Developer proposes 36-story apartment tower in Chicago’s Old Town

Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood hasn’t seen a new skyscraper in decades, but a developer now wants public approval for a 36-story apartment tower next to the historic Moody Church.

Fern Hill Co. asked residents Tuesday night to support a 500-unit building on North Avenue between Wells Street and LaSalle Drive, and promised it would reflect Old Town’s artistic heritage and not be just another glass tower.

“This is the opposite of that,” said Nick Anderson, Fern Hill’s founder and president.

The glass and steel facade would feature colored mosaics on all four sides designed to mimic a sunrise over Lake Michigan, or other options such as a prairie landscape, he added. The lower portion would eliminate the block-long dead space along North Avenue by replacing a brick wall and parking lot with new retail.

Some residents worried the proposal meant losing the existing Walgreens on the corner of Wells Street, but Fern Hill plans to rebuild and incorporate the store into its new building.

“They will remain a tenant of this community with an extremely long-term lease,” Anderson said.

One hundred apartments will be reserved as affordable to comply with the city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance.

It would be the neighborhood’s first residential tower since the James Kilmer Condominiums building at 1560 N. Sandburg Terrace, Eugenie Terrace on the Park at 1730 N. Clark St. and 1660 N. LaSalle were all completed in the 1970s and 1980s.

Fern Hill also has more ambitious plans. It began buying up properties around the nearly century-old Moody Church a few years ago, including several gas stations and the former Treasure Island Foods supermarket at 1639 N. Wells St., and envisions launching other development projects to remake this corner of Old Town, which includes the Chicago History Museum and Latin School of Chicago.

In 2021, the company began meeting with Old Town community groups and condo associations about what they wanted to see on these sites, and a top concern among many was securing a new grocery store to replace Treasure Island. Anderson said Fern Hill tried finding a replacement but signing a deal may not happen until the apartment project gets underway, assuring a steady stream of customers for a new grocer.

“We have come close, but have never been able to secure a user,” he said.

Tuesday’s presentation included drawings of new administrative buildings for Moody Church on its northern side, now occupied by a BP gas station, and to its west on the other side of LaSalle a retail or office building. All these structures would be roughly the same height as the church and use materials that will blend with its brick and terra cotta facade.

Breaking ground on the projects could take a long time. In addition to receiving feedback from neighbors about project design, potential traffic snarls and whether a new development would improve neighborhood safety, Fern Hill needs a green light from 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins and approvals from the Chicago Plan Commission and City Council.

“It’s a consequential decision, and will have a long-lasting impact in the community,” said Hopkins, adding that’s what Old Town residents think is the most important factor. “I’m withholding judgment myself.”