Image Courtesy of Santiago Calatrava
In 2007, construction broke ground on 400 North Lakeshore Drive, with the plan being to construct the second tallest building in the world in the form of the “Chicago Spire”. Designed by Spanish Architect Santiago Calatrava, the supertall skyscraper was to rise 2,000 feet and become the tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere. It was not until after the foundation was poured and an underground parking structure nearly completed that the late 2000’s economic recession hit, and developers had to suspend construction indefinitely.
As of the past two years, however, interest in the Spire and the property has risen again, with developer Garret Kelleher stating that the tower will be built exactly as it was planned to be prior to the suspension in construction if the necessary funding is to be secured. The total development cost is estimated at $1.6 billion, which includes landscaping the currently barren next-door DuSable Park and opening it to the public. According to the Chicago Tribune, Kelleher and partner Atlas Apartment Holdings have until the end of October to make a partial payment to Spire debt-holder Related Midwest. Therefore, it is still up in the air whether or not this landmark development might actually come to fruition.
Architecture Outlook Chicago 