High-rise Demise

New Luxury Condos Set to Replace Children’s Memorial Hospital

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  • The Hospital building on the corner of Lincoln and Fullerton has been under demolition since June 2016.

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While the remains of Lincoln Park’s Children’s Memorial Hospital still stand, gated with cranes and construction workers, the block of Belden to Fullerton awaits its replacement: luxury condos.

In 2012, the hospital was closed. Recently, the process of tearing down the old structure has been a daily task for construction workers. Two large red cranes are situated inside the gate, and the interior staircasing of the building is exposed on its westward side. Workers use fire hoses to spray debris from the half-demolished building.

By 2019, this lot will open up 640 luxury apartments, replacing the hospital, according to McCaffery Interests, a U.S. real estate company. The sidewalk on the eastern side of Lincoln street from Belden to Fullerton is blocked off due to construction.

Real Estate Company McCaffery Interests is in charge of the new apartment complex. According to the firm’s website, the new building will feature 540 apartment units and 60 luxury condominiums.

The block has taken a different turn amidst all this change. Stores have reported less customer and civilian traffic on the street ever since the construction began, according to DNAinfo Chicago. Vegan dessert store Fritz Pastry, which opened in 2014 at 2233 North Lincoln Avenue, has closed due to the negative impact that the decreased traffic has had on the business, according to DNAinfo Chicago.

On the project website, McCaffery Interests states that the goal of the new building is to “transform the existing Children’s Memorial Hospital site into the focal point of Chicago’s north side.”

The project is awaiting LEED-NC silver certification that 50 percent of the roofing is able to produce green energy. The complex will also include an 850-stall parking lot, as well as a 156-room senior living facility.