Construction on the new library and senior housing facility at Pratt and Western is well underway. We held a groundbreaking ceremony in January of 2018 and the contractors, Powers & Sons, have been hard at work ever since.
I first announced the new library together with Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2016. The new, state-of-the-art facility is being built at 6800 N. Western, at the northwest corner of Western and Pratt. When complete, it will be 16,000 square feet, which is the largest branch size that CPL builds and significantly bigger than the current Northtown branch. The building will include 44 units of senior housing above the library and will feature ample parking.
The Northtown Apartments and Northtown Branch Library is thanks to an innovative partnership between Chicago Public Library and Chicago Housing Authority. It was designed by the talented architects at Perkins+Will and is being developed by Evergreen Real Estate.
The building design is beautiful and will help make the 50th Ward a destination for bibliophiles from all over the city. Please click on the photo below to view the drafts of the site design for the new building:
