Construction is booming in the Lakeshore East area, a quiet oasis near the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Vista Tower will climb 101 stories when it's finished and now a revised proposal to add three more skyscrapers is being unveiled.
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"I welcome it. I welcome all of it," said Lakeshore East resident Chris Hauer. "I think that will be great to have Michigan and Lakeshore kinda connect there."
Lendlease Development, along with its partner Magellan Development Group, is proposing to build an 80, 50 and a 40-story building, adding 1,700 residential units to the growing neighborhood. The 80-story building would be one of the tallest along Lake Michigan.
"I think I'd be concerned with maybe the traffic and the congestion in this area," said Lakeshore East resident Tami Anderson.
A previous plan was rejected by 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly after concerns from residents about car and pedestrian traffic, security and accessible park space. As a result, the developers scrapped a plan for a hotel and doubled the amount of green space they're proposing, but the project doesn't have his support quite yet.
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"Not yet," Alderman Reilly said. "Last night we spent three-and-a-half hours with the neighbors going through their concerns. There remains some additional tweaks they will have to happen here."
Cynthia Springer said she's already eyeing the potential project and considering a move across the street.
"If you have an opportunity to get a protected lake view with no obstructions in front of it, I mean to me that's great as opposed to having to move up north," Springer said.
This isn't a done deal yet. The project would still have to win approval by city zoning.