Morris Adjmi’s Fulton Market tower gets commissioners’ OK to rise 495 feet

A lot can change in five years—especially in Chicago’s Fulton Market District. Back in 2014, area residents and community groups were up in arms over the idea of the 12-story Nobu hotel. Flash toward to today, and developers Related Midwest and Tucker Development now have the blessing from the Chicago Plan Commission to build a 43-story tower across the street at 906 W. Randolph Street.

While 500-foot buildings like 727 W. Madison are the norm along the eastern edge of the West Loop, the Randolph Street tower will still stand head and shoulders above its immediate mid-rise neighbors—even though it received a haircut from its original 570-foot height.

The project earned the Plan Commission’s approval, but it will not set a new precedent for the area, according to Chicago Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Maurice Cox, who said he would like the area to “remain at a smaller scale.”

Another noteworthy aspect of the project is its change from 300 for-sale condos to 300 rental apartments—of which 20 percent will set aside as affordable housing. On-site parking has been reduced from 300 to 75 spaces to take advantage of the development’s transit-friendly location.

One element that changed little since the proposal’s unveiling is its metal and glass design from NY-based architect Morris Adjmi, who previously collaborated with Related on the Landmark West Loop apartment development. The brawny—almost industrial—look of the Randolph Street project was inspired by Chicago’s historic bridges and L tracks, Adjmi told Curbed in a 2018 interview.

The team behind 906 W. Randolph Street aims to break ground on their new rental tower in the next year. The proposal will first need to pass the city’s Committee on Zoning and full Chicago City Council for final approvals.