52 apartments with seven parking spaces proposed near the Diversey Brown Line. The rezoning goes through Ald. Lawson's committee

A developer wants to replace two vacant one-story storefronts at 920 W. Diversey Pkwy. with a five-story, 52-unit apartment building, Block Club Chicago reported. JAB Real Estate's plan includes nine affordable units under the City's Affordable Requirements Ordinance, about 3,400 square feet of ground-floor retail, 52 bike spaces and seven car parking spaces.

Why it matters: the site is steps from the Diversey Brown and Purple Line station, in an area where the City allows less parking for new buildings. It is one of several proposals testing how much housing Lakeview and Lincoln Park will add along Diversey.

What's proposed

According to Block Club, the building would be about 65 feet tall, with 32 one-bedrooms, 12 one-bedroom-plus-den units and eight two-bedrooms, some with balconies, and a rooftop deck. JAB needs a zoning change to allow that density. The request must pass the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards and then the full City Council. Residents can send feedback through the 44th Ward office's website, Block Club reported. JAB did not respond to Block Club's requests for comment, and no construction timeline has been announced.

What our records add

The local alderperson helps run the committee that hears it. Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) is vice chair of the zoning committee. The committee has 81 items waiting this term, by our count, out of 1,041 referred to it.

The application isn't in our records yet. We have not seen the 920 W. Diversey map amendment introduced at a Council meeting. Once it is introduced, it will get a record number and its own page, and we will follow it to a hearing.

Lawson is co-sponsoring a Diversey street change. On Oct. 14, Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) introduced an ordinance, with Lawson as co-sponsor, designating segments of West Diversey Parkway as a pedestrian street (O2026-0029431). It is in the zoning committee.

Why seven parking spaces is allowed. The site is in a transit-oriented development area near the 'L'. The Council expanded those rules in 2022 with the Connected Communities ordinance, and this month made Western and Ravenswood avenues the City's first TOD streets, which bar new gas stations along them.

Next door, a different fight. A few blocks west at 1111 W. Diversey, in the 43rd Ward, ComEd wants to build a substation that neighbors want replaced with housing; state judges just questioned its size. Our story on that is here.

The ward. Lawson has filed to run again. As of Oct. 21, our 44th Ward race page listed three candidates.

What's next

The zoning committee's next scheduled meeting is Nov. 17. Block Club did not report a community meeting date. We will add the application's record number when it is introduced.

Sources: Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards; O2026-0029431: Diversey Parkway pedestrian street designation; SO2022-2000: equitable transit-oriented development (Connected Communities); Chicago Politics: 44th Ward race, 2027.