River North’s ‘Gallery on Wells’ rental tower eyes summer opening

The 39-story building will feature 442 units, 131 parking spaces, and one of downtown’s largest amenity decks

By Jay Koziarz May 5, 2017, 1:28pm CDT

Joining its already open River North sibling Exhibit on Superior, the recently topped-out 39-story rental tower at 167 W. Erie Street is ready to start signing leases ahead of an anticipated summer opening. Known by the name ‘Gallery on Wells’ (despite the Erie Street address), the new high-rise comes from Magellan Development Group and MAC Management and will offer a 442-unit mix of studios, convertibles, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments.

Replacing the low-rise Planet Hollywood/Gino's East building, the brick and glass design from Loewenberg Architects brings a warehouse-inspired—almost West Loopish—aesthetic to River North’s overwhelmingly beige and white skyline. The tower’s base does a decent job of concealing its 131-stall parking garage and will feature new retail offerings including a Dollop Coffee in a space adjacent to the building’s residential lobby.

No new downtown apartment building worth its salt would be complete without extensive amenities and Gallery on Wells features a large deck occupying nearly the entire roof of the adjacent office building at 640 N. LaSalle. Known by many Chicagoans for years as the “Effen Vodka” building, the existing structure recently removed the long-time alcohol advertisement from its parapet. Residents will access the space and its pool, fitness center, and dog run via a catwalk suspended over the alleyway.