Mayor Johnson moving forward with plan to convert downtown offices into residences

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson announced plans Wednesday to move forward with a plan to revitalize the Loop, which is dealing with vacant office buildings and a lack of growth since the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s part of the LaSalle Street Reimagined Initiative launched in 2022 by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Johnson said the project would turn four office buildings into apartments. Those buildings are 208 South LaSalle, 30 North LaSalle, 79 West Monroe, and 111 West Monroe.

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The project would use taxpayer subsidies to turn the downtown office buildings into nearly 1100 apartments. But developers would be required to have at least 30 percent of the new units be affordable.

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