Domus Lands Approval for Standard-Breaking Development

Chicago City Council greenlit a Fulton Market development that could set a new density precedent for the area.

Previously, zoning officials sought to reject a plan for the planned high-rise to gain a DX-16 zoning designation, which is normally reserved for skyscrapers. The new development at 215 North Racine Avenue is set to total 29 stories and 347 apartment units. A nearby parcel of unused land slated to be transformed into a public park was also purchased by the Domus Real Estate Group, the project’s developer, to fulfill a condition of the city’s approval. A small delay in acquiring the land earmarked for the park pushed the vote back by about a month, but as of Thursday, the development is set to move forward, according to Crain’s.

The project’s detractors argued that the high density designation breaks too sharply from years of careful planning to juggle infrastructure strain, historic preservation and steady growth in the former meatpacking district. Fulton Market has been arguably the best in Chicago at weathering the pandemic market storm, largely due to its solid fundamentals, according to the publication. Breaking with the yearslong plan to allow deeper density in one project could lead others to seek the same zoning, pivoting the area away from the fundamentals that have guarded it.

While the slippery slope argument is acknowledged by those who back the project, there’s still a desperate need for more housing across the greater Chicago area. Construction pipelines have mostly stalled, and efforts to cut red tape have flamed out. As with Governor JB Pritzker’s housing reform legislative plan failures, ultimately the political power in local developments is wielded by local officials. There’s also the public park mandate to consider: more vehicle parking and green space could ease tensions with those already concerned about a lack of the aforementioned developments in Fulton Market.

Additionally, the development’s DX-16 zoning is exclusively tied to its current ownership entity with a “no-flip” clause, blocking Domus from selling the property.

— Hunter Cooke