Two Big Uptown Projects Get the Green Light: A Stalled Build Restarts and Sarah's Circle Plans a New Home for Women

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Uptown · April 23, 2026

Good news on the development front for Uptown this week — not one, but two significant projects are moving forward, and neighbors have every reason to feel optimistic.

First, a long-watched construction site is finally back in business. The project at 4551 N. Dover — on the former site of the Happy Wash laundromat — had puzzled passersby after foundation work began and then abruptly stopped. Now we know why: the development needed one final zoning variance to ensure the Dover building's setback matched the building immediately to its south. On April 17, the Zoning Board of Appeals granted that last approval, clearing the path for work to resume. The news comes straight from Uptown Update, which confirmed the board met and ruled in the project's favor — meaning shovels should be back in the ground very soon.

Meanwhile, on the affordable housing front, Uptown nonprofit Sarah's Circle — which has served women experiencing homelessness in the neighborhood for decades — has announced plans to build a brand-new seven-story building with 54 apartments on Clarendon Avenue. It's exactly the kind of community-rooted investment that reflects Uptown's long-standing commitment to being a neighborhood for everyone.

From restarted builds to new homes for those who need them most, Uptown's growth story keeps getting better. Stay connected to every development at exploreuptown.org and right here on Socialhood!

Sources:
1. https://www.uptownupdate.com/
2. https://blockclubchicago.org/uptown-edgewater-rogers-park/