Plans for the redevelopment of the parking lots around the United Center, dubbed The 1901 Project, will be moving forward as they are set to be reviewed by the Plan Commission this January. Led by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, owners of the Bulls and Blackhawks respectively, the project comes at a time when other teams in the city are seeking relocation.
Rendering of 1901 Project by RIOS
Rendering of 1901 Project by RIOS
This past September we took a deep dive into the latest plans for the megadevelopment, which is not requesting any public funds unlike the Bears and White Sox plans. Costing around $7 billion, the completed complex will redevelop 55 acres of land in the Near West Side, built in multiple phases.
Rendering of 1901 Project by RIOS
Rendering of 1901 Project by RIOS
Designed by Los Angeles-based design firm RIOS, the September plans called for 5,000 to 6,000 residential units. However, the requested rezoning will allow for up to 9,463 residences as well as 1,309 hotel rooms, although some residences could be converted into additional hotel rooms instead.
Rendering of 1901 Project Phase One music hall by RIOS
Rendering of 1901 Project by RIOS
The first phase of the project will focus on the southwest corner of the property, building out a 6,000-seat music hall, a new receiving building with perimeter retail for the arena over the current loading docks, and a new 233-room hotel building. This will also be an increase from the previously announced 150-key hotel structure.
Rendering of 1901 Project Phase One rooftop park by RIOS
Rendering of 1901 Project by RIOS
This first phase will have 2.5 acres of rooftop park space connected by elevated walkways, with the full development set to build out approximately 11 acres of public green space. The overall project will take around 10 years to be completed and will be approved to have buildings with a max height of 660 feet tall.
Rendering of 1901 Project by RIOS
Rendering of 1901 Project by RIOS
Future phases will also potentially include a new CTA station, select office space, and improved pedestrian experience. If reviewed and approved in January, the project will move onto City Council prior to being able to begin construction. Previously, the development team called for a 2025 start date for phase one with partial funding already secured.
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My wish for the new year is that the city government doesn’t find a way to screw this up with unnecessary delays and revisions intended to water down the proposal to make it less compelling. There’s a group of people in this city who are addicted to dull, and anytime anything too exciting rolls around they become infuriated and activated. They long to make Chicago in Hammond’s (IN) image.
Laughably untrue
At least express a proper example or two, since there seems to be so many.
The one “mega” project that might actually get built, cause they brought their own money.
Anyone know what happened to the building at the old Greyhound on Goose (sorry forget name), it seems to have stalled after demo.
For those that keep complaining about the city and its lack of vision/approval process, there’s only a couple projects that come to mind that the city has majorly fumbled.
The Lucas Museum will forever suck, Columbus Dr. is just a waste, the dumb tower in Old Town should’ve started already, and mass transit shouldn’t be this difficult or expensive to expand.
Lake Shore Dr and Commerce and Consumer Towers are recent L’s that are federally/state limited. Almost every mega project has been whisked away and approved with almost no hesitation.
Almost everything is on standstill by developers. Every mega project has been handed over to developers. The current mayor is so vision-forward, he wants to hand all your money to them. So… not too sure what’s holding things back.
Apparently Lincoln Yards was held up by Lightfoot and I would call DPI and the entire development of the 78 a govt boondoggle as well. Those two alone are a to of sqft in wasted space.
Oh and the Bronzeville Lakefront with ALLLL that land banked CHA land. Not….great
The anchor baby of 78 was U of I and they pulled the plug this year. Bronzeville Lakefront had SOM and the city backing it up, but with what money?
I know people are always up in arms on money, a city budget always on the brink of collapse, and taxes this and that. If we want the city as a developer, which they most certainly would be happy to be so, the budgets are not union friendly, all those amazing Invest South-West projects are terribly over-priced, and now we are back at square one.
Chicago’s fiscal hindrance is a mess, but once again, not the ones holding up ingenuity and grandeur. If anything, the city has been fast forwarding some of the blandest of stuff, but stuff regardless. If we want more beauty, that ultimately comes at a cost of the developer, a party that’s already been majorly timid.
What will do Chicago wonders is up-zoning virtually the entire city and going all in on pro-development. Let developers do what they do best. Our land value is not high enough to be NY and our climate isn’t warm enough to draw in world criminals like Miami.
I believe lightfoot zoned-up all the TOD areas of the city yes? I think it was anywhere within a certain distance from an L or bus stop. I dunno if it has had any impact yet but where I live (near Western brown line) there are 3 or 4 mid-rises under construction so perhaps it has
Agree we have very bland unadventurous developers here.
This is exciting and hopefully Planning and the clown mayor won’t screw this up. The area is a no-man’s land that will become a hub of activity. Finally a development that includes transit. Need a transit ring to connect the lines.
NY Related is tearing down a 17 story 1950’s office building at Madison and 56th/57th street and building a 1200 ft + supertall residential .Related paid almost 400 million dollars for the land six months ago .
Why has Related Chicago not been pro active , or aggrerssive ?
YEAH MAN I JUST WISH THAT RELATED MIDWEST COULD JUST BUILD A SUPERTALL IN CHICAGO
They had one proposed at 400 N LSD, but it was downsized and delayed by an alderman catering to a small group of vocal locals.
Reinsdorf is only trying to build 1901 cos he’s trying to bring the white soxs to the 78 1901 has been empty parking lots for 50 years dudes not serious its just a ploy Reinsdorf should sell both his teams and call it a day BTW chicago needs more supertalls chicago is falling way behind smh😏😏😏 the new Chicago mayor is running everybody out because of high taxes and red light cameras guys a 🤡