“The Chicago Community Development Commission has approved TIF funds for the mixed-use redevelopment of part of the Central Manufacturing District on the southern edge of McKinley Park. Located at 1769 West Pershing Road, near the neighborhood’s namesake park, the two-building project has been in development for several years.
“The massive district spans 265 acres and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Built in phases starting in 1905, the complex is considered the first modern planned industrial district in the nation, peaking in the 1950s. Since then, much of it has fallen into disrepair, with its iconic clock tower listed on this year’s Preservation Chicago 7 Most Endangered list.
“Now, after winning the city’s RFP in 2023, the development team led by IBT Group is moving forward with their $186 million proposal. Design work is being led by Epstein, who’s namesake architect got started at the district. Initial efforts will focus on the six-story industrial building, beginning with structural remediation and the creation of a large central open-air atrium.
“The atrium will allow for additional window space, enabling the development of 232,000 square feet of commercial office and lab space on the lower floors. Above this will be 172 residential units, an increase from the originally proposed 120. These will include studios, and one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts, with 20 percent designated as affordable housing.
“Residents will have access to amenity spaces on the basement level, while all users will be able to enjoy a 105,000-square-foot rooftop park featuring a playground and café space. This park will eventually expand across three additional buildings and include a running track. The building will also be surrounded by 250 parking spaces in an existing lot.
“The land and building will be sold to the developer for $10. The team will now need to secure City Council approval for both the TIF funding and zoning changes. Construction will be executed by Arco Construction. A timeline has not yet been announced. (Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 7/10/25)
Preservation Chicago applauds the City of Chicago for moving forward with this Request for Proposals and IBT Group for their dynamic and creative adaptive reuse plan. Additionally, we commend IBT Group, Epstein Global Architecture, and the City of Chicago for recognizing and embracing the value of these historic buildings.
Bravo to Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th Ward) championing the Pershing Road Central Manufacturing District and leading the effort to create a Chicago Landmark District as detailed in her May 15, 2025 letter of Support for Historic Landmark District Designation for the Central Manufacturing District (CMD) – Pershing Road and Clock Tower.
The Central Manufacturing District has long been a concern of Preservation Chicago. In 2014 and again in 2020, Preservation Chicago named the Pershing Road portion of the Central Manufacturing District, which includes the clock tower and warehouses, as one of Chicago’s most endangered historic places.
Chicago’s CMD was one of the first planned industrial districts in the country. The grand and magnificent buildings that comprise the CMD harken back to a time in the early 1900s to the 1920s when big companies began housing operations there – including Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co., the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Albert Pick & Co. and the U.S. Cold Storage Company.
We will continue to support the creation of a CMD Landmark District and the reactivation of all of the historic building within the district. A remarkable number of the buildings are intact, but development pressure is mounting. Now is the time to advance a Chicago Landmark District for both the Pershing Road buildings and the East District (bounded by Ashland Avenue to the west, 35th Street to the north, Morgan Street to the East, and Pershing Road to the south). Both of these areas are already National Register of Historic Places Historic Districts. Preservation Chicago was responsible for the idea of creating a Central Manufacturing District National Register District and funded much of the historical research for this successful designation.
Read the full story at Chicago YIMBY
- Funding Approved For Partial Redevelopment Of Central Manufacturing District, Ian Achong, Chicago YIMBY, 7/10/25
- CDC approves $30 million in TIF for 1769 W. Pershing redevelopment; The project will repurpose a vacant 571,000-square-foot warehouse, Lukas Kugler, Urbanize Chicago, 7/10/25
- City and community seek new life for historic former industrial park; The Central Manufacturing District has been largely uninhabited in recent decades, leaving many of these important buildings unused — and unprotected; Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/4/23
- Central Manufacturing District Pershing Road, a Preservation Chicago 2020 Chicago 7 Most Endangered