CHICAGO — Riverside Investment & Development, with its development partner Convexity Properties, has unveiled a revised plan for the Union Station redevelopment project in Chicago. The biggest change is the elimination of a 404-unit apartment structure that the developers had initially proposed to place atop the historic Union Station building, according to local media reports. Instead, Riverside plans to develop a one-story addition with hotel rooms. The other change is a 1.5-acre plaza and park along Jackson Boulevard and Clinton Street at the base of a proposed 50-story office tower. BMO Harris Bank is in talks to anchor the office property, according to local media sources.
The new proposal will still have to clear many hurdles, including approval from city officials. In June, the developer faced criticism for its initial proposal largely because of the glass apartment building. Last year, Amtrak, which owns the station, selected the development team for the $1 billion project. The train station originally opened in 1925. Today, it handles about 140,000 passengers on an average weekday.