600-footer proposed at 420 N. May

Crescent Heights has proposed a 600-foot-tall tower at 420 N. May. Located at the western end of the West Loop, the proposal is set to be the tallest building in the entire West Loop and Fulton Market. Located between the two sets of Metra tracks, the project’s site is bound by N. May St, W. Kinzie St, and N. Racine Ave.  

Designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, the tower is planned as a focal point for the highly visible site, creating a gateway to the West Loop with an iconic design. The dynamic massing reflects the convergence of surrounding neighborhoods and extends the life and activity of the street vertically up the facade. An existing masonry building will be preserved and incorporated into the design, while a pedestrian corridor will be made where Ann St. used to run through the property.

Rising 52 floors, the tower’s design began as an extrusion. That volume was stepped to the west and distinguished with a reveal and facets in the vertical massing. The design was completed by adding a crown and making the facade contextual. The bulk of the building sits to the west side of the site, with a lower six-story podium occupying most of the property towards the east. 

At the ground floor, the first residential lobby will sit at the base of the tower, facing a pedestrian plaza at the northeast corner of W. Kinzie St and N. Racine Ave. Along W. Kinzie St, the building will hold 3,100 square feet of retail, a second residential entry, 2,700 square feet of coworking amenity, and a bike amenity space. Within the podium, 339 parking spaces will be wrapped with residential units facing the street frontages. 

Occupied by 35,000 square feet of amenities, the building transitions from the podium to the tower at the sixth floor. Totaling 587 units, the building’s apartments will be a mix of micro, studio, one-beds, one-bed plus dens, two-beds, and three-beds. 

Set to go before the Committee on Design later this month, the proposal would rezone the site to DX-5 and use a 3.1 FAR bonus. The project will also go before the Chicago Plan Commission, Committee on Zoning, and City Council for full approval.