We've been pretty open about our feelings on surface parking lots, so it's heartening to hear of progress for long-simmering plan to transform a downtown lot 130 N Franklin into a shiny new commercial space. The Chicago Architecture Blog reports that a proposal for an angular glass skyscraper in the western part of the Loop will soon get a public hearing. Residents can weigh in on the Tishman-Speyer project during a 6 p.m. meeting on April 20th at The Franklin, on 227 West Monroe Street. We called Tishman-Speyer looking for additional details, but outside of offering a vague 2018/early 2019 completion date, we weren't able to obtain any more information.
CAB also notes that a few minor modification to the Kreuck+Sexton-designed tower have been made since the building last made news in January. It's now 51 stories, not 48, and 10 parking spaces have been removed from the final tally. Those may be cosmetic changes in the long run, as Tishman-Speyer seems to be saying all the right (trendy) things as far as commercial real estate goes, dropping phrases such as "column-free floor plate" in the description. While the project isn't exactly the West Loop, the proposed building's location certainly makes it quite competitive.
·130 North Franklin Officially a Thing [The Chicago Architecture Blog]
·Tishman Speyer's Loop Office Tower Inching Toward Reality [Curbed Chicago]
·Previous Loop coverage [Curbed Chicago]
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