Design Criteria for Block 37

A set of principles that MPC believes future development on downtown Chicago's Block 37 should follow.

September 5, 2001

For over thirty years, Chicagoans have been hearing about redevelopment plans for Block 37 — the vacant block bounded by State, Dearborn, Randolph, and Washington streets in the heart of the Loop. In June 2001, the City of Chicago announced that it had reached a deal to buy the land from JMB Realty, the developers whom the city sold the land to back in 1983. On September 6-7, the Chicago chapters of the American Institute of Architects and Urban Land Institute convened a design workshop to brainstorm new ideas for the long-stalled redevelopment.

At that workshop, MPC presented the following design principles to ensure that development on Block 37 will improve the downtown public realm. The principles address several weaknesses in previous proposals, particularly in building massing, provision of public amenities and street-level architectural detail.

Urban design

The building(s) should be clearly identifiable as urban structures, to fit this vibrant, mixed-use context. As with any building on a site with heavy pedestrian traffic, the buildings' design should cater to the pedestrian — not just on State Street but on the other streets as well.

Active uses should line the building exteriors.
Building corners should be articulated and distinctive.
The façade below the first cornice — the part most visible from the street — should have a rhythm of window bays and a level of articulation and visual interest appropriate to a pedestrian environment.
Storefronts and lobbies should be transparent, with appropriately designed signage, awnings, transom windows, etc.
The upper floors of the retail base should have transparent windows.
State Street's existing streetscape should be continued around the block.

Retail uses

One of the primary uses of any proposal for Block 37 should be retail. A mix of tenants should be accommodated, from large anchor department stores to small specialty shops and food-service tenants. These retailers also should respond to the urban environment with appropriate design elements.

Consider placing big box retailers, if any, above or below street level (e.g., Filene's Basement and T.J.Maxx at One North State), with smaller shops at street level.
Specialty retailers should be encouraged to differentiate and modulate their façades, as at 730-750 or 900 N. Michigan Avenue. Department stores should have large display windows.
Specialty shops should be encouraged along State Street, entertainment tenants and restaurants along Randolph Street, and high rise lobbies and convenience retail along Washington and Dearborn Streets.
Signage should be of an appropriate scale, placement and illumination.

Context

Block 37 is surrounded by some of Chicago's most distinctive buildings and public spaces. Any new buildings on this site should complement this unique architectural context.

The development's massing should "enclose" Daley Plaza and respond to the Daley Center in height and scale along Dearborn Street.
A street wall of adequate height and bulk should front State and Randolph Streets, but should not overwhelm either the Marshall Field's department store or the Oriental Theatre.
The development should complement, not compete with, the Reliance Building/Burnham Hotel.
The ComEd substation on Dearborn Street must be accomodated within the new development, either by hiding it or by incorporating it into the Dearborn Street façade.

Public open space and amenities

New public open spaces should be an integral part of any development on Block 37. Whether at ground level or above, these spaces should provide a pleasant place to sit — either in an urban plaza surrounded by the drama of the sidewalk or in the quiet oasis of a roof or winter garden.

Parks, plazas and gardens (whether open or enclosed) should be usable by the public, with areas of shade and sun year-round, seating, water features, art, access to food service, etc.
Open spaces should be accessible from the street 12-18 hours a day, to provide maximum public access.

Transportation and access

No other site in Chicago is as well served by transit as Block 37. Although on-site parking may be necessary to secure hotel or residential tenants, its impact should be minimized. Proposals for this site shuold encourage transit use with inviting street façades and subway entrances. The existing mid-block, lower level pedway that connects the Red and Blue Line stations should be renovated, lined with retail shops and opened to the building lobbies above.

Non-accessory parking should be prohibited from this site.
Every attempt should be made to reduce the need for accessory parking.
Parking garage ingress and egress should be limited to one or two curb cuts for the entire development, with curb cuts prohibited on State Street.
The State-Dearborn pedway should be redesigned as a key feature and should provide access to all street-level uses. This segment of the pedway can become a hub for the entire pedway and subway system.
Above-ground parking garages must be screened by retail or other active uses.
Consider adding secure bike parking within the parking garage or elsewhere on site to accommodate a growing number of bicycle commuters.