Ed Debevic's, 640 N. Wells St., is under contract to a developer who wants to build a 22-story towe...

1. 22-Story, 253-Unit Tower Proposed For Ed Debevic's Site
Ed Debevic's, 640 N. Wells St., is under
contract to a developer who wants to build a 22-story tower in its place. View Full Caption
Flickr/Arturo Sotillo
RIVER NORTH -- The developer who wants to buy the Ed Debevic's diner in River North and replace
it with a residential high-rise will present his plans to the public next month.
Chicago-based JDL Development will introduce its proposed 22-story, 253-unit tower at 640 N. Wells
St. at a community meeting beginning at 6 p.m. May 12 on the third floor of Gino's East, 500 N.
LaSalle St., according to a newsletter Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) sent constituents Wednesday.
Reilly, whose ward oversees the pending development site, is hosting the meeting with the River
North Residents Association.
If built, the tower would be the latest addition to a neighborhood swarming with new construction.
The shuttered Gino's East across the street from Debevic's will be torn down for an apartment
tower, and the closed Howard Johnson Inn at 720 N. LaSalle St. will make way for another. A
proposed office-and-apartment project near the Merchandise Mart is also on the table in River
North.
David Matthews discusses the proposed development:

2. JDL's proposed tower on the Debevic's site would also include street-level retail, an adjoining two-
story commercial building, and 117 off-street parking spaces, according to the newsletter.
It's unclear whether the project would include rental apartments, condominiums, or both. JDL, led
by president Jim Letchinger, is also planning a luxury condo tower at State and Walton streets in the
Gold Coast.
Debevic's, open since 1984, is expected to reopen at a new Downtown location should the sale go
through. Letchinger and Jeffrey Himmel of Bravo Restaurant Group, which owns Debevic's and
Gino's East, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
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