INVESTMENT PROJECT

Ravenswood WorkCenter

Transforming an underutilized building into a thriving hub for makers, creatives, and small businesses in the heart of Ravenswood.

Location

1801 W. Berteau Ave
Chicago, IL

1819 W. Montrose Avenue,
Chicago, IL

1819 W. Montrose Avenue,
Chicago, IL

Project Type

Adaptive Reuse
Creative Workspace

Adaptive Reuse
Creative Workspace

Adaptive Reuse
Creative Workspace

Community Impact

Diverse Local Businesses
Local Artisans & Creatives

Diverse Local Businesses
Local Artisans & Creatives

Diverse Local Businesses
Local Artisans & Creatives

Approach

Owner-Operated
Hands-on partnership

Owner-Operated
Hands-on partnership

Owner-Operated
Hands-on partnership

The Story

About four years ago, David Brown and his partner Paul Dwoskin looked at a building at 1801 West Leavitt in Ravenswood and saw tons of opportunity. Not to tear it down and build condos, but to renovate it into something the neighborhood needed.

"It was really such an open canvas as to what it could be," David recalls. They envisioned unique workspaces—offices, studios, places for makers and creatives to thrive. The building had good bones and the right location, but it needed vision and patient capital to realize its potential.

Rather than flipping the property or maximizing short-term returns, they chose to be hands-on owner-operators. They wanted to create a space that would contribute to what makes Ravenswood special—a community of makers, creatives, and small businesses.

Project Gallery