City picks 5 finalists for South Loop development

Five development teams have been picked to vie for the right to rebuild part of the South Loop near the Harold Washington Library.

The site consists of city-owned property at the northeast corner of Van Buren Street and Plymouth Court. It is alongside Pritzker Park, which must get funds for improvement. The site includes a parking garage and a vacant building.

The five groups responded earlier this year to a city proposal issued as part of its involvement in the international C40 Reinventing Cities competition, a network of megacities addressing climate change. Developers will be asked to strive for a carbon-neutral design. The winner is expected to be picked early in 2021.

The finalists:

• Common Good Collaborative, consisting of Lendlease, KMA, Valerio Dewalt Train Associates, Latent Design and dbHMS.

• The Community Builders, Studio Gang, DesignBridge, JAQ and dbHMS.

• EcoVibe, consisting of DL3 Realty, CityPads, Perkins & Will, Brook Architecture and dbHMS.

• Team Unity, consisting of Keith Giles, Mercy Housing, Chicago TREND, Fitzgerald Architects and Transsolar.

• Turnstone Development, Lightengale Group, MKB Architects, Mir Collective and dbHMS.

First Deputy Planning Commissioner Eleanor Gorski said the teams are well qualified to “maximize this unique opportunity to support economic development, affordable housing, open space and sustainability in the heart of the Loop.”