North side glass moving quick. This will be all wrapped up in a couple weeks.

https://i.postimg.cc/hhW9RkpV/20240408-104754-2.jpg

Agree, it's a perfectly fine addition to the skyline and complements its neighbors. Hopefully in 20+ years it'll be in the forefront of an expansive South Loop skyline.

South Loop has a ton of potential, it just seems at a weird crossroads / in stasis as the Bears & Sox/Related figure their shit out. The mayor said the city has functionally eliminated parking minimums in areas like this, although his plan to codify it would certainly boost the type of development we'll want to see more of (compared to the large parking podiums in River North / Streeterville).

Yep - I was just thinking about this as I was driving back from the eclipse yesterday. Passing by the area reminded me there is this entire high rise section of the city I feel like should have much more going on with it, but for some reason..... It still feels like a hidden quiet neighborhood even though it has it's own section of the skyline at this point.

My perception is that they have a bunch of college kids, 30s DINKs, some retirees, and a few young families (who are likely eyeing places in the neighborhoods or suburbs), but they're missing out on the mid-20s to mid-30s crowd that fills out the drinking, dining, and entertainment venues in our more exciting neighborhoods. Admittedly I haven't spent a ton of time there -- but that also kinda proves my point :)

I can very much attest to this statement.

The South Loop was my first neighborhood when I moved downtown and lived there for two years before leaving and I gotta say, while I've been told it's 1,000x better then it was even in the 90s. It has a long ways to go on fulfilling it's potential as an attractive part of the City.

As you mentioned, the proximity to many colleges does give it a lot of the vibes and culture to the area with a lot of college kids. My gf has a few friends that live in the area and they told me that there is a South Loop Facebook page that you can read a lot into what people who live there and what they want the South Loop to be, and there are a LOT of NIMBYs there I hear of all sorts of ages.

They like how quiet it is compared to the rest of downtown. The Dearborn Park and Prairie District neighborhoods I've heard don't the South Loop to become something like the Fulton Market. It's a lot of resistance compared to other parts of the City.

I very much agree that the scene in the SL needs more to draw crowds as you mention, fill in the drinking, dining, and entertainment attractions like other more exciting neighborhoods -- it's primarily very resy.

I think if or maybe when The 78 ever happens and fills out. It could be the catalyst to a hopeful Fulton Market trend in the area -- who knows, we'll see I guess.

I think all the vacant lots on Wabash between Ida/Congress and Roosevelt need to fill out—it's a corridor that would connect the relatively vibrant Printers Row to the Wabash/Roosevelt nexus, which should eventually become the central point of the South Loop.

Wabash is the only street where this makes sense, since State Street has the fortress walls of Dearborn Park down to Roosevelt on one side and Michigan has the park on one side (which makes it one of the most beautiful stretches of the city, but not the most bustling).

Also – connectivity between the South Loop and the great near-south neighborhoods like Chinatown and Pilsen kind of sucks. Clark is a terrible stroad that needs reworking, especially near Polk, and it's the closest way south for the entire western half of Printers Row. The 78 should be a big help here.

hopefully they'll fill those six punch holes in the top with some louvers or something too...

"[North] side needs more [glass]. South side needs more FOOT WORK.":djparty:

Pretty sure those openings stay.

They connect to the open-air terrace on the 73rd floor:

https://f20eaf.p3cdn1.secureserver.n...-1920x1152.jpg

https://f20eaf.p3cdn1.secureserver.n...-1920x1152.jpg
Source

04.12.24
https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render...&ts=1712969910

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render...&ts=1712969910

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render...&ts=1712969762

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render...&ts=1712969768

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render...&ts=1712969775

https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/render...&ts=1712969783

Definitely looks a little funky from those views ^. Hopefully whoever buys the nema 2 site goes tall and we get some height along wabash as well. Lookin like atlanta or philly with all that space in between. I think we've all dreamed of an 800 footer at the BP and Jewel sites as well.

The more glass goes up the more I like how the building looks from the NNE personally. I like the curved look of the NW corner especially from far away. And since there's nothing blocking the view of the building you can see how it gradually transforms from the lower to higher floors.

I think a few 500 to 600 foot tall buildings would be better to fill in the area because filling in with taller structures will reduce the residential appeal.

The openness for light and air needs to be safeguarded. A mini-Loop would seem too brutal.

I would also like something with some darker lines to contrast and complement the now-prevalent reflective finishes. A more reserved "Brooklyn tower" sort of

uniqueness could add some depth.

From this morning:


https://i.postimg.cc/3NY6SVTV/PXL-20...55244759-2.jpg

Great shot, Steely. That glass is so clean that at first glance, it looked like a computer generated rendering! :haha:

Beautiful. Looks magnificent here.