A rendering of the Harvest Homes II Apartment project in East Garfield Park. [Department of Planning and Development]

The Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday will consider projects including a gas station renovation in Uptown, a photography studio expansion in West Town and a new residential development in East Garfield Park. 

The plan commission will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 201A at City Hall.

The plan commission is set to consider a proposed Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance application for the property at 755 W. Lawrence Ave. in the 46th Ward, where the applicant has proposed to improve and rehabilitate the existing BP gas station at the site and convert the existing car wash and kiosk buildings into a convenience store. The business would remain a BP gas station. The Zoning Board of Appeals has already approved a special use permit for the site, according to the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD). 

The commission will also consider a proposed Residential-Business Planned Development for the vacant property located at 3415-3449 W. Jackson Blvd. and 3414-3456 W. Fifth Ave. in the 28th Ward. The project, Harvest Homes II Apartments, is a joint effort between the NHP Foundation and the People's Community Development Association of Chicago.  

The developers are seeking to rezone the site from an RM5 Residential Multi-Unit District and B3-3 Community Shopping District to a B2-3 Neighborhood Mixed Use District and then to a Residential-Business Planned Development. 

Developers are planning to build a three-story building on the site containing 50 residential units and a food hall and commercial kitchen. The maximum floor area ratio would be 1.2, according to DPD.  

The plan commission will also consider a zone change request for the property located at 1500 N. Throop St. in the 27th Ward. The applicant is photographer Jeff Dahlgren, who operates his studio at the site. He is requesting to rezone the site from an M2-3 Light Industry District to a C3-3 Commercial, Manufacturing and Employment District in order to add private event space to the site while continuing to operate the commercial photography studio there. Dahlgren also plans to apply for a city Public Place of Amusement license, according to his application. 

Commissioners will also consider a proposed amendment to Residential-Business Planned Development No. 1067 for the property located at 1431-1455 S. Blue Island Ave., 1218 W. 15th St. and 1208 W. 15th St. in the 25th Ward.  

The applicant, Pilsen Gateway LLC, is seeking a rezoning of the site to a B3-5 Community Shopping District and then to Residential-Business Planned Development No. 1067 in order to add new permitted uses to the area, including medical, office space and restaurant uses in both of the subareas of the planned development. 

The applicant is also seeking the zoning amendment to allow the one-story retail building in Subarea B to use its ground-floor commercial space as a liquor store, tavern and outdoor patio. 

The plan commission will also consider a resolution to adopt “Stitching It Together: A framework plan for Brighton Park and Gage Park,” which provides recommendations for improvements in housing, park and open space access, neighborhood beautification, health and environmental justice, economic development and community programming in parts of the 12th, 14th and 15th wards. 

The area encompassed by the plan is bound by North Western Avenue, the CSX rail, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and West 59th Street and includes a focus on areas around the Brighton Park Industrial Corridor, according to an executive summary of the plan.

Finally, the plan commission will get a presentation on the Major Taylor Trail Land Use Framework Plan and the Major Taylor Trail Consolidation Plan, which are complementary plans. The land use framework plan is focused on “catalyzing equitable development in the area around the trail from 104th Street to 125th Street, which includes Beverly, Morgan Park and West Pullman,” according to the meeting agenda. The consolidation plan will track the progress of planned capital improvement projects along the trail as well as noting recommendations from agencies involved in operating the trail.