There hasn’t been a lot of new anything for decades in the neighborhood immediately west of the old South Works site in South Chicago. But that’s changed with the recent completion of a well-scaled mixed-use mid-rise called Thrive Exchange.
The design is the product of locally based Koo Architecture led by architect Jackie Koo. It was developed by DL3 Realty as part of the Invest South/West initiative that was launched by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot and then-Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Maurice Cox.
Koo first made her name in hospitality design with the striking Wit Hotel in the Loop in 2009. More recent projects include the Sable Hotel at Navy Pier and the Altgeld Family Resource Center in the Riverdale neighborhood. This background informed her work at Thrive Exchange: “We definitely try to bring some hospitality vibes to make it a nice place for the residents,” Koo said.
The 55,000-square-foot, six-story-tall brick-clad building sits at the corner of East 79th Street and South Exchange Avenue just south of the Cheltenham Metra Electric station. This is an almost perfect site for what’s known as transit-oriented development, or TOD, that encourages larger buildings with limited, or even no, on-site parking when located near public transportation.
And it’s just a few blocks west of the 440-acre Quantum Shore Chicago development that’s rising on the old South Works site. Construction of Advocate Health Care’s new Trinity Hospital replacement facility is already underway.
Thrive Exchange is a building that eschews sharp edges; it features curved corners that are reminiscent of art deco’s effect on buildings and trains — which seems appropriate for its transit-adjacent location.
The site is oddly shaped for Chicago, with its north, west and south edges defined by the street grid and the east side by the angle of the railroad right-of-way. That provided an opportunity to create a somewhat unusual form — a six-sided tower whose central double-loaded corridor is set parallel with the train tracks.
And for an urban apartment building, it’s not terribly large, with just 43 affordable apartments in studio, one-, and two-bedroom configurations. Because its shape is somewhat unconventional, the plans for the end units have some modest spatial character. Thrive Exchange’s size makes it a Goldilocks building — not too large and not too small, but just right for this not-so-typical Chicago site.
The ground floor provides ample retail spaces that have yet to be leased. “That retail would be great for a wide variety of commuter uses,” Koo said. “You could stop by, get coffee, get on the train, (and) commute downtown.”
On the side of the building facing the railroad tracks, there’s a single-story bustle that extends from the body of the building. This brick-clad volume contains offices while creating a pleasant second-floor roof deck that connects with a community room and fitness room for the residents. It also helps define a ground-level courtyard space that can be accessed from the retail spaces.
The building’s apartments are affordable, but Koo noted that market rate units in this neighborhood are affordable organically. She notes that its location with quick access to the Loop via Metra means that it can function as workforce housing.
Immediately south of the new structure is the Ringer Building. Built in 1928, it’s a petite, classically inspired brick- and stone-clad gem that is slated for renovation. Its arched entry was a source of inspiration for the architects.
“We capture some of these curved elements,” Koo said. “It started as an elevation move, then it turned into a plan move.” This thoughtful mix of old and new demonstrates an approach that architects and developers should adopt throughout the city: to reuse and remake what surrounds us.
Much of the building’s mass is cantilevered over the glazed storefronts of the ground floor, creating a dramatic and visually contrasting base. Among the building’s more appealing details is a vertical slot of windows that face South Exchange Avenue at the corner with 79th Street. A setback along Exchange Avenue creates a pleasantly landscaped area that welcomes visitors and residents. And a curved metal canopy over the entrance reprises the curves of the brick corners. The plaza facing the train tracks would be an awfully nice place to have a cup of coffee while waiting for a train.
But while Thrive Exchange does all the big things right, there are a few discordant notes. While the masons built the curved corners with some dexterity, there are a number of metal enclosures around windows and storefront glazing that seem haphazardly hacked together to form curved features. It’s unfortunate, as these details detract from the overall success of the building’s forms — right where tenants and visitors can see them up close.
The project was always meant to spur further development. The conceptual plans Koo created for the Invest South/West proposal included the renovation of an existing building across 79th Street coupled with a new four-story apartment building that would be kin to the recently completed one. And that master plan calls for the renovation of the Ringer Building as well. Completion of this more expansive project would give the complex — and the neighborhood — more chances at success.
To date, the residential leasing has been proceeding nicely, although the retail spaces remain vacant.
Thrive Exchange is a damn good building. It’s modest but not anonymous and thoughtful but not overwrought. And we need more — lots more — of this sort of thoughtful and inventive design across the city.
This corner of Chicago has seen better days, but Thrive Exchange is a successful exercise in hope for a community that’s been beset by disinvestment for too many decades.
Edward Keegan writes, broadcasts and teaches on architectural subjects. Keegan’s biweekly architecture column is supported by a grant from former Tribune critic Blair Kamin, as administered by the not-for-profit Journalism Funding Partners. The Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content.
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