Development Updates Featured at Council Meeting

A developer promising 120 apartments, a grocery store and green space won the City of Chicago’s support in redeveloping a vacant warehouse at 1769 W. Pershing Road, Chicago. The 6.5 acre site includes one of the historic warehouses of the Central Manufacturing District: a six-story, 571,000 square foot building that opened in 1918 for the U.S. Army known as the Quartermaster Depot.

McKinley Park Development Council President Kate Eakin speaks at the group's September 20, 2023, meeting.Attendees at the September 20, 2023, McKinley Park Development Council meeting received updates on the nascent development from council President Kate Eakin. More than 250 people attended public meetings on three competing proposals for the site, with most supporting the winning developer: IBT Group LLC, Eakin said.

Next steps include negotiations with the city, which currently owns the site, Eakin added. Some of the main negotiating points include public access to a green roof, appropriate rents for the neighborhood, who would open the grocery store, and whether there might be booths for neighborhood vendors.

The $121 million project also would include more than 200,000 square feet for an “innovative office hub and technology incubator.”

Developer plans called for cutting out the middle of the warehouse to create a courtyard and bring light to the interior of the development. Apartments would range from studios to three-bedroom units priced at both affordable and market rates, the developer has announced.

Eakin said commercial tenants are required on the first floor. The city will organize more public meetings on the development. The project designer will speak at the council’s public meeting in October.

Damen Silos Slowdown

Eakin also updated meeting attendees on the demolition of the Damen Silos, noting that demolition permits had not yet been issued. 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez is trying to slow down demolition as she and the city negotiate with property owners for a community space on the site, Eakin added.

The city will issue separate demolition permits for each building on the site, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will issue a single demolition permit for the entire site. Eakin noted that the city is setting up a dedicated web page for information regarding the demolition.

As recently reported here, the City of Chicago has announced they will wait to approve any city demolition permit until seeing the results of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit approval.

35th Street Upzoning

Based on feedback from residents at an August community meeting on upzoning West 35th Street to support more business uses, the two alderwomen representing both sides of this main McKinley Park thoroughfare are leaning toward supporting a B3-2 zoning designation, Eakin said.

B3-2 zoning would require first floor commercial space and primarily up to two stories above the first floor. Also, taverns and liquor stores would be allowed, but existing moratoriums on liquor sales on this stretch of 35th Street would have to be lifted.

Another public meeting to discuss final details will be held before a formal ordinance to upzone the street is introduced, probably before Thanksgiving, Eakin said. Existing active uses would be grandfathered in and allowed to stay on West 35th Street.