3 Blocks, 5 Buildings

In Chicago's Streeterville neigborhood, currently five new condominium projects are in various stages of construction over a barely three block stretch along Grand and Ohio Streets between Michigan Avenue and McClurg Court. For those not familiar with this part of Chicago, this is the same neighborhood where Calatrava's Spire is planned. Needless to say, the area is becoming a canyon of mid- and high-rise buildings, primarily residential. Of these five, three are built on what were previously surface lots while the other two involved demolition of low-rise buildings.

These five new condo towers include (from E-W; L-R in the large photo):

:: Avenue East by Built Form
:: 535 North St. Clair by Brininstool + Lynch
:: 600 North Fairbanks by Helmut Jahn
:: Cityfront Plaza by DeStefano + Partners
:: The Streeter (rentals) by Solomon Cordwell Buenz

According to this Chicago Tribune graphic, these new towers will consist of approximately 1,000 residential units (I'm guessing 250 units at The Streeter), equating to an influx of about 2,000 new residents to the area. This number, though, doesn't even include the planned second and third Cityfront Plaza towers (!), as well as the two towers at 600 North Lake Shore Drive and the Park View tower at Illinois and McClurg, all under construction but well out of view in my photograph above. I think a more appropriate name for the area might be Towerville.

For an update 18 months later, click here.