WEST LOOP — Facing complaints from neighbors, developers pitching a new two-tower plan for the former H2O Plus site have been told by the local alderman to go back to the drawing board.
At a meeting with more than 100 residents Tuesday night, Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) told The John Buck Co. that he couldn't sign off on the developer's latest plan for the block-long site bound by Madison, Green, Monroe and Peoria streets.
"You've got to think about bringing the buildings down and maybe less density," Burnett said. "And then we will talk."
Revising an earlier plan, the Chicago-based developer now aims to build two towers atop a two-story parking podium — a 17-story tower at the southwest corner of the site and a 15-story tower at the northeast corner of the site. Previous plans called for four towers to be built at each corner of the property that would range in height from 13 stories to 17 stories.
Developer Chad Broderick, vice president of The John Buck Co., said the new 845 W. Madison plan would open up air and light in the neighborhood near Mary Bartelme Park and across the street from Merit School of Music and Mariano's.
Under the developer's latest plans, the H2O Plus site would have two towers built at the northwest and southeast corners instead of four towers at each corner of the lot. [The John Buck Co.]
But despite the design changes, developers still aim to build 627 apartments at the site, a plan that neighbors contend is too dense and too tall for the immediate area.
Sumit Desai, who serves on the condominium board at 901 W. Madison St., a 10-story, 148-unit building, said the towers would be an "eyesore" in the neighborhood.
"It's just too dense. It's going to have a tremendous negative impact on the quality of life," Desai said, adding that the additional density will make traffic "a nightmare."
Neighbor Jerry Galipeau, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2002, said a 17-story tower makes "absolutely no sense for this community."
"It just looks greedy and in every single slide I see, it does look monolithic to me. This is a mistake for the West Loop," Galipeau said.
But Broderick said the West Loop neighborhood does include tall buildings, including the Gateway, a 17-story, 167-unit tower at 11 S. Green St., across the street from this site, and The Parker Fulton Market, a 29-story, 227-unit building just off of Lake and Halsted streets.
To solve future height disputes, Desai said the neighborhood needs strict guidelines that dictate appropriate height in the neighborhood.
"We've had this conversation now with the Gateway building, 111 S. Peoria and we're having a conversation now, and it's a waste of everyone's time," Desai said. "We all know what we want and don't want."
Developer The John Buck Co. presented new plans for the redevelopment of the old H2O Plus site at a meeting Tuesday. [The John Buck Co.]
Latest plans
A $100 million-plus luxury rental project, the 627 apartments would be a mix of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom units and 15 duplex rental units wrapping the parking garage. About 20 percent of the units would be studios, 50 percent would be one bedrooms, 20 percent of units would have two bedrooms and the remainder would be three-bedroom units, Broderick said.
Under the new two-tower plan, the developer would aim to build 293 parking spaces, 10,000-square-feet of retail space, a pool and dog run to developed on the two-acre site.
If successful, the LEED Silver-certified project would break ground in early 2017 and open in late 2018.
An earlier proposal called for 550 units to be developed at the site, according to the developer's website.
The John Buck Co. agreed to buy the property for $20 million in 2014, according to Crain's. Broderick said Tuesday night that the developer does not yet own the property, but the sale is anticipated to be complete in September.
H2O Plus in July 2015 announced plans to move its headquarters to San Francisco and close the West Loop location. Earlier this year, H2O sought a new tenant to sublease the two-story property. A Realtor representing H2O declined to confirm the length of the lease.
Developer The John Buck Co. presented new plans for the redevelopment of the old H2O Plus site at a meeting Tuesday. [The John Buck Co.]
Developer The John Buck Co. presented new plans for the redevelopment of the old H2O Plus site at a meeting Tuesday. [The John Buck Co.]
Developer The John Buck Co. presented new plans for the redevelopment of the old H2O Plus site at a meeting Tuesday. [The John Buck Co.]
Bridgford development meeting
The West Loop Community Organization and Burnett will again host a development meeting tonight as owners of the Bridgford Foods site will present plans to build 322 residential units at 171 N. Green St. in Fulton Market.
The public meeting kicks off at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Merit School of Music, 38 S. Peoria St.
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