New developments slated for South Loop, Near South
By Marie Balice Ward
Real estate and development continue to be hot issues in the South Loop/Near South area, with a variety of developments planned or underway.
Commercial and retail space for Wabash
Ave. At 1639 S. Wabash Ave., developer 1639 S. Wabash LLC is building a
single story structure with 5,000 square feet of retail and commercial
space. Also, 1717 S. Wabash, LLC is creating an 11,000 square foot retail
and commercial building at 1717 S. Wabash Ave. Negotiations with potential
tenants are underway, and the architectural firm for both projects is
Graystar Corp.
South Wall, Central Station. Attendees at a South Loop community meeting recently heard plans for two new highrise condominium buildings at Central Station as part of the Grant Park South Wall. “The majority of the audience was very supportive of the designs and project,” said Central Station attorney Jack George. “There was some concern about traffic flow, but there is no opposition to the project.”
Attendees raised numerous issues about traffic as well as access because of nearby railroad tracks. Several community meetings already have been held on the project; more may be scheduled.
The South Wall will consist of four towers: the 65-story One Museum Park East, currently under construction at Columbus Dr. and Roosevelt Rd. and slated for 2008 occupancy; One Museum Park West, an approximately 54-story project that has broken ground at Indiana Ave. and Roosevelt Rd.; Grant Park Tower 3, a 73-story building planned for Columbus Dr. and Indiana Ave.; and Grant Park Tower 4 at Columbus Dr. and Indiana Ave., still in the design stage and projected to be about 83 stories tall. The latter two projects will start construction next year.
The City required that the buildings be different heights. At the meeting, the developer presented plans to add ten stories to one of the buildings. “The Grant Park Advisory Council and Grant Park Conservancy not only support this increase in height to make the building taller and thinner but have advocated for it for a long time, and the City has asked for it also,” Bob O’Neill, GPC/GPAC president.
“These buildings have been
designed in varying heights as tall, thin, green buildings, to let more
light in between them,” he added. “They are LEED [Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design] certified. They have been designed to complement the
skyline and provide symmetry for Grant Park, anchoring the southern edge of
the park.”
Eco18, 1818 S. Wabash Ave. A 12-story condominium building with 9,000 to 10,000 square feet of retail space, Eco18 is the first structure to qualify for tier three status in the Green Permit Program, part of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s incentive to make Chicago the greenest city in America.
Jason Dwyer, senior property manager for the building’s designer, Wight & Company, said, “As a condominium building, Eco18 is one of the greenest projects in the country, and certainly within the Chicago area.”
Dynaprop Development Corp. is constructing the 185,000 square foot building, which will feature a 12,000 square foot garden on the fourth floor. Other environmentally friendly features are an on-site renewable energy system powered by a rooftop solar thermal collector array for heating water that will produce nearly half of the building’s yearly domestic water heating load; water source heat-pumps for about 75% of the building’s heating and cooling; and plumbing and clothes washing appliances that reduce water consumption. Prices start at about $250,000 for one-bedroom, one-bath units and rise to about $625,000 for two-bedroom plus den and two baths. Several already have been sold. Construction will finish in early 2009.
The Interior Furniture Building. This future condominium building’s façade at 1340 S. Michigan Ave. received landmark status, but the interior is being redesigned and reconfigured. Concept Developers also will make some external changes to the north and south walls and has asked to add two stories to create nine levels and 53 one- and two-bedroom loft condominiums. Other design changes also are planned.
3415 S. Calumet Ave. The City of Chicago’s Department of General Services bought this property adjacent to a fire station for $182,000 to expand the fire department facility and for a parking lot. Second Ward Alderman Robert Fioretti said his approval was "contingent on the parking lot being developed to blend into the community…preferably an environmentally friendly parking lot with ‘green' technology.” The City of Chicago has approved the project and groundbreaking is imminent.
