210 N Aberdeen Street

Located at the Fulton-Randolph Market District of Chicago, IL this development by LG Group occupies an irregularly shaped site currently home to the historic Arthur Harris Building built in 1904. The building has been renovated, with non-historic buildings on the site demolished and replaced with an 18-story residential tower containing 363 studio, one and two-bedroom apartments, including 83 affordable units. The old and new buildings are linked via a glass connector. A three-story podium with retail space and the residential lobby have been set back from the Arthur Harris Building with a small plaza to create relief at the sidewalk. The tower itself is also set back and has thinner massing, creating a stepped form horizontally.

The city deemed portions of the existing Arthur Harris building as contributing to the historic character of the neighborhood requiring incorporation at ground floor level. The front façade has a retail storefront inserted and the entire building is dedicated to retail space. This involved partial demolition of the rear of the building while maintaining and restoring the building’s main elevation on Aberdeen Street. Work on the Harris building roof involved removing, restoring and replacing a large truss, and two columns from the main building intersect the restored roofing. Additionally, the building fronts Lake Street, where the Chicago Elevated train runs directly adjacent to the site, which entailed sensitive treatment of window and wall details to minimize acoustic issues.

This project fulfills the need in this neighborhood for high-density rental units. The inclusion of 83 affordable units achieves the developer’s goal of 30 percent affordability, along with an additional 41 residences planned either on or off-site. By combining old with new, the developer satisfied the need for new housing and retail with the need to retain the historic site. By creating three distinct building components, the Arthur Harris building repurposed as retail, the lower height podium and glass connector and the residential high-rise, the three can co-exist. Residents of the building appreciate the quality finishings and amenities such as a fitness/yoga studio, coworking spaces, lounge, pool, spa, entertainment spaces and private kitchen and library. The community benefits from additional retail space and eateries, all easily accessible by foot or public transit.