Tribune East Tower

Summary

Tribune East Tower is a 1,442 ft (439.5 m) mixed use supertall tower to be constructed on the eastern edge of the Tribune Tower property, in the Streeterville area of Chicago.[2] The building plans were approved on May 8, 2020. When completed, the tower will be the second-tallest building in Chicago, after the Willis Tower, and one of the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere. Construction is to begin in the first half of 2024 and to be completed by September 2027.[3]

Tribune East Tower
Map
General information
StatusApproved
TypeResidential, Hotel
LocationChicago, Illinois, U.S.
AddressEast Illinois Street & North Cityfront Plaza Drive
Coordinates41°53′26″N 87°37′21″W / 41.89056°N 87.62250°W / 41.89056; -87.62250
Height
Architectural1,442 ft (440 m)
Tip1,442 ft (440 m)
Technical details
Floor count113
Floor area1.3M sq ft
Design and construction
Architect(s)Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
DeveloperCIM Group
Golub & Company
Other information
Number of units564
Parking426
References
[1]
Tribune Tower property from the eastern edge. Background (left to right) Trump International Hotel and Tower, Tribune Tower, and Wrigley Building; midground (l to r) Chicago Tribune printing plant and WGN-TV building, foreground proposed new tower site.

History edit

 
Tribune Tower and the adjacent Chicago Tribune printing plant (from the south)

Tribune Tower sits on the southwest corner of property that includes four buildings and a surface parking lot. The other buildings are (clockwise) the four-story 1935 WGN Radio building, the eleven-story 1950 WGN-TV building, and the old Chicago Tribune printing plant, with the parking lot immediately east of all of these buildings.[4] The Tower itself was declared an official Chicago landmark by the city in 1989.[4]

In early September 2016, prospective buyers of the Tribune Tower property had redevelopment plans for the adjacent Pioneer Court that were at odds with local interests to protect views of Tribune Tower.[4] Nonetheless, later that month, Tribune Media sold Tribune Tower and adjacent property totaling 3 acres (12,141 m2), including the 36,000 sq ft (3,345 m2) surface parking lot, to the partnership.[5][6] At the time of the purchase, the partnership of Los Angeles-based CIM Group and Chicago's Golub & Co. sought input on how to redevelop the properties, although 42nd District Alderman Brendan Reilly said that he would protect views of the Tower from the Michigan Avenue Bridge to the south and the Ogden Slip to the east.[6]

By 2017, there were expectations that the partnership would plan a skyscraper tower to the east of Tribune Tower, though no plans had yet been made public.[7] In January 2018, plans emerged for a skyscraper on the northern portion of the parking lot at the east side of the Tribune Tower property. Plans called for 220 hotel rooms and 158 condominium units; the tower would be slightly shorter than the Trump International Hotel and Tower.[8] The new skyscraper was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture of Chicago. As an employee of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Adrian Smith had designed Trump Tower and the Burj Khalifa, which became the tallest building in the world in 2010.[8]

Originally envisioned at 1,388 ft (423.1 m) and standing nearly three times as tall as the 36-story Tribune Tower, the Tribune East Tower faced opposition for obstructing views of the Tower, as well as "dwarfing" it from a historical perspective.[8] Plans were officially announced for a 1,422 ft (433.4 m) tall 200-unit hotel, 439-apartment and 125-condominium building on April 16, 2018. The building will be 29 ft (8.8 m) shorter than the Willis Tower, the city's tallest.[9] The proposal outlined several details, including funding earmarked for affordable housing and neighborhood opportunity as well as plans for the rest of the Tribune Tower property.[10] At the time it was proposed, the building had no official name, but it was referred to as Tribune East by the media.[11][12] In mid-October 2018, the Chicago Plan Commission approved the plans for the city's second tallest building.[13] Chicago City Council approved the plans in an October 31 meeting.[14] Minor revisions were unveiled on November 20, 2019,[15] and on May 8, 2020, the project received final approval. Construction has not yet started.[16][17] In 2023, the developer posted official plans on construction dates, with February 2024 beginning construction, with a conclusion in September 2027. The final plans, as of 2023, include 426 parking spaces, a 250-unit hotel, and 564-units, made up of 125 condos and 439 rentals, including 10% affordable units. [3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Tribune East Tower". CTBUH Skyscraper Center.
  2. ^ "Tribune Tower East – 42nd Ward". Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  3. ^ a b Achong, Ian (2023-03-08). "Updated Details And Dates Revealed For Tribune East Tower". Chicago YIMBY. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  4. ^ a b c Kamin, Blair (September 2, 2018). "Tribune Tower redevelopment plan gets first challenge". Chicago Tribune.
  5. ^ "Sale of Tribune Tower closes". Crain's Chicago Business. September 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Channick, Robert (September 28, 2018). "Tribune Tower sold for mixed-use redevelopment". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  7. ^ Ori, Ryan (November 17, 2018). "Chicago Tribune leaving namesake tower by mid-2018". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c Ruthhart, Bill and Blair Kamin (January 25, 2018). "New skyscraper rivaling Trump's in height could rise behind a redeveloped Tribune Tower". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  9. ^ Ori, Blair Kamin and Ryan (April 16, 2018). "Developers plan city's second-tallest skyscraper next to new Tribune Tower condos". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  10. ^ Ecker, Danny (April 17, 2018). "See what Tribune Tower owners want to build next door". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  11. ^ Charles, Sam (April 18, 2018). "Developers pitch skyscraper near Tribune Tower that would be city's 2nd tallest". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  12. ^ "Tribune East". Emporis. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  13. ^ Ori, Ryan (October 19, 2018). "Column: Don't put those cranes away yet, Chicago: Plan Commission approves three megadevelopments". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  14. ^ Spielman, Fran (October 31, 2018). "City Council makes it a red-letter day for downtown-area development". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  15. ^ Rodkin, Dennis (November 20, 2019). "Developers tweak planned high-rise next to Tribune Tower". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  16. ^ "City Council Approves Plan For Tribune Tower East, 102-Story Skyscraper That Would Be Chicago's 2nd Tallest Building". WBBM-TV. May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  17. ^ Roeder, David (May 8, 2020). "City planners OK tall neighbor for Tribune Tower". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 30, 2020.

External links edit