In two weeks time, plans to redevelop the nearly 100,000-square-foot site of the former H2O Plus facility in Chicago’s booming West Loop will get their public debut. Occupying the entire city block bounded by Madison, Monroe, Peoria, and Green, the property was purchased by the John Buck Company in 2014 for $20 million.
According to a notice from the West Loop Neighborhood Organization, the latest plan is nothing short of massive: calling for 627 apartment units, 293 parking stalls, and 10,000 square feet of retail space. The two-story garage is topped with amenities and green space and will be wrapped in active use, including 15 street-facing duplex units designed to mimic townhouses and enhance the pedestrian experience.
Earlier this year, a single conceptual image of 845 W. Madison appeared John Buck Company’s website depicting a design perhaps better suited to loft style offices than luxury residences. In April, a set of updated rough renderings showing a block with four distinct towers atop a shared elevated terrace were obtained by DNAinfo. While those images show massing more conducive to a residential development, the latest design from Chicago-based GREC Architects will better reflect the West Loop’s emerging industrial-inspired aesthetic.
Though much of the site is already zoned DX-5, the development is pursuing a mandatory Planned Development (PD) due to the project’s high unit count. The team is also applying for a further 1.0 of Floor Area Ratio (FAR) via the recently-enacted Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus — similar to the up-sized Nobu Hotel planned three blocks to the north. Provided city approvals go as planned, the 845 W. Madison project will break ground in early 2017 with delivery slated for late 2018.
The public meeting, hosted by the West Loop Neighborhood Organization, will take place at the Merit School of Music’s Gottleib Hall at 38 S. Peoria Street on Wednesday, July 6th at 6:00 PM. Residents are encouraged to RSVP via email at info@westloop.org.
- H2O Site in West Loop Would Have 600 Apartments Under Developer's Plan [DNAinfo]
- Massive 550-Unit Residential and Retail Complex Planned for Chicago's West Loop [Curbed Chicago]
- Huge West Loop Complex May Sprout 500 Residential Units [Curbed Chicago]
- Buck preps residential makeover for H2O Plus building [Crain's]
- Previous West Loop Coverage [Curbed Chicago]
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