West Town developer proposes 30-story residential tower in Fulton Market

Fulton Market has become an epicenter for new development in Chicago, with trendy office spaces and apartment towers. And the neighborhood's next apartment building could be located at 215 N. Racine Ave.

Domus Real Estate Group, whose developments are concentrated in some of Chicago’s trendiest neighborhoods, has proposed a 30-story residential tower in Fulton Market.

Designed by Archeo Design Studio, the building would have 347 apartments, 88 parking spaces and 350 bike spots. Renderings for the project show a tower that's unlike some of the glass-facade buildings in the neighborhood, with its curved edges and upper balconies that make the building appear to step back as it rises in height.

Cosmin Vrajitoru, president and founder of Archeo Design Studio, said the design — along with the color palette — were intentional to reflect the changes of Fulton Market. The red and brown hues evoke brick and rust, he said, a nod to the neighborhood’s roots as a meatpacking district and industrial corridor.

“It was extremely important for us to maintain that and address the modern developments that are starting to develop in the area,” Vrajitoru said during a community meeting last month organized by the West Central Association Chamber of Commerce.

The development team also wanted to avoid an all-glass facade and plans to wrap the lower floors in metal paneling, Vrajitoru said. The ground floor would have 2,300 square feet of retail, and the four floors above it would be wrapped in the metal mesh, obscuring the podium parking lot.

The building will have studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, though Vrajitoru said there’d be a handful of three-bedroom units on the penthouse floors. The amenity floor on floor 29 would include a pool.

Domus plans to build affordable units on site, with about 70 set aside under the city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance.

The project still needs to go before the Chicago Plan Commission and, ultimately, needs City Council approval to move forward.

But Philip Ciaccio, co-founder and principal of Domus, said the team is optimistic it could break ground on the project in the second quarter of 2026.

The project is a $149 million investment, according to Ciaccio, with estimated annual property tax revenue at about $3 million. The developer is still working on securing financing in what’s a troubled economic landscape for new development.

“The financing strategy is well underway,” Ciaccio said. “A lot of it is key … on completing this planned development, but we’ve made very productive progress.”