20-story Fulton Market high-rise proposal shrinks by two stories

A high-rise rental tower proposed to replace the Fabbri Sausage plant in Chicago’s Fulton Market District won’t be quite as tall as originally revealed. According to a zoning application submitted to the City of Chicago, the building planned for 166 N. Aberdeen has knocked two floors off the previous 20-story design presented last month to less than enthusiastic West Loop neighbors. At the time, MCZ Development had yet to formally file its paperwork with the city.

Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Other apparent changes include a reduction in ground floor commercial space from 5,000 to 3,900 square feet and a slight cut in garage spaces from 84 to 80. Unit count, however, has been reduced by just a single apartment and now stands at 235. This could mean that the average size of the dwellings has come down or that the overall unit mix now skews more heavily towards studios and one-bedrooms.

It’s unclear if the look of the Solomon Cordwell Buenz-designed project has evolved much. The paperwork did not include detailed elevation drawings that would show any such aesthetic tweaks. The description mentions a masonry base topped by a tower of glass and steel which is at least consistent with what was presented in April. According to a rough stacking diagram, the landscaped “sky lounge” on the 13th floor is still included as part of the revised 18-story design.

As far as the development timeline, the project still needs the blessing of Ald. Walter Burnett Jr (27th), the Chicago Plan Commission, and City Council before its Planned Development (PD) can take effect. Meanwhile, the Fabbri Sausage Company has four years left on its current lease. MCZ did not rule out the possibility of buying-out the food supplier before then. The team provided an estimated construction timeline of a roughly 18 months from permits to occupancy.

• 20-story Fulton Market apartment high-rise gets public debut [Curbed Chicago]
• West Loop archive [Curbed Chicago]