Redeveloping Communities
In 1989, we began our journey by purchasing a transient hotel in Wicker Park that was the center of the drug traffic in the area. The inhabitants had issues ranging from alcohol and drug abuse to mental instability. By cleaning out the property and renovating it into affordable housing, Wicker Park Place gave a chance and a choice to those starting over—and those just starting out.
Renaissance West opened in 1993 as the first new-construction SRO (single-room occupancy) in the City of Chicago. This represented a dramatically different option for Chicagoans—with a dramatically different price tag.
In 1995, we were asked by Logan Square neighbors to invest in the community by taking over a drug- and gang-infested eyesore that was the bane of the 14th Police District. This 75,000 sf building was located directly across the street from an elementary school. We purchased and developed this property, cleaning it out, gutting it and renovating it into Lyndale Place, a neighborhood where our residents feel comfortable bringing their children, their senior parents and their friends.
Renaissance North opened in 2003 as a mixed-income neighborhood. One of the first developments done in conjunction with the Chicago Housing Authority, Ren North provided the opportunity for public housing residents to move up while offering exceptional living spaces for market-rate and affordable residents. It is truly a triumph of design, planning and management where people of all income strata live together in a neighborhood.
Residents of the Taylor Heights (Davenport, Iowa) neighborhood had stared at the empty Taylor school building since it’s closure in 1978. Upon request by the equity partner to step into the project in early 2010, we brought the once-proud building to life, using the original classrooms as apartment footprints, saving much of the historic interior and reusing the office and teacher lounge spaces to create lovely common elements for residents of The Taylor Renaissance.
After years of negotiation and community meetings, and eighteen months of construction, in 2015 The Kilpatrick Renaissance opened in Portage Park on Chicago’s northwest side. This pre-cast concrete building represents best practices in design, construction and affordable livability for seniors 55+, and was awarded the 2015 Best Affordable project by Senior Housing News. With lush gardens, private courtyard with firepit, spacious and elegant Club Room and library, along with an exciting Fitness Center, Kilpatrick is Class A luxury at C Class prices.
Renaissance On Main, opened in 2016, has brought an adapted urban style and design to small-town Main Street. Using the Great Plains and the Missouri River for inspiration, along with the can-do spirit of the North Dakota people, this mixed-use project represents a departure for Williston, and the new beginning for downtown. With upscale façade and design elements that incorporate new, sustainable materials and technology, Ren On Main offers high-end retail, office and apartment living with plenty of choice for the end user.