The 2026-2027 Construction Season is underway at the United Center, with teammates McHugh Construction and McHugh Concrete getting their game on for the first phase of The 1901 Project. Just called up specifically for this series is Stalworth Underground, whose rigs are on site drilling and filling caissons for a three-story mixed-use commercial building that will contain parking, retail spaces, and a new loading area, all covered by an occupiable rooftop deck.
Site plan for Phase One of The 1901 Project by RIOS. It is the “West Garage” that is getting caissons now.
Looking south down Damen Avenue. Photo by Daniel Schell
Looking at the southeast corner of West Madison Street and South Damen Avenue. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
The construction team has won three-out-of-four big permits for Phase 1. The first came through on March 25th, allowing for caissons and associated below-grade work to begin. They scored another victory with a permit for shallow foundations on April 27th, then followed that up by winning the tower crane permit on May 7th, completing the sweep on the home stand. The full building permit remains on the bench, waiting in the data portal since January 21st. Curiously, the permits specify that this project is a high-rise, a lofty goal for a three-story structure.
Rendering of the roof park atop the new west parking garage by RIOS
Street-level rendering of the west parking garage by RIOS
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Phasing plan for The 1901 Project by RIOS
Everything in red is currently surrounded by construction fencing. Image via Google Maps
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Players huddle up, waiting for concrete to arrive. Photo by Daniel Schell
This was the G parking lot. Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Photo by Daniel Schell
Idle rig. Might be day-to-day with an injury. Photo by Daniel Schell
Southwest of the arena, at the northeast corner of West Adams Street and South Damen Avenue, what used to be the K parking lot is also surrounded by construction fencing, with some prep work underway. This will be the site of a 6,000-seat music hall. There are two permits pending for it in the Chicago Data Portal: A caisson permit, pending since October of last year, and one for shallow foundations & superstructure, which hit the portal on February 3rd. No full permit is pending yet. The caisson permit states clearly that this is not considered a high-rise.
Rendering of new music hall by RIOS, to be built on the K lot at Adams & Damen
Rendering of 1901 Project Phase One music hall by RIOS
Looking west across the K parking lot, where the music venue will be constructed. Photo by Daniel Schell
Looking east across the K lot. Photo by Daniel Schell
Work on The 1901 Project is expected to last until 2040.
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I am simply not a fan of this “rooftop park” trend. The city needs to stop allowing that to be considered green space.
Why? It’s a great use of space and reduces stormwater runoff
Because they don’t do anything to activate the street level, most people won’t know there’s a park there. What’s the difference between an industrial warehouse with a park roof and a parking garage and a park roof? None, both have blank walls at the street level and do next to nothing to encourage a vibrant street experience, which is the most fundamental trait of good urbanism.
Agree to disagree. I’m of the opinion that *everyone* will know there’s a park here, because of the scope of The 1901 Project, because it’s next to the United Center, and because it’s next to the new music hall. It is also my opinion that more people will visit here for the park than will visit here to park their cars.
I think I understand your complaint for this specific location, especially with the way it will look driving down Damen. I do think rooftop parks are the right answer for certain areas of the city.
I stayed in Nordhavn on a trip to Copenhagen and thought Konditaget Luders was one of the best ideas ever, especially since they had a grocery store and recycling center on the first floor. This type of model would be perfect in Fulton Market where there is a need for parking, green space, and grocery.
These are different than this rooftop park atop a parking garage. If the bottom were activated use with a park on top, that’s much much better. That’s not what this is. It’s a dead garage to store cars.
Bro’s never been to Millennium Park and it shows.
Largest rooftop park in the world upon its debut and you wanna ban them? lol
This dude hates fun.
From the renderings, it doesn’t seem like these are equivalent rooftop garage parks at all. Millennium Park doesn’t have any blank dead walls. By all practical purposes you can’t tell it’s a garage unless you’re looking hard. This seems like it’ll mostly be dead walls at the sidewalk level, so the park might as well not exist on top. If the park comes down to the street level in several places, maybe it’ll be good enough, but it doesn’t appear so.
Is it just that the crane is classified as “high rise” because of the size of the garage, & the complexity needed for craning equipment to the far side of the site for both the loading dock & the rooftop planting?
I can’t say I understand the vision based on the renderings. So there will be retail shops inside the parking garage? Oh well, anything is better than the parking lot desert that is the current state of the United Center.