The Chicago Plan Commission has approved updated plans for the mixed-use development at 1338 West Lake Street in the West Loop. Located at the corner of North Ada Street, the project has been in the works for three years and recently received major design updates to improve its relationship with the surrounding area.
Site context of 1338 W Lake Street by SCB
Rendering of 1338 W Lake St by SCB
Development efforts are being led by Cedar Street Companies, which has been working with local architecture firm SCB on the design. The 32-story tower will rise approximately 364 feet in height, including a six-story podium that will be largely screened by adjacent buildings and CTA tracks to the south. The majority of the recent changes focus on this portion of the project.
Renderings of 1338 W Lake St by SCB
Per our previous coverage, the podium will now include 7,800 square feet of retail space along the main street corner, with the previously proposed large sculpture removed. The updated plans instead introduce liner units along Ada Street across the five upper levels of the podium. These units will utilize their own dedicated elevator bank, increasing the project’s total unit count.
Floor plans of 1338 W Lake St by SCB
These revisions also resulted in a reduced parking count of 191 spaces. The podium will be topped by a large outdoor deck and two recessed amenity levels that separate it from the tower above. In total, the development will include 321 residential units, primarily studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom layouts, along with a limited number of three-bedroom units. Of these, 65 units will be designated as affordable.
Material context of 1338 W Lake St by SCB
Elevation of 1338 W Lake St by SCB
The tower will be capped with an amenity level and an additional rooftop deck featuring a pool. The exterior will be clad in a mix of blue multi-tone glass and gray panels along the podium. The project carries a $155 million price tag and will next require City Council approval ahead of a planned Q4 2026 groundbreaking and Q3 2028 completion.
The approval follows recent approvals of Foundry Park and a controversial approval of nearby 215 North Racine development, both of which we will cover in the coming days.
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Liner units should be required by law. The difference to the street presence for this development is profoundly better.
It definitely needs to be some type of requirement.
All for this improvement to the hide the parking podium behind housing. I don’t understand why it’s not done more often! But can someone define “linear unit” for me, please?
podium but can someone explain “linear unit” to me, please?
Liner units. They line the podium, hiding the parking behind them, so from the street you see apartments instead of car bumpers.
Man those liner units make the podium so much better. Hopefully that blank wall on the East (?) has a development cover it one day!
While the renderings show the wrap units (“linear units”) as a major benefit, I wonder how much of a difference it makes in practice. Glass is fairly reflective most of the day and people often close the blinds at night. Furthermore, first floor activation is far more important than upper floors. I like this in concept, but I wonder how much it increases costs and whether it’s truly worth it on a wider scale. It is very expensive to increase the height of a parking garage by an additional floor.
Three years to make minor improvements no one will notice. Community input is killing cities