On his 46th Ward master plan, Ald. James Cappleman listed it among the neighborhood's most-troubled buildings, and now Lawrence House has been sold.
The building, 1020 W. Lawrence Ave., is the latest in a string of closings impacting low-income people on Chicago's North Side. Such buildings have historically housed a number of LGBT and HIV-positive people.
The building will be redeveloped into market rate apartments by Flats Chicago.
Lawrence House has been an ongoing battle for Uptown residents. It is facing a number of building code violations, and one its walls is threatening to collapse, according to Ald. Cappleman.
Code violations and unsafe conditions have been a problem with a number of affordable buildings, including single room occupancy (SRO) hotels, a number of which have closed in the last five years.
"We have a history [in Chicago] of buildings that have been allowed to deteriorate for decades," said Cappleman.
Cappleman calls the redevelopment a "mixed bag" for the ward. The closure of Lawrence House means the loss of more than 350 affordable units in Uptown, but he believes that the alternative for the building would have been the wrecking ball.
The asking price for Lawrence House was $10 million, a steep bill for non-profits and other developers who rehab buildings and keep them affordable. On top of that, affordable developers often rely on government funds, adding layers of bureaucracy and rules that can drive up the cost of development. In that climate, market rate developers like Flats Chicago have the edge, said Cappleman.
"The best case for this particular situation is happening now," said Cappleman.
But tenants who will be forced out disagree.
Brian Packard has lived in the building for five years, and he fought for the building amid speculation that it would close.
"It sucks," he said in a media statement. "I'm frustrated and not sure where I'll move. I have spent five years trying to improve this place and now we all have to leave. We would like to see this building stay affordable, but it seems unlikely."
Tenants like Packard have been working with ONE Northside, an organization that fights for affordable housing in North Side neighborhoods.
Mary Lynch-Dungy, a community organizer with ONE Northside, said the Lawrence House closure is significant for housing advocates who have battled the string of closures. She notes that Lawrence House is among the largest buildings to close in recent memory.
"Now that we've lost it, it feels kind of symbolic," Lynch-Dungy said. "It feels like the tipping point for some people."
Where Cappleman and Lynch-Dungy might agree is on what could be done to stop the closures. The city needs to incentive affordable development so that organizations committed to developing low-cost rentals can compete with market rate developers, they say.
Lynch-Dungy said the Cappleman and other officials should have done just that. But Cappleman said that city ordinance only allowed him to intervene so far.
Flats Chicago did not respond to a request to comment at time of publication.