I had to read this twice to make sure that they were talking about the same meeting I was at. That's all I'm going to say, as I've engaged in enough polemics on this issue.
http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.a...05&TM=83522.05
High-rise hassles
Is the Park Michigan too tall for Boul Mich?
By KATE MESCH, Medill News Service
SOUTH LOOP
Grumbling over the South Loop’s newest planned high-rise, the Park Michigan at 830 S. Michigan Ave., lingered after a neighborhood forum at Jones College Prep June 29, despite attempts by the architect and developer to quiet concerns that the building will mar the community’s skyline.
Unveiling their plans for the construction project, architect George Pappageorge and developer William Barr, president of Renaissant Development Group LLC, gave no indication that they would alter the building’s 80-story design or delay a late-2007 groundbreaking for the project, which has the support of the Department of Planning and Development and 2nd Ward Alderman Madeline Haithcock.
During the forum, Pappageorge and developer Barr told the sparsely filled auditorium that the Park Michigan will not pose an intrusive presence.
"We’re trying to … create something that’s very sympathetic to the entire neighborhood," Pappageorge said.
The sleek residential tower, set to debut in 2010, will rise far above neighboring buildings in the South Loop, which borders Grant Park. With 376 units ranging from one to four bedrooms each, the building’s base will contain six units per floor and will taper to two units per floor.
"The building responds to the image of a skyscraper where it gets narrower as it gets closer to the sky," Pappageorge said.
However, not all present were convinced. Because there are currently no buildings matching the proposed 80-story height of the Park Michigan, many community residents questioned whether or not the tower would block their views of Grant Park.
Peter Ziv, a 15-year resident of the South Loop expressed disgust at both the tower’s height and the long shadow it will cast. "How does an 800-foot building match anything close to the character of this historic district?" he asked.
Dennis McClendon, board member of the South Loop Neighbors, says Ziv was shouted down as a "NIMBY" by a group of architecture students who later identified themselves as a group dubbed Citizens for Better Planning. McClendon, who has voiced opposition to the high-rise project, said that he didn’t recognize the architecture buffs from the neighborhood, and said they loudly supported the project.
But Pappageorge wasted no time addressing concern that the building will be much taller than the Michigan Avenue landmark district is zoned for. "There’s been some discussion that the building violates principles established by the city—but actually it doesn’t," he said.
Barr said the building complies with the city’s zoning ordinance.
Because the high-rise will be situated behind the YWCA, the structure will be set off from Michigan Avenue. "When you’re on Michigan Avenue, you won’t even know the building is there," said Pappageorge, who calls the tower "slender, glassy, and pure."
Others expressed apprehension over the increased traffic that the building might bring to the neighborhood. Barr said that though studies will be conducted in due process, his firm has not yet estimated the tower’s impact on area traffic.
Haithcock, whose ward covers the South Loop area, responded to objections from the audience, saying she was doubtful at first, and is approving the project only after long deliberation.
"They had to really sell me on it," she said. "I don’t do anything without asking the community if they want it," Haithcock said. "Regardless of whether I’m your alderman or not, the buildings are coming, so don’t blame me."
The new high-rise will feature a 34,000-square-foot retail center planned to house a grocery store, a spa, and an upscale restaurant. In addition, there will be nearly 500 parking spaces, including 75 in an underground lot accessible to the public. This additional parking is intended to offset the loss of spaces that are currently in a block the building will occupy.
Other amenities the developers cited include landscaped decks, "green" roofs, and an 11th-floor outdoor swimming pool, all visible from surrounding buildings.
The Park Michigan will be located behind the old YWCA building and, as part of the project’s plan, the builders will restore the structure’s historical facade to its original red brick color and complete detailing.
—Haydn Bush contributed to this report
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