The 75-foot-deep hole near the mouth of the Chicago River is being filled with concrete as the first tower of 400 Lake Shore Drive begins construction.

“The end is here for the infamous manmade crater at Lake Shore Drive and Grand Avenue,” wrote Lee Bey for the Chicago Sun-Times about the site, which has sat vacant for more than a decade following a failed formerly proposed development. “An urban curiosity is lost. But the city stands to gain something far better in return: a pair of tapering, faceted towers, called 400 Lake Shore Drive, designed by architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. These towers hold the promise of finally delivering the comeback the historic three-acre parcel has always deserved.”

Reaching nearly 900 feet, the new tower is articulated with terraces that cascade down its facades, and its ground level will connect the Chicago Riverwalk to the future DuSable Park by the lakefront.

“It’s not curving, it’s not twisting—it’s simply a matter of sculpting the base geometry in a careful way,” SOM Design Partner Scott Duncan said in the column. “And I am quite proud that we’ve gotten to where we are today.”

Reminiscent of a waterfall, the exterior of each tower incorporates expansive outdoor terraces that extend individual residences beyond their walls. Placed at carefully proportioned intervals, these outdoor living areas present a rare opportunity to enjoy sweeping, 180-degree views of the adjacent lakefront, river, and cityscape.

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