“The Chicago City Council has approved a rezoning for The LaSalle Residences, an office-to-residential adaptive reuse project at 208 S. LaSalle.

“Planned by The Prime Group, the 21-story building was Burnham’s last design before he died, built in 1914 for the Continental and Commercial National Bank. The Prime Group has already converted the lower 12 floors into a JW Marriott Hotel and opened floors 18-22 as The LaSalle Hotel with 232 keys in 2022.

“Completed in 1914, the historic 1.2 million-square-foot, 22-story building at 208 S. LaSalle St. was initially designed by world-famous Chicago architect D.H. Burnham & Co. in the Classical Revival style for the Continental and Commercial National Bank. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Chicago Landmark in 2007.

“With City Council approval secured, the property’s Planned Development designation will be removed, and the site will be reverted to its underlying zoning of DC-16 to allow for the residential conversion. The developer expects to begin construction on the $130 million redevelopment in early 2025. (Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 11/14/24)

“‘Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday earmarked $151.2 million in taxpayer money to help subsidize four proposals to breathe new life into Chicago’s Financial District by transforming it into Chicago’s newest residential neighborhood, advancing a plan to ‘reimagine’ Chicago’s Loop launched by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

“The four proposals would invest a combined $520.2 million in the city’s central business district to build approximately 1,000 apartments in what is now mostly empty office space, including 300 units set aside for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans as part of an effort to reduce segregation in Chicago and chip away at the city’s shortage of affordable homes, officials said.

“‘Like many cities, we are in the process of recovering from the impact of the pandemic, resulting in vacancies, particularly our storefronts and offices,’ Mayor Johnson said, announcing the plan in the lobby of 208 S. LaSalle St., one of the buildings set to be transformed. ‘Additionally, evolving conditions in workplaces and retail are changing what it means to be a shopper and a worker. We have to respond to these changes. As a city, we have to do it in a creative and collaborative way.’

“While the number of people living downtown has doubled since 2000, that growth has bypassed LaSalle Street, where many of the historic buildings were built during a bygone era and are beloved but little used historic landmarks.” (Cherone, WTTW Chicago, 4/3/24)

Read the full story at Urbanize Chicago and WTTW Chicago

• City Council approves adaptive reuse of 208 S. LaSalle; The LaSalle Residences will convert four floors into 226 residential units, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 11/14/24
• Johnson Picks 4 Developments to Launch Effort to Transform Chicago’s Financial District; Heather Cherone, WTTW Chicago, 4/3/24
• City Council places $160 million bet on revitalizing LaSalle Street; Council members made a forward-thinking move by approving bonds to create apartments in four LaSalle Street; corridor buildings. We urge the council to move forward on a plan to bring back coach houses and other accessory dwelling units, Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, 6/15/24
• Additional Renderings Revealed For 208 S LaSalle Street In The Loop, Ian Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 7/1/24