In Fulton Market, developers file plans for 16- and 18-story office buildings

Already a forest of construction cranes, Chicago’s booming Fulton Market District is preparing to welcome two more big projects to its pipeline. Developers have submitted zoning applications to the Chicago City Council outlining plans for a pair of large office buildings at 1101 W. Carroll Avenue and 400 N. Aberdeen Street.

Both proposals will need city approval to move forward, but if recent history is any indication, local officials likely won’t get in the way of the area’s ongoing transformation from an industrial meatpacking district into Chicago’s hottest office and hotel hub. Here’s a quick look at what developers want to build.

1101 W. Carroll Avenue

Replacing single-story industrial building, the plan for 1101 W. Carroll Avenue would rise 18 stories or roughly 300 feet. Known as the City Technology Center, the project is a joint venture of TechNexus and Ocean Tomo and comes from local architect firm Pappageorge Haymes Partners.

The building features a mix of glass, metal, and brick facades and would include office space plus a tech incubator, a display gallery, 282 parking spaces, and a below-ground auditorium. The structure is topped by a 200-room hotel arranged in a Y-shape reminiscent of Chicago’s famous municipal device.

Although the development team presented its plans to West Loop neighbors four months ago, the recent zoning application is a clear sign that the City Technology Center is looking to move forward. Meanwhile, a group of neighbors opposing the project launched a website titled “Save Fulton.”

400 N. Aberdeen Street

A couple of blocks to the north, Dallas-based developer Trammell Crow is looking to build a 16-story office building at 400 N. Aberdeen Street. The contemporary-looking project will replace a low-rise commercial building and a vacant lot with roughly 395,000 square feet of office, 12,000 square feet of retail space, and 150 parking spots, according to the paperwork filed with the City Clerk.

The proposed development is Trammell Crow’s second foray into Chicago’s Fulton Market District. It follows in the footsteps of the company’s 14-story office building—known as the West End on Fulton—currently under construction at the corner of Fulton Market and Ogden Avenue. The design of both projects comes from Minneapolis-based ESG Architects.

Chicago City Clerk