Constructed halted on the famed (notorious?) Chicago Spire in 2008, leaving a giant 74-foot-deep hole in the ground in the middle of prime lakefront real estate. At the time, the developers had ambitious plans to make the Chicago Spire the second tallest building in the world, towering above the Chicago skyline and giving the city a new signature building to replace the aging Willis Tower. The building was design by star achitect Santiago Calatrava.
But the developer went bankrupt during the Great Recession, construction halted, and the site has yet to be redeveloped.
Until now.
Two residential towers, developed by Related Midwest, will rise on the former Chicago Spire site, the last parcel of lakefront land to be developed, according to NBC Chicago. Related acquired the site in 2014 in bankruptcy court, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Below grade construction will continue through November 2024, with construction wrapping up in 2027. The tallest of the two towers will be 72 stories, the tallest building currently under construction in Chicago.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
