The largest development project in Niles is transforming what was once a mecca for Chicago’s Polish community into hundreds of new units of housing.
Village officials said the Riverbank, a 10-building residential project at the former White Eagle Events and Convention Center, is expected to finish December 2027.
The White Eagle — which cost $250,000 to demolish — was a staple among Polish families for funeral receptions, baptisms and other gatherings. The venue, 6839 N. Milwaukee Ave., hosted dignitaries spanning from former President Jimmy Carter to Pope John Paul II and Muhammad Ali. Poland’s former President Lech Wałęsa also visited the White Eagle. It was also located across from St. Adalbert Cemetery, a Catholic — and largely Polish — burial site.
Once the $156 million Riverbank project is complete, Niles officials said the gateway will be revitalized with art, much-needed housing and public green space.
“What you’re going to see along Milwaukee Avenue is transformation,” Chris Ragusto, Niles’ director of community development, said.
Developing the Riverbank is Noah Properties, led by Bart Przyjemski. Przyjemski is a native of Poland and a former Niles resident. He purchased the site in December 2025 for $5.7 million, with a $3.9 million mortgage from California-based Genesis Capital, property records show.
The Riverbank will have 354 luxury units including studios, one-, two- and four-bedroom homes. Pricing hasn’t been determined. The site, spanning 7 acres, will also have a new park, public plaza, pool, playground and parking.
Construction has been ongoing for the past six months, according to village officials. In July, developers hit a major milestone: framing for the six rows of townhomes was completed. Some of the first townhomes have their windows installed, with interior finishes underway. By the end of August, crews will begin installing drywall, tile and flooring in some of the first units.
Steel framing is going up on one the apartment buildings, while a second apartment building has its foundation for the attached parking garage poured.
And where the White Eagle used to sit is a giant excavated hole, at least until construction starts at that portion of the site. The developer is still waiting on permit approvals for buildings planned at the front of the property. The medical building at 6759 N. Milwaukee has been vacated, and it will eventually be demolished.
Niles Mayor George Alpogianis said the Riverbank will help usher in the next chapter for the site. The apartments and townhomes will attract young professionals and families, who may not be ready or have the money to buy a home yet, but still want to be in Niles for its location, schools and public libraries, he said.
There’s great demand for high-end luxury rental units in Niles, Alpogianis said. For example, Novu, a new luxury 180-unit apartment at 6633 N. Milwaukee that was developed by Noah Properties, is 80% leased. And the luxury apartment building The Grand Stone, 9201 N. Milwaukee, leased all its 48 units in one month, according to Ragusto.
The White Eagle closed at the end of 2025. Ted Przybylo opened the business in 1947 and moved it from Chicago to Niles in 1967.
The White Eagle’s nearly 60-year run was “so monumental” for Niles and those who frequented it, including much of Chicago’s Democratic Party, Alpogianis said. But there’s no longer a need for a roughly 1,000-seat banquet hall like the White Eagle.
“As much as we worked with [the owners] to try and figure things out and try to reimagine the White Eagle, it unfortunately had its day,” Alpogianis said.
The White Eagle site is one the village “wanted to pay particular attention to,” Ragusto said.
Niles’ South Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Plan calls for widening Milwaukee Avenue, which Noah Properties will undertake along with new landscaping and an art plaza. And the Niles 2040 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2024, calls for more places for residents. The 2040 plan also envisions Milwaukee Avenue as a place where residents can live, work, shop and play.
Remembering the history of the White Eagle is important as the Milwaukee Avenue parcel evolves, officials said.
The Niles Historical Society took a “number of items” from the banquet hall prior to demolition, Katie Schneider, deputy village manager of Niles, said. The items will likely be housed at The Niles Historical and Cultural Center, where they will help tell the story of Polish immigrants in the village. But it’s possible they’re repurposed on the property, along with stained glass and original cladding from the former Silver Leaf Tavern that once stood on the site.
“The Polish community has just been such a part of our history, and that’s a large part because of the White Eagle,” Schneider said. “The bread-and-butter of Niles is our small businesses and people that come here to build and truly live the American dream. And they have family-owned businesses — that’s what the White Eagle really was.”