JDL‘s expansive North Union development project in Near North Side continues to make headway, with construction now above grade at one of its first three buildings, the five-story 232 W Chestnut Street. Situated at the junction of N Franklin Street and N Wells Street, the residential project will be Chicago’s first modern large mass-timber construction.
232 W Chestnut Street. Photo by Jack Crawford
232 W Chestnut Street within the greater North Union project, rendering by HPA
Designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, the new edifice will house 23 residential units. The structure will use glue-laminated wood for beams and columns, reducing concrete foundation requirements. The ground floor will accommodate a small lobby and a large bike parking room. The building’s exterior will be clad in charcoal extruded frames with a cross-bracing structure. Large corner balconies will stack as partially protruding and inset atop one another.
232 W Chestnut Street. Photo by Jack Crawford
North Union Masterplan. Rendering by HPA
Meanwhile, construction at 868 N Wells Street and 920 N Wells Street also progress. All three buildings constitute the first wave of construction within the $1.3 billion North Union master plan, which includes 2.9 million square feet of space, 2,656 residences, various commercial units, and 100,000 square feet for public areas. Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture is the architect behind all phases.
232 W Chestnut Street. Photo by Jack Crawford
232 W Chestnut Street. Photo by Jack Crawford
In terms of transportation, several options are within walking distance. Bus service for CTA Routes 37, 66, 70, and 156 and the CTA Brown Line at Chicago station are all within a five-minute walk. The Red Line station will reside within a 10-minute walk for future residents. Parking will also be available in the surrounding North Union towers.
Power Construction is overseeing the construction of all three sites. The 232 W Chestnut Street site should finish construction by 2024, with the overall North Union project slated for completion by 2026.
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just looked up “banal” in dictionary
the image of this building accompanied the definition
Chelsea Dennison
2 hours ago
just looked up the word “banal” in the dictionary
an image of this building accompanied the definition
Quite original with the comments. Pretty sure a middle schooler can do a better burn.
Spot on, Chelsea! I just looked up “cliche” and found tony w’s example!
I think this design must have been sitting on a desk since 2009. That said, the low rise next door looks nice and so do the rest of the towers.
nice close up Jack. Do get some early pics of the timbers going in I really want to see that.