After Nearly Two Years in Limbo, New Homes Are Finally Coming to North Elston Avenue

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Avondale · August 16, 2026

Bricktown just got a welcome boost for its housing stock. A long-stalled residential project on North Elston Avenue has finally cleared Chicago's notoriously slow permit pipeline — and after an eye-popping 609-day wait, shovels are ready to hit the ground.

The $2.6 million development will transform a vacant lot and a modest existing home into a brand-new three-story building with six residential units, complete with front decks on each unit and rear parking accessed from the alley near West Wellington and North Campbell avenues. Oak Lawn-based Peegan Development Inc. is leading the project as both developer and general contractor, with Robert Lizzo serving as architect of record. The construction permit was officially issued on July 2, according to Chicago YIMBY — putting an end to what had been one of the longer permit odysseys in recent neighborhood memory.

For a neighborhood that has been fighting hard for equitable, thoughtful growth — from the Belmont Blue Line ETOD planning process to ongoing advocacy along Western Avenue — six new homes on Elston Avenue is exactly the kind of incremental, street-level investment that keeps Bricktown's residential fabric strong. Keep an eye on that stretch of Elston as construction gets underway, and follow the 35th Ward office for updates on development projects shaping Avondale's future.

Sources:
1. https://hoodline.com/2026/08/after-609-days-in-city-hall-limbo-2-6m-avondale-six-unit-finally-gets-green-light/