After a funding delay halted the construction of an affordable housing development in the northwest corner of Glenview, family and friends of Frederick Axley gathered with those who helped build and support Axley Place on Tuesday for the opening of the townhomes named in his memory.
Axley was president of the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, which headed construction of Axley Place, from 2004 to 2013, and he died in March 2013, said Richard Koenig, executive director of the corporation.
His wife Cinda Axley, who attended the opening along with about two dozen others, said she believes her husband, who worked as a lawyer for 34 years at McDermott Will & Emery, would be proud that the townhomes were built in Glenview because he fought for social justice issues, including affordable housing.
“I think Fred would be extremely humbled. He didn’t do things for the name recognition,” she said. “I think he would really love the fact that the developments are meant to welcome people who otherwise may not have lived in this community.”
Construction of Axley Place, which has a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units in two buildings, began a year after the project was approved by the village in July 2014, Koenig said. Construction stopped in November 2015 after HODC, which works to expand affordable housing options in the north suburbs, wasn’t able to access $1.9 million in state funding because of the state budget impasse, he said.
Construction resumed last month when the funds became available, and the corporation recently started the qualifying process for potential tenants so that they can start moving in around Nov. 1, Koenig said. A potential tenant came to the opening to ask about the application process, he said.
To qualify for housing, tenants must have a disability and meet an income requirement, Koenig said. Based on household size, the tenants’ income must be below 60 percent of the area median income, and 30 percent of their income will go toward rent, he said.
The $3.8 million development, located at 3235 Milwaukee Ave., has wheel-chair accessible units on the first floor, and all second floor units have features to help people with disabilities, like strobe lights for the visually impaired, Koenig said.
John Clark, principal architect with Cordogan Clark and Associates, Inc., which worked on the development, said he was proud of the homes because they blend into the community.
“We didn’t want it to look like affordable housing, and I don’t think it does,” Clark said.
