In late February, the Chicago City Council signed off on a $7 billion redevelopment plan, known as The 1901 Project, for the area around United Center. The development next to the arena for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks includes a 6,000-seat music hall, an elevated park, housing, a hotel, and retail space on 55 acres of privately owned land. The project is spearheaded by Bulls owner Michael Reinsdorf and Blackhawks owner Danny Wirtz. Construction is slated to start this spring.
“The 1901 Project represents a continuation of our families’ commitment to the future of Chicago’s West Side,” says Reinsdorf in a prepared statement. “This investment will create a thriving, interconnected neighborhood, delivering significant benefits and resources to the community we have long called home.”
Spanning an estimated ten years, The 1901 Project is a long-term, multiphased development inspired by Chicago’s motto “Urbs in Horto” (City in a Garden). The vision features a more than 10-acre elevated urban design strategy created by Los Angeles-based RIOS, an internationally recognized design collective. The public park, led by Field Operations of New York City, aims to establish new open space that connects the community to nature, furthering the legacy of iconic public spaces throughout the city and including a walking path that will celebrate the West Side and Chicago’s rich history of sports and music.
“The vision for The 1901 Project is to bring impactful investment and economic opportunity to the West Side that complements and supports its rich history and galvanizes its vibrancy,” Wirtz says. “We aim to create a development alongside our neighbors to deliver jobs, housing, commerce, and community resources, creating a more prosperous future for all residents.”
