WEST LOOP — The Plumbers Local 130 union pitched neighbors on a plan for a 500-car parking garage with ground-floor retail next to its West Loop training center.
At a meeting Monday night, the union unveiled renderings for the parking garage, which would bring 502 parking spaces and 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail to 1341 W. Randolph St.
The building will be 80 feet tall and would replace part of a surface parking lot at the site, said Michael Fitzgerald of OKW Architects, which designed the parking garage.
As part of the proposal, the parking garage would include 56 parking spaces on the first and second floor dedicated to the union. Floors three to six, which would have 352 spaces, would be open to the public for a fee. The union would likely dedicate the seventh floor’s 94 parking spaces for monthly rental, Fitzgerald said.
The third floor would include a 2,700-square-foot outdoor terrace. They are speaking with folks about a potential restaurant or cafe in the first-floor retail space, Fitzgerald said.
About 150 surface parking spaces would be retained under the plan, Fitzgerald said.
Because of the number of events the union hosts, leadership decided they needed to address parking concerns and increase the number of spaces on site, Fitzgerald said.
When there are events, the plumbers union will have complimentary access to the parking garage, Fitzgerald said.
In the zoning application submitted to the city, the union included a six-story office building, which would sit along Ada Street between Randolph and Washington, in its plans. However, the office building was not presented during the meeting.
Asked if the site would still include the six-story office building, Fitzgerald said the union has no immediate plans to build one.
“At this point, we have no idea what could or should go on the eastern portion of the site, so we are not proposing anything for that right now,” Fitzgerald said.
If they propose any more development on the site, the union will present their plans to the community, Fitzgerald said.
Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) said the plumbers union plan was being vetted by the Department of Planning and Development.
“The Plumbers Union has been a good resident in this community. They have been here for a long time … . They have stayed and … want to give back and are being a part of the fabric of the community,” Burnett said.
Carla Agostinelli, executive director of the West Loop Community Organization, said they were “leaning heavily toward approval.”
The new building would sit alongside the union’s two-story auditorium and training center. The training center broke ground in 2016 and opened the following year.
If approved, the union looks to start construction in the spring and open the following year.
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