City Officials Approved Condo Project in West Loop

The 70-unit residential development will provide new park storage and public restrooms for the neighborhood.

Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Apartments

Bold vector illustration of a modern mid-rise residential building integrated with public park amenities in a dense urban neighborhood. — Chicago city officials have approved a new 70-unit residential condo development in the West Loop, which will incorporate public park restrooms and storage. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Chicago officials have authorized a 70-unit condo building at 23 S. Sangamon St. The development, led by Fern Hill and Free Market Ventures, replaces previous plans for a larger mixed-income complex.

Why it matters

The project serves as a compromise after residents expressed concerns about traffic congestion from a previously proposed community center, and the Chicago Park District faced challenges in managing that space.

The development at 23 S. Sangamon St. will feature four public bathrooms accessible during park hours and dedicated storage space for the 2.71-acre Mary Bartelme Park.

The players

Fern Hill

Fern Hill is a Chicago-based real estate development firm that focuses on residential and mixed-use urban properties.

Free Market Ventures

Free Market Ventures is a real estate investment and development company that frequently partners on high-profile urban projects.

Chicago Park District

The Chicago Park District is the municipal agency responsible for the maintenance and management of public parks throughout the city.

The details

Located in the 34th Ward, the building will include a ground-floor private dining lounge and wine club alongside residential amenities such as a pool deck, children's playroom, and fitness facility. The inclusion of public bathrooms with a dedicated sidewalk entrance addresses a long-standing local request for amenities near the park.

Developers received approval for an 80-unit condo building in 2021.
A proposal for a 283-apartment mixed-income complex was reported in 2024.
City officials officially approved the current 70-unit condo building on September 23, 2026.

Culture Shift

The approval of this 70-unit building marks a significant downsizing from the dense 283-unit project previously proposed for the same site. This shift reflects a trend of balancing neighborhood density concerns with the need for modern residential amenities in the West Loop.

Local residents will gain access to four new public bathrooms and park storage facilities integrated into the building's street-level design. These additions improve accessibility for those visiting Mary Bartelme Park while limiting the increased traffic that earlier project proposals risked causing.

The takeaway

The successful integration of public amenities like bathrooms and park storage into private development demonstrates a path for developers to meet community needs while gaining project approval. Readers can monitor city planning portals to track similar projects that balance residential growth with shared public infrastructure.