M&R Gains Okay for $100M Addison Project

CHICAGO-A venture by M&R Development and RMK Management Corp. recently gained City Council approval for its $100 million Addison Park on Clark redevelopment project here near Wrigley Field. However, residents of the Wrigleyville neighborhood have continued to protest the plans, as a few local establishments must be removed for the new development.

According to the developers, Addison Park on Clark is a sustainable building project that will stimulate economic growth, support public transit use, widen pedestrian walkways and provide amenities for neighborhood residents. The proposed, mixed-use development consists of a 137-room Hyatt hotel, 145,000 square feet of retail and 135 apartment units along the south side of Addison Street, from Sheffield west to Clark Street and extending south on Clark approximately one block. The site will also include almost 400 underground parking spaces.

The council had to agree to new zoning for the area. The project is subject to the city’s planned development process, which requires extensive public involvement and outlines project details into zoning law, including such things as construction materials used, types of retail uses and other specific aspects of the project.

The development would replace all existing uses on the property with new construction. Included among the businesses to be removed are Bar Louie, Red Ivy, Mullen’s Bar and Grill, the Salt and Pepper Diner and more.

According to the local opposition to the plan, the section of Clark being mauled is the part with ‘character.’ “The strip considered is over a city block long, filled with small business owners who care about the patron, have rich history, and provide artistic integrity to the area. These are the places on Clark that residents and patrons WANT to keep - not shops that are found in malls that you can frequent elsewhere, or new clubs that pop in and turn over each month. A beige, concrete mall from Clark/Addison to nearly Clark/Cornelia will alter the heart of Wrigley,” said the members of Save Wrigleyville on their Web site. The site’s founders include some of the soon-to-be-displaced business owners.

An M&R/RMK spokesperson did not return a request for comment on this project. The opposition has not commented on its Web site nor its Facebook page since the council approval.