Auburn Gresham Apartments

In August 2022, construction began on Evergreen Imagine, a mixed-use project moving forward on two vacant City-owned development sites in Auburn Gresham. One site, at 838 W. 79th St., will contain 28 affordable residences and 5,200 square feet of commercial space to be occupied by West African food purveyor AYO Foods. The other site, at 757 W. 79th St., will include 30 affordable apartments and 3,300 square feet of commercial space occupied by KLEO Community Center and The Park Supper Club. During construction, anticipated to last 18 months, both sites will feature art by Chicago muralist Rahmaan Statik.

A joint venture of Imagine Group and Evergreen Real Estate Group, the $43 million project was refined through a series of community workshops to ensure the development reflected input from community stakeholders. The City is supporting the project through $18 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds, $18 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) equity, a $2.5 million HOME loan and a land write-down of approximately $180,000.