MDC approves 25-unit Carrollton Commons rezoning for Near North Side

The Metropolitan Development Commission voted 6-0 on July 2 to rezone 2226 Carrollton Avenue from D8 to DP, clearing the way for a 25-unit townhome project called Carrollton Commons.

The rezoning, filed as 2025ZON037 by Carrollton Commons LLC, will allow developers to build 25 three-bedroom townhomes with one dedicated garage per unit, two buildings fronting Carrollton Avenue, a rear courtyard/gathering space with a gazebo and 10 guest parking spaces. The petitioner and local supporters said the project converts a vacant, roughly 1-acre parcel that has sat unused for decades into for-sale housing targeted at first-time buyers.

Why it matters: The site is in a Near North Side neighborhood where commissioners and supporters said more housing is needed, but staff opposed the DP rezoning because of concerns about building massing, an unfavorable floor-area ratio and insufficient livability/open space for the proposed density. The commission’s unanimous vote overrides staff’s recommendation and permits a development pattern proponents say is consistent with other recent infill projects nearby.

Petitioner attorney Misha Rabinovich told the commission the site has been vacant for more than 25 years and that the proposed plan is “nearly identical to other recent townhome developments on the Near North Side” that received MDC approval in 2021. Petitioner Eric Armstrong said the project team worked with city departments and the city architect and that lender Community First Bank underwrote the project “right around $375,000 a home,” with down-payment assistance to improve affordability.

Staff objections: A Department of Metropolitan Development staff member recommended denial at the hearing, citing several technical metrics. The staff presentation said the proposal would exceed the district’s floor-area-ratio maximum (0.6) and fall short of the minimum livability-space ratio (0.66), with the plan showing a livability ratio of about 0.385. Staff also said much of the project’s units would not present to the street, reducing street activation, and that the site is mid-block rather than located at a neighborhood collector, greenway or other “preferred” spot identified in the pattern book.

Opposition and responses: A neighborhood speaker raised concerns that nearby townhome projects have struggled to sell and said current mortgage rates and resale data suggest the product might not be viable. The speaker also warned that garages often become storage and that on-street parking could increase. John Thompson, the owner of a nearby industrial building, testified in support and described a history of investing in Near North Side redevelopment. Councilor Gibson spoke in favor of the project, calling it a way to bring “much-needed housing at an affordable price point.”

Project details and conditions: The petitioner said building heights will be capped at about 33 feet and that final building elevations will be submitted for review by the city architect and staff. The plan includes added landscaping to meet the green-factor requirement and an amenity space with a gazebo. Petitioner testimony said the project provides two alley access points with garages oriented for alley access and that the team added parking after hearing neighbor concerns.

Vote and next steps: The commission cast six ballots; the clerk announced six "yes" votes and zero "no" votes, and the rezoning petition 2025ZON037 was approved. Commissioners did not specify additional conditions beyond the usual requirement that final elevations be reviewed by the city architect and Department of Metropolitan Development staff.

The developer and backers said they will proceed with final design and permitting steps and that financing with Community First Bank and down-payment assistance programs are in place to market the homes as for-sale units for first-time buyers.