Kiferbaum Plans 40-Unit Mixed-Use Building in Old Town

• Kiferbaum Development Group is proposing a six-story mixed-use building at 225 W. Division Street in Chicago's Near North Side, replacing a two-story commercial property recently sold for $3.25 million.
• The project will include 40 apartments, 2,181 square feet of commercial space and eight enclosed parking spaces, with units divided among 10 studios, 15 one-bedrooms and 15 two-bedrooms.
• Jonathan Splitt Architects is designing the approximately 70-foot building, which will include private balconies for select residences and a shared rooftop deck. Construction remains subject to zoning approval.

What Kiferbaum Is Planning

Kiferbaum Development Group is planning a new residential project at 225 W. Division Street, a mid-block site surrounded on three sides by the larger Old Town Park development. The six-story building would replace the existing two-story commercial structure and bring new rental housing to the Near North Side. The property changed hands in March 2026 for $3.25 million, according to property records. The existing 10,600-square-foot building sits on a 7,500-square-foot lot and was most recently occupied by an animal hospital.

 

 

What The 40-Unit Building Will Include

The proposed development will rise approximately 70 feet and contain 40 residential units above a ground-floor commercial component. The apartment mix includes 10 studios, 15 one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units. The ground floor will feature approximately 2,181 square feet of commercial space along the streetfront, plus a small bicycle parking room. Eight enclosed parking spaces will be located behind the building and accessed from the alley.

What Jonathan Splitt Architects Designed

Chicago-based Jonathan Splitt Architects designed a boxy six-story structure with select inset balconies. Residents will also have access to a shared rooftop deck, providing outdoor space above the dense Near North Side neighborhood. The building's design is intended to fit into a block already dominated by the much larger Old Town Park towers, while maintaining a smaller-scale presence along Division Street.

What The Location Means For The Project

The site sits between North Wells Street and the CTA Brown Line tracks, placing the development within an established residential and transit-oriented part of Old Town. The property is also surrounded by existing development, reducing the project's need to create a new standalone district while adding 40 apartments and neighborhood commercial space to an already dense corridor.

What Comes Next For 225 W. Division Street

Kiferbaum has submitted its zoning application and is seeking variations from the Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals. The project's affordable housing requirement will depend on the property's zoning and the approvals ultimately granted. No construction timeline has been announced. If approved, the development would replace a low-rise commercial property with a new six-story residential and retail building in one of Chicago's established Near North Side neighborhoods.