Additional details have been revealed for the potential Metropolis Pointe development at 2601 S Martin Luther King Drive in Bronzeville. Earlier this year, we provided an in-depth look at the project when it was first introduced by local developer JC Griffin. Griffin is now preparing to finalize the purchase of the site, remaining on track with the previously announced schedule.
Site context map of Metropolis Pointe by Wight & Co. and Studio Barnes
According to Crain’s, the site will cost approximately $28.8 million, close to the initial $30 million estimate reported in our January coverage. This suggests the development team is nearing full funding for the acquisition, an important step toward securing financing for the entire project, which is located just north of the Bronzeville Lakefront megadevelopment.
Elevation of Metropolis Pointe by Wight & Co. and Studio Barnes
Rendering of Metropolis Pointe by Wight & Co. and Studio Barnes
Designed by Wight & Company and Studio Barnes, updated plans show that a multi-story podium will span most of the site, divided by various courtyards and anchored by a large monument plaza near King Drive. The podium will house retail spaces, parking, a community wellness center, and a large digital infrastructure facility.
Rendering of Metropolis Pointe by Wight & Co. and Studio Barnes
This facility will support one of the two planned towers, a 215-foot-tall flex-use tower that will host the newly proposed “AI Preparedness Institute.” The institute will focus on education and workforce training in AI-related fields, Thus we can also assume part of the building will be for office space and a data center.
Rendering of Metropolis Pointe by Wight & Co. and Studio Barnes
This aligns with the involvement of project advisor Quintin Primo of Capri Investment Group, the firm behind the redevelopment of the Thompson Center for Google. This connection opens the possibility for synergy with other tech initiatives, such as the forthcoming Quantum Campus. Tenants the office tower will also have access to rooftop amenities above the podium.
Rendering of Metropolis Pointe by Wight & Co. and Studio Barnes
However, anchoring the project will be a 50-story and 560-foot-tall residential tower on the west end of the site. Comprising three vertical segments with rounded edges, the tower will contain around 600 units, including a mix of market-rate, affordable, and workforce housing.
Topping the tower will be a multi-level sky observation deck, featuring a large outdoor area where the central tower is intentionally cut short to create an open-air, pass-through space.
Rendering of Metropolis Pointe by Wight & Co. and Studio Barnes
The full development is projected to cost approximately $900 million. While the team continues working to secure financing, a definitive timeline for construction has not yet been announced.
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You can’t deny, the bronze color and form are quite the sexy combo.
The upper floors will have some fantastic views, but those mid to lower ones will mostly just have views of the highway and expansive roofs of McCormick; at least on the north side of the tower. I’m curious how luxury towers take that into consideration. Maybe it’s where they are planning to stuff the workforce/affordable units. Makes sense.
I still see the whole development as an upward battle, considering the lack of movement from more primly located sites along Motor Row. I only went to architecture school, though, I’m sure the powers that be in finance know what they’re doing.
Look forward to seeing this in the archives of “greatest designs never built” in about 10 years.
Love how people are so confident in themselves to say they by a fact *know* what will happen to any project.
At least their not building a football stadium on top of old Gotham General.
Its true he’s right you know
looks very trump tower
I kind of love this.
This project is too good looking and too tall, therefore, it will get canceled, unfortunately… I get depressed looking at these projects because they never come to fruition. I hope I’m wrong.
Off topic but does anyone have any updates on Lincoln Yards, The 78, One Central? Did they get canceled?
One central seems likely to be dead, Pritzker just recently announced that the state will not be providing funding for the project, which effectively kills it.
For Lincoln yards, the bank recently required some of the property and is looking for a new developer to continue the project. It is unknown if this developer would continue the vision or create their own vision for the site.
As for The 78, as it has been for the past few years, it all seems stagnant. Not canceled, but who knows when a building will rise on the site.
Just cross your fingers that the repo’d land doesn’t turn into an Amazon last-mile fulfillment warehouse
Well, the governor last week said there is zero chance any public money will go to One Central’s unnecessary transit hub. I say good for him and other public officials who do not hand out our money like candy to developers who refuse to build. Shame on the city for keeping these projects as one massive piece instead of broken up sites.
We need a more organic approach to piecing these projects together. These single-developer, multiple-acre complexes don’t work in Chicago. It took an arm and a leg for the White City; I am astonished Wolf Point made it to the end. Not even the River Walk was one person. I’m so glad they split the blocks up with various designers. The Wirtz United development will be an actual test of Chicago’s too-big-of-site discomfort.
I totally agree with your second paragraph. I’m guessing it isn’t done this way in most US cities, Chicago included, not because it isn’t better, but because of how financing is done. Everything is a financial product these days, and it’s very disconnected from what may actually work best. I wish the system would change to small plots of land and smaller financiers.
Lakeshore East is a rare example of a single developer mega project that was successful. But that is mostly because of its absolutely stellar location.
Otherwise, I agree with you 100%. Break up into smaller parcels, all owned by separate developers, and let things get built organically
Were all those parcels with a letter attached from one developer? It’s certainly taken time to fill them; two to go. I will say the final product has been fantastic, and maybe rushing things is not the approach, but could it have been faster? We still have the best site right at the corner sitting empty. I don’t know what the sweet balance of too many cooks in the kitchen is.
What was once my favourite of the mega projects has dwindled into a major disappointment. Each tower from the Riverline gets more and more watered down from the initial image. Those first renderings were fantastic. The finished product will still be good, but it’s not nearly as architecturally fantastical as posted on Curbed a decade ago.
The 78 has pickleball courts now, that is the extent of the development…
Just speechless and not in a good way!
Copper-clad grain silos – totally ugly.
Exactly what came to mind when I first saw these renderings. Kind of appropriate for Illinois, so maybe it’s intentional?
It takes a lot of optimism to believe that this one will actually get built.
I would love if this actually got built. It is great to see proposals of this size south of 25th street/55 near the lake. It’s great to see proposal passed Ashland (1600 west), perhaps Damen (2000 west) on the near west side too. I don’t know if any of these will actually happen. I love the hotel idea at 6402 S Stony Island as well. I keep seeing projects get financed at NY Yimby for hundreds of millions, but it’s hard here. Let’s hope to seeing that more. It’s much tougher here with our tax rates around 2% which is about double the national average and triple NYC.
One hope is once Chicago is finally forced into bankruptcy they’ll be changing laws, codes and streamlining any project they can .
This will be nitpicked to death by Chicago NIMBYs and city bureaucracy. It has no chance of getting built.
Nice looking grain silos!