Welcome to Baker Avenue.

Eight new two-flats in South Chicago, designed and built by 75 Development.

Who we are

Thoughtful builders, bringing updated homes to the South Side.

75 Development is a Chicago residential developer focused on new construction and renovation. We plan every home in detail before we build it, and we build homes people are proud to own.

Designed before we dig

Every building is modeled and coordinated digitally first. Problems get solved on screen, not on site, which keeps budgets and schedules honest.

Experience across Chicago

Our design and construction lead brings more than 15 years of Chicago-based architecture and construction work, from residential projects to the terminal expansion at O'Hare.

Built for the block

We design homes that fit the streets around them and sell them to owners who live there, so every project makes the neighborhood stronger.

How we build

Planned twice. Built once.

Our design and construction lead has spent 15 years building detailed digital models for national homebuilders. We bring the same discipline to every home we deliver.

A 3D model of every home
Before ground is broken, each home exists as a detailed model. We test layouts and settle decisions while changes are still cheap.
An exact materials list
The model tells us precisely what the home needs, so the right materials arrive when they're needed and less goes to waste.
Plans every crew can follow
Coordinated drawings give every trade the same picture, so plumbing, electrical and heating fit the first time.
Checked as it goes up
We compare the work in the field to the model, so what's specified is what gets built.
A record that stays with the home
Owners receive a digital record of how their home was built, so future repairs start with real information.

What it means for owners: fewer surprises, a better-built home, and its history on file.

Featured project

Our first chapter is on Baker Avenue.

Rendering of the eight Baker Avenue two-flats and community garden

Baker Avenue, South Chicago

Eight new two-flats and sixteen homes, selected through the City of Chicago's Missing Middle Infill Housing Initiative.

View the project

New construction

Two-flats, three-flats, townhomes and single-family homes on vacant lots, designed to match the block and sold to owners.

See what we build

Renovation

We acquire vacant and distressed homes, renovate them from the studs out, and bring them back as move-in-ready homes.

See what we build

Community meeting: Monday, October 26. Meet the team and see the Baker Avenue plans.

Get the details

Looking for a home?

Join the Baker Avenue waitlist for floor plans, pricing and early access to sales, plus help with down-payment assistance.

Join the waitlist

Want to build with us?

Subcontractors, suppliers, investors, lenders and property owners can reach our team directly.

Work with us

About us

Built on old friendships and new ideas.

Two childhood friends, decades of experience in design, construction and business, and a shared goal: better homes for Chicago neighborhoods that have waited too long for them.

Our story

757

From the 757 to the South Side.

75 Development started with two kids from Hampton Roads, Virginia: area code 757. Desmond Barnes and Thomas Simpson grew up together there, then spent the next two decades building careers in architecture, construction technology, marketing and operations. Both found their way to Chicago and put down deep roots.

The name keeps the first two digits of home and leaves the last one open, for the city we chose. Seven for the foundation we came from. Five for the change we're here to build.

"We build the kind of homes that raised us: solid, shared with family, and owned by the people who live in them."

Leadership

Design depth. Operating discipline.

Desmond J. Barnes

Principal, Strategy, Finance & Community

Desmond leads capital, partnerships, sales and community engagement for 75 Development. He has spent more than a decade building and running businesses, including Get Up 2 Go, which he has owned and operated since 2015, leading a team of 15 employees and contractors.

Earlier, as a Marketing Manager at Walmart, he launched more than 250 Walmart Neighborhood Markets to help address the food desert crisis across the country.

B.S. Marketing, Winston-Salem State University
Owner, Get Up 2 Go, and Principal, Black Box Management and Consulting
Former Marketing Manager, Walmart

Thomas Simpson

Principal, Design & Construction Technology

Thomas leads design and technical delivery. With more than 15 years in architecture, construction management and digital-twin production, he has delivered highly detailed models that let every trade coordinate before breaking ground, for national homebuilders including Lennar, Landsea Homes and Century Communities.

He recently served as BIM Manager and Project Architect at Virtual Energy Solutions, including work on United's O'Hare terminal expansion. He believes owners deserve a complete digital record of how their home was built.

Master of Architecture, Hampton University
Master of Integrated Design & Construction, Auburn University
Best Design Solution, U.S. Department of Energy Race to Zero (2013)

25+ yearscombined in design, construction and operations

Experienced Chicago buildersgeneral contractor and finish crews on every phase

Coordinated before we digevery building modeled digitally first

Our expertise

Expertise you can see in the details.

Digital twins

Every home is modeled in full detail, from structure to finishes, at the level national homebuilders use to plan production.

Trade coordination

Architecture, plumbing, mechanical, electrical and structure are checked against each other in the model, so conflicts are caught on screen instead of on site.

An owner's record

A digital record of how each home was built, so future repairs and upgrades start with real information.

Featured project

Baker Avenue, South Chicago

Eight new two-flats at 8401–8425 S. Baker Ave., with sixteen homes for owners who live there.

The homes Inside Location Community What's next

Eight two-flats. One block. Sixteen homes.

We're building one two-flat on each of eight vacant lots, designed together so the whole block reads as one neighborhood. Two-flats are already the most common home on the surrounding streets, so the new buildings fit right in.

Two-flat rendering with white brick and wood-toned porch

Two-flat rendering with red brick and black trim

Two-flat rendering with charcoal brick and lit entry

Two-flat rendering with cream masonry and black accents

Exterior design studies. Varied materials give each building its own character along the block.

Family two-flats

4-bedroom owner's residence, about 2,010 sq ft
2-bedroom second unit, about 1,110 sq ft
Live in one unit and rent the other, or keep family close

Twin two-flats

Two 2-bedroom units in each building
Owner lives in one and rents or shares the other
A strong fit for multigenerational living

Inside the homes

Open kitchens with islands, bright living spaces, and layouts built around how families actually live.

Interior rendering of an open kitchen with island

Interior rendering of a living and dining area

Floor plans for the 4-bedroom owner's unit across two levels and the 2-bedroom upper unit

Interior renderings and floor plans. Layouts and finishes may be refined during final design.

Shared open space

A private garden for residents.

Open land on the site becomes a garden for Baker Avenue owners, with individual planting parcels, seating and walking paths beside Russell Square Park.

Site plan of the proposed community garden

Location

A block at the center of South Chicago's comeback.

Baker Avenue sits beside a park, near the Metra and the lakefront, and a short drive from the largest investments the South Side has seen in generations.

Map of the Baker Avenue site next to Russell Square Park in the 10th Ward

Next doorRussell Square Park
A neighborhood park steps from every front door.
Walking distance83rd Street Metra Electric station
Direct commuter rail to downtown Chicago.
A few blocks awaySullivan Elementary School
A neighborhood public elementary school within walking distance.
Minutes awayIllinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park
A $5.6 billion, 420-acre campus on the former South Works site, expected to bring thousands of jobs.
Minutes awayNew Advocate hospital
A $300 million, 52-bed hospital, the first new hospital on the South Side in 100 years.

Community

Built with the block, not just on it.

Oct26Monday

Community meeting: Baker Avenue homes

See the plans, meet the team and tell us what matters to you. Time and location will be shared with everyone on our list.

Get the meeting details

local businesses and organizations signed letters supporting new homes on these lots.

10th Ward

We're working with the Alderman's office and neighbors throughout planning and construction.

Local first

We'll share sales information early with South Chicago residents and neighborhood organizations.

What's next

New construction and renovation across Chicago.

Baker Avenue is where we're starting. We're growing a pipeline of neighborhood-scale projects on the South and West Sides.

Infill new construction

Two-flats, three-flats, townhomes and single-family homes on vacant lots, designed to match the block and sold to owners.

Now building on Baker Avenue

Renovation and resale

We acquire vacant and distressed homes, renovate them from the studs out, and bring them back to market move-in ready.

Reviewing opportunities now

Public-private partnerships

We partner with the City on land and housing programs and deliver what those projects require, from certified diverse contractors to local hiring.

Selected by the City of Chicago

Own a vacant lot or a house that needs work?We buy and partner on properties across Chicago. Tell us about yours.

Tell us about a property

For homebuyers

Owning a two-flat is closer than you think.

A two-flat lets you own your home and earn rental income from the second unit. Here's how to get ready, and where to find help with your down payment.

Join the waitlist

Live in one, rent the other

Owners live in one unit and can rent the second to family, friends or a tenant, which can help offset the mortgage.

No buyer income limits

Baker Avenue homes are open to all buyers, with sale prices kept within reach of working families.

Help with your down payment

City, county and state programs offer grants and forgivable loans that can often be combined.

Four steps to get ready

Join our waitlist
Get pricing, floor plans and sales dates before the public.
Take a homebuyer class
Most assistance programs require a HUD-approved homebuyer education course. Many are free and online.
Get pre-approved
Talk with a lender that participates in down-payment assistance programs and ask what you qualify for.
Stack your assistance
Combine the grants and loans you're eligible for to lower what you bring to closing.

Homebuyer assistance in Chicago

Programs that may help buyers. Eligibility depends on income, household size and the home itself.

Program	Offered by	Up to	Who it's for	Learn more
Building Neighborhoods and Affordable Homes (BNAH)	City of Chicago	$100,000 grant	Households up to 140% of area median income buying newly built homes under a City redevelopment agreement; 10-year residency	chicago.gov/BNAH
Cook County Down Payment Assistance	Cook County	$25,000 or 5% of price	First-time and repeat buyers up to 120% of county median income; homebuyer education required	cookcountyil.gov
CHA Down Payment Assistance	Chicago Housing Authority	$20,000 CHA residents, $10,000 others	First-time buyers who complete HUD-approved education; forgiven after 10 years	thecha.org/DPA
Choose to Own	Chicago Housing Authority	Monthly mortgage help plus $20,000	Housing Choice Voucher and public housing residents of at least one year	thecha.org/CTO
IHDAccess Forgivable, Deferred and Repayable	Illinois Housing Development Authority	$6,000 to $10,000	Buyers of 1–2 unit homes with a 640+ credit score who meet income and price limits	ihdamortgage.org
Downpayment Plus	FHLBank Chicago, through member lenders	$10,000	Households up to 80% of area median income; forgiven over 5 years	fhlbc.com
TaxSmart Mortgage Credit Certificate	City of Chicago	$2,000 a year federal tax credit	First-time buyers or buyers in target areas purchasing a 1–4 unit home they live in	chicago.gov

Summarized from the City of Chicago's homebuyer-assistance reference. Amounts, availability and eligibility change; confirm details directly with each program. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.

Work with us

Build with us. No introduction required.

Too much work in real estate goes to whoever already knows someone. We'd rather meet the best crews and partners directly.

Contractors and suppliers Investors, lenders and property owners

Contractors and suppliers

We're building our bench of trusted Chicago trades.

We're committed to working with City-certified minority- and woman-owned businesses, hiring Chicago residents and paying prevailing wages. If you're a qualified subcontractor or supplier, send us your information. We share qualified firms with our general contractor when bid packages open, and keep you on our list for future projects.

Not certified yet? Reach out anyway. We're glad to point you toward the City's certification process.

Trades we're looking for

Excavation and foundationsConcrete and flatworkFramingRoofingMasonryWindows and sidingPlumbingElectricalHVACInsulation and drywallPaintingFlooringCabinets and finish carpentryLandscaping

Thanks, we have your information.

We'll reach out when bid packages open. You can also send your capability statement or certification letters to info@75development.com.

One last step

Send your details to our team. Your email app will open with everything filled in, and you can attach your capability statement or certification letters.

Send to 75 Development

Email app didn't open? Write to info@75development.com.

Capital and land partners

Partners for neighborhood-scale housing.

We work with a select group of investors, lenders and property owners, and share project materials privately.

Investors

Request our investor overview and a conversation with our principals about current and upcoming projects.

Request investor materials

Lenders

Construction and permanent lenders can request our lender package, including budget, schedule and team qualifications.

Request the lender package

Property owners

Have a vacant lot or a home that needs work? We buy, partner and build across Chicago.

Tell us about a property

Nothing on this website is an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Investment information is provided only through private materials to qualified parties.

How we build

From empty lot to finished block.

Scroll through each phase of a Baker Avenue home and how long it takes. This is the schedule our trade partners build to.

Every home starts with an empty lot.

Eight vacant lots on South Baker Avenue. Watch them become sixteen new homes.

Scroll to build

Foundation first.

Each lot is surveyed, excavated and poured to match the block.

Foundation: 3–4 weeks

Framed and under roof.

One proven design, repeated across the block, so every home gets the same care.

Shell: 5–6 weeks

Coordinated before day one.

Plumbing, electrical and HVAC are modeled trade by trade before we break ground, so they go in without surprises.

Systems, insulation and drywall: 8–9 weeks

Brick, metal and glass.

Masonry, cladding and black-framed windows give each home its own character on the street.

Exterior: 3–4 weeks

Finished to live in.

Kitchens, baths, lighting and landscaping, finished for the families who will own them.

Finishes: 6–8 weeks