Magellan Development Group recently broke ground on a 105,000-sq-ft retail center at the southwest corner of the 28-acre Lakeshore East mixed-use development rising just northeast of Millennium Park near the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.
The three-story Village Market Center will house an eclectic group of tenants anchored by a 55,000-sq-ft bi-level supermarket, said Brian Gordon, Magellan vice president of development.
Designed for silver LEED certification, the contemporary Village Market will include a green roof, outdoor café and pedestrian promenades that reflect the architecture of the area.
A host of environmentally-sensitive “green features” of the structure includes:
- More than 15,000 sq ft of un-irrigated green roof
- The entire market will be a non-smoking structure
- A recycling program in-place to encourage retail tenant use and education
- Storage space for public and staff bicycles to reduce auto use
- Preferred parking for fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles
- All parking will be within or under the building. This eliminates impervious roof surfaces that are common in surface lots and roof-occupied parking garages.
- High-efficiency window systems
- Low-volume, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures
- The site is situated in close proximity to public transportation and bike paths, further reducing auto usage and carbon dioxide emission. Similarly, the Village Market’s proximity to such community services as banks, restaurants, places of worship and recreation (a block from Millennium Park) is also expected to limit the need for vehicle usage.
The highly-acclaimed and multiple-award-winning Lakeshore East community incorporates all the elements of a traditional city neighborhood.
Its master plan recently captured a highly-esteemed Prix d’Excellence International Design Award from the International Real Estate Federation representing more than 60 nations. It previously earned a National Honor Award for excellence in urban design from the American Institute of Architects.
Lakeshore East, which has already evolved as a neighborhood with some 6,000 residents, is regarded as a preview of the future, a mixed-use development where people can live, work, shop, eat and pursue their interests without having to get into a car.
The plan that completes the Illinois Center development allows for the construction of up to 4,950 residences, a 6-acre public park, 2.2 million sq ft of commercial space, 1,500 hotel rooms, 770,000 sq ft of retail space and a proposed elementary school.
Residential developments at Lakeshore East currently include six completed and occupied buildings.
