SOUTH LOOP — The site that once promised to bring condos to the South Loop in the failed XO tower project will instead house buildings with 62 three- and four-story townhomes with two parking space apiece, according plans shared Monday by SRZ Prairie LLC, which includes developers Eugene Golub, David Goldman and Richard Zisook.
The new 1712 S. Prairie Ave. development would include two banks of townhomes in an L shape along 16th Street and South Prairie Avenue, enclosing three more U-shaped rows of connected townhomes, according to preliminary renderings presented Monday to a full house at a Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance meeting.
The plan calls for four-story townhomes no more than 45 feet tall, though architect Jeff Goulette said it's possible the plan would downsize most or all buildings to a three-story maximum.
The current proposal calls for townhomes ranging from 2,800 square feet to 4,300 square feet costing at least $840,000 to $1.29 million.
The full footprint of the development would occupy about 172,300 square feet, Goulette said, though he emphasized the plans were "really kind of concept sketches" and could be adjusted based on neighbors' feedback.
"This is not the final product," he said. "We want to hear from you," Goulette said, though he stressed the 62-unit maximum was firm.
Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance President Tina Feldstein said it would be important for the townhomes to "be contextualized" with "what I consider to be the most historic corner in the city of Chicago."
"I assume these are going to be very expensive townhomes," she said. "We're looking for high quality."
The townhomes' fourth floors would "most likely be set back ... for private terraces," Goulette said, and the buildings' exteriors would be made of a combination of brick and stone.
Developers hope to begin demolition in a few months and begin construction in the spring, with sales launching soon.
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