The bigger picture of RIOS’s massive The 1901 Project proposal on Chicago’s West Side came into focus today as part of a planned $7 billion redevelopment of areas surrounding the United Center. 

The 55-acre site is set to be transformed into a mix of retail, entertainment, and residential spaces over a period of ten years in a new privately funded venture that will join RIOS with Field Operations beginning in the spring of 2025.

The first phase of construction, which kicks off next year at what is now a surface parking area adjacent to the arena, will deliver a 6,000-seat music venue, a 10-acre elevated public park, new parking facilities, and a mix of retail and hospitality aimed at encouraging local businesses with a hefty sense of increased pedestrianism included.

Once that phase is complete, the plan's housing component will come into focus. The architects say this will include a mix of different lot sizes and unit types ranging from high-end to highly affordable. A multimodal transportation system is also going to be installed at this point, according to the plan.

RIOS Senior Project Director Richard Peterson shared: "It aims to develop a forward-thinking model for urban growth by integrating architecture and landscape into a unified concept while also prioritizing humans over cars. Our goal with the master plan is to provide an urban canvas, rich with public spaces and diverse program, for the legacy of the existing neighborhood to write its own new chapter."

His team's work will all be "founded on notions of what’s authentically Chicago," according to RIOS Partner and Creative Director Sebastian Salvadó. He shared his excitement about remaking the entire site into a series of plaza areas and paseos, with a careful nod to its "pre-auto historic urban fabric."

Before advancing, the 1901 Project plan must still vet the community's input and be approved by local aldermen. 

The United Center, which turns 30 this year, will soon be in the national spotlight as the host of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August. 

The announcement joins another proposed revitalization for the North Michigan Avenue waterfront from Gensler we covered last week. A planned replacement of the Chicago Bears' current Soldier Field home was also unveiled earlier this year.