Urbanize Wrapped: Chicago’s Top Ten Articles of 2024

Reflecting on 2024, Urbanize Chicago wrote 600 articles about commercial real estate, architecture, construction, and urbanism in our city. We’ve seen many lofty proposals and approvals albeit few groundbreakings this year. Before we begin 2025, we thought we’d share the stories that you all read the most. Here is Urbanize Wrapped: Chicago’s Top Ten Articles of 2024:

10. Redevelopment plan for Cabrini Green could total over 5,000 units

The Chicago Housing Authority in collaboration with SCB has been developing a redevelopment plan through the Cabrini NOW initiative. Generally bound by W. North Ave to the north, the Brown Line tracks to the east, W. Chicago Ave to the south, and N. Halsted St to the west, the plan encompasses 16 different parcels including vacant parcels and the vacant Francis Cabrini Rowhomes.

The article explained three different schemes for the properties that could result in over 5,000 new units. We recently shared the CHA’s announcement of its final draft plan that would create over 4,100 units across all of the sites. 

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9. Onni Group lands financing for Halsted Pointe Phase 1

Developer Onni Group secured $50 million in construction financing earlier this year for the 46-story mixed-use first phase of Halsted Pointe. Initially approved back in late summer 2021, the overall development will replace the current Greyhound Bus facility at 901 N. Halsted on the southern tip of Goose Island which has been demolished to make way for the new development.

While construction financing has been secured and the site has been cleared, groundbreaking never occurred for the project in 2024. The project’s future and timeline is currently undetermined as permits have not been issued and no word has been given on where the project stands.

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8. Rendering emerges for mixed-use development at 925 W. Belmont

Situated just west of the Belmont CTA L station, Mavrek Development’s proposal at 925 W. Belmont could have a big effect on the streetscape of the area. 

The building was proposed as an 11-story tower with 210 residential units, 36 parking spaces, and approximately 10,000 square feet of retail space. Eckenhoff Saunders is the architect behind the design which still requires approval from the alderman and City Council.

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7. Related Midwest completes marathon foundation pour for 400 Lake Shore Drive

As likely the largest and highest profile construction project of 2024, 400 Lake Shore Drive completed a large foundation pour in March 2024 to reinforce and reconfigure the existing foundations from the Chicago Spire for the vertical construction of the north tower of the development. Designed by SOM for developer Related Midwest, the 858-foot-tall northern tower will deliver 635 new apartments.

To form the foundation of the 72-story tower, a caravan of over 250 concrete trucks delivering every 2 minutes over a 12-hour period delivered 9 million pounds of concrete. Over 2,300 cubic yards, or 470,000 gallons, of concrete was placed on-site. The volume is equivalent to filling an Olympic size swimming pool or a 9-mile-long sidewalk. 

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6. Related Midwest releases further renderings of White Sox stadium at The 78

After initial news broke (...keep reading…), developer Related Midwest reached out with renderings and details for the proposed White Sox stadium at The 78. As a new anchor for the megadevelopment, the baseball stadium would become the focal point of the high-rise district.

With home plate at the southwest corner, the stadium would wraps around the field primarily on the west and south sides, offering expansive views of downtown beyond including the Sears Tower. A new public plaza will be located to the north of the stadium, with a large video screen facing the terraced park. 

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5. Renderings emerge for Halsted Landing development

In April, renderings emerged for Onni Group’s plan for Halsted Landing, a development situated along the Chicago River at 700 W. Chicago. The project site is located at the corner of W. Chicago Ave and N. Halsted St along the Chicago River, just across the street from Bally’s Casino and across the river from Onni Group’s Halsted Pointe project.

 Designed by Goettsch Partners, the multi-phase development will see the construction of four new mixed-use skyscrapers. Set to total 2,451 residential units, the project will support the housing with ground-floor retail space, 1,950 parking spaces located underground, 2,451 bike parking spaces and extensive exterior landscaping along the Chicago River. 

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4. Permits are in the works for 3636 N. Lake Shore Drive

In February 2024, we reported that permits were in the works for the two-building residential development at 3636 N. Lake Shore Drive. Planned by developer City Club Apartments, the project is posed to fill a plot of empty land along N. Lake Shore Drive at the intersection of N. Lake Shore Drive and W. Waveland Ave.

Designed by BKV Group, the project will see the construction of two new buildings on the site, including a 19-story northern tower that will rise 228 feet encased in glass and metal paneling. The southern side of the site will be occupied by a shorter six-story residential building topping out at 75 feet. A timeline for the project is currently unclear as permits have not been issued and no announcement has been made from the developer.

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3. Further details and renderings emerge for 925 W. Belmont

After the initial renderings were released for 925 W. Belmont, we followed up with another story that outlined more details for the project alongside additional renderings from Mavrek Development and architects Eckenhoff Saunders. Floor plans for the building were also included.

Stretching about 200 feet long on the southern side of the street, the project would replace the building that holds Belmont Army Vintage and Ann Sathers among other small businesses. The building’s design began with maximizing the site’s footprint, then establishing setbacks on the sides and creating a central courtyard in the middle. The carved-out massing was then reallocated vertically, making the building taller. 

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2. Historic structures are set to be demolished at Wells/Superior

In February we shared the difficult news that we would be losing two historic buildings at the southwest corner of N. Wells St and W. Superior St. The three-story brick and wood framed structure at 720 N. Wells was built near the time of the Chicago Fire but is green rated on the Chicago Historic Resources Survey with no protections from demolition. The Italianate structure at 207 W. Superior is estimated to be from the 1880s and is listed as orange-rated on the Chicago Historic Resources Survey. 

Ultimately, demolition permits were issued and the site has been cleared of the two buildings. With foundation permits issued, developer Topography Hospitality is planning a new five-story private social club and hotel designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and GREC Architects.

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1. Renderings emerge for potential White Sox stadium at The 78

Topping our list is the first initial announcement of renderings showing plans for the proposed White Sox stadium at The 78. Located south of Roosevelt Rd, the stadium would potentially become the new anchor of The 78 megadevelopment that has been in the works for years. 

Related Midwest and the White Sox have been working on the plan and have approached city and state leaders in a pursuit for public funding to aid in the construction of the stadium, which has been met with opposition from both the public and from lawmakers, putting the brakes on the plan as a resolution is sought. We’ll see how it evolves in 2025.