West Loop buildings to bite the dust, 32-story apartment tower not far behind?

AJ LaTrace

A pair of older commercial buildings slotted between Van Buren Street and the Eisenhower Expressway are going away. Yesterday, demolition permits were issued by the City of Chicago to Ohio-based developer Pizutti Companies for both the properties at 1061 and 1107 W. Van Buren Street. Though it has been over three years since Pizutti presented its plan to build a glassy, 32-story tower at this location, this week’s permits are a solid sign that the project is still alive.

Designed by Miami architecture firm Arquitectonica, the Pizutti project is clad primarily in glass and metal and stands on a large podium. The design breaks up the facade of the boxy tower with a zig-zag pattern of inset balconies—giving the building the appearance of two Tetris pieces about to lock together.

While the 2014 plan called for 402 rental apartments, 236 parking spaces, and 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, a check of the project’s most recent Planned Development (PD) document pegs unit count at 298 and parking stalls at 140. The project would also close-off a short stretch of Aberdeen Street between Van Buren and Tilden streets.

The transit-oriented proposal for 1061-1107 W. Van Buren Street is a short walk from the Racine Blue Line stop and has easy access to the highway for tenants opting to drive. The project is just west of the similarly sized and soon to open Landmark West Loop tower designed by New York architect Morris Adjmi. The two towers would be slightly staggered as to not completely obstruct their respective north-south views.

AJ LaTrace

• Demolition permit at 1061 W. Van Buren [Chicago Cityscape]
• Demolition permit at 1107 W. Van Buren Chicago Cityscape]
• Near West Side To Get A Big Glassy, Boxy Residential Tower [Curbed Chicago]
• West Loop archives [Curbed Chicago]