A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on 3 June 2026 for the 1901 Project, a $7 billion privately funded mixed-use development that will transform 55 acres of surface parking lots surrounding the United Center in Chicago’s Near West Side. The project takes its name from the arena’s address at 1901 West Madison Street and is spearheaded by the Reinsdorf family, owners of the Chicago Bulls, and the Wirtz family, owners of the Chicago Blackhawks, through their shared vehicle, the United Center Joint Venture. Designed by Los Angeles-based design collective RIOS, with landscape architecture by Field Operations and Site Design Group, the master plan envisions 13 million square feet of new development delivered across seven phases through 2040. The first phase, with a budget of approximately USD 500 million, is already underway with McHugh Construction and McHugh Concrete serving as construction partners, and will deliver a 6,000-seat music hall, a 233-key boutique hotel, rooftop parks spanning 5.3 acres, ground-floor retail, and upgraded pedestrian infrastructure. A Cook County property tax incentive approved in March 2026 will generate an estimated USD 54.7 million in savings over 12 years to support this opening phase.

Chicago’s West Side Joins a City-Wide Wave of Landmark Urban Redevelopment

The 1901 Project arrives as Chicago enters one of the most active periods of large-scale urban construction in its recent history, with several multi-billion-dollar schemes reshaping distinct quadrants of the city simultaneously. On the North Side, Bally’s USD 1.7 billion permanent casino at the former Chicago Tribune printing plant in River West is progressing under the leadership of the Chicago Community Builders Collective, a minority-led general contracting group, after a brief stoppage ordered by the Illinois Gaming Board was lifted in May 2025. Both projects reflect a broader civic push to concentrate private capital in historically underserved or underutilised corridors, reducing the city’s dependence on public subsidy. The 1901 Project is being built entirely without direct public financing for the development itself, a distinction its owners have stressed in contrast to publicly subsidised stadium schemes being pursued elsewhere in the country. Upon full buildout, the development will deliver 9,463 residential units, of which roughly 1,900 will be affordable, alongside 660,000 square feet of office space, 670,000 square feet of retail, 1,309 hotel rooms, and a potential new CTA Pink Line station. Officials project the completed district will generate USD 104 million in stabilised annual tax revenue and support 32,000 construction jobs and 7,000 permanent positions, cementing the West Side’s emergence as a genuine economic engine for the broader city.

Project Fact Sheet

• Project Name: The 1901 Project
• Location: 1901 West Madison Street, Near West Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Project Value: USD 7 billion (entirely privately funded)
• Client / Owner: United Center Joint Venture (UCJV) — Reinsdorf family (Chicago Bulls) and Wirtz family (Chicago Blackhawks)
• Main Contractor (Phase 1): McHugh Construction and McHugh Concrete
• Key Components: 6,000-seat music hall, 233-key boutique hotel, 9,463 residential units (including approx. 1,900 affordable), 25 acres of public green space, 660,000 sq ft of office, 670,000 sq ft of retail, 1,309 total hotel keys across phases, potential CTA Pink Line station
• Construction Start: June 2026 (Phase 1 groundbreaking)
• Expected Completion: 2040 (all seven phases)
• Jobs Created: 32,000 construction jobs; 7,000 permanent positions
• Environmental and Social Features: Elevated rooftop parks, pedestrian-priority streets, bike lanes, Divvy station integration, Cook County Class tax incentive for community development, 1901 Community Implementation Committee for local workforce training
• Strategic Impact: Largest private investment in Chicago’s West Side history; USD 104 million projected in annual tax revenue at stabilisation

Project Team

• Client / Developer: United Center Joint Venture (UCJV) — Reinsdorf and Wirtz families
• United Center CEO: Terry Savarise
• Master Architect: RIOS (Los Angeles)
• Landscape Architect: Field Operations and Site Design Group
• Main Contractor (Phase 1): McHugh Construction and McHugh Concrete
• Specialist Subcontractor: Stalworth Underground (caisson drilling)
• Community Contractor Body: Chicago Community Builders Collective (minority-led)
• Regulatory Authority: City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development (Commissioner: Ciere Boatright)
• Tax Incentive Authority: Cook County Board (President: Toni Preckwinkle)
• Community Development Body: 1901 Community Implementation Committee (nonprofit, workforce development)
• Transit Authority: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) (prospective Pink Line station partner)