The city’s planning agency Thursday approved a 15-story office building in the West Loop and three residential or hotel projects on the North Side, a sign developers continue to bet on expanding demand despite the pandemic-related pause in many deals.
The Chicago Plan Commission endorsed a 15-story office building planned for 609 W. Randolph St., where it will replace a small lot used for parking.
The architecture by Antunovich Associates picks up design cues from older buildings in the area. The developers, a partnership based in New Jersey, plan to preserve a building at 601 W. Randolph St.
An attorney for the developers said the $25 million project will support 250 construction jobs and a contribution of about $1 million into the city’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, which supports commercial improvements on the South and West sides.
The vote sends the matter to the full City Council for a committee hearing and final action.
The commission also approved:
• A seven-story, 79-unit residential or hotel building at 1623 N. Halsted St. The property is near the Brown Line and across the street from Steppenwolf Theatre and now has four two- to three-story buildings. The approval came despite neighbors’ complaints a hotel would create too much congestion.
The project’s backer, James Letchinger, CEO of JDL Development, said the building is likely to be residential, with a hotel unlikely due to market conditions. Letchinger said he wanted flexibility in the zoning to include rooms for long-term stays. “We did want it there in case it became available in the future,” he said.
• A nine-story building at 862 N. Orleans St. proposed by Praia Management Group that calls for 66 hotel rooms. The site is an empty lot.
• A five-story, 78-unit courtyard-style residential building on an open site at 5440 N. Sheridan Road. The developer is an affiliate of Cedar St. Cos.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/21961712/1623_N._Halsted.jpg)
