All projects

400 North Lake Shore Drive

Location

Chicago, Illinois

Client

Related Midwest

Type

New Construction Residential

Services

Accessibility Consulting Permit Management

Links

www.relatedmidwest.com/our-company/properties/400-lake-shore-drive

Status

In Progress

MAPS devised a phased permitting approach and is the liaison with 10+ city, state, and federal regulatory departments.

Program

High-rise residential development

Size

75 stories, 1,100 condominiums and 634 rental units

Team

SOM, SpaceCo, Stantec

Image Credits

SOM, Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune

400 North Lake Shore Drive stands at the gateway between Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and the city itself. This prime site has sparked imagination but largely eluded developers. In 2019 Related Midwest announced its plans for a double-tower scheme that would replace the stalled Chicago Spire development that had started construction and left the site with a 8 story deep foundation/ coffer dam that had filled with water.

MAPS joined the construction and design team to devise a phased permitting approach that could stitch together the complex construction and regulatory approvals that would be needed.

The project’s unique location presented numerous challenges. To the north and south are navigable waterways, to the east is a state-controlled multi-level roadway, and to the west an existing community. This complexity introduced a long list of city, state, and federal departments that had to be engaged throughout the permitting process:

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Illinois Department of Natural Resources

• Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

• Chicago Department of Transportation

• Illinois Department of Transportation

• Chicago Department of Buildings

• Chicago Department of Planning and Development

400 North Lake Shore Drive checks the box for every layer of complexity and coordination.

As with many high-rise building projects, 400 North Lake Shore Drive had a series of below grade challenges that had to be navigated. This included the partial re-use of existing caissons, modifying and removal of foundation structures, negotiating around an abandoned freight tunnel, and coordinating elements in close proximity to a stormwater drop shaft, to name a few. This project checks the box for every layer of complexity and coordination.