The Chicago Plan Commission has approved a new mixed-use hotel tower proposed at 6401 South Stony Island Avenue in Woodlawn. Located on the corner of East 64th Street, the structure would replace a vacant lot just a block from the upcoming Obama Presidential Center. The project is being led by Aquinnah Investment Trust.
Site context map of 6401 S Stony Island Ave by Stantec
Site context map of 6401 S Stony Island Ave by Stantec
News of the project first broke this past spring when the developer applied for a zoning change, for which our original coverage can be found here. Since then, Stantec Architecture has continued to refine the design, incorporating slight changes based on community input. The most notable of these is the extension of the building’s footprint and podium north to meet 64th Street.
Previous (left) – current (right) renderings of 6401 S Stony Island Ave by Stantec
The building program has also evolved, with additional meeting and food-and-beverage spaces added. However, the tower has been slightly reduced in height, now proposed at 26 stories and 303 feet tall—down from the previous height of 336 feet. Despite the reduction, it remains relatively tall for the area, positioned next to a 20-story residential tower and comparable in height to many of Hyde Park’s high-rises.
Floor plans of 6401 S Stony Island Ave by Stantec
Floor plans of 6401 S Stony Island Ave by Stantec
The ground floor will feature a large lobby along Stony Island, along with a ramp leading up to the parking garage. A loading entrance will also be located off 64th Street. The garage will provide 118 parking spaces. The floors above will include meeting rooms, amenities, dining options, and a large outdoor deck with a pool on top of the podium.
Rendering of 6401 S Stony Island Ave by Stantec
Rendering of 6401 S Stony Island Ave by Stantec
Above the podium, the tower will house 250 hotel rooms in a range of sizes. A rooftop amenity space—potentially a bar—will cap the building, accompanied by an outdoor terrace. The tower will feature a glass curtain wall system with an illuminated crown, while the podium will be clad in masonry. The estimated project cost is $100 million.
As of now, no construction timeline has been announced. The development team will need to secure City Hall approval and obtain funding before breaking ground.
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Well… the podium extension didn’t do much for the design, but still wild a hotel of this magnitude has made it this far.
If serious serious, hope they get a move on soon. This jump in the skyline going south is great. The recent data just isn’t in favor of adding more hotel rooms… but hopefully our war on international tourists is only temporary.
I’m not gonna act like I have a clue if there is demand but the university of chicago is nearby, the new obama building may spur conferences and seminars creating demand, the lake is nearby, etc.
I hope it spurs more development in the area.
There is definitely a market here, and it’s going to grow. With the quantum campus on the horizon, Hyde Park and a growing Woodlawn, it would be advantageous to develop hospitality services.
There are only about three hotels in the UC area, and the other two are relatively small. I just hope recent hotel stay numbers won’t influence financing. I’m unsure if the data has been published to determine whether the recent slump is due to a decline in domestic visitation or a broader trend of international avoidance.
I’m surprised this got through so calmly, considering how strong Woodlawn Nimbies are
Love it! Wish they would extend the Green Line down 63rd to Stony Island, would really make this area more accessible and allow development to pop off.
The green line used to go that far, they tore it down
This will be built in 5, 10, 20 years…or not.
Build baby build
waow