A controversial nine-story condo project for 111-119 South Peoria Street in the West Loop is on the path towards final approval after a unanimous favorable vote from the Chicago Plan Commission yesterday afternoon. The initial proposal started as a 13-story rental building with 144 parking spaces and 205 apartments, some of which were intended to be micro units in the 300 square foot range. After a round of community meetings, LG Development modified the project in a number of ways, including the programing switch from rental to condo. The unit count was also lowered to 95 and then decreased once again to its final total of 79 units. In order to appease the concerns over height, the developer also lowered the floor count from 13 stories to nine stories plus a setback 10th floor penthouse. Setbacks between the proposed building’s footprint and the property lines also increased as well.
The 27,740-square-foot site is currently a surface parking lot that stretches through the block between Peoria Street on the west to Green Street on the east. While located well within the Central Area of Chicago boundaries (the official designation of downtown) and a mere six blocks from the Willis (Sears) Tower, the site has a lower zoning classification of DS-3, a holdover from the neighborhood's industrial past. The DS designation is for downtown service districts, areas surrounding the Loop which have an industrial legacy and may still serve as the ‘back kitchen’ operation of the greater downtown.
The proposed condo mix is weighted to larger unit sizes, averaging 1,984 square feet each with a overall breakdown of 12 one-bedroom units, 21 two-bedroom units, 31 three-bedroom units and 15 four-bedroom units. The building will also have 94 parking spaces, 41 of which would be at ground level. Thirteen of the ground level spaces are to be accessed directly from an exterior driveway running along the north side of the property through the block between Peoria and Green Streets. The driveway will be 22 feet wide, over which the residential floors above will cantilever 10 feet for the length of the structure.
The lobby would front onto Peoria Street, as would a ground level bike storage room. The facade has also since changed from a brick exterior to a more modern aesthetic with a design featuring a mix of concrete and metal panels.
The project now moves on towards a full city council vote for a official approval of the proposed planned development.
·Developer Ditches Apartment Plan, Tries Condos for West Loop [Curbed Chicago]
·Developer Weighs in on Proposed West Loop Apartment Project [Curbed Chicago]
·Developer's Apartment Plan Faces Tough West Loop Resistance [Curbed Chicago]
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