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Several plots of land have been cleared and construction is underway for the transformative McCormick Place Entertainment District in Chicago. The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (McPier) is developing several properties north of McCormick Place, the largest convention centre in North America, to bring additional vitality to the Near South Side area.
One of the major developments set to change the urban landscape at East Cermak Road and South Prairie Avenue is a $164 million arena. Set to serve as the home DePaul University's basketball teams, the McCormick Place Events Center will hold 10,000 seats. It will host the occasional concert, as well as other sporting events, conventions, and business meetings.
The arena features a design by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, who have imagined an arched roofline and several galvanized metal pavilions protruding from the glass walls of the structure. Housed within those pavilions will be the restrooms, concessions support spaces, stairs, and elevators for the facility.
Before any work could begin on the site, the historic Harriet F. Rees House on South Prairie Avenue needed to be relocated from its original footings. Built in 1888, the residence was constructed for the widow of a local real estate developer. The Romanesque Revival-style house was successfully moved to a new site one block north in 2014. With the structure now safely out of harm's way, construction on the arena is scheduled to kick into high gear, with completion expected in 2017.
The project also includes a 51-storey Marriott Marquis hotel designed by Gensler. Situated just east of the arena and connected via skybridge, its 1,200 rooms will be accompanied by 90,000 square feet of meeting space, a food court, and a restaurant and bar within the lobby.
The hotel will be attached to the landmark American Book Company building, which is now undergoing extensive renovations. McPier is planning a restaurant for the first floor of the structure in addition to office space and hotel conference facilities in the upper levels. A new 12-storey data centre will be located behind the revitalized building.
Forum contributor harryc posted photos to the Forum showing the progress at the site. Exposed sections of the American Book Company building allow onlookers to peer straight into the structure. Construction of both the arena and the hotel are also moving ahead, as the core of the Marriott Marquis begins its climb.
James McHugh also has plans to bring a 27-storey hotel and eight-storey data centre to the neighbourhood, kitty-corner to the new arena. That project would include 650 hotel rooms and ground floor retail space. The recent development explosion is part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's efforts to bring more business and vibrancy to the area.
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| Related Companies: | Gensler |
