Michigan Avenue (Dudesleeper at English Wikipedia)

Despite the high-profile status you might think comes with a Michigan Avenue address, a stretch of the historic street south of the Chicago River has long been in need of some love.

Over the last several years, the draw of Millennium and Maggie Daley parks as well as new residential and retail spaces has helped draw more traffic south of the bridge. Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin has been following the developments along Michigan Avenue, including a new luxury apartment tower that's another example of a trend he's covered of tight-budget buildings finding a creative way to make a statement.

Kamin writes in a recent Tribune article:

“MILA, as the high-rise is called, stands for Michigan and Lake, the intersection from which its 40 stories of green glass rise without interruption — part mirror, part cliff. Chicago's John Buck Co. developed the 402-unit structure, which replaces a tired, six-floor commercial building. The architects are the Chicago firm of bKL, whose credits include the handsomely proportioned, sharply detailed Wolf Point West apartment tower at the juncture of the Chicago River's north and south branches.”

Kamin joins “Chicago Tonight” to talk about the new MILA building and other architecture news.

Related stories:

As Cost of Homeownership Rises, Tough Times for Chicago Market

Aug. 11: Most Chicago homeowners–with the exception of some 18 aldermen–are facing property tax increases and the prospect of more to come. Will the tax hikes dampen home sales?

Old Main Post Office: Troubled Giant on Brink of Transformation

Aug. 2: The building that thousands of cars drive under every day will be turned into commercial office space. Looking at the future of a building that's been empty since 1997.

What’s in Store for Chicago from NY-Based Architects of Obama Library

July 7: After an extensive and highly competitive search, The Obama Foundation chose a New York-based architectural firm to design the Obama Presidential Center. Blair Kamin gives us some insights into the work of the architects and what Chicago might expect to see from them.