CHICAGO | Millie on Michigan/CitizenM (300 N Michigan Ave) | 523 ft | 47 FLOORS
 

New apartment/hotel proposal that is beginning site prep, demo of the old warehouse/loft building on site:

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/d0wv...g_Package1.jpg via bKL

https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/3/25...e-sterling-bay

This could be the last major change to that weird block. Everything else is either worthy of staying or too small to be torn down and made into something bigger. At least that's the way it looks to me

So many lambdas!

It's an attractive enough tower albeit a bit boring, I just wish they could have acquired the low rise lot just to the north so they could have butted up and covered over that awful pomo-cold-storage-warehouse side wall of 320 N Michigan.

True that. An ugly wall and a prominent location it is.
However from most angles, especially street level, I think and hope that the south side wall of 320 Michigan will mostly be obstructed than the renders depict.

300 N Michigan Demo Progress
https://i.imgur.com/lTsJtUnh.jpg

Thread bump just to mention that it’s been reported that demo of the existing building is about to start

On that note, if you want to see the carbon and carbide building from the top of the London House, better hurry up and make it to that cupola!

300 N Michigan
 

Sept 6

Does nobody thing of the pigeons ?




Sept 10

September 23, 2019

That might just be a rare pigeon species. I demand an environmental impact statement. Also rare spiders on rare cobwebs.

Also not to poo-poo too much, but this lot would have made an amazing location for a 1000 footer. The view up the river...:slob:

I agree...such a prime lot to develop for something tall.. doesn't seem like much of a risk to go for something in the 700ft to 800 ft range for this location...just off Michigan avenue... :shrug:

So goes several high-profile sites in Chicago lately...although the Salesforce tower upsets me more than this one. Part of me wishes both sites could sit this one out until the next cycle in the hopes of a more worthy proposal. BUT I suppose it could be worse, at least the designs (in a vacuum) are pretty decent? :shrug:

Yeah, couple tens of million $$, not too much risk :rolleyes:

in its entire history, the city of chicago has only seen towers 800' or taller constructed on 18 occasions. that's it, just 18 times.

99% of the highrises chicago has built over the centuries have been less than 800' tall.

expecting every single patch of land in downtown chicago to now sprout 800+ foot towers is way beyond unrealistic.

Depending on pricing and marketing there could be also tens of millions more in profit too with a larger building...acting like this location would be so far fetched and taking such a crazy risk at a taller building than what's gonna be built currently is pretty close minded... this isn't the south loop ...its a pretty prime location.

You right. However, doesn't it seem like we've seen significantly less 800'+ proposals since the crash of '08? Does it speak to local and national developers being less bullish on the market here, with a majority of proposals being more conservative, blueglass, semi-boring towers in the downtown area? The one place I'm seeing adventurous architecture is the West Loop. Now that I think of it, the current boom in that neighborhood may mean less 800+ footers; sucking up the demand for office and residential?

no.

i'd say it's 100% the opposite.

chicago has never seen more 800' projects than it is right now.




chicago's 800+ footers have been built in 4 distinct building booms, with one outlier (park tower).


'69-'76: 5

- hancock
- chase
- aon
- sears
- WTP



'89-'90: 4

- franklin
- 900 N
- 2 Pru
- 311 S



2000: 1

- park tower



2009-2010: 3

- trump
- aqua
- legacy




2018-202?: 5 + 6 active proposals

- one bennet
- NEMA
- vista
- 110 N
- OCS


- tribune east
- 400 LSD 1
- 400 LSD 2
- LSE site I
- 1000M
- salesforce

^ Of which Salesforce is almost definitely a go since they have an anchor tenant, and 1000M is "Starting in October!" (or November....or December.....or never) perhaps

A project that large would need massive zoning changes on what is already the most densely developed lot in the City. Big doubt anything bigger than what we're getting would get approval

And yeah, all the groaning going on about how we aren't building big is very silly as Steely pointed out

A project how large?..nobody said anything about putting 1000 plus ft building here...im just saying something a few hundred feet taller than whats proposed...if that's considered a "massive" zoning change then lets hope your never an alderman in 42nd ward..(or perhaps you are...:haha: ...jk).... anywhoo...moving on from this

^Yeah, it's rarely as simple as the market and the site demands it, so they should build them taller. There's also economic and functional implications to height. Based on my approximation, this will be a pretty slender tower at only about 80'x100' judging by the size of the site. A tower that is 50% taller will require more elevators or faster, more expensive elevators. It requires beefier structure, which would eat into the small floor plates. You can say that downtown there should be no parking requirements, but there may be issues leasing at the type of rates that top of 800 ft tall towers demand without a certain amount of parking spaces available somewhere.

Then as Bonobp pointed out, the site is currently zoned DX-16. The project per my rough calculations may be using as much as 26 FAR unless they are borrowing from some of the neighbors. That's already pretty high. To get that floor bonus of 10, the developer has to pay the city 80% of the market cost of every square foot that they add to the project. Pushing that to 39 FAR for an 800' tower may only not get Alderman and City approval, but it will be significantly more expensive for those added floors.

The size you were suggesting would require zoning changes and the area is already a nightmare for traffic. I'm not saying I don't want something big there, I'm just explaining that it's not as easy as the developer saying, "oh yeah, I'll just spend another 200 million and make this 850 feet tall".

I supposed I could have been more specific but Ned covered my bases

300 N Michigan - Demo
 

Sept 18





Sept 25

I realize that some of you want something taller but I’m salivating to see this start.

Mich Ave south of the river is just epic....and getting more so

The "taller" freaks need their own planet.

The Smurfit building is one of the biggest gems in the city of Chicago. Too bad it wasn't 800' taller. C'mon man. Give your balls a tug.

I actually think it is right sized. It holds that corner and pulls everything together perfectly . I think if it was way taller it would not have the same affect.

Agreed. This is a great height. If it was taller it would distract from C&C too much and might block Vista/Aqua (when seen from the riverwak).

WPS, OTOH, should have been taller....

Even more so regarding River Point IMO. Perhaps the only two locations that I'd get hung on height about in the city and each will end up about 100-200 shorter than they ought.

I was jesting. It's the perfect size.

October 1, 2019

Now that's a beautiful sight... one less under/un-utilized space in the city

Could of easily been restored into a beautiful building. You are not supposed to tear down buildings like this; at least do a facadectomy.

^Agree 100%!

Same!

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8869...7i13312!8i6656

What facade?

That's gonna be a hard disagree from me on all fronts. The first floor of the building made it irredeemable

I have to agree with Bonobo here. That corner will benefit from this tower which replaces a rather unremarkable albeit old building. it’s going to significantly liven the block.

Modifying the first floor exterior to be nicer would not have been difficult. Like others have said, I would love to have seen the original externals preserved and a new tower built inside of it.

There are more important battles to fight for me personally... this development is fine, it increases density and will contribute to the activity of Michigan ave. She kinda ugli but whatever :shrug:, overall positive addition.

Demolition pictures, from 10/19

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...24af137f_b.jpg300 N. Michigan by jlnd29, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e5f1244e_b.jpg300 N. Michigan by jlnd29, on Flickr

October 22, 2019

Definitely save this one... probably one of the last great views of The Carbide & Carbon building.

Take another once demo is done and you will have the greatest view of C&C that has ever existed since I believe 300 N Michigan original building was built before C&C and has always slightly obscured the view.

And there will always be a great view of Carbon and Carbide from kitty corner across the intersetion at South Water, that will never be blocked. This is Michigan Ave we are talking about, its one of the widest streets in town and will always provide generous view corridors.

True, but clearly this angle offers a more generous view of the entire building :)

This probably will be one of their selling points when marketing the upper units/penthouse.

300 N Michigan
 

Oct 16

It will get better before it gets worse! Wait til the demo netting is down, just before CASE gets there.. but even then, the view will be pretty sweet.

Oct 29

Chicago | 300 N Michigan by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | 300 N Michigan by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | 300 N Michigan by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | 300 N Michigan by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | 300 N Michigan by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr