Work is now underway on a major new development project in Chicago's Streeterville area. Located at 451 East Grand Avenue, Related Midwest's One Bennett Park will consist of a 67-storey condominium and apartment tower on a block bounded by East Grand Avenue and East Illinois Street, and featuring an Art-Deco-inspired design by Robert A.M. Stern Architects

Rendering of One Bennett Park, image via Related Midwest

The development will rise atop a pre-existing below-grade parking garage, which was constructed back in 2008 to serve an adjacent 49-storey residential tower to the west and a since-scrapped project on the site of One Bennett Park. The parking garage was topped by a public park from 2008 until early 2016, although it was removed during the last few months to make way for construction of the new 345-unit residential tower.

View of the One Bennett Park site, image by Forum contributor harryc

Though the public space has been removed, a large portion of the previous park's footprint will be reborn as a new 1.7-acre park, featuring a design by acclaimed landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. The new park will be named 'Bennett Park,' and will feature a children’s 'play bowl', a 'hilltop grove' offering shade, and an accessible dog run on the edge of the park. 

The presence of the below-grade parking garage means that complex shoring and excavation stages won't be necessary for the project, as foundations to support a new highrise were already put in place for the previous ill-fated development. This will allow for an expedited start of above-grade construction. At a height of 257 metres (843 feet), One Bennett Park will rank among the top 15 tallest buildings in Chicago once complete in 2019.

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