The construction project to turn the former Larkin Center in Elgin into affordable housing is progressing, with a late fall 2020 completion date projected. Joseph J. Duffy Co. is the general contractor on Full Circle Communities’ new 48-unit development.
The 3.4-acre site consists of six two-story townhouse buildings comprised of three-bedroom units, six two-story stacked flats buildings containing one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, in addition to the historic adaptive reuse of the three-story Larkin Center and one-story manager’s building, resulting in a total of 48 units.
“The focal point of the project is preserving and converting a historic three-story building, dating from 1912, into 11 living units and a common area,” said Joseph Beuttas, vice president of business development for Joseph J. Duffy Co. “A second historic, one-story building will be converted into a single two-bedroom manager’s unit. The two existing buildings will be renovated to standards required by the historic tax credit program.”
J.J. Duffy Co. provided preconstruction services, concluding in a lump sum contract to construct the project, working with Cordogan, Clark & Associates architects. This is the third project the Chicago construction company has worked on with Full Circle Communities.
The $19 million project will reserve 10 units for people with disabilities. The 12 new residential buildings are designed to look like single-family homes. Construction consists of wood-framed structures, including floors, roof and interior/exterior walls, and brick veneer of fiber cement siding as indicated. The site work included the installation of a Storm Tech water retention system, capable of handling over 40,000 cubic feet of storm water. It is located under the central courtyard area, which consists of parking, playground and open space.
The Larkin Center, which closed in 2013, provided residential care and counseling mostly for youths with behavioral and emotional problems. A Chicago organization briefly provided some services there until the site was shuttered for good in 2014. The main three-story building was designated a local landmark in 2004 and has been added to the National Register of historic Places. When completed, besides the living units, the building will house a community room, fitness center, library/study room, computer lab, laundry, storage and office space for the Association for Individual Development.
