The Fourth Presbyterian Church is nearly back to square one with its plan to sell property for a condo project. With the deal for a 64-story tower stymied by aldermanic opposition, the church has lost one of the developers in the proposed $25 million sale.

Opus North Corp. has exited the deal, confirmed Jerry James, president of Edward R. James Partners LLC, a suburban home builder that also was part of the sale. James said he remains interested in working with the church and in finding a new partner for the property immediately west of its sanctuary at Michigan and Delaware.

When he announced his opposition to the project last year, Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd) suggested a shorter tower might meet with his approval. But with Opus out of the picture, no compromise is likely until after next year's aldermanic election.

Opus builds offices and warehouses in the suburbs. Its former president, Jack Crocker, backed the church venture. But he has resigned, and James said that precipitated "a refocusing on their core activities." Opus executives did not return calls.

SPIRE ASPIRES: A source reports that Christopher Carley is in advanced negotiations with Starwood Capital Group to manage the posh hotel in his 124-story lakefront building designed by Santiago Calatrava. The hotel brand would be Crillon, playing off Starwood's historic Hotel de Crillon in Paris.

Carley said no decision is final and that Crillon is in the running with two other operators of five-star caliber. "We are in a good position to get the best out there," Carley said. Barry Sternlicht, chairman of Starwood, is an ex-Chicagoan who would covet a tie-in with the Calatrava building.

INDIANA HOME: Chicago's Urban Retail Properties Co. and Simborg Commercial Real Estate LLC have landed the management contract for a major retail development in Munster, Ind. The Munster Town Center is expected to have 600,000 square feet for retailers upon its planned opening in 2008 at 9200 Calumet Ave. It replaces a 72-acre industrial and office park.

DEVON DOGFIGHT: Greg Brewer, an architect, lives in the North Side's 50th Ward and has become a thorn in the side of his alderman, Bernard Stone. Brewer's issue: a six-story condo building and parking garage slated for the northeast corner of Devon and Rockwell.

The deal has the city giving two surface parking lots appraised together at $915,000 and a $3.5 million subsidy to developer Mohamaad Siddiqi, who would build a parking garage and 30 condos at the site. Stone backs the project as a way to add parking for the congested Devon business strip.

With backing from Irv Loundy, senior vice president of Devon Bank, Brewer has formed a community group to fight the project, which he sees as too massive for the low-density neighborhood. Brewer also said the public subsidy is outrageous for a project carrying minimal benefit for the community. He's planning a "town hall" meeting March 30 at the North Shore Banquet Hall, 2519 W. Devon.

Stone replied that Brewer is a critic-come-lately to an issue that has festered for years. He said the developer needed the subsidy and leeway to build a six-story building to meet the city's demands to provide enclosed parking. Stone said the building will provide 200 spaces from which Siddiqi will earn little financial return. As to the building's size, he said his ward's main streets will get more four- and five-story buildings as the condo wave moves north from Lincoln Square. Brewer's "asleep or he doesn't want to face reality," Stone said.

KENNY PLENTY: Gerard Kenny, best known around Chicago for his family's construction business, has gotten ambitious as a developer. He leads the partnership that's behind the Mandarin Oriental hotel and condo tower at the northeast corner of Lake and Stetson, a $750 million project that's understandably first on his to-do list. But there's more.

As the chairman of a Laborers Union training fund, Kenny was the force behind the decision to build an operation in the Galewood Yards site on the West Side. The training center will be paired with about 205 homes and a movie theater on the long- empty 50-acre parcel at 1900 N. Central. Also, Kenny owns a parking lot at the southwest corner of Canal and Fulton that he figures is two or three years away from a condo high-rise.

CALENDAR NOTE: Lori Healey, Chicago planning commissioner, will discuss projects pending for the South and West sides during a reception Thursday sponsored by ShoreBank. It will run from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Grand Ballroom, 6351 S. Cottage Grove. It's free, but you must register in advance by calling (773) 420-4663.

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