CHICAGO -- The owners of the NBA's Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks got the go-ahead to transform the area surrounding the United Center on Wednesday after the Chicago City Council approved a $7 billion plan to replace the parking lots with green space, mixed-income housing, a music hall and more.
The 1901 Project, touted as the largest private investment in Chicago's West Side, is being spearheaded by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, who own the arena. It is to be built in phases on more than 55 acres of privately owned land over about a decade-long period.