800-foot office tower among projects headed to Chicago Plan Commission meeting in March

After approving a redesigned Wicker Park hotel and apartments developments in River West and Lakeview less than two weeks ago, the city of Chicago has released the agenda for the next meeting of the Plan Commission. The projects featured in this month’s line-up are all fairly modest in size with one notable exception—a striking 800-foot skyscraper along the Chicago River. Here’s a brief run-down of the developments expected to seek approval on March 16th.

110 North Wacker

Jay Koziarz/Curbed Chicago

↑ A plan from Dallas-based Howard Hughes Company and Chicago’s Riverside Investment and Development to replace the low-slung General Growth Building at 110 N. Wacker with a new office tower is easily the most high profile project going before the Chicago Plan Commission in March. The proposed 52-story, 800-foot downtown office building designed by Goettsch Partners will feature ground floor retail, a public river walk, and parking for 87 vehicles—down from the 150 spaces that were presented in January.

The site is currently zoned DC-16 Downtown Core district—one of the city’s most dense designations—with a base floor area ratio (FAR) of 16. Hughes and Riverside are looking to essentially double the parcel’s density by seeking a floor area bonus of 17.81 for a total FAR of 33.81. If approved, the increase would be accompanied by a sizable payment into the mayor’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund.

Broadway & Wilson

46th Ward

↑ A proposed nine-story transit-oriented development (TOD) slated to replace a single-story retail complex at the northeast corner of Broadway and Wilson is going before the city to rezone the Uptown site from B3-2 Community Shopping to B3-5. Designed by MX3 Architects, the project was recently re-presented to neighbors with an updated exterior meant to better echo the newly-created Uptown Square Historical District.

The 103-foot-tall building will feature 197 rental units plus roughly 11,500 square feet of ground floor retail. Meanwhile, the amount of proposed parking has increased slightly from 41 to 44 spaces.

Green & 64th

City of Chicago

↑ On the heels of the city of Chicago approving the sale of a city-owned parcel in the Englewood community, the plan to build a new affordable-rate senior housing development at Green and 64th streets will head to the CPC seeking the requisite zoning relief to build such a multi-family project. Known as Montclare Senior Residences of Englewood, the seven-story structure will contain 102 dwelling units for 55-and-over residents plus 66 parking spaces.

5150 North Northwest Highway

↑ LSC Development will seek zoning for a five-story storage facility in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood. This particular parcel is expected to be developed in two phases. While the March Plan Commission meeting will only focus on the storage facility slated for “sub area A,” a future plan to construct 100 new apartments with an affordable-rate component in “sub area B” is in discussion and has already proved controversial among some area residents.

Washtenaw & 17th

Google Street View

↑ Lagunitas Brewing Company will apply for permission to grow its existing Douglas Park facility. Currently part of Planned Manufacturing District (PMA), the site in question will require a zoning tweak to M2-3 Light Industry to accommodate the proposed changes which include expanded bottling and storage capabilities as well as the construction of a new rooftop deck and bar.

7101 West 64th Street

↑ Listed on last month’s agenda but apparently deferred, a plan to build a three-story replacement for the John C. Dore Elementary School in Chicago’s West Clearing neighborhood is expected to appear before the Commission in March. The new facility is slated for 7101-47 W. 64th Place and is expected to relieve the overcrowding issues currently facing Dore Elementary.

• Chicago Plan Commission March agenda [City of Chicago]
• 800-foot riverfront tower proposed to replace Chicago’s old General Growth Building [Curbed Chicago]