The 112-year-old former Easy Washing Machine factory at 800 N. Clinton St. sat vacant and boarded up for over 20 years before local developer, Mark Congel, took on its redevelopment. 

Following an $11.7 million historic rehabilitation, the 83,000 sq.ft. mixed-use building on the edge of the Lakefront neighborhood now contains 62 apartments and 1,500 sq.ft. of commercial space. 

In my capacity as deputy commissioner of business development and executive director of SIDA, I was able to help secure modest financial incentives to make the project financially viable and leverage both public and private funds to fully reconstruct the 800 block of N. Clinton Street and replace the sewer underneath. 

In addition to putting a long abandoned building back into productive use, as an additional community benefit Congel built out all 62 units to be fully accessible. All units 
contain kitchen sinks and counters that can be lowered to enhance access for tenants in wheelchairs. Other accessible features include automatic doors and window shades, roll in showers, and wider hallways and doorways. 

#RiseAbove