Drivers on the Kennedy Expressway may have noticed an unusual Jenga-like building under construction at 1525 N. Elston Avenue

Developed by Alex Pearsall of Property Adventures Corp. and designed by Filoramo Talsma Architecture, the six-story structure might look like modular apartments, but it is in fact the latest office project to spring up in the rapidly evolving North Branch Corridor. 

“I’ve heard people ask ‘what is that building?,’” said Ari Topper, a broker for 1525 N. Elston with Baum Realty Group. “It doesn’t look like the typical office product you’d find in the area.” 

Boutique in the truest sense of the word, the office floorplans will range from just 3,000 and 4,000 square feet in size. In addition to eye-catching architecture, the building will also offer views of downtown Chicago and parking for 21 vehicles.

Two of the building’s five office floors are already leased up, according to Topper. The development is on track to deliver space to tenants in the late second or early third quarter of this year.

watermark Jay Koziarz/Urbanize Chicago

The progress at 1525 N. Elston—despite the pandemic—is an encouraging signal in the ongoing transformation of the once-industrial North Branch Corridor, which borders neighborhoods such as Bucktown, Lincoln Park, and Noble Square.

A sweeping 2017 rezoning of the area has catalyzed investment in the area. Developments include nearby adaptive reuse projects like the loft offices at 1308 N. Elston and the recently approved plan to repurpose the Morton Salt Shed into an entertainment complex, as well as the massive Lincoln Yards high-rise megadevelopment. 

Plans for a $40 million driving range slated for 2501 N. Damen Avenue, however, recently fell through.