The West Loop Community Organization, has blocked many developers from building projects higher than 115 feet in the neighborhood west of Halsted Street over the last few years, hoping to keep the area predominantly a mix of lofts and mid-rise buildings. The group says the West Loop has an oversupply of one- and two-bedroom condos as it is, and badly needs townhomes and other low-density projects that will keep families in the neighborhood (see our recent New Homes Magazine feature, Heightened Tensions.)
Today, West Loop Community Organization president Eric Sedler contacted Yo’s truly to discuss the issue. “If Chicago is going to be a city of families, they need to live somewhere, right?” Sedler told Yo, noting that many couples leave the West Loop once they start having kids. According to Sedler, the West Loop has more than 10,000 condos but only about 300 townhomes and single-family homes.
When Yo’s truly pointed out there were options aplenty for families in the bungalow belt, Sedler said the West Loop would benefit by having a more diverse housing stock. “It shouldn’t just be a transient neighborhood,” he said, pointing out that residents who stay in a neighborhood through various stages of their lives have a vested interest in improving local schools, parks and other amenities.
The group is opposing The Pickus Companies’ plans for a two-tower 13-story high-rise at 1260 W Madison St. Sedler said his organization hoped to see a townhome development on the site. When we noted that the cost of downtown land makes many townhome developments unfeasible, Sedler argued that people who own and purchase land in the West Loop should acknowledge the historic restrictions on high-rises and adjust land prices accordingly.
What do Yo’all think? Does the West Loop Community Organization have a point?