A contentious residential tower proposed in Old Town will be considered by the Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday, after the neighborhood’s alderman and developer reached a compromise. But some local groups are still not satisfied with the building’s design.
Fern Hill pitched plans in 2021 to redevelop portions of Old Town bounded by North Avenue, LaSalle Drive and Clark Street. A key part of the plan is Old Town Canvas, 1600 N. La Salle Drive, where Fern Hill planned to develop a 36-story apartment building with 500 units.
After dozens of community meetings, Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) announced Jan. 24 he would reject the project. He said in a January newsletter to residents that he was “awaiting a possible compromise proposal from the developer.” Hopkins also said there was a “clear mandate” from the last community meeting to land a compromise.
Meanwhile, some residents fiercely opposed the project over its potential traffic impact, along with concerns about density and the building’s scale.
But Hopkins changed course on Feb. 6 and announced his support for the 1600 N. La Salle project, after negotiating with Fern Hill and its project partners, including the nearby Moody Church. Fern Hill’s updated plans for the corridor include finding a new grocer for the shuttered Treasure Island grocery store,1639 N. Wells St., and dedicating a greater portion of the parking for Moody Church.
Fern Hill’s updated plans for Old Town Canvas caps the maximum number of units at 349 — a 30% reduction that the developer hopes will appease residents’ traffic concerns. It still plans for 20% of the units to be affordable, with 70 units available to those making an average 60% of the area median income.
Other components of the compromise include lowering the tower from 480 feet to a maximum of 379 feet, reducing the number of parking spaces to 333 and new traffic investments. Fern Hill will cover the costs of traffic improvements, such as new dedicated bus and turn lanes.
The developer said it’s collected more than 750 letters of support for the project and is committed to the future of Old Town.
Fern Hill President Nick Anderson said in a statement: “Throughout this process, we have held dozens of meetings with community leaders, organizations, members and residents to collect feedback which has informed every element of the plan we have today, which will breathe new life into the community by revitalizing long-vacant properties, brightening a dark and uninviting block, improving walkability into the corridor, closing two area gas stations riddled by violent crime, expanding affordable housing options and increasing the customer base for local businesses suffering from lost revenues. We’re excited to present before the Plan Commission and bring a much needed investment to the city.”
The compromise is a win for organizations like Abundant Housing Illinois, which advocates for additional housing and sustainable, inclusive cities across the state.
The AHIL has been “engaging deeply” with the project over the last year, lead volunteer Robert Spragg said. The organization ran a campaign that gathered more than 600 letters of support for the project, which were sent to Hopkins.
Spragg said he applauds Hopkins for approving the compromise, despite opposition from some neighborhood groups.
The organization looks forward to a new high-rise building in Old Town — the first in years — with more family-sized units than originally proposed. Old Town Canvas will also have a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom, or more units. The revised plans increases the number of units with three or more bedrooms from 10 to 55.
“That is a win for the community,” Spragg said. “There’s a shortage of three- and four-bedroom apartments being built.”
But for groups like Old Town Friends for Responsible Development, the changes are misleading and don’t represent a true compromise.
While the number of units have been reduced, creating larger units means a similar number of bedrooms, according to the group. Fern Hill estimates the building’s occupancy will be reduced by 85 people, compared to previous plans.
“The community is outraged that after years of needing a compromise — which we believe is actually a gift to the developer — [it] was reached in a back room deal between the alderman’s office and the developer, and the community was left out,” said Jordan Matyas, an attorney representing Old Town Friends for Responsible Development. “The community remains opposed.”
Matyas lives in Old Town and is the son-in-law of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who last week was found guilty of bribery conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud in a partial verdict.
Hopkins did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The Old Town Triangle Association and the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association also oppose the project.
Old Town Merchants & Residents Association said in a recent statement that the compromise was “unbeknownst” to them, but they would support the project if it met a list of conditions. Those conditions include:
- No short-term rentals under six months.
- No balconies.
- No construction on Saturday and Sunday.
- Parking spaces in the garage are not allowed to be used for short-term parking other than for Moody Church and previously approved users. No parking will be allowed to the general public by SpotHero or similar services.
- The developer and building management must support and partner with the community and local businesses.
- The establishment of a panel, composed of community representatives, including OTMRA, that meets on at least a quarterly basis to work with the developer and the alderman’s office to mitigate impact on the community during construction. The panel would also meet at regular intervals for five years after construction to address any building operations or policies that disrupt the neighborhood.
“OTMRA sees our role as pragmatically working to advocate for community benefits, preserve the history & uniqueness of Old Town, and help address issues including traffic and construction associated disruption,” the association said in a statement.