Work to start on 47-story South Loop apartment tower

On the heels of the 56-story Essex on the Park landing permits earlier this week, Chicago’s booming South Loop is poised to add yet another new tower to its growing list of active projects. Approved by the City of Chicago in spring of 2016, a glassy 47-story high-rise proposed for the parking lot at 1326 S. Michigan Avenue has received the official go-ahead from the city and can begin work on its caisson-supported foundation system.

Designed by local firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), 1326 S. Michigan features a glassy facade with chamfered corners. The look is somewhat evocative of Norman Foster’s lantern-like Hearst Tower in New York and the "stacked frustum" geometry of Jeanne Gang’s Vista Tower under construction in Chicago’s Lakeshore East.

Unofficially known as “SoMi,” the project comes from Chicago-based Murphy Development Group and California’s CIM Group—the LA-based firm behind Chicago’s Block 37 apartment tower and new owner of Tribune Tower. When completed, the South Loop tower will deliver 500 rental units, 190 parking spaces, and new retail space along Michigan Avenue.

SCB

• New construction permit at 1326 S. Michigan Ave. [Chicago Cityscape]
• Proposed 500-unit South Loop apartment tower teams up with Block 37 developer [Curbed Chicago]