Residential Revision Changing West Loop’s Van Buren Corridor

A new tower for luxury apartments in Chicago’s West Loop is under construction at 1125 W. Van Buren. Expected to be completed in fall of 2021, the southern portion of the neighborhood is booming with a total of three residential developments in the works.

Development throughout the West Loop has gone so well over the past decade it’s no surprise this area on Van Buren is ready to ride the wave of success! Let’s take a closer look at 1125.

Design Details

Plans for the mixed-use 24-story building include 200 apartments and 1800 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Residents will enjoy state-of-the art amenity spaces including a covered outdoor terrace on the second floor, a gym, and a rooftop pool deck.

Located less than 500 feet from the CTA Blue Line station at Racine this will truly be a transit-orientated apartment building. Uniquely, it will only have seven covered parking spaces and a covered pickup/drop-off area along the ground level. So, ditch the car! Cyclists, on the other hand, will love the 100 spaces dedicated for bicycles. 

Similar to other new apartments in West Loop, plans are for about 60 percent of the apartments to be studios, 30 percent 1-bedroom units, and 10 percent 2-bedroom units.

Local Designer and Developer

Chicago architecture firm Antunovich Associates design is for a glass tower with vertical lines of dark masonry cladding rising from a dark brick base. It is one of two new projects on Van Buren that they are working on with Chicago-based developer Tandem Partners. The sister property at 1050 W. Van Buren should come in 2023.

I think this new addition of timeless beautiful architecture on Van Buren will continue to brighten up this particular area. Previously, it was just a plain old auto-body shop and worn down warehouses. But, give the area a little time, and don’t be surprised if it is on par with West Loop’s trend-setting reputation.

Van Buren Corridor Transformation

Let’s take a look at this stretch of Van Buren Street where this new luxury apartment tower will be situated. This corridor is the southern boundary of West Loop, and runs along the north side of the Eisenhower Expressway between Halsted and Racine. 

Like the striking line of high-rises that run along the I-90/94 expressway on the east side of West Loop I think it will be delightful to see a similar effect of new tall towers shouldering the I-290 expressway along the south end of the neighborhood.

In addition to the two Tandem/Antunovich properties, there will be another new apartment just steps away. Developer Related Midwest has plans for a residential high-rise at 1061 W. Van Buren, which will be next door to their existing 30-story luxury apartments Landmark West Loop that opened in 2017.

Developers see the Van Buren corridor as an opportunity to meet the population growth demands created by major corporations like McDonalds and Google planting offices in West Loop and the re-development of the massive Old Post Office as a new business hub. 

Proximity to the near west side Medical District would also make new apartments on Van Buren convenient for Rush, UIC and Stroger hospital employees.

Great Expectations

Antunovich Associates other recent downtown Chicago luxury apartment buildings have similar design characteristics as the renderings for 1125 W. Van Buren. Classic clean-line structures made with earth tones in brown, slate gray or dark charcoal that are mixed with modern glassy elegance is a signature style that is also featured at Avenir Apartments in River West and Roosevelt Collection in South Loop.

With Mary Bartelme Park and Skinner Dog Park both in walking distance it is safe to assume these will be pet-friendly and dog-friendly apartments in the West Loop.

Nearby Culture, Conveniences, and Businesses

The West Loop offers a dizzying array of activities. Here’s a short list of places just a short walk from the property:

• Target
• Starbucks
• 7-Eleven
• CVS Pharmacy
• Mariano’s
• Greek Town restaurants
• Restaurant Row – Randolph Street
• Madison Street boutiques and coffee shops
• Mary Bartelme Park
• Skinner Dog Park
• United Center – Bulls, Blackhawks
• UIC – Credit Union 1 Arena
• CTA Blue Line – Racine and UIC Halsted
• Union Station
• I-290 Expressway
• Google Chicago Office
• McDonald’s Headquarters
• Old Post Office building – Uber office
• Illinois Medical District – Rush, UIC, Stroger hospitals
• University of Illinois Chicago
• Illinois Institute of Technology downtown campus
• IIT Chicago Kent College of Law

With the existing new apartment buildings, and new ones on schedule for the next few years, the south end of West Loop will transform to a more densely residential area. And, if the West Loop is all new to you, check out our Ultimate Guide to Chicago’s West Loop Neighborhood!

If moving to a luxury apartment in the West Loop sounds exciting to you, please contact HotSpot Rentals today.  We would love to help you find the perfect place!