Homes, Shops, and a Green Line Stop: Chicago Picks Developer for Twin Mixed-Use Buildings on West Englewood's 63rd Street
By Socialhood News · West Englewood ·
A long-vacant stretch of West Englewood's most-traveled corridor is about to get a serious makeover. The City of Chicago has selected a developer for two city-owned parcels flanking the CTA Green Line's Ashland/63rd Street terminus — and the plan calls for 36 mixed-income apartments, nearly 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, shared rooftop decks, and bicycle storage, all without a single on-site parking space in sight.
The city named E.G. Woode L3C's team as the selected developer in July 2026, following a competitive review that weighed development concept, financial feasibility, and the team's track record. The two sites — 1515 W. 63rd Street and 1607 W. 63rd Street — sit side by side at the end of the Green Line's Ashland branch, a transit hub that generations of West Englewood residents have used daily but that has long been surrounded by underutilized land.
The proposal calls for two four-story buildings, each containing 18 units of mixed-income housing and shared rooftop decks, for a combined total of 36 homes. Ground floors at both addresses would activate the streetscape with retail: 4,447 square feet at 1515 W. 63rd and 4,350 square feet at 1607 W. 63rd, adding up to roughly 8,800 square feet of new commercial space along the corridor. Each building would also include 20 bicycle spaces, reflecting the project's deliberate emphasis on transit access over car storage.
Both parcels had sat vacant for years — one assembled from older city land holdings and one acquired through a 2025 Hilco auction — making their redevelopment a long-anticipated turning point for a block that has effectively been a dead end, visually and economically, despite its prime location at a transit node. The design intentionally prioritizes affordability and connectivity, a combination that urban planners have increasingly recognized as key to long-term neighborhood stability.
The 63rd Street corridor holds enormous symbolic weight for West Englewood. It is the neighborhood's main east-west spine, and the Ashland/63rd Green Line stop is one of the area's primary links to the rest of the city. Having mixed-income residences and neighborhood-serving retail right at that station entry point could meaningfully change the pedestrian experience for the thousands of commuters and residents who pass through daily. The project is also within walking distance of the $22.5 million, 44-unit affordable housing development that broke ground at 6301 S. Western Avenue in April 2026, developed by the Southwest Side Organizing Project (SWOP) and Brinshore Development — a sign that investment is clustering along the 63rd Street corridor from multiple directions at once.
Key city approvals are still needed before construction can begin, and exact timelines have not yet been announced. But the selection of E.G. Woode L3C marks a concrete step forward after years of community advocacy for transit-oriented development at this underused gateway. West Englewood residents, business owners, and anyone watching the neighborhood's trajectory will want to track this project closely as it moves through the approval process.
Want to stay informed and weigh in as this development moves forward? Attend community planning meetings and follow updates through the Chicago Department of Planning & Development at chicago.gov/dcd. You can also connect with neighborhood advocates and learn about upcoming forums at ragenglewood.org.
Sources:
1. https://www.unitedstatesrealestateinvestor.com/chicago-picks-mixed-use-projects-west-englewood/
2. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/14/44-unit-affordable-housing-development-to-open-in-west-englewood-by-2027/