Not all condos start out as residential buildings. Sometimes developers find creative ways to repurpose buildings with an entirely different use. Here are four Chicago buildings that developers are working on turning into condos. 

Tribune Tower

Developers want to buy Tribune Tower on the Magnificent Mile and convert the historic building into condos, a hotel, and apartments, according to Curbed Chicago. Potential buyers lining up include Riverside Investment & Development, Oxford Capital, and CIM Group. The tower, currently owned by Tribune Media, could go for $230 million to $260 million. It remains uncertain whether or not the Tribune Media and Tribune Publishing offices in the building would need to relocate.

Tribune Tower condos might not be a done deal, but the possibility is certainly garnering a lot of attention. Chance the Rapper tweeted out that he would like a home in the building. 

St. Boniface Church

Rendering courtesy of  STAS DEVELOPMENT

St. Boniface Church, located at 1358 W. Chestnut St. in Noble Square, has been closed for decades, but it’s now going to reopen as a condo building, according to Chicago Magazine. Stas Development and Space Architects + Planners are spearheading the project that will involve gutting the church and transforming it into a building with 17 condos. While the interior of the church will be radically changed, the project will retain architectural elements like limestone columns and arched windows, according to the report. 

The building will also include penthouses, which will have the church’s towers. The condos are expected to reach completion by 2020.

Developers are also planning to add 24 more units in a new building next to the church, according to the report. 

Village Theatre 

Rendering courtesy of 1550 on the Park

Demolition crews are gearing up to clear a space for a new condo building — named 1550 on the Park — in Old Town. The site, located on the corner of Clark Street and North Avenue, includes the Village Theatre and the Elly’s Pancake House building, according to Curbed Chicago. While demolition crews will be clearing much of the two buildings, the theater’s facade will be incorporated into the condo building.

The building will feature 32 units with views of Lincoln Park, the lake, and the city, according to the project’s website.

Pure Dairy Products

Rendering courtesy of Space Architects + Planners

The Pure Dairy Products building at 1938 W. Augusta Blvd. in Ukrainian Village dates back to the 1920s. The building was most recently a Leona’s restaurant, but MCZ received a $4.9 million construction permit to convert the building into condos, according to Curbed Chicago. The building was initially set for complete demolition, but preservationists lobbied Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) to deny a demolition permit, according to the report.

Now, the facade of the building will be spared and integrated into the new project. The building will have 16 condos, a courtyard, and parking for 16 cars and eight bikes, according to the report.