Halsted Point will transform Goose Island. 

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the mega-development that will transform Goose Island - Halsted Point.

This complex will bring 530 affordable housing units, inclusive of its 2,650 new residential units, 300 hotel rooms, 108,000 square feet of office space, 54,000 square feet of retail, 1400 parking spaces, 1340 linear feet of the public riverwalk, and 3.8 acres of open space. 

This mega-development is unique in that its buildings are aligned in a way that keeps the tip of the island open. Designed by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, its architecture is modern and sculpted but with a variety that gives each tower its own identity.

The property is bound by N Halsted Street to the west, W Hooker Street to the north, and the Chicago River to the south and east. Onni Group is the developer.

So let's get down to business. What are the 4 different phases of development in Halsted Point?

Phase 1

The first phase which will build out the northwest corner of the site will include a 46-story mixed-use tower.

This tower will have 20,000 square feet of ground-floor grocery store and retail space and 485 residential units.

Approximately 97 of these 485 residences are affordable.

Here there will also be 200 parking stalls. 

The residential units will be on the second floor with units on the northern side from floors two through five with parking in the rest of the podium. They will vary from studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom dwellings. Residential amenities will be on the sixth floor.

The design of the tower reflects the concept of rounded, sculpted forms using glass and metal panels. Three tiers of metal panels will wrap the podium.

The approximately $5.9 million building will take 24-30 months to complete.

Phase 2

Phase 2 will build upon the northeastern corner along the Chicago River.

Onni Group will build a 30-story mixed-use building and a 45-story mixed-use tower. These two towers will produce 1,150 housing units.

Aside from 8400 square feet of commercial space, the buildings will also have 500 parking spaces, with underground loading added from a north access drive.

And in this phase, the developers will also create 350 linear feet of the riverwalk.

Phase 3

Phase 3, on the southeastern corner, will build a 65-story, mixed-use tower and the majority of the development’s open space.

The mixed-use tower will rise 691 feet and provide 1,015 residential units.

The ground floor will have 18,800 square feet of retail space and 600 parking spaces.

Open space plans for this phase include 853 linear feet of the riverwalk and 109,400 square feet of open area for the planned market plaza.

The expected $7.3 million phase is expected to take 24-30 months for construction, with an undetermined start date.

Phase 4

Phase 4 involves a new 28-story hotel, the final part of the riverwalk, and a community dog run.

The hotel includes  2,150 square feet of ground-floor retail space. These will be built along N Halsted Street, on the southwestern corner of the overall site. 

Other Amenities

In each residential tower, there will be townhomes at the base, facing the riverwalk.

Then in the outdoor spaces, there will be a plaza, social lawn, and bike trails.

The Market Plaza will be a gathering place for events, including farmers' markets or food trucks.

On the other hand, the social lawn is a terraced green space at the southern tip of the entire development.

And the community will also connect to the nearby Wild Mile, an eco-park at the North Branch of the Chicago River.

How Halsted Point will help the community first

Unlike other mega-developments in Chicago, Halsted Point will not use any TIF or government funding.

What’s even more amazing is that the developers will pay the city and support local community initiatives!

Onni Group will contribute more than $28 million, including payments to the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, Adopt-A-Landmark, Local Impact Fund, and Industrial Corridor Conversion Fee. 

Halsted Point will also help improve the infrastructure in Goose Island.

They will work with CDOT to widen Halsted Street, eliminate on-street parking, upgrade signals, and improve turn lane and bike lane near the site.

The development is situated along the future route of a potential transitway identified in the city's North Branch Framework Plan.

And the development will boost job growth and economic progress, with 10,000 construction jobs and $716 million in tax revenue over the next 20 years.

Halsted Point is now a source of hope for Goose Islanders.

Alderman Walter Burnett of the 27th Ward said, "When I was kid, growing up right over the bridge from, here we used to call this area ghost town. Now this area is very vibrant. A lot of great things are happening."

Conclusion

Halsted Point is the first residential real estate project on Goose Island. It will transform the area which until 2017 was only zoned for industrial use. It joins other groundbreaking mixed-use projects such as Lincoln Yards, to transform Chicago for a better, more prosperous future.

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