SKY55 at Central Station

In the real estate industry, some say there are three keys to success: location, location and location. While Forest City knows that all is lost without ingenuity and execution, a spectacular location never hurts.

And when it comes to location, Chicago – the Windy City – is hard to beat. For Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, Chicago was “my kind of town.” For poet Carl Sandburg, it was “the nation’s freight handler” and the “city of big shoulders.”

For Forest City, Chicago is the perfect place for SKY55 – an unprecedented residential experience. Forty-stories of ice-blue glass and curved, silver steel overlook Lake Michigan and Grant Park – one of the most functional, beautiful and accessible recreation areas in the world.

But SKY55 is not your typical, stand alone apartment complex.

Rather, it is part of one of the most livable urban residential communities – the 80-acre Central Station – and nestled in with Chicago’s premier cultural and recreational attractions.

SKY55 is adjacent to the Museum Campus – a 57-acre section of the world-famous, lakefront Grant Park. The area features three cultural destinations: the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum of Natural History. The area is also home to Soldier Field, the recently renovated stadium of the NFL’s Chicago Bears that was modeled after the Parthenon and dedicated to deceased World War I servicemen.

Indeed, Central Station is Chicago’s largest and best lakefront community – home to 8,500 residences in all. And SKY55, with over 400 units, is its signature rental property – a luxurious haven for residents to call their own. It’s a community – within a community – in one of the greatest cities in the world.

The Challenge

This residential community is Central Station’s second incarnation. The original Central Station was a bustling railway hub, connecting passengers and shipments to locations around the city or a mere stop on their trip around the world.

After it was built in 1920, Central Station faithfully served as a catalyst for Chicago’s growth and success as one of the premier cities in the world. From the 1940s to the 1960s, the transportation center was freshened, renovated and modernized, becoming a social and commercial center for the Windy City.

But by 1974, Central Station lay empty and abandoned. It was eventually demolished.

However, everything that placed Central Station at the heart of Chicago remained – the green, expansive parks and trails, the functional fun and beauty of the lakefront and the kaleidoscope of cultural attractions.

With 80 acres of space in a densely built-out, world-class city, this near-South-Side location was perfect for redevelopment.

Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Albert Ratner, chairman – Forest City Enterprises, and Gerald Fogelson, founder and president of The Fogelson Companies, partnered in 1988 to form the Central Station Development Corporation and create Chicago’s largest lakefront community.

Today, Central Station is a multi-faceted, ultra-livable residential community. From lofts to condominiums, townhomes and rental residences, Central Station offers living opportunities unmatched and unparalleled in Chicago.