River North Skyscraper Plans Revealed Amid Neighbor Objections
Developers have revealed plans for a 60-story skyscraper in Chicago’s River North which is poised to be the tallest building to go up in the neighborhood since The Great Recession. However, some neighbors in River North and the Near North Side are concerned about congestion the project might bring with it.
These neighbors packed a meeting about the project to air their concerns, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Called The Carillon, the project will include 246 luxury condominium units, 216 hotel rooms, 120 timeshare units, two floors of retail and restaurant space, and 325 parking spaces on five levels. The design from architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill features a glass facade behind a steel lattice that curves into a crown at the top.
Some neighbor objection stems from the plan to demolish a row of 19th century Italianate and Victorian buildings to make way for the development. (The buildings aren’t protected by a landmark or “character district” designation.) But most of the conversation at the meeting was dominated by concerns over traffic.
42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly, the host of the presentation, said the meeting will be the first of many to seek input from neighbors for the project. Developers need to file a zoning application with the city and, if approved, construction should last 33 months following demolition.