One of the Central Loop's historic low-rise office buildings will soon get a new lease on life, through adaptive reuse. The city issued a construction permit for 29 South LaSalle on Jan. 11, clearing the way for Dolce Living Communities Residential to convert the building into over 200 apartments.
The 12-story building, formerly known as the National Life building, was designed by Jenney & Mundie in 1902, and its façade was renovated in 1940 by Holabird & Root. Film buffs will recognize the building from the scene in The Dark Knight where Batman flips his motorcycle.
Dolce first announced its plans to convert the building into apartments in 2016 and is expected to spend $45M in renovations. Fitzgerald Associates Architects is handling the interior design and adding modern amenities like a dog run, a rooftop pool deck and a tenant lounge, along with street-level retail. There's no foundation work involved, meaning Dolce can expedite the renovations. 29 South LaSalle is one of three Central Loop buildings Preservation Chicago executive director Ward Miller successfully lobbied be adapted for modern use.
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