either way, i just really want to see that building fixed up and it dosent seem like theres any promising leads on it :(

Uh, I went to the Gerald Ford museum with my grandparents once...

I don't think an Obama library would be a huge development catalyst, but as far as I know there hasn't been one in a major metropolis. The ones I can think of are all out in remote areas and are a destination to themselves, which is why I found the idea of something closer to downtown more interesting than UC. If it were at Museum Campus or UIC it would blend in with our museum circuit, so visitors could stay downtown and take their time at all of them. I don't see anyone booking a hotel in Hyde. Park just to visit a library.

I think it will be a decent tourism draw either way, but it's mainly about prestige I'd say.

I always thought a statue to him where he gave his acceptance speech in Grant Park would be a nice little tribute/tourism draw. No matter what you think of the job he has done , that moment still deserves a marker of some sort.

^ Is this not it? ;)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zJpnTu57Ko...culp-8002e.jpg

Sorry, but I had to.

The Jimmy Carter Museum is next to downtown Atlanta. It also has the headquarters for the Carter Center, his global outreach non-profit. I think Obama will have something similar, since he is quite young still. Yea, I don't think this will spur any direct development. Presidential libraries aren't exactly huge tourist draws. The Lucas museum would be more likely to spur some development.
The library would only serve to improve the general prestige of the city.

I just love when things are painted to "match the precast", that's always sure to result in pure beauty...

I hope so, I've been advocating this from day one of the Obama Library conversation in this city.

You don't think that a multi-billion dollar investment dedicated to preserving the history of America's first non-white male president is going spur development in the heart of Chicago's nearly all black South Side? You don't think that the Lincoln library (and all of his other history) in Springfield attracts tourists? You have to remember that the presidential library is something we really didn't start doing until recently and the earliest libraries were all relatively modest. Some people are suggesting this could be a billion dollar project. If it goes to the U of C it will spur development because there probably is not room for it East of Washington Park and North of the Midway. that means that it will push U of C further out into the surrounding areas and U of C is the only reason why Hyde Park stayed as nice as it has to begin with.

Oh, very handsome! Now THIS is how brick should be done

Closer to "the city"??

Both the University of Chicago and UIC are the same closeness to the city; they're inside it. :koko:

The library belongs in Hyde Park or Kenmore. Period.

too bad its overpriced about 1000 a month.

Diden't really know where to put this but nik wallenda is going to walk a tightrope in winter across the Chicago river from the Marina City west tower to the Leo Burnett Building.

sorry if this was old news but it just came up on the news now so i thought i might as well post it :D

How else do you think they can afford nice brickwork?

How do you know? Are they struggling with leasing?

Usually I'm the one calling things overpriced, but that's not the case here.

It's a high quality building with great ammenties, location, and rational floorplans. In-unit W/D and most important....9' min height ceilings. Don't think I could stand paying $2000 / month for those those 8'-4" caves in new buildings downtown.

This depends largely on the architectural program, right? Obviously in its most literal sense a library will only attract researchers, but the Lincoln Library is more museum than research center and quickly became the biggest tourist attraction in Springfield. The Clinton Library is an architectural landmark that anchors a huge set of parks in Little Rock.

I don't think it's a stretch to think that the Obama Library might spur adjacent development if it is a landmark building, if it engages the community and if it contains major tourism programming.

The real relevant point is, if there is a chance that the Obama Library could help revive a struggling neighborhood, then why squander that potential by putting it right downtown on UIC's campus where private development isn't permitted anyway?

If you must be pedantic and could not infer what I meant.....closer to the core. Is that better?

you are paying at 4k a month for a 2 bed here.

And there's about 5+ new high rises in downtown Chicago, and a few older ones (i.e. Walton on the Park - 1 bedrooms are $3000/mo and most of the building is leased) with prices that high and most of them are pretty well leased. What's your point?

^ Sounds like a very general "the rent is too damn high" as opposed to a fundamental current market mispricing of downtown Class A apartments....

As far as I know, for new construction, the 8-8 1/2' type ceiling heights have been relegated to the past. There might be a developer or two that still gets cheap on floor-to-floor heights (maybe Magellan.....what are Coasts' ceiling heights I wonder?), however, I think most everything is now at least approx. 9', and hopefully will be getting closer to at least 9 1/2' or so.....

It seems in more modern cases these are only "libraries" in a loose sense of the definition and really are moreso vehicles to try to shape and dictate legacies. Honestly I think the trend is pretty egotistical.