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Old Town Hotel Among Projects Approved by Chicago Plan Commission

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Today’s meeting saw a variety of projects gain the commission’s approval

Despite fears from some residents that such a building would "ruin" the Old Town neighborhood, the city of Chicago’s commission has signed-off on plans from Condor Partners and Chicago Development Partners to construct a new boutique hotel at the site of O’Briens restaurant at 1528 N. Wells Street. Already once reduced in height and density, the Pappageorge Haymes-designed project looks to have received a minor haircut and re-massing since it was last shown to neighbors in January. Changes include a more narrow frontage along Wells, the removal of a decorative wrought-iron pergola, and the addition of balconies to the building’s northern facade.

C.H. Robinson’s new four-story, 207,000-square-foot riverfront office complex at 1515 N. Webster also broke cover at the City Hall meeting. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the building will house the third-party logistics company’s rapidly growing Chicago workforce as well as create new green space on the eastern bank of the Chicago River's north branch.

The meeting also presented the first decent renderings of developer John Kelly’s plan for a mixed-use project in River West. Despite an address of 768 N. Aberdeen placing the project near the intersection of Aberdeen and May, the development is actually located on the southeast corner of Aberdeen and Ogden. It will replace a surface lot with an 11-story, 175-unit structure designed by FitzGerald Associates Architects.

A 10-story, 100-unit mixed-user at Broadway and Sheridan and a lime green 134-unit transit-oriented development in Logan Square also received the nod of approval from the city panel. Meanwhile, a 24-story, 71-unit luxury condo tower slated for 300 W. Huron in River North was on the agenda but has been deferred until to next month. All approved Planned Developments will require final authorization via city council vote before moving forward in earnest.