- Introduction
- Acknowledgements
- 1: Getting Ready
- 2: The Costs of Space
- 3: Understanding Credit
- 4: Professional Services
- 5: Finding Space
- 6: Residential Leases
- 7: Commercial and Industrial Leases
- 8: Buying Real Estate
- 9: Types of Mortgages
- 10: The Mortgage Application
- 11: Ownership Models
- 12: Purchasing Alternatives
- 13: Chicago Zoning Ordinance
- 14: Chicago Building Code
- 15: Chicago's Neighborhoods
- 16: Property Taxes
- 17: When You Find a Property
- 18: Inspections
- 19: After Moving In
- 20: Insurance
- 21: Utilities
- 22: Rehabbing Your Space
- 23: Safe and Healthy Spaces
- 24: Green Practice
- 25: When Disputes Arise
- 26: Space Emergencies
- 27: Facility Development Planning
- Bibliography
Storefronts to Live/Work
Recent changes to the Chicago Zoning Ordinance allow storefront properties to be developed as live/work spaces in select business and commercial districts. Life in a storefront can be an unparalleled experience, ripe with many opportunities. Some of the best attributes of storefront properties include:
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Older spaces offer unique architectural features not found in newer units. These buildings often used more elaborate, expensive and durable materials and ornamentation than most residential buildings at the time, such as cast iron columns, prism glass transoms, colored structural glass sheathing, porcelain enamel metal panels and hand-polished, distortion-free plate glass display windows.
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Their glass front windows, which make for dramatic, sun-bathed interiors and a distinctive street presence.
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Size. Most are larger than standard homes, and have high ceilings usually finished with decorative tin tiles.
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Built-in flexibility that accommodates many uses.
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Their placement right on the sidewalk, which reserves more space for the backyard than a stand alone house (which has a front yard requirement).
While storefronts have many appealing attributes, designing live/work space in a storefront calls for ingenuity. Some of the features that make this option attractive can be disadvantageous. Issues concerning privacy, moderating internal temperature, controlling noise and security must be considered. The large interior space and lack of side windows can also be problematic in meeting building code requirements for ventilation and sunlight for residential spaces.
You might find it challenging to keep up the exterior ornamentation if the manufacturer of the particular features no longer exists, or a suitable replacement cannot be found. If your space is located in a Landmark District, conversion options will also be limited.
Information in this section is summarized from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development’s publication, Converting Storefronts to Housing. To view the entire publication, contact Planning and Development at 312-744-4190.