Zoning has been approved for the residential conversion of 56 East Superior Street in River North. Sitting mid-block between North Rush Street and North Wabash Avenue, the conversion of the office-loft building was first announced earlier this summer after years of litigation on the site over a previous skyscraper proposal.
Site map of 50 E Superior Street via Google Maps
View of 50 E Superior Street via JLL
Rising seven stories tall, the former Western Methodist Book Concern building has sat relatively vacant as of late, having been rezoned in 2017 for the aforementioned skyscraper. Now, developers Honore Properties and Peerless Development have brought forward a conversion designed by local architecture firm Kennedy Mann.
Site plan of 56 E Superior Street by Kennedy Mann
Floor plans of 56 E Superior Street by Kennedy Mann
The ground floor will contain two small retail spaces, along with a new residential lobby and some units in the rear of the building. The floors above will hold the rest of the 88 residential units, consisting of 29 studios, 40 one-bedrooms, and 19 two-bedrooms, 18 of which will be required to be affordable. Many of the units will utilize borrowed light for the bedrooms.
Elevation of 56 E Superior Street by Kennedy Mann
Residents will also have access to a fitness room, community space, green space within the central courtyard, and a rooftop deck. The project will include a façade restoration for the aging structure. The zoning approval came from the Zoning Board of Appeals, giving the developer the green light to apply for permits. A timeline is currently unknown.
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This is an epic lost opportunity.
I live in the neighborhood, however there are some (many) that don’t want more density. Which is a bit rich for people who live a block from Michigan Avenue 🙂
I was hoping for a skyscraper, especially after One Chicago was completed nearby. But gaining 88 units is still a nice win.
I’m curious what the facade restoration will look like.
I see this as a win, I’m glad that these historic buildings are being repurposed.
There are still plenty of lots that can be developed into highrises
The absurdity of a bankrupt city employing a whole lot of highly paid professionals to cogitate for months on whether changing the use of a building to residential is going to destroy the neighborhood. Pure busy work. Expensive busy work – not just salaries and the cost of having the employees, but also the lost opportunities from owners who give up, don’t want to risk sinking heavy cost into trying the process, and just plain old waiting time. (Another example: my recent home renovation hit about a 6 week delay (several thousand dollars in taxes paid, during that time, I might add) while Zoning decided a bizarre little issue they created. They finally gave up, because their solution would have created a haven for rats. Every email in the chain included 6 Zoning employees pondering this stupidity.)