McShane Construction Company has begun construction on a new affordable housing development for Interfaith Housing Development Corporation. Designed by HED Architects, Fifth Avenue Apartments will be located on South Fifth Avenue in Maywood, Illinois and will incorporate both apartments and ground-floor retail. Completion is expected for February 2021.
“This project has been in the making for some time now, so we’re excited to have broken ground on it,” said Jeffrey A. Raday, president of McShane. “With the need for affordable housing in this community, the area’s residents will benefit from this new housing development.”
The building features a unique structure of precast and metal studs. This is atypical for multifamily projects, but increasing in popularity due to the fact that precast is faster and more efficient to install, more cost-efficient and allows for finishes to be installed directly on the panels. Inside, the development will incorporate a total of 72 affordable residential units on floors two through five, together with 4,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor. Units include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations with one to two bathrooms. Residents will also have access to a nicely landscaped backyard with a perimeter fence and 32 parking spaces surrounding the development.
Designed to achieve National Green Building Standard’s Bronze Level and receive ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Grant for affordable housing, Fifth Avenue Apartments incorporates a number of sustainable features. Elements include a high-performance HVAC system, windows with a low U-factor, efficient insulation and high-performance light fixtures with LED lighting.
McShane performed numerous rounds of value engineering during the pre-construction phase in order to reduce costs and increase the overall quality of the project. As part of this, the firm provided design/build subcontractors for the precast and HVAC. By engaging their design/build services for part or all of a project, McShane gives clients an early project cost guarantee, a shorter project schedule and a reduced burden on the client’s resources.
