MEDIA ALERT: FOGLIA RESIDENCES GROUNDBREAKING IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

The country's first project to use low income tax credit financing to build accessible housing specific to the challenges faced by people with visual impairments is scheduled to open in Spring 2024.

CHICAGO, June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago Lighthouse, in partnership with Brinshore Development LLC and Landon Bone Baker Architects, will break ground on their new residential project, "The Foglia Residences at The Chicago Lighthouse," on Wednesday, June 29 at 10:30 a.m.

The Foglia Residences is the first residential project directed at people who are blind or visually impaired to be financed through Low Income Housing Tax Credits in the United States.  The building will include 76 studio, one-and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a fitness center, a community room, ground-level retail, and residential parking.

"With a tower evoking The Chicago Lighthouse's beacon of hope, The Foglia Residences will serve as a model for similar residential projects across the country," said Dr. Janet P. Szlyk, President and CEO of The Chicago Lighthouse. "For people who are blind or visually impaired, finding safe, affordable, accessible housing is more difficult than it ought to be in the United States. We are proud to be part of the solution."

Though The Foglia Residences will be an income-qualifying development open to anyone meeting certain criteria, the residential units and public areas will include features to help people with visual impairments live independently. Such features include high-contrast wall-tiles, varied floor textures to indicate room transitions, built-in voice controls, and Braille signage.

The groundbreaking will take place on the site of the new building, 1134 S. Wood Street in Chicago (the corner of Wood St. and Roosevelt Road) at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony will be followed by a small reception celebrating the pioneering achievement. Key project personnel, including Dr. Janet P. Szlyk, President and CEO of The Chicago Lighthouse, David Brint, Principal at Brinshore Development, and/or representatives from Langon Bone Baker Architects, will be available for media interviews.

To schedule interviews with these executives or other parties involved with the project (including Chris Downey, a nationally recognized architect who is blind and consulted on the project), contact: Aaron Baar at 312-997-3662 or [email protected].

About The Chicago Lighthouse

Serving the blind, visually impaired, disabled, and Veteran communities through innovative education, rehabilitation, employment, assistive technology, and other programs, The Chicago Lighthouse is one of the nation's most comprehensive social service organizations. For additional information, visit www.chicagolighthouse.org.

SOURCE The Chicago Lighthouse