The tallest parking garage in Chicago is set to become the city's tallest self-storage facility as U-Stor-It works to reconfigure the 21-story historic Harrison Hotel Electric Garage building at 615 S. Wabash Ave. into 1,000 storage units. Built in 1930, the 243-foot concrete and brick structure was designed by Chicago architect Alfred S. Alschuler to service the adjacent Harrison Hotel (now Travelodge). Due to its slender footprint, the garage originally utilized two electric car lifts in lieu of bulky ramps — a layout that should lend itself well to self-storage conversion.
As a welcomed added cultural bonus, the developer has expressed interest in contributing to the Wabash Arts Corridor initiative and hopes to highlight the work of a prominent mural artist on the building's aesthetically stark western façade.
With interior build-out permits issued this month, U-Stor-It expects to be operational by early 2016. With hundreds of new South Loop residential units under construction and an even greater number poised to join the neighborhood in the coming years, it's no surprise that secondary businesses such as self-storage are keen to get in on the action.
·21 Story U-Stor-It Self Storage Coming to 615 S. Wabash [Sloopin]
·Building permit [Chicago Cityscape]
·Harrison Hotel Electric Garage [Emporis]
·All previous South Loop coverage [Curbed Chicago]
Loading comments...