Another Huge Development Plan Revealed: The 78 in the South Loop
Can you keep track of all the huge development announcements?
The latest is currently being called “The 78” after the 78th community the developer believes they will create (Chicago has 77 community designations) on a 62-acre piece of property in the South Loop along the Chicago River.
This is yet another location that was pitched to Amazon for its HQ2.
It will be a mix of commercial and residential space with a big river walk and a hotel.
From the Tribune:
The planned development, submitted to the city on Wednesday and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, would keep low-rise office and residential buildings closest to the river.
Low buildings with ultrawide floors, which Bailey describes as “sidescrapers,” would include open portions providing views of, and walkways to, the river. Retail, primarily restaurants, would occupy the ground floor of four wide buildings along the 5-acre riverwalk.
Farther east, multiple towers up to 950 feet tall would surround a 7-acre park curving along the path where the river ran until it was straightened to accommodate barge traffic in the 1920s.
Because Roosevelt Road is elevated above the north end of the site, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP’s design is for the site to slope gradually from north to south. A parking structure would connect the upper and lower levels at the north end of the site.
From the Sun Times:
Bailey said the first phase of the project would be an extension of Wells Street south, with construction beginning this summer. Construction on the other elements of the project are slated to start in 2019.
Phil Enquist, the lead designer and a partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, called the project a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity that would feature several acres of green space — including a park that would outline the former curvature of the Chicago River before it was straightened nearly 100 years ago.
Bailey said there was no timetable in place yet for the entire development to be completed, but he said it would be “a long time to reach fruition.”
He also did not have specifics on how many buildings the project would include, or a breakdown of commercial and residential space.
It seems like a lot is on hold, possibly waiting for Amazon to make a decision.
This is another project that could be transformational for the city.
Related has a track record of completing its projects in Chicago.
Will this finally get built?
And if it does, will this push the South Loop into the first tier of GreenZone neighborhoods?
See a lot of pictures and videos from Related on what it might all look like in the following articles:
Developers unveil proposal for new neighborhood on South Loop site [Chicago Sun Times, by Sam Charles and Rachel Hinton, May 10, 2018]
No small plans for 62-acre South Loop site along the Chicago River [Chicago Tribune, by Ryan Ori, May 10, 2018]
Something will be build but odds are that it will be something completely different.
Related also has the Spire site
I LIKE SPRITE!
I saw this yesterday, and was confused – weren’t plans already released for this site? Or was that further south?
Something will be build but odds are that it will be something completely different.
My money is on townhouses that wouldn’t look out of place in Palatine.
“weren’t plans already released for this site? Or was that further south?”
Further *north*, right? between Harrison and Roosevelt? This is south from Roosevelt to 18th.
The big thing here is that Related appears to have said that nothing happens until they have an office tenant–and it’s unlikely that they are signing anyone until Amazon makes a decision.
It will be a “new community” in the same sense that the New East Side is a community. That’s real estate community, not a Chicago community.
From my office high in the Sears Tower I have an excellent view of this site. It’s such a wasted opportunity of prime land, so I hope a project eventually gets built. I like the look of the plans, but the economy is going to have to keep rolling along to make this happen.
What’s very interesting, and quite noticeable from my office, is that the former curve of the river, which was corrected nearly 100 years ago, is still evident from the way the railroad tracks curve slightly to the east at that point. They were almost certainly laid out prior to 1920 and follow what used to be the curve of the river. Maybe only of interest to history buffs, but it’s something I get a kick out of.
“What’s very interesting, and quite noticeable from my office, is that the former curve of the river, which was corrected nearly 100 years ago, is still evident from the way the railroad tracks curve slightly to the east at that point.”
They apparently noticed it too as they’re going to put a park where the natural curve used to be.
“I saw this yesterday, and was confused – weren’t plans already released for this site? Or was that further south?”
There are multiple developments being proposed now.
The old steel site up in Lincoln Park, the Riverline site (south of Harrison and north of Roosevelt) along the river where they are already building, the old Chicago Tribune printing plant site (north branch of the River across from Groupon headquarters building), and now this one.
Tons of building everywhere.
Unprecedented, really.
“Tons of building everywhere.”
Which means we are probably on the precipice of another big recession, and we will be saying “Whatever happened to ‘The 78’?” 15 years from now, like we say “Whatever happened to the Spire?” today.