ARMOUR INSTITUTE ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT PROGRESS

Armour Institute is the iconic red brick building that can be seen from the I-90 Expressway just before entering downtown Chicago from the south. Opened in 1893, the historic building would eventually become a part of the renowned Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT, Illinois Tech) campus where it continued to serve administrative duties until being closed in 2007. The Armour Institute of Technology began as a manual training school teaching under one roof architecture, engineering, industrial arts, physical ed, and the nation's first fire protection engineering courses, resulting in a structure as varied as its curriculum. In 2017, private developers purchased the building with a plan to convert the building for residential use. New fire protection systems, masonry repairs, and structural reinforcing are a part of the program for building wide repairs and upgrades. Upon completion, Armour Institute will adopt a new name, the Flats on Federal, and will include 102 market-rate and affordable units as wel as resident amenities. The Chicago Landmark building will continue to serve local residents and the IIT neighborhood as a viable housing option available to students and non-students alike.

Project Team: Kenneth DeMuth, Christopher Woodfin, Elliot Schwarz

May 6, 2021 - The Plan Review Committee of the Landmarks Division of the Department of Planning for the City of Chicago approves proposed plans for adaptive reuse of the former Armour Institute building.