A development at the 9.5-acre site at 2020 W. Ogden Ave. in the Illinois Medical District has been years in the making. The mixed-use project is finally expected to take a step forward when developers break ground on two retail buildings, according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

The Gateway is a 1.2 million-square-foot development being led by East Lake Management, Higgins Development Partners, and Thomas Samuel Enterprises. The mixed-use development will feature eight buildings including residential towers, retail space, up to 550,000 square feet of office space, a parking garage, and hotel with 240 rooms, according to the report. The hotel will also have a conference center and rooftop restaurant and bar. The Gateway project is expected to cost $300 million. 

The development plans were announced more than three years ago, but delays in financing have slowed the project’s progress. The two retail buildings – a total of 25,000 square feet – that are breaking ground rdo not have any signed leases yet, but the development team reported there is interest, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. 

The developers are working with the Illinois Medical District Commission (IMDC) to bring The Gateway to fruition. Higgins Development Partners signed a 75-year ground lease with the Illinois Medical District in 2015, according to Bisnow. Suzet McKinney, executive director of the IMDC, hopes new real estate development will help the Illinois Medical District become a major economic boon for the city, according to the report. McKinney helped put together a plan that will guide real estate projects and redevelopment in the area.  

Rendering courtesy of CTA

The 560-acre Illinois Medical District has 55 acres available for development, according to the IMDC. The IMDC also states that the area generates $3.4 billion in annual economic activity as one of the largest urban medical districts in the country. Figures like this could be used to attract more development projects. 

The Gateway is not the only development that is expected to help drive change in the Illinois Medical District. The long-vacant Cook County Hospital is expected to undergo a $130 million redevelopment effort, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. This project, led by Murphy Development Group, will bring medical offices, retail space, and a hotel to the old hospital. 

In addition to these new developments, the Illinois Medical District Blue Line is also undergoing redevelopment. The CTA is investing $23 million in overhauling the area’s Blue Line stop. Over the summer, the CTA reopened the Blue Line’s Damen Avenue entrance. The transit organization is also planning to update the Ogden Avenue and Paulina Street entrances. Other updates will include new flooring, more lighting, more security cameras, and screens with real-time train arrivals.