Developer Nick Anderson of Fern Hill Company has a big problem.
Chicago Alderman Brian Hopkins of the 2nd Ward came out Friday against Fern Hill’s huge proposal for a North Side residential skyscraper at 1600 North LaSalle Drive.
The alderman, in an emailed statement to constituents, said his office is “currently awaiting a possible compromise proposal from the developer, which is expected very soon.”
It’s unclear on what terms the alderman is expecting the developer to compromise, but he later cited the proposal’s density and height as too large to support. Neither his office nor Fern Hill immediately returned requests for comment. Neighbors have expressed opposition over perceptions that recent tweaks to the plan wouldn’t do enough to quell concerns about increased traffic congestion.
The project was slated to include 400 market-rate units and 100 units reserved as affordable to households making certain portions of the area median income. Chicago in 2021 upped its standard for the amount of affordable housing developers must provide for developments, with 20 percent of new units becoming the norm for proposals requiring zoning changes or certain other city actions.
It’s rare for Chicago developments to proceed without the support of local aldermen, who have long wielded heavy influence over real estate plans within their own wards.
While fellow Chicago City Council members traditionally defer to the preference of local aldermen when it comes to development, there’s been a push against the standard of so-called “aldermanic prerogative” in recent years.
Developer Sterling Bay, for instance, is inching another North Side housing tower, at 1840 North Marcey Street near Lincoln Park, down an alternative path toward approval after failing to get 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack onboard, over a disagreement about a request for property tax reductions without additional neighborhood benefits.
Anderson is a former Related Midwest executive who started Fern Hill. Hopkins’ stand against the plan is one of multiple hurdles the project has encountered.
The development was briefly in question as David Adjaye, an architect who was designing the building, stepped away amid sexual assault allegations. It would have been Adjaye’s first Chicago project.
The original 36-story proposal for the Old Town neighborhood has been through several community meetings and was unveiled with a colorful design back in 2023. It was turned into a taller, thinner design at 44 stories to help alleviate concerns from neighboring condominium owners about their views of Lake Michigan potentially being obstructed.
The development’s rejection marks a setback not only for Fern Hill but also for broader efforts to address housing shortages in affluent areas like Old Town. The proposed tower’s fate now hangs in the balance, pending potential revisions or abandonment by the developers.
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