A Chicago developer is shifting to a taller, thinner design for its long-running plan to build a colorful, 500-unit apartment tower in Chicago’s Old Town for what would be one of the first major residential projects to break ground in the wealthy North Side neighborhood in recent decades.
Fern Hill on Monday formally submitted its formal application to the city for zoning approval for a tower at 1600 N. LaSalle Drive, about 2 ½ years after the developer’s plans for several nearby parcels emerged.
After public meetings and suggestions from neighbors, the latest version of the $250 million plan is for a 480-foot-tall tower, according to documents submitted to the city. That is 85 feet taller than previously proposed, but with the setback along Wells Street increasing and the width of the tower shrinking from 190 feet to 164.
Fern Hill founder and President Nick Anderson said those changes are in response to comments from nearby residents since a highly detailed presentation of the plan. It included an eye-catching, multicolored building exterior with views of Lincoln Park and Lake Michigan, revealed last September.
The previous design was for a wider, 36-story tower. The new version is 44 stories.
“We heard from the community that they felt like additional setbacks from the public way would be better for the character and charm of Wells Street,” Anderson told CoStar News. “As well, greater setbacks and a thinner tower are more sensitive to the views of surrounding condo towers. It’s good for the character of Wells Street and good for views.
“There’s benefit with no downside from the building being thinner.”
Community Support
Fern Hill’s formal application with the city is a sign that the developer’s slow, patient approach to obtaining community buy-in is now moving toward a key stage, seeking formal city approval. Anderson said the firm continues to work with 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins, neighborhood groups and city zoning officials to settle on a final, approved design.
The planned development filed Monday is to be formally introduced to the City Council and deferred for a vote until further meetings with city zoning officials and, eventually, the Chicago Plan Commission are completed. The application requires full City Council approval to move forward.
Fern Hill’s plan for several parcels in the area first became known in September 2021, and it has evolved into a project focused on one large multifamily tower along LaSalle, Wells and North Avenue. If approved, the project will include land controlled by Fern Hill, The Moody Church and Walgreens.
Future phases of the project could include a low-rise expansion of Moody’s campus that would replace gas stations at each end of the church’s main building.
The drugstore giant’s current store on Wells Street would be demolished, with Walgreens opening a short-term store in the former Treasure Island grocery store building on Wells before later opening a long-term store at the base of the new tower. Late last year, Fern Hill also announced that the Commissary Market, a local grocer, also plans to open in the low-rise former Treasure Island building.
Architect Change
Those retail deals are among several changes since Fern Hill began drawing up its plans, including a high-profile change of lead designers.
World-renowned architect David Adjaye, known for projects such as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and the 66-story 130 William residential tower in New York, was removed from what would have been his first Chicago project after a Financial Times report last year in which three unnamed former female employees accused the London-based Adjaye of sexually harassing and assaulting them. Adjaye denies those allegations.
The local architect of record, GREC Architects, then drew up the colorful new design. Adjaye’s designs for the site were never made public before the accusations emerged.
Fern Hill’s proposed high-rise includes 20,000 square feet of retail space and 450 parking spaces, as well as 100 of the units providing affordable rents.
Anderson said that would be more than the total 69 affordable units that have been built in the high-income 60614 postal code since 2015, citing online data from the city’s housing department.
“Affordable housing continues to be an important aspect of this,” Anderson said. “This neighborhood has not seen any new housing of scale, whether it’s market rate or affordable, for 40 to 50 years. It’s a big deal to be able to bring new residents to this neighborhood. There really hasn’t been a growth to the economic base of this neighborhood for decades.”