Chicago’s Conversion Moment Has Finally Arrived

Chicago’s office-to-housing conversion wave is no longer just wishful thinking—it’s now backed by political momentum. With over 20 projects underway totaling millions of square feet, the city is accelerating the transition of under-used offices into apartments and mixed-use buildings. Long hampered by regulatory hurdles, the Chicago market is signaling a major shift.

One of the main bottlenecks: the once-promising “La Salle Street Reimagined” program. Launched in September 2022, the program calls for turning millions of square feet of under-used office space along La Salle Street between Randolph and Van Buren into a mixed-use neighborhood. The target was to add 1,000 + residential units with at least 30 percent affordability, activate ground-floor retail, and restore the street-level vitality of what was once the city’s financial spine...

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RSK: Chi Town is finally gaining some traction on office to residential/mixed use conversion.