The new five-story building anchors what is considered the most prominent corner in the city’s historic North Side, portal to a historic park and a rejuvenated historic district. PWWG’s design 46 apartment units over ground floor amenities and commercial space features clean lines, massing, and materials that mix with skill and restraint with adjacent historic structures.

PWWG’s scope originally included renovation of the nearby Morton House, which gets its name from Mrs. Mary Morton who once owned this property in the late 19th century. It was quickly discovered that the house had compromised structural integrity which made rehabilitation of the original 3-story brick building infeasible. The team worked with community stakeholders to thoughtfully reimagine a new building of similar size and scale that integrated into the neighborhood fabric and used salvaged materials where feasible on the historic site. The 21st Century Morton House will include 10 modern 1-bedroom apartment units with 2 of those units offering ground floor accessibility. The ground floor will also provide bike storage and a dog wash station for all Garden Block residents.

• Mixed-Use podium construction
• Market-rate apartments ranging from studios to one 3-bedroom unit with a terrace overlooking the park
• Amenities – lounge, business office, fitness room, package room, dog wash, indoor bike parking and secure exterior porch and courtyard
• LEED certified which permitted a zoning FAR bonus
• Utilizes parking lease with existing adjacent parking garage
• Retail/Restaurant in first floor of new building and Garden Theater

Size

Garden Theater (existing reno): 6,823 sf, 2 stories;
Corner Building (new): 50,637 sf, 5 stories;
Morton House (new): 6,914 sf, 3 stories, 10 Units

Construction Cost

$ 16,400,000 (est.)

Firm Responsibility

Existing Conditions Investigation
Programming
Architectural Design
Contract Documents
Interior Design
Contact Administration

Completion Date

August 2023 (est.)