This week, a new 14-story, mixed-use development headed to the West Loop’s Fulton River District has been given the green light to begin construction. Located at 165 N. Desplaines, the project is expected to contain 199 dwelling units, ground level retail, loft-style offices, and 99 parking spaces.
Designed by Chicago’s GREC Architects, the brick, metal, and glass structure will rise to a height of approximately 150 feet and will feature a green roof and an open air pool and amenities deck on its top floor. The project comes from Portland, Oregon-based Gerding Edlen Development — the same firm behind the Jones Chicago in River North and the Xavier tower in Cabrini Green.
Despite its considerable 233,000-square-foot size, the development has managed to move forward relatively quietly as it proceeded "as-of-right" thanks to the site’s underlying DX-7 zoning. While most of the new building’s footprint replaces a former surface parking lot, a rear addition of Crane Company building located at 156 N. Jefferson also had to come down earlier this year. Dating back to 1865, the majority of the three-story, pre-Chicago Fire factory-turned-office building will be preserved and incorporated into the new development.
Construction has also seen the temporarily removal of the sculpture commemorating the infamous 1886 Haymarket Massacre which played such a pivotal role in Chicago’s organized labor movement. The bronze memorial has been appropriately relocated to Chicago’s Union Park on the Near West Side and will return once 165 N. Desplaines wraps-up construction in the second half of 2017. The statue — plus an all new pocket park — can be seen in GREC’s rendering of the ground floor.
- 165 N. Jefferson building permit [Chicago Cityscape]
- Demolition Begins on One of Chicago's Oldest Factory Buildings [Curbed Chicago]
- West Loop building sold to Oregon developer [Crain’s]
- Previous Fulton River coverage [Curbed Chicago]
- Previous West Loop coverage [Curbed Chicago]
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