Today Curbed brings even more interesting news in the continuing story of the Magnificent Mile's spread south of the river, as we have yet again come across a sales brochure for another retail project planned for Michigan Avenue that is sure to raise a few eyebrows based on the design mockups. Early last year, local development firm Sterling Bay took over a property at 300 North Michigan Avenue, but has kept quiet about its plans for the space ever since. The recently leaked sales brochure reveals a new retail development for the site called 300 NMA, and the designs indicate that the whole structure will be demolished and replaced with a mixed-use tower of unknown height.
The project includes approximately 43,000 square feet of floor space made available for up to three tenants. What's perhaps most striking about the project is the complete design control over the exterior facade they appear to offer tenants, a trademark of Times Square shopping district not often seen in Chicago, even on Mag Mile. There are renders of two wildly different design configurations, one with three tenants and the other with one.
At this time we aren't entirely sure if the branding, lighting, and signage depicted would even be allowed under the downtown district's strict signage ordinances. We're also a little surprised by the sales brochure's attempt to frame this area of Michigan Ave as "Millennium Mile," as opposed to trying to attach itself with the nationally recognized Magnificent Mile, though maybe nearby retail projects will be eager to hop on board that bandwagon.
Sterling Bay has been making quite a name for itself in the West Loop, taking charge of the new Google office project and redeveloping the Harpo Studios site, among other projects in the area so it will certainly be interesting to see how its plans for the so-called Millennium Mile play out.
This post was authored by Curbed Chicago contributor Aaron Dunlap
·Render For Major Mag Mile Retail Expansion Revealed [Curbed Chicago]
·Previous Michigan Avenue coverage [Curbed Chicago]
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