A nearly block-long stretch of Polk Street just west of downtown could look very different in a few years, as a 19-story residential tower is now on the table for 571 West Polk Street on Chicago's Near West Side. Plans call for roughly 237 apartments stacked over a four-story podium, with rooftop decks and a sizable parking garage replacing the existing low-rise commercial building. Developers filed a zoning application this week, putting the proposal in line for review at the city's next meeting.
Project Details
According to Chicago YIMBY, the tower would rise about 201 feet and feature an industrial-style glass shaft set on a brick base, with a four-story podium at the east end of the site. Early sketches show an arcade-style entrance on the west side, two rooftop decks, a large lobby, and a dedicated bicycle parking room. The interior layout, as outlined in the report, includes a 102-vehicle parking garage and 237 residential units, with 20 percent of those units designated as affordable.
Who Is Behind It
As reported by The Real Deal, the zoning application was filed by a venture tied to the Mirkhaef family, which has held the Polk Street property since 2003. The outlet identifies Vahooman Mirkhaef as the individual who submitted the filing and notes that the site currently serves as office space for Environmental Group Services.
Affordability, Parking, and Amenities
Chicago YIMBY reports that the project would bring about 237 apartments to the site, with roughly 20 percent of them set aside as affordable in line with city requirements. The proposed building would include a 102-space parking garage tucked into the podium, along with a large lobby and a bike room for residents. The same report credits local developer Jane Mirkhaef as leading the proposal, while other coverage points to a different member of the Mirkhaef family as the party behind the zoning filing. Residents would have access to rooftop decks above both the podium and the tower, giving the building a sizable amount of outdoor amenity space.
Legal Background
Coverage of the filing has also highlighted the developer's recent history with federal investigators. Reporting shows that Vahooman "Shadow" Mirkhaef pleaded guilty in 2021 to payments tied to the late state Sen. Martin Sandoval and later sought to vacate that conviction, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. That legal backdrop is part of why the proposal has drawn extra scrutiny in coverage of the project.
Next Steps
The development team has submitted its zoning application, which now must move through the city's review process before any building permits can be issued. If it clears those hearings, the 19-story tower would reshape a long frontage along Polk Street and add a significant batch of new housing to a slice of downtown that has seen relatively little large-scale construction in recent years.
