Chicago’s First Mass Timber Tower in Chicago Nears Development

A project that could become Chicago’s very first modern mass timber tower is closer to development. Hines, the real estate firm behind the project, hopes to construct the new building on Goose Island.

As of now, the tower is dubbed T3 Goose Island. T3 stands for “Timber, Technology, Transit”, and uses material from renewable resources.

Construction crews use solid wood panels for the floors, walls and roof. In turn, the construction is said to have flexibility, stability and strength.

T3 Goose Island is expected to include fitness facilities, a communal roof deck and outdoor balconies. In addition, it’s expected to offer ground level commercial space, hundreds of parking spaces and some bicycle storage.

The building site is right in the middle of an area once known for its industrial space but is now under development. While T3 Goose Island is the first such project of its kind in Chicago, similar projects have already gone up in other places like Minneapolis.

The T3 office building opened there a few years ago. At the time it was promoted as the nation’s largest mass timber building. Inspired by historic brick and timber buildings, T3 is said to give the charm of yesteryear and the appeal of new, more modern construction.

Proponents says while it’s not likely mass timber will completely replace high-rise towers, it is a more sustainable type of construction and demand for it will likely only rise in the future. If that happens, Chicago will still be behind some other cities in terms of constructing mass timber towers.

The City of Milwaukee approved construction of an apartment building of its own last year called Ascent. When finished, the building is expected to stand 283-feet tall. That will make it the tallest mass timber building in the world.