# Find "value add" opportunities in Property Finder Chicago Cityscape has several filters that locate properties in Chicago that may be "value add" opportunities for adding more apartments due to unused zoning capacity: 1. Existing small apartment buildings. A multi-family building has enough zoning capacity for one or more units to be added. These are usually two-to-six flats which have the "2-11" property classification. 2. Existing single-family houses. A single-detached house is in a multi-family zoning district and can be converted, expanded to add one or more units, or replaced. 3. Convertible ground floor spaces. Buildings that are non-residential or mixed use and are in zoning districts where apartments can be located on the ground floor. 4. Developable properties. Properties that have low-density buildings or no buildings (parking or vacant) in higher-density zoning districts. 5. Picks. Similar to the developable properties, Picks consider additional factors, including whether a property is currently listed for sale, and doesn't have any new construction permits, and is located near proposed medium to high density residential developments. [[Picks|Refer to the Picks article]]. 6. Bonus unit if ground floor is accessible. (This provision is part of the [[Connected Communities|Connected Communities ordinance]].) 7. Extra floor area or units allowed. This filter was added in December 2024 and has a collection of nearly 20,000 properties in Chicago where the zoning district allows an expansion of floor area, addition of dwelling units, or both. 8. Add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). *This article also has an embedded video that's two minutes long (scroll down)*  *Screenshot showing the value add and unused zoning capacity filters* These filters combine and sift through several data sources to confidently identify properties that can be modified to add more apartments, including: - Chicago's zoning map, to locate zoning districts that allow multi-family housing and to know what their minimum lot area per unit standards are. - Cook County parcel map, to know the lot area of each parcel. - Cook County Assessor attributes, to know if a building is a single-detached house or multi-family, and how many units are there if it's a multi-family building. ## Tips before the tutorial 1. [Read our guide on the Assessor's property classes](http://chicagocityscape.com/guides/propertyclasses.php) 2. See the properties listed on the [#UnusedZoningCapacity tag & topic page](http://chicagocityscape.com/tag/unusedzoningcapacity) ## Video [This two-minute video](https://player.vimeo.com/video/716086307) shows how to use one of the value add/unused zoning capacity filters in a Place Report. After following along the tutorial in the video you may not need to read the rest of this guide. ## Tutorial: start by opening Property Finder The value add filters that this tutorial will review are available on Property Finder maps in Property Report (addresses, PINs, and parcels) and Place Report (areas, including ones your draw yourself). ### Addresses 1. Once you've [looked up an address](http://chicagocityscape.com/address.php) and have loaded the Property Report, look for the "Table of Contents" and click "Property Finder". 2. Click the "Load Property Finder" button. ### Places 1. Once you've [looked up a place](http://chicagocityscape.com/maps/index.php) and have loaded its Place Report, look for the buttons beneath the map. 2. Click the "Property Finder" button. ## Using Property Finder's value add filters ### 1. Existing small apartment buildings *Filters to use: Extra unit allowed, Unused zoning capacity (multi)* Find multi-family buildings that have enough zoning capacity for adding one or more units by selecting the "Unused zoning capacity (multi)" filter and then select the "Apply filters" button. When you select this filter, the Property Finder system will search our database for all parcels that represent buildings with 2-6 units, are in a multi-family zoning district, and the specific multi-family zoning district has a minimum lot area per unit standard that the particular building isn't fully using. For example, a two-flat on a standard lot size of 3,125 s.f. in an RT-4 zoning district has a minimum lot area per unit standard of 1,000 s.f. per unit, or 2,000 s.f. That means there is 1,125 s.f. of unused lot area, enough to add a third unit. Property Finder does this calculation instantly, dividing the lot area by the minimum lot area per unit standard of each lot's zoning district to estimate the number of units allowed. Knowing there is unused zoning capacity is very helpful for owners of buildings that were originally built with more units than present and would like to convert them back. We have also noticed building permits for owners who are adding a basement unit and the building is outside an ADU pilot area so taking advantage of unused zoning capacity is the only way to restore a unit. We have noticed building permits (not many, though) for owners who are adding an additional floor to accommodate an additional dwelling unit. ### 2. Existing single-detached houses *Filter to use: Unused zoning capacity (single)* Find single-detached houses that have enough zoning capacity to be able to convert to a multi-family building through expansion, or can be replaced by a building that provides more dwelling units. Select the "Unused zoning capacity (single)" filter and then select the "Apply filters" button. When you select this filter, the Property Finder system will search our database for all parcels that represent single-detached houses and are in a multi-family zoning district. Single-detached houses excludes rowhouses, townhouses, and condos. For example, a single-detached house in an RM-5 zoning district could be a two-flat as long as the lot size is at least 1,650 s.f. Property Finder will estimate the number of units allowed at each parcel by dividing the lot area by the minimum lot area per unit standard of each lot's zoning district to estimate the number of units allowed. ### 3. Convertible ground floor spaces *Filter to use: Ground floor residential* In Chicago, find non-residential and mixed-use properties that are in B2 zoning districts and thus allow the ground floor space to be converted to residential. The B2 zoning districts allow residential use on the ground floor as of right. For properties in other zoning districts, a zoning change or a special use (granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals) would be necessary to convert a non-residential use on the ground floor into apartments. Select the "Ground floor residential" filter and then select the "Apply filters" button to locate these properties in Chicago. This is one of two methods to find properties where ground floor housing is allowed. See also [[Finding opportunities for ground floor residential|Find buildings where ground floor residential is allowed]]. ### 4. Developable properties *Filters to use: Developable lots, Developable lots + gov't land* This is an exclusive feature that looks for low-intensity land uses within higher-density zoning districts in TOD areas in the City of Chicago. Specifically, this looks for properties with a classification for small, underutilized, low-rise, vacant, or parking areas [1], that meet one of the the following criteria: - in B, C, or D zoning districts with a -2 or greater density designation - in an RM-5 or higher residential-only zoning district. The properties must also have an area of 1,350 s.f. or more.  The "Developable lots + gov't land" filter also searches for "unclassified" property, which almost always means government-owned land and properties in the Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) inventory. Due to errors, delays, and inconsistencies in assigning a property classification to the nearly one million properties in Chicago, there may be some "false positives", or properties that don't currently meet our criteria. The Cook County Assessor's Office (CCAO) is solely responsible for assigning property classifications. #### Developable properties notes [1] Specifically, this includes some of the following property classifications: 1-00 (vacant lot), 2-41 (side yard), 5-22 (one story non-fireproof public garage), 5-28 (bank building), and 5-90 (commercial minor improvement). Learn more about [all property classification options in Cook County](/guides/propertyclasses.php). ### 5. Picks Picks are the *most* developable properties in Chicago that consider additional attributes. Each property is given a score that's recalculated every night and only those in approximately the top five or six percent are shown. Only about 15,000 properties (out of over 900,000 in Chicago) are considered to be Picks on any given day, and Picks can change as some attributes are dynamic causing properties' scores to go up, down, or stay the same over time. #### How to find Picks 1. Start by opening Property Finder for a desired location. Property Finder is part of Property Report (addresses, PINs, and parcels – open a sample) and Place Report (areas, including ones your draw yourself - open a sample). If after opening the report Property Finder is not shown, select the "Load Property Finder" button. 2. Scroll down to look at the Property Finder filters and locate the "Value add" filters in the second row of filters. 3. Select the "Picks" filter, which will instantly apply the filter. (All other filters require selecting the "Search & apply filters" button to apply the group of filters you select.) 4. Scroll up to the map and data table to inspect the results. The results are sorted by listing status (properties for sale) and then by PIN. #### Picks notes To be considered a pick, a property has one or more of the following attributes (the more attributes the higher the score): - the property is in an Enterprise Zone, where state sales tax on construction materials can be waived - the property has a tax classification that represents vacant land, side yard, surface parking, and low-intensity and single story buildings; low intensity means things like banks, car repair, and car dealerships - extra points if the property has a tax classification for vacant land, side yard, and surface parking - the property is currently for sale - zoning: an FAR of at least 2.0 - zoning: the area per unit standard of the zoning district is less than or equal 400 s.f. per unit; in Chicago a lower number indicates more units are allowed per lot - the lot is large, greater than or equal to 6,000 s.f. - the property is within the city's transit-served location (or TOD) radius - there is no recent new construction permit at the property - near a CTA or Metra rail station, with an additional point for being near a CTA rail station because of their higher frequencies - the property is near a medium or large residential proposed project approved within the last two years - property was a tax classification of "EX" (exempt), "RR" (railroad), or "2-99" (residential condo), are excluded ### 6. Bonus unit if ground floor unit is accessible *Filters to use: Extra unit allowed (if accessible)* Per the [[Connected Communities|Connected Communities ordinance]], an accessible ground floor unit at a property in the RS-3, RT-3.5, and RT-4 zoning districts does not count towards the FAR and minimum lot area per unit standards. This makes it a bonus unit. Additionally, when taking advantage of this, the height limit in RT-4 zoning districts in is increased to 42 feet to accommodate an extra floor. ### 7. Extra floor area or units allowed *Filters to use: Extra floor area or units allowed* Using a proprietary method, Chicago Cityscape has located nearly 20,000 properties in Chicago that are not maximizing the allowable floor area or the allowable number of dwelling units. This collection was assembled by using the following parameters: - properties that are in zoning districts that allow residential uses - zoning districts that have a 1.2 FAR or greater - properties are not condos, vacant lots, exempt from paying taxes, or railroads Each property that appears after selecting this filter has either unused floor area or has zero dwelling units, or fewer dwelling units than the zoning district allows for that property. ### 8. Add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) In Chicago, the ability to add an ADU is limited to five pilot areas. Property Finder is aware of those five pilot areas and can locate properties within them. 1. Open a Place Report that represents a Place in Chicago. 2. Scroll down to the Property Finder filters and look for the "Chicago-only filters". 3. In the Chicago-only filters, look for the "Filter by ADU eligibility" heading. 4. Under the Filter by ADU eligibility heading, select either option: "Eligible for interior ADU" or "Eligible for backyard house". #### ADU filter notes Generally, backyard houses are allowed at properties with 0-4 units. Condos are excluded from this search (while condo buildings are technically eligible, the association would have to decide whether or not to add an ADU). Buildings with an unknown unit count are also excluded. The age of building is not considered in this filter (buildings must be 20+ years old to have an interior ADU). These two filters also exclude properties classified as exempt. # Related articles Refer to other Knowledge Base articles that describe other ways to find developable properties. - [Locate development sites on which to build a Standard 6-3 or Standard 8-3](/guide/standard6383) - [Find Chicago property where a specific of dwelling units can be built](/guide/desiredunits)