The future of the mixed-use development at 1840 N Marcey Street in Lincoln Park remains murky as its zoning approval is differed again. Located just east of the future home of Lincoln Yards, the project would replace a large commercial building but preserve the curved tracks shaping the southern end of the site.
Site context of 1840 N Marcey Street by SCB
Site context of 1840 N Marcey Street by SCB
Now multiple-years in development, the project from Sterling Bay has seen various iterations including a height chop in the past. Designed by local firm SCB, the 94,000 square-foot site would hold two curved towers with their own podium, these would be connected by a new ground level park that will cover an underground parking garage.
Previous (left) – current (right) rendering of 1840 N Marcey Street by SCB
Current plans call for a 25 and 15 story tower, rising 275 and 195 feet in height respectively. These would be anchored by a total of 9,600 square-feet of retail space and 275-parking spaces split between the two. In total there will be 615 residential units, of which 124 will be considered affordable.
Rendering of 1840 N Marcey Street by SCB
Floor plans of 1840 N Marcey Street by SCB
Part of the approval Sterling Bay is seeking is the designation of the area as a ‘low-affordability community’, this would grant them a property tax reduction for 20-percent on-site affordability. However this is just one of the multiple points of contention with alderman Waguespack, others include the project’s scale, and added traffic.
Rendering of 1840 N Marcey Street by SCB
Rendering of 1840 N Marcey Street by SCB
Because of this, the alderman tried to force a vote on the project’s zoning after it wasn’t listed on the agenda by the Committee on Zoning. This happened after the City Council meeting had adjourned and the remaining seven aldermen voted to deny it. After a heated yelling match, the mayor and others decided to defer the issue in order to not jeopardize other approvals like the Quantum Park.
Elevations of 1840 N Marcey Street by SCB
Hoping this leads to further discussion between the alderman and the developers, the project will be up for a vote again before Christmas. If none is taken, it could receive an extension to undergo more community process.
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things are getting serious
How many more decades do we have to wait for Lincoln Yards to be built by the same developer?
Chicago might be the only large city that has large amount of vacant undeveloped land in it’s core area that has sat empty for decades. A city like New York, LA, London, etc, would have developed the large empty lots you see in Lincoln Yards, the 78, cabrini green, and all the other empty lots decades ago. But in Chicago it will remain empty and remain so until the end of time.
Seriously! And another “amazing” trend is to knock building down and then sit on empty lot for years, super annoying to see all these empty lots all over the city.
What? Much of Lincoln Yards was an operating steel mill until 12 years ago. All of Cabrini Green was “developed” and had thousands and thousands of people living there until its gradual transformation (which has been slow). The 78 is the only property that’s been in limbo but it’s not like there’s been demand there for big residential/office projects. Had it been developed 20 years ago it would be an IKEA and/or car centric shopping mall now (look it up).
Chicago is historically an industrial and rail-focused city, built that way from the ground up. It’s impossible to compare that with Manhattan or Central London (which were built up over hundreds/thousands of years). And LA isn’t exactly a shining monument to urban development principles. Things here have really bogged down since Rahm left and the pandemic hit but your statement is far from accurate.
New York is so pro development that they are spending a fortune to build over a large rail in their west side. They turned abandoned & sketchy industrial parks in Long Island City, Williamsburg, other parts of Queens, Jersey City into dense areaas in decades. They built up parts of the bronx which was desolate and decaying.
Chicago has managed to do some with areas like West Loop & River North but not even close to the exten that other cities have and would have done.
Again, New york would have developed or repurposed those areas decades ago but somehow local Chicago politics is so bad that they’d rather have abandoned wastelands over development. It’s a joke
I’m not sure it’s a fair comparison. New York is so much more expensive than Chicago, developers can afford to do those things.
Chicago isn’t New York, the fundamental population and economic factors are so vastly different. But New York has plenty of inept/corrupt politicians too.
Importantly, you’re missing the fact that the city of New York isn’t paying for all the new development. Especially in Jersey City, LOL. They’ve provided some support to Hudson Yards but the vast majority is private funding. The economic realities in the region are the incentives for all the development. If there was a NYC-level demand for all the potential projects at Lincoln Yards, 78, etc., there would be a lot more shovels in the ground and cranes in the air.
I agree with most everything Alderman Waguespack does, but not this. This city cannont improve without development of housing. There is NO reason this is stalled by one man. Also a complitent City would extend Kingsbury to Cortland and this whole area would start to improve.
Waguespack is also knocking down the old Ann Sather building instead of doing adaptive reuse
Ann Sather isn’t in or near Waguespack’s ward so not sure why he’s to blame? Bennett Lawson is the alderman shepherding that project.
Correction, it’s a few blocks from the NW corner of his ward, but main point stands.
Oh you’re right, my bad!
Alderman Waguespack is usually correct, here he is not. He’s one of the problems that this area with a great tax base potential has been sitting as a dead dusty area. This area is always going to have traffic problems, news alert alderman Waguespack- your ward is in a dense area of the city. You have never pushed for important transit improvements in your ward. Development brings jobs, tax money, housing and affordable housing. Let’s get moving on this Waguespack.
I haven’t followed him that closely, but maybe it’s time someone pro-housing and pro-transit with great ties to the neighborhood ran against him. It sounds like he no longer serves the interests of his community very well.
It’s a weird quirk of our convoluted aldermanic system (and gerrymandered maps) that Waguespack doesn’t really represent many residents directly impacted by this project – his “community” is across the river and the Kennedy. He does, however, have strong interests in terms of powering up in his relationship with Sterling Bay since all of Lincoln Yards is within his ward. But the general concept you’re advocating for is something of a paradox as residents of the community are usually NIMBY-aligned, and he can’t directly represent the future residents of this project who won’t exist until after the next election.
Technically your argument should be “we need to elect pro-housing and pro-transit officials who see the bigger picture and serve the long term interests of the city over the nearsighted interests of their neighbors”. I’m on board.
Man Lincoln Yards is like dead on arrival. Hope Pritzker’s new density order can help out
Waguespack has lost his way as alderman, the only good thing is that he’s a check on our bumbling mayor. Waguespack‘s history on transit is miserable, stations in and next to his ward haven’t had major improvements. No elevators have been put in on his watch. All other areas of the city have transit improvements. What is he doing for us? What about transit extensions near Lincoln Yards, join with other alderman & CTA and improve transit to get people to stop using cars.