Sterling Bay revises proposal for 2033 N. Kingsbury

Sterling Bay recently shared their revised proposal for a mixed-use development at 2033 N. Kingsbury. Originally announced in September 2022, the project site is directly across the street from Lincoln Yards North. With a combination of low-rise retail buildings and parking lots surrounding the site, the tower will be a middle ground between the new high-density towers of Lincoln Yards and the low-rise neighbors along N. Clybourn Ave.

Designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners, the development was originally conceived as a 15-story residential tower that would hold 359 residential units. Set to rise 167 feet tall, the original scheme would provide 205 car parking spaces and 72 bike parking spaces. 

After receiving input from DPD and the community, the building has been modified in an effort to increase the public open space on the site. Condensing the footprint of the new construction will allow for the planned open space to increase from 13,000 square feet up to 22,000 square feet. As a result, the new proposal will stand 25 floors reaching a maximum height of 275 feet. The project density will remain with a 5.0 FAR and approximately 360 rental units.

The updated design looks to minimize its impact on the site and increase the height of the tower to keep the same density. The taller massing opens view corridors from Lincoln Yards towards the neighborhood to the east and avoids creating a long bar building that in the first scheme essentially created a wall within the neighborhood. Even with the taller massing, the design goes further to break down the massing by shifting the volume and using a facade design that incorporates a combination of brick, steel, and glass to articulate the building.

At the bottom of the building, the podium will hold just over 200 parking spaces on the second and third floors, while the ground floor will have the residential entry midblock and retail space stretching down the frontage towards the open space at the south end. With an active, transparent frontage along N. Kingsbury St, the retail space activates the corridor and even wraps around to face south into the park space, with the retail space envisioned for a cafe or restaurant to help activate and orient towards the park space. 

The development is still in its early stages but would be looking to rezone the site from M2-2 to B3-5 with an overall Planned Development designation. As part of the project, Sterling Bay is considering providing 15% affordable units on-site and paying a fee in-lieu for the remaining 5% obligation.

This project, once approved by the local community, will need to get approvals from the Chicago Plan Commission, Committee on Zoning, and full City Council before work can begin. Sterling Bay reported that they are pursuing traditional bank financing for the building and their goal would be to break ground in Spring 2024 with a 24-month construction timeline.