Change is afoot at the Old Main Post Office, a gigantic facility to the southwest of the Loop that has remained vacant since 1997 when Postal Service operations moved to a new location on Harrison Street. In 2009, the aging building was purchased at auction by British developer Bill Davies for a price of $24 million—a bargain for more than 2.5 million square feet.
Now, the developer has revealed tentative plans for the property in an attempt to gauge interest in the proposal. According to a report from Curbed Chicago, the plans call for the addition of a tower and the construction of 1,500 apartments in the historic building. Developers are also looking for large retail tenants to anchor the ground floor. Construction on the rental units could begin as early as March if demand is there.
But Curbed Chicago's report reveals another interesting tidbit of information about this development: The apartments are going to be tiny. Studios would start at a relatively minuscule 280 square feet, one bedrooms at 350 square feet, and two bedrooms at 600 square feet. Davies seems to be banking on a demand for these micro-apartments, but plans could change to accommodate more conventional living arrangements.
If this proposal moves forward, we can expect yet another addition to Chicago's quickly changing skyline and even more Loop-adjacent residential development.