Plan Commission advances North Side, West Loop projects

The Chicago Plan Commission endorsed developments Thursday on the sites of the former Treasure Island food store in Lake View, which will get a 208-unit residential building, and the old Vienna Beef factory in Bucktown, to be replaced by a combined golf driving range and entertainment center.

The commission, which reviews major developments before they get to the City Council, also supported three new high-rises in the West Loop and a developer’s plan to renovate the closed Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport. For months, the commission has had a busy calendar of projects as developers, despite talk of a slowdown in property investment, push for zoning deals in neighborhoods with high demand for residential and commercial growth.

Glencoe-based developer Optima plans a seven-story residential building on the old Treasure Island property, 3460 N. Broadway. The locally owned grocery chain closed in 2018 after 55 years of operation.

Optima

Optima won support for the project from Ald. Tom Tunney (44^th) after it trimmed the size in response to neighbors’ opposition. The developer told city officials construction on the $83.8 million project can start in the third quarter of 2020, with completion expected early in 2022.

At the Vienna Beef site, 2501 N. Damen, Drive Shack plans dining options and games ranging from virtual reality to old-school arcade offerings. The $40 million venture will have a three-story building that connects to a driving range with netting to keep wayward tee shots on the property, which abuts the Chicago River. Plans call for Drive Shack to provide improved landscaping and walkways along the riverfront.

Drive Shack operates similar locations in Orlando, Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; and West Palm Beach, Fla. The company has told neighborhood groups in the 32^nd Ward that the Chicago location will create 400 jobs, mostly part-time.

Vienna Beef has relocated manufacturing to the South Side.

The commission’s approval sends each zoning plan to the City Council for final action.

Other projects that won commission support:

• Developer Trammell Crow’s 16-story office building at 400 N. Aberdeen St.

• A 21-story, 476-room hotel at 800 W. Lake St., a $150 million project of North Park Ventures and MF Development.

• A 25-story, 281-unit apartment tower at 1400 W. Randolph St. by Marquette Cos., a neighbor of another new tower it plans at 1436 W. Randolph St. Both are across from Union Park.

• A $22.9 million plan to refurbish the Ramova at 3518 S. Halsted St., converting it to a dining and live entertainment destination.