RIVER NORTH — River North could soon be getting a new fire station, paid for by a Chicago developer who wants to build a tower at the site.
Friedman Properties aims to build a new start-of-the-art Engine Co. 42 fire station at the base of a mixed-use tower, David Reifman, the city's Department of Planning and Development commissioner, announced in the West Loop Friday. If approved, the new station would rise immediately west of the existing Engine Co. 42 station at 55 W. Illinois St.
Under the proposed public-private deal, the cost of the $20.2 million fire house would be paid for by Friedman Properties. After the new station is completed, work would begin to replace the old station with the tower, which would feature 614,000 square feet of office and mixed-use space, Reifman said.
The proposed fire station has yet to be approved by the Chicago Plan Commission and City Council, Reifman said. Other details about the proposed tower were not released Friday, and the tower's design has not been finalized.
"The exact massing and design [of the tower] have yet to be determined," said Peter Strazzabosco, deputy commissioner of the city's Department of Planning and Development.
Friedman also aims to pay the city $5 million for the existing 14,600-square-foot firehouse property and an adjacent 3,150-square-foot alley.
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said the potential public-private partnership could enhance a prime development location while providing a new home "for Chicago's bravest."
"I look forward to working through the community engagement process to see if we can make this concept a reality at no cost to our taxpayers," he said.
The tower project, to be designed by DLR Group, could include a $10 million contribution toward the city's Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus program, according to the city's Department of Planning and Development. The new Neighborhood Opportunity Fund program allows developers to build bigger and taller projects in an effort to generate millions to rebuild blighted neighborhoods.
The existing station, built in 1968, also houses the Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau, Strazzabosco said. If approved, the new firehouse will include a community room to engage residents and a training room for the Fire Prevention Bureau, among other upgrades, he said.
The site is currently zoned DX-7 and the city expects to receive about $4.4 million in real estate taxes annually for the new development, according to a city press release.
Terms of the proposed deal structure will be posted on Department of Planning and Development's website and alternative bids will be considered for a 30 day period.
[Chicago Department of Planning and Development]
