Brickwork Covers Facade At 629 West Lake in The West Loop

Brick work has taken over the exterior on the apartment building at 629 West Lake Street in the West Loop. A mast-climbing work platform remains attached to the west elevation as masonry work continues. There are still some windows that need to be installed on the west façade, and plenty of work remains at street level to enclose the first floor, which will include 2,000 square feet of retail space, a storage room for 49 bicycles, and two indoor parking spaces.

Rendering of 629 West Lake Street by Axios Architects

The L zooms past. Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

The top floor, which will hold a single residential unit as well as the building’s amenity spaces, still sports the yellow sheathing that covered the whole building before bricks did. The mast climber will be of no help with masonry work with the remaining work set back from the lower seven levels. Soon, balconies will be suspended along Desplaines Street for each unit on floors two through seven.

Photo by Daniel Schell

Photo by Daniel Schell

The three-member team of developer Continuum Real Estate Brokers, design firm Axios Architects, and general contractor Chicago Common Construction, active one block south as well on 50 more units at 135 North Desplaines, is delivering 49 rental apartments on the southeast corner of Lake and Desplaines Streets. The site was previously home to the Fast Track restaurant until its demolition in January 2025. A new construction permit was issued one month earlier that had languished in the Chicago Data Portal for almost two years. As with their project at Desplaines and Randolph, no completion date has yet been publicized.

The view from Randolph Street looking north. Photo by Daniel Schell

Upon its completion, residents of 629 West Lake will live within easy walks of three Metra lines at Ogilvie Transportation Center, two elevated trains at the Clinton Green/Pink platform, and several CTA bus routes including the heavily utilized #20 Madison bus and the #8 Halsted bus.

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