WEST LOOP — After a sluggish 2020 for development in West Loop, City Council approved two projects that will bring over 1,300 new apartments to the neighborhood.
Alderpeople signed off Tuesday on Jamal Properties’ plan to build two apartment towers with 1,053 residential units and commercial space at 601 W. Monroe St.
On the eastern end of the neighborhood, the City Council also approved DAC Developments’ 288-unit apartment tower at 1227 W. Washington Blvd.
601 W. Monroe Towers
Jamal Properties, which is affiliated with Candian-based developer Pacific Reach Properties, will build the project in two phases. First crews will build the 47-story tower that includes 537 units, 400 parking spaces and ground-floor commercial space.
In the second phase, they will build a 40-story tower with 516 units, 30 parking spaces and ground-floor retail.
The buildings include studio to four-bedroom units. Rents are to be determined.
Jamal Properties will build on-site 26 of the 105 affordable units required by the city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance, and pay a $14.8 million “in lieu” fee for the remaining units.
The site is currently used for surface parking. The towers, designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, would be located next to Heritage Green Park.
The developer also will contribute $5.4 million to the City’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund in exchange for added density.
1201 W. Washington
Under DAC Developments and Melrose Ascension Capital plan, the developers are constructing a 19-story building with 4,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 10,000 square feet of tenant amenity space. The project will include 58 on-site affordable units, as well as 183 parking spaces and 185 bicycle parking spaces.
The $100 million high-rise designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners will be sandwiched between buildings at 1201 W. Washington Blvd. and 1229 W. Washington Blvd.
RELATED: West Loop Development Boom Continues With Proposed 19-Story, 288-Unit Apartment Building
The project was first pitched as a combined hotel and apartment building, and redesigned to be an apartment building.
With City Council approval, the developers have the flexibility to convert up to 154 apartments into hotel rooms, according to the zoning application.
As the project was being reviewed, representatives from Chicago’s hospitality workers union Unite Local Here One urged for the developer to nix the hotel conversion option to ensure permanently affordable housing options for the hospitality industry workers in West Loop.
Last month, Michael Ezgur, zoning attorney, said the developer had no current plans for rooms to be converted into hotel units.
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