Two proposed hotels, one for Hyde Park the other for Michigan Avenue, and a live-work artist loft space for a historic mansion in the city’s Pullman neighborhood are on the Plan Commission agenda for today.

The body will also take up for the second time a plan from the Park District to expand a parking lot at the 31st Street beach. It was held at last month’s meeting following vocal concerns from newly-appointed 4th Ward Ald. Sophia King. King isn’t a member of the Plan Commission, but the parking lot and neighboring harbor are in her ward. In her first appearance before the land-use body, she expressed concerns that beach access has been difficult for her and residents in the community. Aldertrack spoke to Ald. King about her discussions with the Park District last week, and she said meetings have been productive.   

This week’s packed 13-item agenda is also noticeably less downtown-centric. Here are the highlights:

11127-29 South Langley Avenue; 704-06 East 112th Street (9th Ward) - A team of art and neighborhood organizations are behind a plan to transform a 18,500 square foot parcel of vacant land sandwiched between two historic apartment buildings in the city’s Pullman neighborhood to build lofts for artists. The so-called Pullman Artspace Lofts project has been more than five years in the making and calls for the rehabilitation of the two existing historic apartment buildings coupled with the construction of a new 34,000-square-foot, three story building to be located in the empty lot.

Pending zoning approval, the two rehabilitated buildings would have six units each, while the newly constructed masonry building will hold 26 units, with ground floor communal artist and exhibition space. “[The project] provides the opportunity to integrate historic preservation with cutting edge new construction and create an iconic group of buildings that anchor Pullman’s eastern boundary,” the project’s website notes.

All 38 live/work units will be made affordable. Pullman Artspace, LLC filed a planned development application with the city in February 2016. According to the Economic Disclosure Statement, the LLC is made up of Minnesota-based Artspace Projects, Inc. (55%), Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (40%), and Pullman Arts (5%). The project is also designated as a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) due to its proximity to the the Metra. Plans call for 17 parking spaces and 25 bike stalls.

1050 West Wilson Avenue; (46th Ward) - Cedar Street Capital Partners filed an application with the city in September 2015 under the name “Halsted Commons, LLC” to rezone the former Wilson Avenue Theater and later TCF Bank building into a planned development. Plans call for the restoration of the century-old building and construct an adjacent seven story, dark grey brick mixed-use residential building that would include ground floor retail, 110 dwelling units, and 16 parking spaces.

The development team is represented by Paul Shadle and Katie Jahnke Dale of zoning law firm DLA Piper. According to the Illinois Real Estate Journal, Ceder Property bought the historic theater building for $625,000, and, according to DNAinfo, local housing advocates are not thrilled with the housing plans for the site. Four people are listed on the Economic Disclosure Statement for Halsted Commons, LLC: David Duckler (33.3% ownership); Alex Samoylovich (25.5%), Jay Michael (25.5%), and Tom Kim (10%). Due to the September filing date, the application falls under the old, 2007 affordable housing regulations. Michael, a well-known developer in Uptown, died in January from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

800 South Michigan Avenue (4th Ward) - This application is for the proposed residential and hotel tower planned for the parking garage next to the Essex Inn. The development team, which is a joint venture of Oxford Capital Group and Quadrum Global, is seeking to build an approximately 620-foot residential building that will include: 476 dwelling units, 100 hotel keys, and about 100 parking spaces.  

171 North Wabash Avenue (42nd Ward) - The applicant, RZR LLC Wabash, wants to amend an existing planned development (no.116) to allow residential use: 60 units in a seven-story building with ground floor retail and related uses. According to the Chicago Architecture Blog, the site was a long-planned office building, and is located a block away from the Experience 73 building.

5001 N. Kedzie Avenue (33rd & 39th Ward) - North Park University filed an application with the city to incorporate land it already owns into an existing planned development (no.707) for the construction of a surface parking lot. According to the Plan Commission agenda, the parking lot will hold up to 79 cars. The university is seeking a rezone of underlying zoning of the planned development to make that possible.

1730 West Wrightwood Avenue (32nd Ward) - The applicant, Broader 1730 WW, LLC, is seeking to establish a new planned development to construct three four-story residential buildings for a total of 76 residential units. Each unit will have a corresponding parking stall. The subject property, which is located near the corner of West Wrightwood and North Hermitage Avenue, is currently zoned for manufacturing (M2-3, which is a “light Industry district”).

The underlying zoning they are seeking is a Residential Multi-Unit District (RM-5). The property is located south of the Lathrop Homes, behind the Menards. It was a former outlet store for Tag Furnishings. According to Curbed Chicago, a previous plan had called for the replacement of the industrial facility with two masonry and glass buildings designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners.

6250 North Sheridan Road (48th Ward) - Convent of the Sacred Heart of Chicago filed an application with the city to transform a parking lot on their campus into a recreational field. Since the campus is already part of an existing Planned Development (No. 788), school officials filed an amendment to the PD.

5140-5190 North Northwest Highway (45th Ward) - Ald. John Arena filed an application for a map amendment to downzone this property from a manufacturing designated district (M1-1) to a neighborhood shopping district (B1-1). The agenda says there is no proposed construction included in the application.

1344-60 South Union Street; 700-14 West 14th Street; 701-13 W. Liberty Street (11th Ward) -  The applicant, PMG UV Investments, LLC, is seeking a planned development to construct an approximately 79-foot buildings with 99 residential units and accessory parking on a 26,000 square-foot parcel. The current underlying zoning for the site is limited manufacturing (M1-3)

1136-40 South Wabash Avenue; 26 E. Roosevelt Road (4th Ward) - The applicant is an LLC with the same name as the address. They’re seeking to establish a planned development by rezoning the subject site from a DX-12 to a residential business planned development. The proposal would establish two sub areas. One subarea would hold a 26-story mixed-use building with ground floor retail, 320 residential units, and accessory parking. The other subarea already has a one-story commercial building, which will remain unchanged.