18-story West Loop apartment tower among projects approved by Chicago Plan Commission

Today’s meeting of the Chicago Plan Commission approved a diverse selection of new private and public developments. Though zoning changes and Planned Development (PD) applications must still pass the Zoning Board and full Chicago City Council to take affect, the Plan Commission nod is an important hurdle for new proposals.

Here’s a look at some of the measures approved:

↑845 W. Adams

Arguably the most controversial item on this month’s agenda, this 18-story development proposed for the southeast corner of Adams and Peoria rubbed a number of West Loop neighbors the wrong way for being too tall and “out of character” with its surroundings. Two neighborhood groups stood in formal opposition to the project, reported DNAinfo. Opponents to the plan were particularly frustrated considering that their previous rejection of an earlier 17-story version of the project went ignored and the project grew an additional floor.

Developed by Crayton Advisors and White Oak Realty Partners and designed by FitzGerald Associates Architects, the high-rise would contain 289 dwellings, ground floor retail, and 172 parking spaces. The development team will pay $2.15 million to Chicago’s Neighborhood Opportunity bonus system for additional density allowances and offer seven affordable units on site. An additional $3.67 million payment will be made to the affordable housing fund.

↑SCIO at The Medical District

A glassy 19-story mixed-use tower at the corner of Ashland and Taylor in Chicago’s Little Italy/Illinois Medical District neighborhood also got the nod today. Designed by bKL Architecture, the building would replace a two-story parking deck with 254 new rental units, parking for 245 vehicles, and new retail space. Six affordable units will be provided on site with the developer paying $2.37 million into the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund.

Dubbed ‘SCIO at The Medical District,’ the $90 million project will connect to the existing 1970’s era Medical District Apartments that are currently being rehabbed by a joint venture comprising of Guggenheim Partners, Atlantic Realty Partners, and Focus Development. A future phase will likely call for a second, similarly-sized tower at the opposite end of the site.

↑Reed Dunning School

The Commission approved a zoning measure to clear a path for a new high for Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood. Slated for 4201 N. Oak Park Avenue in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood, the project calls for a 55-foot-tall, three-story academic building as well as an adjacent athletic field and a 65-car parking lot. It is designed by STL Architects.

↑New Fleet and Facility Management HQ

After selling its old North Branch maintenance facility to developer Sterling Bay for $105 million to help fund a new police and fire training center in West Garfield Park, the City of Chicago is preparing to construct a new Fleet and Facility Management (2FM) headquarters in Englewood. Slated for the corner of Wentworth Avenue and 69th Street, the single-story, 180,000-square-foot structure will include offices, repair shops, and garages for the City’s fleet vehicles.

↑Belmont and Karlov

The Commission also OK’d a new townhouse development at the edge of Chicago’s Logan Square, Avondale, and Belmont Gardens neighborhood. Proposed for a lot just west of the St. Joseph Village of Chicago at the corner of Belmont and Karlov, the plan calls for three buildings containing a total of 22 townhome units and 44 parking spaces. The development comes from ILM Homes and design architect Pappageorge Haymes.

• Another West Loop apartment tower heads to the Chicago Plan Commission for approval [Curbed Chicago]
• October Plan Commission agenda [City of Chicago]