC affiliate, the National Equity Fund (NEF), a $250,000 pre-development loan from LISC/Chicago, and a $70,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation and LISC towards the wind turbines. Other standouts in innovative architecture were acknowledged at this year's Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards. These awards recognize outstanding achievement in neighborhood real estate development and community building by community-based organizations and for-profit developers in the Chicago metropolitan area.
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