Excerpts from nadignewspapers.com:

A redevelopment proposal for an approximately 112-year-old former firehouse in Jefferson Park calls for two floors to be added to the two-story building, with a brewery on the ground floor and nine apartments above.

“I am pleased to announce an exciting development proposal for one of the oldest remaining firehouse buildings in the city. The development would mean an expansion of local craft beer brewer Lake Effect Brewing Co. and would restore historic details to the former Jefferson Park firehouse, which sits on the southeast corner of Ainslie and Lipps. Lake Effect would be the ground-floor tenant, brewing beer on-site and offering a tasting room. The developer, Ambrosia Homes, plans to invest $2.4 million in the city-owned property, which was built in 1906,” Alderman John Arena said in his weekly newsletter.

The 45th Ward sanitation services had been located in the former fire station until a few years ago. Several developers have looked at purchasing the building from the city, but the high cost of bringing it up to building code standards reportedly turned away some potential buyers.

“The nine apartments would be two-bedroom, attracting professionals who seek easy access to the nearby Jefferson Park Transit Center. The design would retain the current building while adding two floors and re-installing some architectural elements that were previously removed.” Arena said.

Arena will hold a community meeting on the proposal at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, in King’s Hall in the third floor of the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave.

thanks Dan

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