The 12-story residential building rising at 1611 West Division is starting to look something like it will in its final form. Most of the panels making up the building’s facade are now in place, and it’s risen to its final height of 95 feet, 11 inches. The seemingly random pattern of its skin would be problematic in many places, but seems to reflect well the cacophonous nature of this busy intersection.
Known colloquially as The Tower of Pizza Hut (after the restaurant it replaced), this building is a huge sign that after a long time, good things are happening to the Polonia Triangle area. Located where the Noble Square, East Ukrainian Village, and Wicker Park neighborhoods converge, this area has seen better times, as evidenced by several stunning pieces of architecture such as the former bank building that is now a CVS pharmacy. In recent years the area has been cleaning itself up with new townhouses and bistros replacing vacant storefronts.
No neighborhood can thrive without people, and this building will bring lots of them to the area while revitalizing an underutilized corner of the city.
