The South Loop’s new multi-purpose arena is taking shape at 2130 South Prairie Avenue. You can see in these photographs sent in by South Loop Spy Joel that the squircle-shaped exterior walls are mostly up, and there’s even some glass to be seen.
“But wait,” I hear you say. “Wasn’t this building supposed to be all kinds of light-n-airy glass so that it wouldn’t be a dead space for the neighborhood?”
Sure, there’s lots of glass coming. But that’s on the south side of the building. Facing the McCormick Place convention complex. This is the view from 21st and Prairie, the part of the arena that faces the neighborhood. And as you can see, it’s got monolithic grey slabs, just like in the very fringes of the renderings presented to the public. If you look really hard.
Protip: Next time ask the developers for renderings of all sides of a building before you sign off on it.
Location: 2130 South Prairie, South Loop