WEST LOOP — A proposed ordinance to change the zoning of a block that includes Carmichael's Steakhouse passed City Council Wednesday, effectively blocking a planned apartment development at the site.
Ald. Danny Solis (25th) first presented the motion to change the zoning on the property in the 1000 block of West Monroe Street in September. The ordinance, which changes the zoning on the property from a downtown mixed use to a downtown service zoning, was approved by the City Council Wednesday, according to Stacy Raker, a Solis spokeswoman.
The move blocks Michigan Avenue Real Estate Group's plan to build 131 rental units at the site.
If the apartments were built, a landscaped green space on the lot would also be lost. The courtyard on the property is well loved by neighbors, said Armando Chacon, president of the West Central Association.
The action ensures that any development at the site would have to go through a community process before moving forward, Raker said. Unless neighbors approve of the development in the future, Solis does not plan to sign off the project, she said.
The site sits in an area that will be in Solis' ward beginning in 2015.
Residents previously submitted a petition to Solis, arguing that their "beautifully maintained aesthetic on the block" should not be "obliterated to make way for yet another luxury apartment complex."
The developer's proposal included plans for two four-story buildings that take up virtually the entire site at 1050 and 1060 W. Monroe St. Renderings for the two buildings show a small outdoor courtyard near the corner of Monroe and Aberdeen streets.
Tom Meador, a Michigan Avenue Real Estate developer, could not be reached Wednesday.
Before heading to City Council, the plan was moved forward by the Zoning , Building and Landmarks Committee last week.
Carmichael's has operated at the site since 1997 in a 68-year-old building.
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