Three Fulton Market office towers clear key zoning hurdle

Three large office developments in the rapidly changing Fulton Market District topped the list of projects approved at Thursday morning’s meeting of the Chicago Plan Commission.

The trio of West Loop high-rises were joined by two North Side transit-oriented apartment developments, a River North condo building, and educational projects in Englewood and Rogers.

Here’s a closer look at the developments to earn the official thumbs up:

333 N. Green & 330 N. Green

This two-building plan from Sterling Bay is slated for the former Coyne College campus. The developer picked up the Fulton Marker trade school’s main building and an adjacent parking lot in 2016 for $25 million.

The single zoning application calls for a 19-story office building at 333 N. Green designed by Gensler (pictured above right) and a 20-story office building from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP at 330 N. Green (left).

Advertising firm WPP has already signed to anchor the eastern tower at 333 N. Green Street. The developer hopes to break ground on the first phase of the project as early as this year.

Though initially listed on this month’s agenda, Sterling Bay’s zoning applications for a third, 21-story office building at 360 N. Green and a movie theater and parking garage at 345 N. Morgan have been deferred to a later date.

167 N. Green Street

Just south of Sterling Bay’s cluster of proposed buildings, Shapack Partners and Focus Development has office ambitions of its own. Modifying its previously approved plan for a smaller 14-story office structure, the developers have grown the footprint of their project and bumped the height to 17 stories.

Also designed by Gensler, the revised plan for the corner of Lake and Halsted will feature 129 interior parking spaces and a pedestrian only promenade or “mews” that runs below the building, connecting to new street-level retail.

Developer Jeff Shapack tells the Chicago Tribune that his team intends to pre-lease a portion of the space to tenants before breaking ground on the building.

Image courtesy of Pappageorge Haymes Partners

800 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Further north in Chicago’s River West neighborhood, the Plan Commission approved a seven-story, transit-oriented development for a wedge-shaped parcel at the northwest corner of Chicago and Milwaukee avenues. Designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners, the building will deliver 97 rental units, 23 parking spaces, and new retail space just steps from the CTA’s Chicago Avenue Blue Line stop.

3300 N. Clark Street

A second transit-oriented apartment plan was approved to replace the single-story Lakeview Learning Center building and parking lot at the corner of Clark and School. The curvaceous, 92-foot building includes 140 rental units, 20 parking stalls, and retail space. It comes from developer BlitzLake Partners and the designers at bKL Architecture.

365 W. Huron Street

While rental apartments have dominated Chicago’s recent building boom, the newly approved building at 365 W. Huron Street is another sign the the condo market is slowly but surely coming back to life. The River North project comes from developer Morningside and architect Pappageorge Haymes and will include 45 for-sale units and 51 parking spaces.

Paul Robeson High School

On Chicago’s South Side, a zoning change was approved for the new Paul Robeson High School in the Englewood community. The $85 million facility will consolidate students from the existing Robeson campus as well as from Harper, Hope, and TEAM Englewood high schools which have experienced declining enrollment and mounting maintenance bills.

Originally set to be closed this summer, the three schools will now be gradually phased out over a three-year period, says the Chicago Tribune. Mayor Rahm Emmanuel has touted the project as the most significant investment in Englewood by Chicago Public Schools in decades. The school is expected to welcome its first freshman-only class next year.

Loyola University Practice Facility

Finally, the Commission voted yes on a Lakefront Protection Ordinance application allowing for a three-story athletic facility for Loyola University of Chicago’s Rogers Park campus. Penned by Des Moines-based RDG Planning & Design, the project earned the full support of Alderman Joe Moore, according to a news update issued this morning by the 49th Ward.

• Fulton Market office projects top February Plan Commission agenda [Curbed Chicago]
• Chicago Plan Commission February agenda [City of Chicago]