Photo: Proposed new construction and the Lawrence Avenue "Road Diet"

The vacant lot at 2208 W Lawrence... soon to be new apartments (Photo Eric Rojas, Real Estate Broker)

Here's a recent photo I took of the vacant lot at 2208 W Lawrence in Ravenswood (just west of Leavitt).  A community meeting was held last month to discuss a zoning change request by the developers.  The proposed building will house 21 residential units and some ground floor retail.  Reports to me suggested there were few neighborhood attendees to the meeting and no groundswell of opposition.

There is some opposition to this development, however, around the Internet and on the 47th Ward Alderman's Facebook page (due to proposed apartment rents) and to the Lawrence Avenue "Road Diet" in general.  In my opinion the apartments and pedestrian improvements to Lawrence will be fantastic changes. I think most of the neighborhood falls into two categories: overwhelmingly supportive or indifferent.

This commercial building at Lawrence and Leavitt sits next to the proposed construction.  A Roots Handmade Pizza is reported to be filling this location (photo Eric Rojas)

My guess is that it will be harder for me to drive in and out of the neighborhood.  Personally, Lawrence Avenue has been generally a quick route for me (traveling on Lawrence between the 1600 and 2400 blocks of West Lawrence).  However, I'm willing to support this experiment to improve the aesthetic of the neighborhood and increase infill development along Lawrence. 

The "Road Diet" construction on Lawrence has made getting out of the neighborhood more challenging.