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Hotel plans slowed Wolf Point development, Reilly tells River North residents
(Above) 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly (left) speaks with the new commander of Chicago Police Department’s 18th district, William Dunn, before Tuesday’s annual meeting of River North Residents Association. 5-Dec-12 – It was unexpected hotel rooms that convinced 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly to “put the brakes” on plans by Houston-based Hines Interests L.P. to develop Wolf Point. On November 27, Reilly asked the Chicago Plan Commission to remove from its agenda that day consideration of the proposal to turn Wolf Point near Merchandise Mart into a complex of three office and residential towers. Although he did not elaborate at the time, the alderman said documents submitted to the city by developers did “not accurately reflect the significant changes to the proposal” that he and his office had negotiated on behalf of constituents in neighborhoods near Wolf Point. Speaking Tuesday evening at the annual meeting of the River North Residents Association, Reilly said developers “at the eleventh hour” changed the proposal from what had been agreed upon after five months of negotiation. “What changed was the introduction of potential for 1,800 hotel keys – that was never previously disclosed to me, the City of Chicago, the neighborhood residents, or [Chicago Department of Transportation], and there was no way to foresee the project called for that type of zoning.” He says he is still working with Hines and most of the issues are resolved. “We’re drilling down, trying to find exactly what the developer would hope to build here.” An agenda has not yet been released but the Chicago Plan Commission will meet again on December 20, 2012. New bars being directed to Wells Street Reilly also told the group about possible new development on North Wells Street south of West Chicago Avenue, an area he described as currently having a “dead retail presence, empty store fronts, dilapidated buildings, poor lighting, homeless and panhandling concerns.” Saying there is a “new round of liquor licenses,” and with bars and restaurants popular on Kinzie Street “to the point now that we’ve basically achieved saturation,” Reilly says he “put the thinking cap on again to figure where we put in this whole new slew of restaurant and bar applications.” Encouraging new businesses to locate near River North’s northern border, says Reilly, would “prevent neighborhood problems, create jobs and new business opportunities.” (Below) Google Map of area with Wells & Chicago in upper left corner.
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