Rendering of 113 East Roosevelt (Courtesy of Crescent Heights)
Today the Chicago Plan Commission approved the construction of a 76-story, 829-foot-tall residential skyscraper marking the southwest corner of Grant Park at 113 East Roosevelt Road.
Diagram of 113 East Roosevelt (Courtesy of Crescent Heights)
The very slender Rafael Viñoly-designed tower is one of a pair planned for the site. It was deliberately designed as bundled square tubes to pay homage to the Willis Tower a dozen or so blocks to the northwest. Inside the approved building will be 796 residences, 622 parking spaces, and 12,500 square feet of retail space. The second would be slightly smaller, with an estimated 648 residences.
The developer, Crescent Heights has pledged to donate $300,000 to support three nearby parks: Webster Park, the Chicago Women’s Park, and Armstrong Park. Friends of the Parks Director of Policy Melanie Moore told the commissioners that while she appreciates the money, she thinks the skyscraper will negatively impact Grant Park.
Charnez Barnes, of the Lofts at Museum Park, objected to the plan, saying it was too tall, and arguing that the immediate area doesn’t have the infrastructure to handle that many new residents, especially when it comes to traffic. Traffic concerns were also echoed by other people who live nearby. CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld told the commission and the audience that her department is working on a larger traffic solution for the neighborhood.
While the Plan Commission vote did go smoothly, 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney stated that he didn’t think the building should be all-residential. He feels it’s a missed opportunity for a good hotel.
Until the skyscraper can be built, enjoy the renderings below, because whoever made them gave them a thick basting in awesome sauce.
Location: 113 East Roosevelt Road, South Loop
Editor founded the Chicago Architecture Blog in 2003, after a long career in journalism. He can be reached at chicagoarchitectureinfo@gmail.com.
