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River District Master Planning

For over 40 years, Freedom Center has been the home of the Chicago Tribune, serving as both an office space and a printing press facility for the iconic newspaper. When the 30-acre property was being repositioned for either sale or development, our team provided the master planning, which involved rezoning from a planned manufacturing district that prohibited residential use to a planned mixed-use development. We were active in City meetings to assist in design intent and rezoning processes, as well as preparation for several overall stormwater management strategies and utility layouts. Sustainability was a key focus, so our expert analysis included solutions for integrated rainwater management, river engagement opportunities, sustainable site works, and maintenance planning. This successful partnership led to the future development of Bally’s Casino, of which our team is also heavily involved.

Owner

Tribune Real Estate & Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Market Sector

Primary Service Lines

Region

Additional Info

Project Highlights:

  • We prepared several strategies and layouts for the site to assist the various City agencies in understanding the future demand on the stormwater systems. We also discussed preferred layouts for incorporation into the City’s system.
  • We also prepared documents outlining the advantages and disadvantages of having public roadways versus private roadways.
  • We provided probable construction costs for the proposed infrastructure. These opinions were used to assist in the establishment of a tax increment funding (TIF) district.
  • We also assisted in the phasing plans to help further the phased development strategy. Phasing was done so that the first phase will require minimal new infrastructure to allow for the TIF increment to be generated early in the development process.
  • Tribune Media placed the property on the market for development by a master developer. We participated in conference calls with several of the bidders to help walk through the complications of the site and also participated in discussions with the various public agencies.

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