Park Boulevard is getting $13.9 million from the Chicago Housing Authority, which also will hold a ground lease on the property. The project is part of the CHA's $1.5-billion "Plan for Transformation. In addition, $7.7 million in low-income housing tax credits are being used, along with $5.9 million in equity from Stateway Associates LLC, a venture that includes Kimball Hill Development Co., Mesa Development LLC, Neighborhood Rejuvenation Partners and Walsh Ventures Management.

A sales center, comparable to one found at a Downtown condominium project, will open on the site in September, says James L. Miller, chief executive officer of Stateway Associates. In addition, Baum Realty is marketing the retail space, which will be spread across the ground floors of three buildings and will have condominiums on upper floors.

The first phase, on the northern third of the former Stateway Gardens site, includes 100 CHA rental units and 211 for-sale units. The one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units will be a mixture of townhouses, condominiums and single-family homes. While 139 of them will be sold at market rates ranging from $154,927 to $393,809, the remaining 72 will be earmarked to buyers qualifying under the city's affordable housing initiative and will sell for $144,853 to $259,825.

Except for the single-family homes, the units will be in a mix of housing types, from duplexes to six-flats, with buildings ranging up to six stories. "They did not want the site to have a monolithic architectural appearance," says Chris Lee of Johnson & Lee Architects, whose firm is one of seven working on the project.

The first phase of Park Boulevard is being built on the east side of the Dan Ryan Expressway, opposite the Chicago White Sox' US Cellular Field. Seven of the eight high-rise buildings have been demolished, a job that includes removing foundations as well as underground utilities eight feet below grade.

"Infrastructure improvements, zoning and design are complete and off-site construction is well under way," Miller says. "We are excited to see our vision come to life."