Harper Court Redevelopment Begins to Transform 53rd Street

Phase one construction of Hyde Park's Harper Court redevelopment is in full swing, so when we found ourselves in the area recently we simply had to get some pics. The first phase involves construction of the 150,000-square-foot University of Chicago-anchored office building at 53rd and Lake Park. L.A. Fitness is the other major confirmed tenant. As you can clearly see from our photos, there's still much to be done. But things are progressing with certainty and verticality. An entire square block is dug up and the foundation laid. The first floor of the office building has risen and the remained should climb quickly. Designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architects, the 12-story glass box has, to the best of our knowledge, only been rendered at dusk— a demo for lighting and transparency. But we wonder if it'll have the same appeal in the full light of day. Soon to follow at the 3.3-acre site— Hyatt Place at Harper Court, a 130-room hotel set to open in 2013, more retail space, and an undetermined number of residential units.
·Official Site: Harper Court
·Complete Harper Court Coverage [Curbed Chicago]