While developer Sterling Bay publicly unveiled its plans to replace the shuttered Harpo Studios in the West Loop with a brand new McDonald’s corporate headquarters just two weeks ago, the proposal — along with a trio of new downtown hotels — is headed to the July meeting of city’s Plan Commission for approval. Here’s a quick look at the larger projects that will be heard and voted upon later this month.
110 N. Carpenter Street
↑ Last month when addressing West Loop residents at the community meeting for 110 N. Carpenter, Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. explained that "some developments in our ward are about our community and our neighborhood, and some developments are about the City of Chicago." With McDonald’s new Fulton Market home apparently on the fast track to city approval, it’s obvious into which category the new corporate campus falls. The 600,000-square-foot, Gensler-designed office building will rise to a height of 150 feet and will feature ground floor retail space and 300 below grade parking stalls.
330 N. Clark Street
↑ This glassy 31-story mixed-use addition to the landmarked Reid Murdoch Center on the north bank of the Chicago River will feature office space, ground floor retail, and 500 hotel rooms. Developed by Albert Friedman and designed by HKS, the project contains no on-site parking and will handle all loading on a new one-way driveway to be built over the Lower Carroll Avenue right-of-way, connecting Clark and LaSalle. A previous River North hotel project from Friedman at Rush and Superior died before making it to the Plan Commission, so things are looking a bit more encouraging for the developer this time around.
430-438 N. LaSalle Street
↑ Slated to replace the parking lot at the northwest corner of Hubbard and Illinois, this glassy, 230-foot-tall limited service hotel will contain 198 hotel keys. Developed by Michigan-based Porritt Group and designed by Saroki Architecture, the River North project will contain ground floor restaurant space, a rooftop lounge, and no on-site parking. While a hospitality partner has yet to be announced, a four-and-half-star flag is expected to operate the new hotel.
168. N. Michigan Avenue
↑ Though a prior plan to restore the 12-story 1916 Atlantic Bank Building into a boutique hotel stalled midstream, the site at 168 N. Michigan is now moving forward under control of LondonHouse developer Oxford Capital. In addition to rehabilitating the historic terra cotta-clad building, the group seeks approval to construct a modern five-story rooftop addition designed by Hirsch Associates. The finished hotel will deliver 210 guest rooms just steps from Millennium Park and Mag Mile.
Also on this month’s agenda is a five-story, 61-unit residential building proposed for 2050 N. Clark in Lincoln Park and the 24-story, 71-unit condo tower at 300 W. Huron which was deferred at June’s meeting.
Scheduled to take place on July 21st at 10:00 AM in the second-floor city council chambers at City Hall, Plan Commission is open to the public and provides an opportunity for private individuals to speak in favor or against any given project. Approval by the Plan Commission is requisite for all Planned Developments before heading to the Zoning Board and ultimately the full Chicago City Council for the final go-ahead.
- July Plan Commission Legal Notice [City of Chicago]
- Old Town Hotel, River North Condos Top June Plan Commission Agenda [Curbed Chicago]
- Redesigned South Loop Tower Among Projects Approved by Plan Commission [Curbed Chicago]
- Chicago Skyline Set for Change as Plan Commission Approves Big Projects [Curbed Chicago]
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