The approved Parcel O tower at Lakeshore East breaks into the top 10 of our Chicago’s tallest development countdown. Located at 195 N Columbus Drive, the site within the larger megadevelopment is currently a vacant lot. Studio Gang’s Aqua Tower neighbors the property to the north while the Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower by Goettsch Partners stands just to the south. Magellan Development Group is in charge of the project.
Parcel O at Lakeshore East. Rendering by bKL Architecture
Designed by bKL Architecture, the development will rise 610 feet. The 50-story project will contain 640 dwellings, 570 hotel rooms, 191 parking spaces, and 14,000 square feet of retail space. The structure will be topped with a green roof spanning approximately 70 percent of the total roof area, with the overall tower targeting a LEED Silver designation.
View of Parcel O at Lakeshore East. Rendering by bKL Architecture
The tower has a slim, modular appearance which breaks up the massing. Composed of what appears to be four stacked boxes on a long rectangular podium, the edifice matches the surrounding contemporary design of buildings.
Parcel O Site at 193 N Columbus Drive. Image by Jack Crawford
CTA access is extensive nearby. The Washington/Wabash CTA L station, serviced by the Brown, Orange, Green, Pink, and Purple Lines, is an eight-minute walk from the site. The Lake CTA L station, serviced by the Red Line, can be reached via a nine-minute walk. The 4 CTA bus route passes directly adjacent to the site, accessed at the Columbus and Randolph stop. Multiple CTA buses are accessible at the Michigan and Lake/Randolph stop, including Routes 3, 4, 26, 66, 124, 143, 147, 151, and 157.
The tower was originally approved back in October 2018 by the Chicago Plan Commission. Magellan originally planned to break ground shortly after approval, yet the site sits empty. No updated timeline has been announced for the project.
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I like how they’ve broken the massing up on this one. And I’m surprised at the somewhat low amount of parking given the amount of units and the hotel.
Does anyone happen to know how many people live in the Lakeshore East neighborhood?
Not a fan of this one… looks jumbled together like someone copy and pasted 4 generic office buildings + a podium and didn’t even line them up. I realize that is “the look,” but it’s comes off as a cheap excuse for design. Something dark and industrial like the Morris Adjmi proposal in West Loop would look great here.
Hi Michael, there is an article from earlier this spring that mentions 13,887 people living in Lakeshore East’s 60601 zip code
https://www.hotspotrentals.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-chicagos-lakeshore-east-neighborhood/
610 feet tall and its the small kid on the block. Unreal.