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The city's Plan Commission approved a 43-story apartment tower at 906 W. Randolph St. Thursday. Credit: Chicago Department of Planning and Development

WEST LOOP — A controversial 43-story apartment tower planned for Fulton Market got approved by a key city committee, helping to clear the path for what would be the city’s tallest building west of Halsted Street.

The city’s Plan Commission voted Thursday in favor of Related Midwest and Tucker Development’s proposed 495-foot tower at 906 W. Randolph Street.

The $215 million project will add 300 apartment units to the bustling street. The building include 60 affordable units on-site, 75 parking spaces and ground-floor retail.

The proposal won the support of Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) after developers agreed to put the 60 affordable units on site, according to the Sun-Times.

The city’s Plan Commission approved a 43-story apartment tower at 906 W. Randolph St. Thursday. Credit: Chicago Department of Planning and Development

The proposed skyscraper has gotten smaller since it was first pitched.

In 2017, Related Midwest and Tucker Development asked the city to build a 51-story skyscraper with 300 condo units, 220 parking spots and commercial space. 

The building, designed by New York-based architect Morris Adjmi, was to rise 570 feet, but neighbors opposed that size.

Related: Fulton Market Tower Plan, Cut From 51 Stories To 36, Gets West Loop Chamber Support

In a letter to Burnett Jr. (27th), the Neighbors of the West Loop argued the building would set new height standards for the neighborhood. The group argued that it “would be the tallest (existing or proposed) West Loop structure west of Halsted by a factor of three … too tall, with too much density.”

After revisions were shown to the community, Neighbors of the West Loop maintained its opposition to the project. In a letter to the alderman, the group said the 43-story would bring the same proposed density and put the building’s height at “odds with the majority of the building  community, including nearby business owners.”

But following the changes, The West Loop’s Chamber of Commerce West Central Association threw its support behind the project last summer. 

If approved by City Council, developers would pay $4.8 million into the city’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund in exchange for that added density.

The city’s Plan Commission approved a 43-story apartment tower at 906 W. Randolph St. Thursday. Credit: Chicago Department of Planning and Development
The city’s Plan Commission approved a 43-story apartment tower at 906 W. Randolph St. Thursday. Credit: Chicago Department of Planning and Development

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Pilsen, Little Village and West Loop reporterrnrnmauricio@blockclubchi.orgnnPilsen, Little Village and West Loop reporterrnrnmauricio@blockclubchi.org Twitter @MauricioPena