City Council approves 640 W. Randolph

The Chicago City Council has approved a new mixed-use tower at 640 W. Randolph. Planned by Vista Property Group, the new building would occupy a corner site near the developer’s recently completed 609 W. Randolph. Currently a surface parking lot, the site is located at the northwest corner of W. Randolph St and N. Desplaines St. 

Designed by Antunovich Associates, the new mixed-use building will rise 15 floors, holding approximately 2,500 square feet of retail space and roughly 117,00 square feet of office space across 12 floors. Standing 225 feet high, the building will include 19 parking spaces on the second floor, a ground floor bike room, and rooftop amenities that include a club room, outdoor terrace, fitness center, and meeting center.

Occupying a narrow site, the building has been designed with a modern loft aesthetic, with the use of brick and divided-lite windows. The facade has been designed to have a higher percentage of glass than 609 W. Randolph and each office floor will have a private, west-facing terrace. The west facade underwent major changes when the building core was shifted towards the interior of the building, allowing for active space and vision glass along the west facade. Previously, the west facade was a concrete shear wall, but now has been articulated with brick and punched window openings.

On the ground floor, the retail space will hold the corner, with the office lobby fronting W. Randolph St. The bike room for tenants will also be accessible from W. Randolph St at the westernmost end of its street frontage. The rest of the ground floor will hold back-of-house spaces along the alley with the parking and loading access from the alley. The parking ramp was relocated to the alley instead of opening onto N. Desplaines St in response to feedback from Alderman Reilly.

To meet sustainability requirements, the building will exceed energy code, exceed the stormwater ordinance by 50%, is located in proximity to transit, will provide bike parking, plant trees, reduce indoor water use, install EV charging stations, install a CTA digital display, ensure construction waste diversion, and implement bird protection.

The developers will pay $1.3 million into the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund to receive a 4.5 FAR bonus. With the green light from the Chicago City Council, the project is fully entitled and the developers can move forward towards construction. W.E O’Neil will be serving as the general contractor for the project.