12-story mixed-use development ready to rise at Halsted and Van Buren

Just a few blocks south of Greektown’s upcoming 500-foot One South Halsted skyscraper, a much shorter 12-story project is ready to kick off construction at the southeast edge of Chicago’s booming West Loop neighborhood. According to a permit issued yesterday for the address 808 W. Van Buren, the planned building would contain 148 dwelling units (undoubtedly rental apartments), ground floor retail space, and 65 parking stalls spread across its first and second floors.

Located at northwest corner of Halsted and Van Buren and across the street from the National Hellenic Museum, the project comes from Loukas Development and Chicago-based design firm bKL Architecture. The empty lot was previously home to Costa’s restaurant which was destroyed in a 2010 fire. The land has sat vacant ever since.

This mixed-use Greektown project is being built without a zoning change and is the second so-called “as of right” development to be green-lit by the City of Chicago in as many days. A 15-story rental tower for 675 N. Wells in Chicago’s River North neighborhood was issued its permit just one day prior.

Google Street View

• Construction permit at 808 W. Van Buren [Chicago Cityscape]
• New development could replace vacant Greektown lot [Curbed Chicago]