The 1901 Project breaks ground

Construction has commenced on The 1901 Project, a $7 billion mixed-use development located around the United Center. Planned by United Center Joint Venture consisting of the Reindsdorf and Wirtz families, the arena’s owners held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project that will redevelop 55 acres of land and parking lots surrounding the arena.

Designed by architects RIOS and landscape architects Field Operations and Site Design Group, the long-term, multi-phased development vision will include 25 acres of open space, 9,500 residential units, 1,300 hotel keys, 660,000 square feet of office space, 670,000 square feet of retail space, and entertainment space. 

Planned for approximately 12.3 acres of surface parking located south and west of the stadium along S. Damen Ave and W. Adams St, the $500 million first phase of the project consists of a 6,000-seat music hall, retail and restaurant space, a hotel, parking garages and green space.

To the west of the United Center, the first building will be the Western Garage. The building will be wrapped by a one-story brick podium that is activated with retail and commercial spaces. The building expands the United Center’s lower level loading dock and includes operations spaces. The second floor will feature parking and will be topped with a large public park accessed both by an accessible outdoor path that slopes up from the street and three vertical access points. 

Construction is already underway for the West Garage with general contractor McHugh Construction already receiving a foundations permit and tower crane permit for the building. 

The second building will be the music hall, sited at the corner of S. Damen Ave and W. Adams St. New renderings released in tandem with the groundbreaking show a redesigned structure that shifts from the alternating ribbon concept peeling up from the ground to a scalloped extruded form rising from a one-story brick podium. The 6,000-seat music hall will open towards a large plaza to the east. 

The south garage, located to the east of the music hall separated by the south plaza, will be the third building of the first phase. It will be similarly activated with a retail brick podium and topped by an activated green rooftop park. Two floors of parking will be included with five floors of 233 hotel rooms above. 

City Council recently approved a Cook County Class 7(b) property tax incentive that will provide an estimated $54.7 million in tax savings over its 12-year term. The project also recently secured $125 million in financing from Wintrust to support the 1901 Project’s initial phase as well as some work at the arena itself, according to Crains. With construction underway, Phase 1 is anticipated to be complete in 2028. The project is also seeking to add a CTA Pink Line station adjacent to the project by 2034, which DPD Commissioner Boatright said at the event is “coming closer to a reality.”