Glassy 29-story apartment tower looks to make a splash along Printer’s Row

The redevelopment of the former Palmer Printing site in Chicago’s Printer’s Row neighborhood came into clearer focus this week at a public town hall meeting hosted by 4th Ward Alderman Sophia King.

Monday night’s presentation revealed details as well as a single rendering of a 29-story residential tower developer CMK Companies plans for 717 S. Clark Street—a site currently occupied by a low-rise commercial building and adjacent parking lot. The glassy proposal from Chicago-based Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture calls for 349 dwelling units and 96 parking spaces.

4th Ward

King’s office described the negotiations regarding the development as “still ongoing.” The project, however, could potentially move forward without a zoning change from the city given the site’s dense DX-12 zoning designation. The proposed unit count also comes in below the 350 threshold that would trigger a mandatory Planned Development (PD) application and review.

Palmer was last printing company operating out of Printer’s Row—a subarea of the South Loop that was once dominated by the industry. Over the last few decades the neighborhood became more residential as many of the old printing factories and warehouses found new life as loft condominiums. CMK scooped up the Palmer property in early last year for $14 million, reported Crain’s at the time.

CMK is one of the South Loop’s most active residential builders. The group is behind a 16-story condo development at 1345 S. Wabash, 28-story apartment tower at 1333 S. Wabash, and a pair of apartment buildings currently under construction at the corner Wabash and 14th Street. CMK is also the developer of the multiphase Riverline project, slated for the east bank of the Chicago River between Polk Street and Roosevelt Road.

• Last printer on Printers Row is moving out [Crain’s]
• Previous Printer’s Row coverage [Curbed Chicago]