The Old Post Office (OPO) sits in the center of the new development in the West Loop of Chicago. River Gateway aims to improve a deteriorating connection between Downtown, Greektown, the University District and the greater Chicago metropolitan area. The Expressway keeps the axis Daniel Burnham set in his master plan for Chicago. Follow the axis as it turns from a blighted area to one of activity.  

As it stands, the Eisenhower Expressway runs through the bottom two floors of the Chicago OPO. In an effort to improve the development potential of the entire district, not only our project site, Swerv advocated for the acquirement of eight additional plots of land. We removed the highway by tunneling it underground. Financial analysis proved the endeavor economically viable to not just our site but all adjacent areas. After removing the highway, we replaced the vacant land with an artificial wetlands system that collects run off water, filters it through the site and deposits the clean water into the river. 

Removing the highway allowed for an intense focus on community and connectivity between people of all walks of life. We made sure our development was affordable and accessible to those in all economic stratas. The district keeps existing structures, adds to them over time and allows for a continuation of residents and commercial tenants alike. River Gateway sacrifices parking and automobile infrastructure to provide mixed use buildings, community green spaces and productive landscapes blocks from downtown Chicago.