The largest empty space facing Mary Bartelme Park is a bit closer to being filled. Plans for 23 South Sangamon have been revised, and will be presented to the public next week.
Any time someone proposes a building within bitching distance of the Near West Side’s favorite park, it ignites a level of ear-piercing hyperbole usually reserved for the storming of government buildings. But in this case, it comes from the I-got-mine-you-get-stuffed locals who have honed NIMBYism to an Olympic-level event.
For 23 South Sangamon, that means concessions. The building’s previous iteration called for a pair of fairly ordinary blocks on podia facing West Monroe Street between Sangamon and Peoria. One tower next to the Merit School of Music would have risen 330 feet into the sky. A tower second replacing the music school would have measured 300 feet tall.
The current plan has been cut down. The first building was chopped to about 238 feet, and the second building cut out entirely. The number of residences has been pruned from 370 to just 80.
A public meeting about this project is scheduled for 6pm on Groundhog Day. And like your latest employee review, it’s being done online via Zoom, so follow this link to register.
Location: 23 South Sangamon Street, Near West Side
Editor founded the Chicago Architecture Blog in 2003, after a long career in journalism. He can be reached at chicagoarchitectureinfo@gmail.com.
