The three clicks is a promise. First, open a Chicago-based Place Report; Property Finder will open automatically. (For example, open Near West Side community area.)
- In the Property Finder filters, select the “Developable lots” filter.
- In the “Listing status” filter, tick the checkboxes for each of the property types you want to find.
- Select the “Apply filters” button.
In a moment, Chicago Cityscape will show you a map and data table of developable lots for sale in Chicago. The information shown to you will also include a calculation of how many homes each property allows based on its current zoning district.
These filters combined can find excellent new construction and redevelopment opportunities. For example, we found a one-story commercial building for sale in the West Loop which is zoned to allow seven apartments or condos.
You might be wondering, what’s a developable lot? Our definition of developable lots comprises properties that meet all of these criteria:
- Low-intensity land use (parking lots, one-story commercial buildings, side yard, vacant lots, car repair and gas stations)
- In a zoning district with an FAR of 2.0 or higher, which means that a building on the property can have a floor area of two times, or more, the lot area. Or is in an RM-5, RM-5.5, RM-6, or RM-6.5 zoning district.
- Within a transit-served location (meaning within 1/2 mile of a CTA or Metra rail station, or within 1/4 mile of a CTA bus route that has higher-frequency service in the middle of the day).
Chicago Cityscape updates properties for sale once a day; the criteria listed above are updated as needed or as properties change.
