Construction has been completed on the renovation of 150 apartments at Prairie Shores at 2801-3001 S Martin Luther King Drive. Located on a 20-acre site in Bronzeville, the five-tower complex spans from E 28th Street to E 31st Street. Developed from 1957 to 1961, the project was purchased in 2019 by developers Golub & Company and Farpoint Development.
Newly-Renovated Interior at Prairie Shores Apartments. Image by Farpoint Development
With a total of 1,675 residential units, Prairie Shores is undergoing a multi-phased renovation. Designed by Kaufman & O’Neil, the units will feature a more open floor plan and updated interiors. The scope of work includes the installation of new appliances, countertops, plank flooring, plumbing, fixtures and lighting, plus electrical system upgrades, and painting. Building corridors will also receive new finishes.
The team began staggered renovations of the studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments at Prairie Shores in the fall of 2020. With units being renovated in phases, the community could maintain its high occupancy levels and minimize disruption for current residents.
Newly-Renovated Kitchen at Prairie Shores Apartments. Image by Farpoint Development
Working in occupied buildings, the construction team is sharing loading docks, elevators and building access points for construction activities with tenants, as well as building services such as trash removal.
McHugh Construction and Crea Construction are the general contractors working on this project.
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I hate these buildings with a burning passion. They’re so dull, 1 after another taking up a big stretch of land near lake shore. I wish they’d be torn down and replaced with something that has even .01% more flare than this and incorporates park land more seamlessly.
Then again I have a feeling these add affordable housing to the city so that will never happen…which is pretty fair too.
Although buildings like this are ugly they undeniably provide a feel and scale that puts Chicago a tier above every U.S. city outside of New York. I wish we had hundreds more of similar scale in our outer neighborhoods. If all the former high-rise projects could have been saved and renovated with mid-rises added to them to provide density Chicago would feel absolutely massive and a lot more urban.
I don’t mind these towers as they add a lot of density and market-rate affordable housing (maybe not as affordable though with the renovations?). They were built at a different time when traditional urban development was rejected, seen as outdated and undesirable. But hopefully if the Michael Reese project sparks growth in the area, these towers could eventually be lined with town-houses and mixed-use low rises along the property border and the apartments in the middle can help support the additional retail.