CHICAGO | General Developments

[bnk]

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/09/12/ap5418626.html

Real Estate Close-Up: Chicago

By J.W. ELPHINSTONE 09.12.08, 3:23 PM ET

...

The view from the downtown office market, while rosy now, looks bleak for next year. The vacancy rate dropped to a nearly six-year low of almost 11 percent in the second quarter, slightly higher than the national rate of 10 percent, according to CBRE Torto Wheaton Research.

But that decrease belies actual market conditions. Most of the decline can be attributed to large blocks of space being removed from the market rather than leasing activity.

Two buildings, the former IBM office and another property both converted office space to hotels and took a total of 650,000 square feet out of the marketplace. Other owners of older offices are considering similar plans, either converting office space to hotel, condos or rentals to boost their bottom lines, said Steve Stratton, managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

"(The IBM building conversion) opened our eyes to adaptive reuse for older buildings. It's a really cool and well-conceived redevelopment project," he said.

Some tenants, however, are still expanding or entering Chicago's downtown. Software and technology companies, like Google and Microsoft, are still taking space in Chicago as are trading and law firms. United Airlines and PrivateBank both increased their space needs, while Veolia Environmental entered the market.

And in July, the new MillerCoors joint venture said it will base its company headquarters in downtown Chicago. Crain's Chicago Business reported Wednesday that MillerCoors is close to leasing between 120,000 and 140,000 square feet at downtown office owned by AEW Capital Management.

The downtown market will be flooded with new office space next year, however, which could hurt market fundamentals.

The numbers are daunting. More than 3.6 million square feet of office space is set to deliver next year, triple the space that has or will come online since 2006 through the end of this year.

That glut of supply amid a slowing economy could spell trouble for the so-far resilient downtown market. While no industry is contracting yet, Jack Durburg, executive director at CB Richard Ellis, expects growth in financial services, media and advertising to slow soon.

CB Richard Ellis estimates vacancy could rise to almost 14 percent by the end of the year, and adding between one and two percentage points through 2010 if no office space is absorbed. The national vacancy is expected to rise to less than 12 percent by 2010.

"There's a storm out there, but it hasn't hit us yet," Durburg said. "But we feel it coming."

The storm already has battered the city's retail sector, however, said Ned Franke, senior director at Cushman & Wakefield. Mirroring many retail markets across the country, Chicago's is reeling from a loss of consumer confidence due to rising food and energy costs, tight credit, higher unemployment and the housing slump.

Chicago-based Whitehall Jewelers Holdings filed for bankruptcy protection a few months ago, while home retailer Linens 'n Things, which also filed for bankruptcy protection, said it will close six local stores.

Other retailers are scaling back expansion plans like J.C. Penny, or closing less profitable locations like Starbucks, which is likely to affect the Chicago market, Franke said.

However, there are bright spots in the Windy City. Los Angeles-based women's retailer Forever 21 opened a 40,000 square-foot store on Chicago's main shopping drag Michigan Avenue and plans to open a second location of equal size later this year. Trendy retailer Juicy Couture also recently opened two stores in the city.

Industry experts expect retail vacancy to tick up during the year as the economy contends with sluggish growth. Vacancy rates have jumped to 8.65 percent, nearly three-quarters of a percentage point from the first quarter, according to CBRE Torto Wheaton Research. That's still better than the national retail vacancy of 9.3 percent. Lease rates will likely remain stable this year, while new construction will continue to taper off amid a lack of financing.

[jjk1103]

^Don't say that. . . I have fiber in those tunnels and they're piling directly above one that traverses the river. . .

. . .

.......have you called the city ?!

[honte]

Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance Application No. 549
submitted by 58 E. Oak, L.L.C. for the property generally located at 58 - 68 East
Oak Street. The applicant proposes to construct a three-story commercial
building in the Private Use Zone of the Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront
Protection District. The site includes the "Esquire Theater" building at 60 - 68
East Oak Street which has been rated as potentially significant in the broader
context of the city, state, or country ( "red") by the Chicago Historic Resources
Survey and would be demolished. (42nd Ward)

I believe this would be the first "Red" rated building to be willfully demolished in Chicago since the Demo Delay ordinance took effect. What a pity.

[nomarandlee]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-080912new-ferris-wheel,0,6418099.story

Giant Ferris wheel for Navy Pier?
By Kathy Bergen | Tribune staff reporter
8:29 PM CDT, September 12, 2008

Gargantuan Ferris wheels are the new status symbol for big cities vying to grab more attention on the world stage, so Chicago is going for an upgrade at Navy Pier, planning to build one at least twice the size of the existing wheel there.

A new, privately developed Ferris wheel, Navy Pier officials hope, would rise at least 300 feet into the air and attract the sorts of tourist hordes who plunk down big bucks to ride other monster wheels worldwide, including the enormous London Eye on the bank of the Thames.

Other cities such as Singapore and Beijing either have huge Ferris wheels or are planning them, and even Baghdad is dreaming of a giant wheel in the sky.

For Chicago, the Ferris wheel not only would be an extraordinary addition to the skyline, but a highly symbolic endeavor as well, because the attraction was invented in the early 1890s to be the star of the world's fair here.

.........The authority, also known as McPier, on Monday will advertise for companies "to design, build, own and operate" a giant wheel, according to the bid document. "The design of the new wheel must be worthy to inherit the traditions of the original Ferris wheel built by George Washington Ferris."

"We're basically looking for the wheel to be self-financed, so taxpayer money will not be involved," Tetzlaff said. The idea is for the developer to construct the wheel, and to share a portion of its revenue with the pier. Officials declined to speculate on the cost of such a project.

Bidders also are asked to "use their ingenuity" as to where the wheel should be located on the pier.

.......Chicago is not going for "tallest" title, but rather is seeking innovative design, said Tetzlaff, adding he hopes the winning bidder would work with local architects and engineers.............
..

[denizen467]

^Don't say that. . . I have fiber in those tunnels and they're piling directly above one that traverses the river. . .
Gosh, if you want to help keep the city's bowels regular, call CDOT or city hall or something, and keep the fiber for yourself...


(sorry, wacky time of day, wacky frame of mind..)

[wrab]

THE SKYLINE
by Blair Kamin
September 13, 2008
A bigger Navy Pier Ferris wheel? Let's get the wheels of creativity turning

A giant Ferris wheel at Navy Pier?

Why not? The Ferris wheel was invented in Chicago at the world's fair of 1893, and there's no reason, as pier officials say, that the city can't contribute a new creative chapter to the Ferris wheel tradition....If pier officials answer that question in the right way, they could have a new Millennium Park on their hands. And if they answer the wrong way, they may get the hot new tourist attraction they're after, but they'll blow an opportunity to uplift the public realm.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/42334382.jpg
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi080913navypier_gfx,0,2946924.graphic


Not pictured above is the new Singapore Eye at 541 ft.

[harryc]

This will be a parking garage, a foreman (?) told me it would go down 2 levels.

A few neat things dug up along with the usual brick and foundation.

Sept 12
http://lh6.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SMwAObeAwJI/AAAAAAAAyYI/dWhAyCqapGA/s800/P1050479.JPG

Old safe
http://lh3.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SMwAQxOPnNI/AAAAAAAAyYU/HuIkvewpy_M/s720/P1050533.JPG

Iorn support collumn
http://lh6.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SMwASfos6DI/AAAAAAAAyYg/n8845RS3akM/s640/P1050539.JPG

Signage and a bottle
http://lh5.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SMwAUU9_-nI/AAAAAAAAyYs/gskPij0iUF4/s640/P1050541.JPG

Old basement walls
http://lh5.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SMwA08UhVFI/AAAAAAAAyY4/Acvw3WNHjlg/s640/P1050230.JPG

[schwerve]

Metra to open marketplace under Ogilvie (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-metra-both-13-sep13,0,5101512.story)

After years of delay, work will begin next week on transforming a two-block stretch of decrepit storage and parking space under the Metra tracks at the Ogilvie Transportation Center into a retail and dining center, officials said Friday.

The $42 million development, called MetraMarket, will feature a French market offering baked goods and produce, a CVS pharmacy, a cafe, retail shops and restaurants.

finally...

[wrab]

Lots of possibilities for a new Chicago Wheel. Here is Alsop/Arup's now-defunct Shanghai "Kiss" project:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/47_385kiss-1.jpg
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/project/uploaded_files/47_385%20kiss.jpg

The Shanghai 2010 Expo Tower:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/Chimney-Turns-to-Observation-Tower-.jpg

Shanghai will turn a 165-meter chimney at an old power plant into an observation tower for the 2010 Expo. The chimney, at the eastern end of the Puxi side of the Expo Site, where the old Nanshi Power Plant was located, will be transformed into a 201-meter-tall World Expo Harmony Tower that can carry 650 visitors every hour. It will include tracks and cars similar to a roller coaster that will wrap around the tower and take people to the top for a view of the city's skyline.....
http://superpeasant.blogspot.com/

[nomarandlee]

:previous: I would hate to copy an idea but something similar to that Shanghai 2010 Expo Tower would look so fitting next to the Spire. A helix turning kind of design just seems like a natural fit.

[honte]

^ What makes you guys think they'll get anything but more cheap schlock? My expectations for this are very low, especially since they're not contributing any funds. This approach will probably yield the cheapest possible project.

I know they claim they want good design, which is a start, but I honeslty don't trust the people at McPier to get it when it comes to design. Quite the contrary, per past experience.

[BVictor1]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-biggerplans-0914sep14,0,4815114.story

How to make Chicago better
City and suburbs enter a new era in planning how we live, where we live and how we get around

By Blair Kamin, Charles Leroux and Patrick T. Reardon | Chicago Tribune reporters
September 14, 2008

When Richard Daley, mayor of Chicago, bicycles northward on the lakeshore pathway, he finds frustration when the trail dead-ends.

"At Hollywood," he said in an interview in his City Hall office, "it just stops."

Forty miles to the west, Jeff and Cathy Jones, he on an 8-speed, she on a 24-speed, enjoy the serene, wooded Fox River Trail about once a week—until they hit a 1.3-mile gap in downtown Aurora, where smooth pavement gives way to jagged rocks.

"You've got to get off and onto city streets," Cathy noted.

These breaks in parkland trails are examples of missed opportunities across the metropolitan region. Close gaps like these, and you not only heighten the recreational delights of hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans and suburbanites, but you also take a step toward knitting the region's diverse eight million people more closely together.

That's what Daley and planners across the region are dreaming of—and not just in terms of open space.

With next year's 100th anniversary of the legendary Burnham Plan that changed the face of Chicago, the city and its suburbs are poised at what some predict will be a new era in planning for how we live, where we live and how we get from one place to another. The high cost of gas is adding urgency.

The just-minted Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is beginning to draft a comprehensive blueprint for the future of the seven counties that include Chicago and nearly 300 other municipalities. Chicago Metropolis 2020, a coalition of civic leaders, calls for doubling the percentage of people in the region who use public transit.

The Chicago Architectural Club is holding an international design contest for converting Union Station into a high-speed rail hub.

The Art Institute of Chicago has just opened the first of five exhibits displaying the original drawings from the Burnham Plan.

On Oct. 2, the Burnham Plan Centennial Committee will announce a plethora of events, including concerts, exhibits and lectures, to celebrate the anniversary. And the theme of this year's Chicago Humanities Festival, running Oct. 3 through Nov. 16, is "Thinking Big," in honor of the plan.

Often called the most important planning document in the region's history, the Plan of Chicago was written in 1909 by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett on behalf of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

The plan gave the city its spectacular lakefront and such postcard icons as Navy Pier and North Michigan Avenue. And by leading to the creation of Cook County's forest preserves and anticipating the path of the region's highways, it framed the growth of the suburbs.

But the Burnham Plan was not completed, and now, a new generation of business and political leaders is seizing upon next year's celebration as a golden opportunity to finish key aspects of the plan and to frame new visions to deal with the problems of today.

Daley, for instance, has a vision of giving Chicago four new miles of lakefront parkland that would fill gaps now occupied by high-rises, apartment buildings and abandoned industrial sites. Although the mayor has no money available at the moment, he has named John Bryan, the former Sara Lee Corp. chairman, to head a committee that will look into building a continuous waterfront park stretching from Evanston to the Indiana border. Bryan spearheaded the creation of Millennium Park.

"I'm delighted that [Daley] wants to jump on it in some fashion," said Bryan, co-chairman of the Burnham Plan Centennial Committee, a group that is coordinating efforts to celebrate the anniversary.

The nascent Chicago effort is part of a broader push to fill more than a dozen significant gaps in trails and greenways across the region. On them, people bike, walk or jog through landscapes ranging from the skyscraper-lined pathways of Chicago's lakefront to the tree-lined trails snaking along the Fox River. Closing the gaps, planners predict, will open new ways to save energy, experience nature and turn back the tide of sprawl.

"Just as we think comprehensively about our roads, we should think that way about hiking and biking," said Gerald Adelmann, executive director of Openlands. The Chicago-based non-profit is proposing the completion of the projects as a major legacy of the Burnham Plan centennial.

On the North and South Sides, four of the city's 30 miles of shoreline remain inaccessible to the public. High-rises wall off the shore in most of Edgewater and in the stretch of South Shore between 71st and 75th Streets. From Hollywood Avenue north to the Evanston border, there is no continuous lakefront park, just Loyola Park and a patchwork of small parks.

At the moment, because of the city's budget crunch, Daley's dreams for closing these gaps are just that—dreams. "It's one of his long-term goals," said the mayor's press secretary, Jacquelyn Heard. "If he had his druthers, he'd do it."

Nevertheless, the mayor's appointment of Bryan to head a committee to look into the question is likely to spur concern from some lakefront residents and property owners, particularly in the Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods on the North Side. They claim that new beaches and parks would lower property values, bring swarms of foot and vehicle traffic, and disturb residents' tranquility.

"There's still some opposition," Daley said, "but we're saying, in the long run, this is the best thing. We're talking about a huge open space for people there."

The mayor of Aurora, Illinois' second-largest city with a predicted 2010 population around 180,000, is preaching from the same open-space bible.

Last year, Mayor Tom Weisner unveiled plans to turn an underused, 30-acre strip along the east bank of the Fox River—lined with muffler and auto-repair shops and (until recently) a huge pile of tires—into his city's version of Millennium Park. Among its proposed features: An outdoor music venue modeled on architect Frank Gehry's popular Pritzker Pavilion and an elegant, curving pedestrian bridge sweeping over the river. Since then, state officials announced a $700,000 grant that will help Aurora pay for cleaning up brownfields along the river, including the site of the park.

Also last year, Aurora, the Kane County Forest Preserve District and the Fox Valley Park District agreed to spend $1.7 million to fill the 1.3-mile gap in the Fox River Trail.

"In the next century, [the river] will have a completely different role in our community," Weisner said.

There's an irony at work here: Aurora has been a poster child of sprawl, with its residents spread over 43 square miles in four counties (Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will). Today, it symbolizes how suburbs are using the lure of open space to make their downtowns more lively and densely populated, thus defying the image of suburbia as an undifferentiated expanse of single-family homes on large lots.

The downtown's prospects are mixed. On one hand, it is blessed with attractive historic structures including the Art Deco-style Paramount Theatre and the 22-story Fox Island Place apartment building, once the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. On the other hand, the Hollywood Casino, which opened in 1993, hasn't done much for nearby businesses, and the downtown still suffers from a perception of poverty.

Yet there are those like Judy Gagne who are attracted by downtown Aurora's history and character. The 38-year-old was walking her brown Chihuahua on a pink leash outside her condo in Aurora's River Street Plaza, a pair of four-story, brick buildings on the Fox River's west bank.

"I think there's potential here," she said. "I look at this like the South Loop in the city. In five or 10 years, it will be like the South Loop."

[Taft]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-biggerplans-0914sep14,0,4815114.story

How to make Chicago better
City and suburbs enter a new era in planning how we live, where we live and how we get around

By Blair Kamin, Charles Leroux and Patrick T. Reardon | Chicago Tribune reporters
September 14, 2008


^^^ Good article.

In some Lincoln Park/Lakeview development news:

Fliers were posted all over my street for the last couple weeks advertising a "community" meeting. The title of the flier was "Is our neighborhood for sale?" It concerned a potential 4 story grocery store to be built on Diversey near Orchard. According to the flier 2 stories would be parking and the other two would be the store.

Of course the flier reeked of NIMBY-ism. The development sounds pretty good to me--maybe heavy on the parking, which I think the group was reacting to. I think another grocery in the area would be a much welcomed addition by most residents.

Anyone heard anything on this development beyond the details I provided?

Taft

[harryc]

Sept 12
http://lh5.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SM0y4q1ZLPI/AAAAAAAAyj4/HPUKnw70d7M/s800/P1050489.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SM0y2CigemI/AAAAAAAAyjs/cpqgODAXTV0/s720/P1050481.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SM0y7NyQ1RI/AAAAAAAAykE/w1UiTM2ldBs/s800/P1050491.JPG

[VivaLFuego]

^^^ Good article.

In some Lincoln Park/Lakeview development news:

Fliers were posted all over my street for the last couple weeks advertising a "community" meeting. The title of the flier was "Is our neighborhood for sale?" It concerned a potential 4 story grocery store to be built on Diversey near Orchard. According to the flier 2 stories would be parking and the other two would be the store.

Of course the flier reeked of NIMBY-ism. The development sounds pretty good to me--maybe heavy on the parking, which I think the group was reacting to. I think another grocery in the area would be a much welcomed addition by most residents.

Anyone heard anything on this development beyond the details I provided?

Taft

Keep us posted. There have been articles about this development before, but with no additional details than what you've provided. It would replace some 1-story retail.

So the NIMBYs think there's too much parking? Or they just hate the notion of development?

[BWChicago]

It concerned a potential 4 story grocery store to be built on Diversey near Orchard. According to the flier 2 stories would be parking and the other two would be the store.(...)

Anyone heard anything on this development beyond the details I provided?

Taft

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=29423

[jboy560]

[QUOTE=harryc;3798892]Sept 12
http://lh6.ggpht.com/harry.r.carmichael/SM0y2CigemI/AAAAAAAAyjs/cpqgODAXTV0/s720/P1050481.JPG

Please tell me they're not tearing down the whole tower on that bridge...aren't those towers the ones with really nice sculpture/reliefs on them?

[Taft]

Keep us posted. There have been articles about this development before, but with no additional details than what you've provided. It would replace some 1-story retail.

So the NIMBYs think there's too much parking? Or they just hate the notion of development?

I missed the meeting, so I can't say for sure. But I know my landlord and other "old-timers" in the neighborhood have been against additional parking in other developments nearby (he once asked me to sign a petition against a condo building because it had "too much parking for the alley" :rolleyes: ). They feel traffic congestion is too high in the neighborhood already.

Taft

[Taft]

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=29423

Excellent! Thanks.

Taft

[VivaLFuego]

But I know my landlord and other "old-timers" in the neighborhood have been against additional parking in other developments nearby (he once asked me to sign a petition against a condo building because it had "too much parking for the alley" :rolleyes: ). They feel traffic congestion is too high in the neighborhood already.

Taft

It's an interesting conundrum. On the one hand, build the parking and it's an invitation for everyone to drive. On the other hand, depending on what's built they'll just drive anyway and cause even more traffic by circling for parking. One obvious fix is to stop drastically underpricing street parking so that there aren't any free or nearly free spaces on the street for people to look for - this may happen within the next couple years as part of the BRT/congestion pricing plan. Unfortunately economic reality dictates the grocery store will need at least some off-street parking, but there is a good chance they want to totally overbuild the parking in which case the residents may have a good point. Unless they're just trying to shut down all development...

[cbotnyse]

Please tell me they're not tearing down the whole tower on that bridge...aren't those towers the ones with really nice sculpture/reliefs on them?They are restoring the stairway, I haven't heard if they are restoring the beautiful sculptures, but they need it.

[SolarWind]

September 10, 2008

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/5692/dsc0089bo0.jpg

http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/184/dsc0087rn2.jpg

[Tom Servo]

so... when is wrigley gonna put a big z statue up out next to the new ernie banks?

WOOOOOT!!!!!

[ChiPsy]

edit

[Tom In Chicago]

Speaking of statues and what-not. . . I'm curious to see where they're gonna put that anchor they dug up at the Park View West. . . er. . . park. . .

[wrab]

From the sidestreets:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080915_0818post1-2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080915_0819post2-1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080915pm10post2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080915_0837post2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080915_0826post2.jpg

[Dirt Lawyer]

Thanks for the Blackhawk/Halsted photos, wrabbit. I haven't been to the site in a long, long time and it is great to see the near-finished product; in fact, it even helped me visualize something I needed to know in connection with some work I am doing there!

I just received my invitation to the REI grand opening, so things are definitely progressing.

[wrab]

^ REI is a great store & I'm psyched about having one in the area.

[denizen467]

^ Are you the "Dirt Lawyer" of dirtattorney.blogspot.com fame?

[denizen467]

Update on CC's Gang project:

http://www.globest.com/newspics/chi_columbiamediacen.jpg

http://www.globest.com/news/1245_1245/chicago/173826-1.html

Last updated: September 16, 2008 11:33am
Columbia To Build $21M Center in South Loop
By Cari Brokamp

CHICAGO-Columbia College Chicago is buying a city-owned, 39,700-sf parcel of land at the southwest corner of 16th and State streets for $200,000. The Chicago City Council approved the sale at its Sept. 10 meeting, and the college expects to close on the South Loop property later this fall. The college is expected to begin construction on a $21 million media production center on the site in early 2009, with an opening planned for spring 2010.

"We were particularly happy to get this property, given the value of property in the South Loop," a spokeswoman for the school tells GlobeSt.com. "We thought we may have had to build something further away from our central campus, but this property emerged. We got a very nice price from the city of Chicago."

The spokeswoman says the vacant lot is within about a mile of the college's central campus, at 600 S. Michigan Ave. The 38,000-sf Media Production Center, to be known as the MPC, will be designed by Studio Gang Architects. It will include two sound stages, a motion capture studio, animation lab, classrooms and space for production design and costumes. The building is planned to feature a transparent facade, and is being designed to obtain silver LEED certification.

The college provides more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in visual, performing, media and communication arts to nearly 12,500 students. "We need to build this facility in order to expand our capacity for education for the media students," the spokeswoman says. "We were able to demonstrate that it would be used for educational purposes and compliment the neighborhood."

[Dirt Lawyer]

^ Are you the "Dirt Lawyer" of dirtattorney.blogspot.com fame?

The fame's arguable, but yes, I am. (Wow...I outed myself in post #2!)

I've lurked here on and off for ages, and thought it was high time I wrote here once in a while. :)

[honte]

^ Welcome, Esteemed Dirt Lawyer! We could use an expert legal opinion around here... :tup:

[BVictor1]

The fame's arguable, but yes, I am. (Wow...I outed myself in post #2!)

I've lurked here on and off for ages, and thought it was high time I wrote here once in a while. :)

Welcome to the forum. Your experience will be benificial.


On a side note there is a possible redo of the plaza in front of NBC Tower

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/3179/nbcplazaredo1copyjv3.jpg

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/2070/nbcplazaredo2copyez2.jpg

[cbotnyse]

^^ wtf? thats a redo? putting down some slabs of concrete, planting some skinny trees and putting in some uncomfortable benches?

[BVictor1]

^^ wtf? thats a redo? putting down some slabs of concrete, planting some skinny trees and putting in some uncomfortable benches?

As opposed to the boaring sod and mini-gravel that's there now in a space that's rarely used?

[i_am_hydrogen]

Dead Mall Walking

-by Lynn Becker

[August 25, 2008] - The day the shopping died.

Saturday, economy be damned, throngs of shoppers still surged like a teeming river along the sidewalks of North Michigan Avenue, Chicago's premiere shopping boulevard. Flowing past Chicago Place, the vertical mall at 700 North, it's unlikely they could imagine the strange world that awaits them on the other side of the large, self-powered revolving door that now churns impotently, stripped of its power to suck in passers-by.

http://www.lynnbecker.com/repeat/deadmall/deadmallwalking.htm

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

^^ wtf? thats a redo? putting down some slabs of concrete, planting some skinny trees and putting in some uncomfortable benches?

Dude, those are birch trees...

[honte]

You can always tell it's a good architect when they can't even center the Sketchup trees in their holes.

Good grief. I'm with CBOT - what a waste of money and it's not going to be any better. People probably don't go there much because there are hardly any buildings surrounding the plaza now. Given a little time a development, it would be a perfectly nice and usable space as-is.

[Dr. Taco]

Dead Mall Walking

-by Lynn Becker

[August 25, 2008] - The day the shopping died.

Saturday, economy be damned, throngs of shoppers still surged like a teeming river along the sidewalks of North Michigan Avenue, Chicago's premiere shopping boulevard. Flowing past Chicago Place, the vertical mall at 700 North, it's unlikely they could imagine the strange world that awaits them on the other side of the large, self-powered revolving door that now churns impotently, stripped of its power to suck in passers-by.

http://www.lynnbecker.com/repeat/deadmall/deadmallwalking.htm

i would say it was a shame if i even knew the mall existed... :shrug:

i remember going to that food court many many many years ago, and i've always remembered it, but have had no idea where to look for it. now i know, but now it might be too late?

honte or someone, is that a historic building that the mall occupies? Could it be torn down?

[BVictor1]

You can always tell it's a good architect when they can't even center the Sketchup trees in their holes.

Good grief. I'm with CBOT - what a waste of money and it's not going to be any better. People probably don't go there much because there are hardly any buildings surrounding the plaza now. Given a little time a development, it would be a perfectly nice and usable space as-is.

One reason why this is being done is because of drainage issues.

Another is the lack of insulation. Remember this is atop a bridge deck and with the bottom side exposed and lack of insulation, the trees that are currently there have the tendency to either drown in water or freeze in the winter.

There will be more development with the completion of the Cityfront Center project amd i'm sure something will eventually go begind Tribune Tower and next to NBC Tower.

[BVictor1]

i would say it was a shame if i even knew the mall existed... :shrug:

i remember going to that food court many many many years ago, and i've always remembered it, but have had no idea where to look for it. now i know, but now it might be too late?

honte or someone, is that a historic building that the mall occupies? Could it be torn down?

it was built in 1990 i believe.

i must confess, i've never been inside. looks like i haven't missed anything

[brian_b]

it was built in 1990 i believe.

i must confess, i've never been inside. looks like i haven't missed anything

The McDonald's at the food court had an amazing southern view down Michigan Ave. Other than that...

[Alliance]

I thought NBC was redoing the plaza?...not doing an outdoor seating area for a suburban Starbucks.

Anyway, check out the dude in the far left of the first rendering. The guy's jacked.

[trvlr70]

The McDonald's at the food court had an amazing southern view down Michigan Ave. Other than that...

The upper floor atrium where the food court was located remains and wonderfully open space. Someone should develop this space creatively.The views are quite beautiful.

[spyguy]

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=31025

Developer seeks OK to make Bucktown building a hotel
By Alby Gallun, Sep. 17, 2008

A city panel on Friday will consider a plan to convert the tallest building in Bucktown into a 90-room hotel, a project that has yet to receive the blessing of the neighborhood’s alderman.

Wicker Park developer MCM Realty Ltd. has asked the Zoning Board of Appeals to approve a special-use permit for the redevelopment of Northwest Tower, a 12-story Art Deco office building at 1600-1608 N. Milwaukee Ave. The project would round out Bucktown, a once gritty neighborhood now known for its expensive homes, trendy restaurants and high-end boutiques — but no hotels.

----
http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=31027

Presidential Towers to get health club, CVS, eatery
By Thomas A. Corfman, Sep. 17, 2008

The retail redevelopment of the Presidential Towers apartment complex is moving forward, with letters of intent signed by two anchor tenants: drugstore giant CVS Caremark Corp. and local health club chain Fitness Formula Ltd.

Meanwhile, popular South Loop breakfast spot Yolk plans a second restaurant, which would be located in Presidential Towers, a four-building complex on the edge of the West Loop, sources say.

[Dr. Taco]

^ that would be a great re-use of northwest tower. I absolutely love that building, ps

[cbotnyse]

As opposed to the boaring sod and mini-gravel that's there now in a space that's rarely used?what's your point? that render isnt much of an upgrade! That has to be the most sterile, uninviting space ever. I mean, do you actually like it?

[honte]

honte or someone, is that a historic building that the mall occupies? Could it be torn down?

It's an SOM design from the late 1980s, their dimmest period. I wouldn't call it particularly noteworthy and it's certainly not very historic. Honestly, I've always found it to be pretty tacky and it wouldn't bother me much to see it reskinned in something more inviting to the pedestrian and more forward-looking. Others might have some good points to the contrary which of course should be entertained.

I doubt it could just be torn down. It was built as a part of the condo tower atop and to the rear (which, strangely, had SCB as the architect instead of SOM - kind of like the work they will be doing at block 37).

[denizen467]

One reason why this is being done is because of drainage issues.

Another is the lack of insulation. Remember this is atop a bridge deck and with the bottom side exposed and lack of insulation, the trees that are currently there have the tendency to either drown in water or freeze in the winter.

There will be more development with the completion of the Cityfront Center project amd i'm sure something will eventually go begind Tribune Tower and next to NBC Tower.
Maybe they need somewhere more hospitable than Columbus Drive for Jerry Springer's audience to line up and wait?
But anyway, 2 questions:
1. The whole length of the median or just a portion in front of NBC Tower?
2. Whose project is this? The city's or NBC Tower's?

[denizen467]

Anyway, check out the dude in the far left of the first rendering. The guy's jacked.
Security droid?

[BVictor1]

what's your point? that render isnt much of an upgrade! That has to be the most sterile, uninviting space ever. I mean, do you actually like it?


my point is, is that if the space is activated, it'll be more inviting.

it's okay. it ain't the plaza at rockerfeller center

[honte]

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?galleryDate=2008-09-04

Crain's has released a photo compilation of this year's preservation award winners. Click on "More Photos."

[wrab]

^ Thanks for that link. Nice to see a modern renovation like 155 S LaSalle on the list.

Spertus gets an award for "infill", which is something of an understatement.

[budman]

Question - I heard that Park Tower was built in phases. Phase 1 was the hotel phase, and then after that was finished, Phase 2 (the residential tower) was begun. I also heard that the loans for each phase were obtained separately. Does anyone have amore detailed history of how this worked? Thanks.

[BVictor1]

Question - I heard that Park Tower was built in phases. Phase 1 was the hotel phase, and then after that was finished, Phase 2 (the residential tower) was begun. I also heard that the loans for each phase were obtained separately. Does anyone have amore detailed history of how this worked? Thanks.

don't know about the financing, but the tower went up the same way any other tower did

[BVictor1]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edward-lifson/just-when-you-thought-it_b_127224.html

This week, Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House is still flooded

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2008-09-17-DSC_0074.JPG

and they're desperately seeking funds to restore and reopen this masterpiece. The National Trust and Landmarks Illinois would love it if you could please send even $25.

[Mr Downtown]

I don't know where the guy gets his information. The water was only in the Farnsworth House for about 36 hours, from Saturday until Monday morning. The furniture had been put up high, but the built-in cabinetry did have some water damage.

[Steely Dan]

the farnsworth house is small enough and has the right shape to be turned into a temporary houseboat for flood situation like this. just figure out a way to mechanically separate the house from it's columns, and when flood waters threaten, just inflate massive pontoons underneath and on all four side of the house and anchor them into the ground, and no matter how high the flood waters get, the interior would be safe and dry.

of course, this would require a team of people to live in the house during floods to monitor it and make sure that the receding waters lay the house back down in its same resting place.

[aic4ever]

I don't know where the guy gets his information. The water was only in the Farnsworth House for about 36 hours, from Saturday until Monday morning. The furniture had been put up high, but the built-in cabinetry did have some water damage.

He got his information from that ever-credible pillar of news and reliable information, Ariana Huffington. :koko:

[jjk1103]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edward-lifson/just-when-you-thought-it_b_127224.html

This week, Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House is still flooded

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2008-09-17-DSC_0074.JPG

and they're desperately seeking funds to restore and reopen this masterpiece. The National Trust and Landmarks Illinois would love it if you could please send even $25.

..can you post an address ?

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/1170645,CST-NWS-dom18.article

Lake View Dominick's on return after 2005 fire

September 18, 2008
BY LISA DONOVAN Staff Reporter ldonovan@suntimes.com

Some of the employees who staffed the old Dominick's grocery in Lake View will be on hand today for an 8 a.m. ground-breaking ceremony at the site, the first tangible evidence a food store will rise again there.

A June 2005 fire gutted the old store at 3012 N. Broadway, leaving a void for loyal residents and staff -- even with two other groceries within a half mile, officials said.

"We have a lot of seniors. We have a lot of people who don't have cars. We have great public transportation, but it's high density, so the loss of a grocery store is a huge thing," said Bennett Lawson, chief of staff for Ald. Tom Tunney (44th).

Once completed, the store will be more than twice the size of the old store, roughly 42,000 square feet. The store and a bank will occupy the first floor of a five-level building with a parking garage above it and three levels of condos stacked on top.

Dominick's officials boast the new store will be a Dominick's Lifestyle store, carrying cereal-bread-and-milk staples plus a Starbucks, pharmacy and grab-and-go meals. And there will be some familiar faces.

"Some of them [the employees] will be coming back," said Dominick's president Don Keprta. "They kind of get first crack."

We've seen an older render before, but I'm not sure that anyone ever posted the updated version? It's, uh, really large...

http://wibiti.com/images/hpmain/588/242588.jpg

[Mr Downtown]

Nice touch with the reflections of the buildings across the street. But judging from all the people out on the balconies, there must be a threesome boinking on the roof across the street.

[SolarWind]

On a side note there is a possible redo of the plaza in front of NBC Tower
I agree with cbotnyse and honte, leave it as is. Here's a picture I took of The Fairbanks at City Front Plaza last week. The plaza is in front.

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/7462/dsc0056bg5.jpg

[aic4ever]

Regarding the Dominick's above...more info on Broadway 3030, which had it's open house kick-off party last night.

http://www.broadway3030.com/

JFJ Development and Hartshorne-Plunkard. Same team doing Superior 110.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Green roofs are taking root in American cities
Other cities push to take Chicago's crown

By Lisa Anderson | Chicago Tribune correspondent
September 19, 2008

Photos of Parkview West (now known as ParkView Condominiums) by Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2008-09/42292542.jpg

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2008-09/42292548.jpg

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2008-09/42292606.jpg

NEW YORK — When asphalt-weary American city dwellers yearn for a bit of greenery these days, more and more of them head for the roof.

The concept of planted green roofs, which gained early popularity in Chicago, is beginning to take root in New York and other cities.

Construction of green roofs grew 30 percent in North America last year, according to the third annual Green Roof Market Industry Survey by the Toronto-based non-profit group Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. For the third time, Chicago topped the list of U.S. and Canadian cities in terms of square footage installed in one year. Although it polls only members of its group, the Green Roofs survey estimates it reflects about 60 percent of all green roof industry activity in the U.S. and Canada.

Due to cost, green roofs appear primarily on public and commercial buildings, such as the new Bank of America tower in Manhattan or the Apple Store on Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But they also are beginning to sprout on single family homes and other private dwellings.

Among Chicago's other high-profile buildings with green roofs are City Hall, Millennium Park, the Chicago Center for Green Technology, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/green/chi-green_roofssep19,0,8529.story

[wrab]

From Today's Trib:

Trader Vic's readies its Chicago return
Posted by Phil Vettel at 9:53 a.m. CDT

.....Last week, workers installed (photo left) a massive tiki statue—a Trader Vic’s signature and a remnant from the Loop location—in the outdoor garden in front of 1030 N. State St., where Trader Vic's will reopen.....

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2008/09/trader-vics-rea.html

[honte]

^ Parkview is just such a solid development, all around. My hat's off to MCL and, yes, SCB on this one. Once the park matures and the surrounding sites are developed, it's going to be a fabulous urban space.

Added bonus: The parking garage to the north, visible in the photo and attached to the back of that rental building (it is rental, isn't it?), now looks like a prime redevelopment candidate. It used to make a tiny bit of sense in that location, but no longer. :tup:

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/7462/dsc0056bg5.jpg

The photo is beautiful, but, god, I really hate this building. There's such a disconnect between that awful podium and the actual tower.

[trvlr70]

From Today's Trib:

Trader Vic's readies its Chicago return
Posted by Phil Vettel at 9:53 a.m. CDT

.....Last week, workers installed (photo left) a massive tiki statue—a Trader Vic’s signature and a remnant from the Loop location—in the outdoor garden in front of 1030 N. State St., where Trader Vic's will reopen.....

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2008/09/trader-vics-rea.html


This makes me quite pleased. I can't wait to have a Mai Tai and the Pu pu platter!

[Nowhereman1280]

Added bonus: The parking garage to the north, visible in the photo and attached to the back of that rental building (it is rental, isn't it?), now looks like a prime redevelopment candidate. It used to make a tiny bit of sense in that location, but no longer. :tup:

I don't know about that, that's not just a garage, there are quite a bit of the amenities for that apartment building in and on that garage, most obviously the pool on the roof. Better hope that building doesn't go condo before the garage is torn down or it will be there forever.

[honte]

I don't know about that, that's not just a garage, there are quite a bit of the amenities for that apartment building in and on that garage, most obviously the pool on the roof. Better hope that building doesn't go condo before the garage is torn down or it will be there forever.

Yes, I know. But if the building stays rental (honeslty, I only think it is a rental), they certainly can replace those amenities and lost parking in a new structure. In fact, they'd be stupid not to, given what a waste of real estate that it is.

[denizen467]

^ It's a rental, on the low end for the Streeterville area, so anything's possible. (Also curious if any complications arise since there are Section 8 tenants.) They could tell their amenity-enjoying renters to shut up and put up while something is being redeveloped, although they'd probably realistically have to give 12 months' prior notice or let people break leases for the substantial loss of amenities (particularly parking).

However, the bigger question is what the Rehabilitiation Institute will do with the rest of the block. If they move first and some developer proposes a tall tower there, Lake Shore Plaza's options get hemmed in. Although I suppose squeezing in 2 towers on that half-block is not inconceivable.

[spyguy]

I think Nowhereman mentioned a small Loyola project on Chicago Avenue. Is this it?

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/8485/projectseducation41nbl4.jpg

[wrab]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080919pm5b.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080919pm9.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080919_1182.jpg

Looks like the friggin' Potola Palace in Lhasa:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080919pm10.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080919pm11pb2.jpg

Neighborhood:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080919pb1b.jpg

[wrab]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080919_1583.jpg

[Jibba]

So a friend of mine came down from Milwaukee, and she just HAD to go to the Juicy Couture boutique (the epitome of class, BTW), and we walked past the site of the new Barneys. I took a quick peek behind some fencing and I could have sworn that that nice little three-story brick row was completely K.O.ed. I had thought previously that these were being gut-rehabbed. I am not completely sure because I grabbed only a fleeting glance, but can anyone else confirm the demo?

[i_am_hydrogen]

I agree with cbotnyse and honte, leave it as is. Here's a picture I took of The Fairbanks at City Front Plaza last week. The plaza is in front.

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/7462/dsc0056bg5.jpg

Sick shot. Perfectly exposed. Perfectly composed. SW is automatic when it comes to vertical shots.

[spyguy]

So a friend of mine came down from Milwaukee, and she just HAD to go to the Juicy Couture boutique (the epitome of class, BTW), and we walked past the site of the new Barneys. I took a quick peek behind some fencing and I could have sworn that that nice little three-story brick row was completely K.O.ed. I had thought previously that these were being gut-rehabbed. I am not completely sure because I grabbed only a fleeting glance, but can anyone else confirm the demo?

Yeah, I went by there yesterday and it was almost completely gone. I wish I had a camera on me to capture the demolition work but then again there wasn't much left to see anyway.

[Nowhereman1280]

(honeslty, I only think it is a rental)

Yes it is a rental. I had a friend who lived in there last year and man did that place suck. Its literally packed with Section 8 tenants who are all extremely noisy and treat the place like its some Cabrini Green highrise. Needless to say she quickly learned why she got a good deal on the rent and moved out as soon as her lease expired! It was really annoying you could always hear someone yelling about something or cranking rap music or even, at times, hear them break something through the walls. Plus they would just leave rubbish in the halls, I've never seen any apartment building where people just drop candy wrappers in the hall, but they did it here.

I think Nowhereman mentioned a small Loyola project on Chicago Avenue. Is this it?


Yessiree that'd be the project. Looks better than the vague massing I saw 9 months ago. It should really help spruce up that somewhat ghetto section of Chicago Ave.

I am not completely sure because I grabbed only a fleeting glance, but can anyone else confirm the demo?

Yes they started taking it down about two weeks ago. I believe I saw it the first day they started. Apparently whoever was renovating it went bankrupt and someone else bought it and changed plans to tear down from gut rehab.

[aic4ever]

..

[nomarandlee]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/1174584,CST-NWS-park20.article

Full steam ahead on park
BLOOMINGDALE TRAIL |
City seeks designs to turn old rail route into a bike-and-people-friendly green space

September 20, 2008

BY MARY WISNIEWSKI Transportation Reporter mwisniewski@suntimes.com
The old railroad right-of-way that runs east and west along Bloomingdale Avenue on the Northwest Side could become a "linear park" for bicyclists and pedestrians once the city puts together the design and the funding.

The city plans to seek proposals from engineers and architects by the end of the year to examine building a 2.7-mile "Bloomingdale Trail" along unused Canadian Pacific tracks from Ridgeway on the west to the Chicago River on the east.

Andrew Vesselinovitch, director of the urban parks program for the Trust for Public Land, said the Bloomingdale Trail would provide a crucial east-west link for bicyclists and pedestrians. Many of the city's bike paths run north and south.

The preliminary plans include new parks along the trail, including one in a weedy, unused concrete parking lot at Milwaukee and Bloomingdale. Other parks are planned at Albany, Damen, Marshfield and Kimball.

Eight access points would allow visitors to get on and off the elevated trail, which would pass through the neighborhoods of Logan Square and Bucktown.

The city is seeking proposals for the 18-month-long first phase of the project. During the first phase, contractors would develop designs and investigate the condition of the 37 rail viaducts along the line, which could be costly to repair and maintain, said Brian Steele, spokesman for the city's Transportation Department.

Once the first phase is complete, the city will have an idea of what the project will cost so it can figure out funding, Steele said. The city has so far received $2.6 million in federal funds and is matching $600,000 in local funds for the first two phases of the project.

It could be several years before the trail is ready for walkers and riders.

When I first read about this I did think it was a real cool and creative project but now like many here it seems like this could be a missed opportunity to set the beginnings of a great east-west rapid transit corridor (or at least BRT). I was thinking that down the line it may not be that hard to turn it back into a transit corridor if the support arises but then I got to thinking that once this goes green it will hard to go back and make it transit oriented without massive NIMBY interferance.

[BWChicago]

I think the Bloomingdale ROW is too narrow for these uses. I could be wrong. But there's already the North express bus, which moves pretty fast (when it comes.) And of course this corridor already had an el before (http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/humboldt.html).

[harryc]

I think the Bloomingdale ROW is too narrow for these uses. I could be wrong. But there's already the North express bus, which moves pretty fast (when it comes.) And of course this corridor already had an el before (http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/humboldt.html).

Great link there at the end. never heard about the Humboldt Line (http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/humboldt.html) before.

[Taft]

Great link there at the end. never heard about the Humboldt Line (http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/humboldt.html) before.

chicago-l.org is just a fantastic site. There really isn't anything else like it for us transit/history geeks.

Taft

[BVictor1]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/arts/chi-cbs-block37-0921sep21,0,303612.story

ARCHITECTURE

22 West Washington doesn't reflect strong streetscape
By Blair Kamin Tribune critic | Chicago Tribune critic
September 21, 2008

For nearly 20 years, as close to an entire block of Loop real estate sat empty, we have been waiting, waiting, waiting for the first new building to open on Block 37. Now it's finally here, and the outcome is like one of those trick guns from which you're expecting a violent blast—and a cute little flag pops out instead.

In other words, underwhelming.

That is a harsh judgment, and it should immediately be qualified: The glassy, reflective 17-story office building, called 22 West Washington, is unfinished, not without subtle pleasures and could get better. Public attention will be riveted on it Monday when one of its two tenants, WBBM-Ch. 2, formally opens its ground-level broadcast studio facing Daley Plaza.

In its present state, 22 West Washington offers a paradox. It is too quiet because its meek exterior doesn't hold up its end of the conversation carried on by the mighty buildings flanking the plaza. And it is too loud because its base flaunts a screeching broadcast screen that has been polluting the great civic space with promotions for the likes of Dr. Phil and Judge Judy.




Acclaimed architect
The results are especially disappointing because 22 West Washington's architect, Ralph Johnson of Perkins+Will, is one of Chicago's best, acclaimed for projects ranging from the site-sensitive Boeing headquarters along the Chicago River to the sculptural Contemporaine condo high-rise in River North.

But on Block 37, for which he drew up a fine master plan unveiled in 2004, Johnson has played a role comparable to architect Daniel Libeskind at the World Trade Center, watching helplessly as commercial pressures undermined his vision for a vibrant mixed-use urban center.

At root, then, the problems of 22 West Washington have as much to do with finance as with form. It is a tight-budget office building, not a lavish corporate headquarters. It has had two developers—first, the Mills Corp. and then Golub & Co., which took over when Mills faltered.

Given the economic constraints, Johnson's big idea, clever on its face, was to craft a modest "background building" that would play a mirror game, reflecting such muscular neighbors as the rust-colored Daley Center and the many-columned City Hall-County Building.

With thin, asymmetrically arranged planes of glass and a dash of electronic razzle-dazzle, he sought to give the astonishing mix of styles surrounding Daley Plaza a fitting example from the 21st Century: an almost ephemeral architecture that would use contemporary technologies to achieve the kind of airy, see-through skyscraper Mies van der Rohe could only dream of in the 1920s.

But the steel-framed structure is compromised on many levels, beginning with the way it tries to act as a space-shaping wall that frames the east flank of Daley Plaza.

Ever since Block 37's lively hodgepodge of old office buildings, movie theaters and stores was demolished in 1990 to make way for a Helmut Jahn-designed office and retail center that never materialized, Daley Plaza has needed such a wall to give it the proper sense of containment. Yet 22 West Washington's lack of height and heft combine with its seamless glass wall to give the building a certain insubstantial quality, as if you could poke a finger through it. It looks wimpy compared with everything around it.


Distorted reflections
The wall itself is no prize-winner, either. While it is a pleasure to walk by and catch the reflections of the white terra cotta facade of the Reliance Building or the muscular, mid-20th Century grids of the Richard J. Daley Center and the Cook County Administration Building, those reflections often appear jittery and distorted. Johnson specified a curtain wall that would have produced less distortion, he said, but the Mills Corp. forced him to adopt a cheaper alternative.

Worse still—far worse—is the building's 30-foot-wide LED screen on which WBBM-Ch. 2 plans to broadcast news, sports and some prime-time shows. A feature such as this had the potential to bring electronic art to Daley Plaza, updating the civic contributions of the plaza's Picasso sculpture and Joan Miro's "Miss Chicago" outside the Cook County Administration Building. Instead, we get Times Square. City Hall planners flubbed things big-time when they approved this poke in the eye.

Still, there are pluses, as well as hopeful signs.

WBBM-Ch. 2's ground-floor broadcast studio will energize the plaza with lights, camera and action. Pedestrians should enjoy walking by the sleek TV studio, which will emphasize by its presence the way that the information society has infiltrated daily life. The limestone walls at the building's base complement the Art Deco ComEd substation that is the lone survivor of the old Block 37.

Equally good, the building's transparent glass opens a window onto the WBBM-Ch. 2's third-floor newsroom, which has been smartly designed by Goettsch Partners. That not only lets the public see in but also suggests that the station is an "eye" watching over the city—and, more important, the government. An old, masonry-covered newspaper building such as the Chicago Tribune Tower simply can't do that.

As for the building's future, Johnson is working with WBBM-Ch. 2 to fill in the unsightly gaps on either side of the screen and to create the wrap-around-the-corner focal point he always intended. The design could also improve if LED screens quietly advertising the presence of WBBM-Ch. 2 and the other tenant, investment research firm Morningstar Inc., are placed, as Johnson originally intended, near the building's top.

So there are things to appreciate in this first building on Block 37, but they tend to be details, not the big picture.

It is troubling, as we look forward to the project's completion next year, to see significant departures from Johnson's master plan by the architects of the rest of the project, the Chicago office of San Francisco-based Gensler. Entrances along State Street no longer are at the building's corners. Proposed digital decoration is gone, replaced by facile allusions to the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. As was reported recently, the Chicago Transit Authority is mothballing Block 37's underground superstation indefinitely because the half-finished project is millions of dollars over budget.

Amid such fiascos, discussing the fine points of architecture may seem silly. But it would be more foolhardy to ignore the impact such buildings have on the Loop—as well as the message they send about Chicago's ongoing capacity to achieve design excellence.

[BVictor1]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-pilgrim-baptist-both-21sep21,0,4086563.story

Pilgrim Baptist Church rebuilding plans unveiled
By Jo Napolitano | Chicago Tribune reporter
6:36 PM CDT, September 20, 2008

For those wanting to know what the future will look like for Pilgrim Baptist Church, Saturday's unveiling of rebuilding plans surpassed expectations.

Architects hired to resurrect the South Side church, which burned down in January 2006, detailed a $37 million restoration.

They plan to replicate the church—originally designed by renowned architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan—with the help of salvaged artifacts and photos. They also plan to build two new structures on church grounds: a social services building and a cultural center.

"I think it's glorious," said Carolyn Austin, 76, wife of Rev. Junius Austin Jr., who led the congregation until his death in 1992. "It's beyond what I was really thinking about. I didn't know what the possibilities were."



The Bronzeville church, built in 1891 and originally used as a synagogue, was destroyed when workers repairing the roof accidentally set it on fire. Only four walls—and piles of rubble—remained.

There is no date yet for completion of the church at 3300 S. Indiana Ave., because the work depends on the success of a fundraising campaign. Architects and church elders say they plan to focus on the church first.

Brenda Asare, who will lead the fundraising efforts, said she hopes to collect 75 percent of the $37 million from donors who contribute $100,000 or more. Asare, senior vice president and Midwest division manager for The Alford Group, a consulting company for non-profits, said the recent economic downturn will make her job tough.

"We will run into people who want to support our project but can't do it at the level they would have two weeks ago or three years ago," she said.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich promised $1 million, but the donation has been mired in controversy. The governor has said he intended the money to go to the church's administrative offices, but bureaucratic errors sent it to a school that held classes on the church grounds.

The congregation, which continues to attend services at the church's community center across the street, has grown since the fire. It has doubled its size of about 200 people when the fire occurred, and letters of support continue to come in from across the globe.

Along with its architectural significance, Pilgrim Baptist Church was home to the gospel music movement and has long played an important role in the African-American community.

The project unveiled Saturday seemed to speak to the church's past as well as its future.

Cynthia Jones, vice chairwoman of the board of trustees for the church, said tears came to her eyes when she saw the plans.

"I thought about the people—all of the saints, including my mother—who have come through this church," she said. "They are rejoicing in heaven to see it come out of the ruins."

Austin, whose father-in-law led the congregation for 42 years before his death in 1968, said she is excited for the future.

"I hope the Lord will let me live to walk in there one more time," she said.

jnapolitano@tribune.com

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/21/pilgrim_baptist.jpg

[BVictor1]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1176368,CST-NWS-pilgrim21.article

Pilgrim Baptist unveils rebuilding plans
BRONZEVILLE | Landmark church ruined in '06 fire

September 21, 2008

BY CHERYL V. JACKSON Staff Reporter cjackson@suntimes.com


Storied Pilgrim Baptist Church will be rebuilt as part of a new $41 million campus in Bronzeville that will include a cultural center and social services building, church leaders said Saturday.

The sanctuary of the church at 3301 S. Indiana, an architectural gem designed in 1890 by Louis Sullivan, will be replicated as close to the original building as possible.

http://media1.suntimes.com/multimedia/092108pilgrim.jpg_20080921_04_22_49_8-282-400.imageContent
An artist’s drawing depicts a rebuilt Pilgrim Baptist Church as part of a $41 million campus including a cultural center and social services building. Fund-raising is to start in January.


While the vaulted wood ceiling will be replaced with steel in the new building, the acoustics -- a major feature of the church, the birthplace of gospel music -- will be the same, church leaders said.

A fund-raising campaign will kick off in January, the third anniversary of the 2006 fire that gutted the landmark.

"It's historically known and known around the world," Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Cynthia Jones said of the church where Thomas A. Dorsey created gospel and legendary musician Mahalia Jackson sang in its choir.

The campaign is expected to last three to five years and will be headed by the Alford Group consulting firm.

Chicago-based architectural firm Johnson & Lee is presiding over the project.

The cultural center could house a museum and dining facilities, and host cultural events. The social services building would house non-religious programs.

[wrab]

^ Great news on Pilgrim!

[ethereal_reality]

^^^ Wonderful! Best news I've heard all week.

[aic4ever]

Excellent News! I can't wait to see this go up and lead to future improvement in general in my neighborhood!

[bnk]

On the Pilgrim project, are they retaining [saving] the four walls remaining or were they demolished? No where does it state that and the articles mentioned the church will be replicated as closely as possible.

[aic4ever]

The south, west and north walls have been saved via an extensive, vertical truss shoring system.

[honte]

The upside to this is that the upper parts of the church might end up looking closer to the original than they did before the fire. You all will recall that this part of the building was clad in lovely aluminum siding.

However, I have to say, I don't have a lot of faith in Johnson and Lee and I really wish they would use an architect with a proven track record of restoration projects. This building is just too important.

[aic4ever]

The upside to this is that the upper parts of the church might end up looking closer to the original than they did before the fire. You all will recall that this part of the building was clad in lovely aluminum siding.

However, I have to say, I don't have a lot of faith in Johnson and Lee and I really wish they would use an architect with a proven track record of restoration projects. This building is just too important.

To be fair, there's really nothing to restore. There are three walls left and absolutely nothing else. All they really have to do is copy the original design.

[honte]

^ Sure, but do you think that's an easy task? Most real restorations involve a fair amount of recreation ... it's a lot easier when the original details are there to copy.

Restorations themselves are very, very difficult and the results are usually not what we'd like them to be, unless the job is handled by a very skilled and caring architect with a great client.

[aic4ever]

^ Sure, but do you think that's an easy task? Most real restorations involve a fair amount of recreation ... it's a lot easier when the original details are there to copy.

Restorations themselves are very, very difficult and the results are usually not what we'd like them to be, unless the job is handled by a very skilled and caring architect with a great client.

I don't believe it's an easy task in any manner. I have been involved in a number of different historical renovations, and they are always difficult. I don't know anything about Johnson & Lee, so I don't know what they are or are not capable of. Also, considering the building's age, similar to the Three Arts Club, which I am quite familiar with, there are likely to be about 15 to 20 drawings total for the building, since it was built in the days when architects actually did something on the site in terms of directing construction.

So yes, it will be difficult. However, I think they are in a much easier starting position than say, whoever has to go in and figure out how to do the restorations at the Uptown Theater.

The church is essentially going to be an historically accurate new construction recreation utilizing modern construction techniques. Not like they're going to have to figure out how to snake new piping and ductwork through without screwing up existing construction, you know?

[honte]

I don't believe it's an easy task in any manner. I have been involved in a number of different historical renovations, and they are always difficult. I don't know anything about Johnson & Lee, so I don't know what they are or are not capable of. Also, considering the building's age, similar to the Three Arts Club, which I am quite familiar with, there are likely to be about 15 to 20 drawings total for the building, since it was built in the days when architects actually did something on the site in terms of directing construction.

So yes, it will be difficult. However, I think they are in a much easier starting position than say, whoever has to go in and figure out how to do the restorations at the Uptown Theater.

The church is essentially going to be an historically accurate new construction recreation utilizing modern construction techniques. Not like they're going to have to figure out how to snake new piping and ductwork through without screwing up existing construction, you know?


Yeah, I see what you're saying. They won't have to worry about the electricians accidentially shoving some conduit through irreplacable plaster ornament. It's a pretty clean slate. And they don't have to ask questions about what's historic and what's not.

Supposing they do a top-notch job on the historic accuracy, I suppose we could agree that the actual architectural legwork in advance of construction will be harder than usual, but the construction after that point should become fairly easy.

I doubt they'll be able to get many historic plans at all, and as you mention, a lot of minor detailing may never have been recorded. Figuring out the ornament for the interior (if they even bother) will be very troublesome. It sounds like true historic accuracy is not their top priority anyway, with the steel members and so forth.

[Mr Downtown]

$37 million dollars??? For a single sanctuary building???

I'm trying to imagine what Paul would have to say about using money that way.

[Nowhereman1280]

They aren't Catholic, Paul probably wouldn't have recognized today's Catholic Church let alone the Baptists.

[honte]

$37 million dollars??? For a single sanctuary building???


No, they're building that suburban-looking thing in the back too.