CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by jstush04

naw, it was a joke, jumping on the fact of how hard it would be to put the whole navy pier back into his setup

man, good job. you did your research. This should definitely go somewhere on the front page

Thanks man, yeah it took a long time determining where all those towers went and the order of em and all that. But I wanted to do it seeing as I will be in Chitown in 2 days! I cant wait, I have been watching this site for a year now and I finally get to see first hand all of these wonderful towers!

[i_am_hydrogen]

Great job, photolitherland. Hope you enjoy your stay.

Can't figure out which project is going up in this shot from today:

[Mr Roboto]

^Nice shot. Thats the Astoria Tower and 1 E 8th street. You might have forgotten about it cause the Astoria was really creeping slowly until about a month ago or so, but theyve really been moving pretty fast now. Not the most beautiful building, but it will add some needed density and height in this part of the south loop.

[Dan in Chicago]

Looking at that map, the interesting thing is how the river has become THE axis for development. Shawn and Victor must be making an impact on their boat tours, selling that corridor to thousands of interested buyers.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

...

I saw some unfinalized marketing literature for this building that seemed to indicate that the marketing name for it will be either "Slate Place" or ... "(some variety of blue) Place". I can't remember whether it was Indigo or Cobalt or what, but some type of name for blue.

[the urban politician]

Plan B for Chicago Tech Park: shops
By: Eddie Baeb August 11, 2008
The state agency that oversees the Chicago Technology Park — a Near West Side haven for high-tech startups — is poised to turn a prime site that has stood vacant for decades into a commercial complex anchored by a hotel, shopping center and rental housing for medical students.

Guys, this is a premium access article from Crains but I'll summarize:

200,000 sf of retail possibly anchored by Roundy's
A parking garage (of course)
A hotel
Medical office building
Medical student rental housing

There will be buildings of possibly 15 stories or higher
The whole project will be about 1.5 million sq feet occupying roughly 14 acres

[SolarWind]

Last week

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Plan B for Chicago Tech Park: shops
By: Eddie Baeb August 11, 2008
The state agency that oversees the Chicago Technology Park — a Near West Side haven for high-tech startups — is poised to turn a prime site that has stood vacant for decades into a commercial complex anchored by a hotel, shopping center and rental housing for medical students.

Guys, this is a premium access article from Crains but I'll summarize:

200,000 sf of retail possibly anchored by Roundy's
A parking garage (of course)
A hotel
Medical office building
Medical student rental housing

There will be buildings of possibly 15 stories or higher
The whole project will be about 1.5 million sq feet occupying roughly 14 acres

Good news.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Good news.

^ Isn't it though?

I'm not even sure why this was plan B to begin with. In what way was a technology park going to be successful in this location, with limited transit access and in an area whose focus is actually health care. Some badly needed housing and retail is exactly what makes sense in this site adjacent to an already gargantuan employment district. It may actually add a bit of humanity to an area that up to this point looks like a no man's land of hospital superblocks and their accompanying garages.

[Abner]

Does the article say exactly what land this plan is for?

[the urban politician]

^ Damen & Ogden

[Mr Downtown]

Ten years ago, they were thinking biotech. That's why they put it next to the medical schools and hospitals. And I don't know what you mean by limited transit access. "Only" four bus lines and the L?

[Dan in Chicago]

I changed MoMo to completed on Emporis based on jstush04's photo in the 300 North LaSalle thread. Guys I really need your help in keeping track of which buildings are completed. If you're taking pictures or just walking by a building that's on the verge of completion, just check to see if it's occupied and if the exterior's finished yet. I'm still wondering about 600 North Lake Shore Drive (N Tower), Marquee Michigan Avenue, the Dwight Building, CBS 2, Emerald (N), and Howard Street Station. I used to keep track of these when I was in Chicago but now I'm too far away

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Isn't it though?

I'm not even sure why this was plan B to begin with. In what way was a technology park going to be successful in this location, with limited transit access and in an area whose focus is actually health care. Some badly needed housing and retail is exactly what makes sense in this site adjacent to an already gargantuan employment district. It may actually add a bit of humanity to an area that up to this point looks like a no man's land of hospital superblocks and their accompanying garages.

I agree with MrD in that the transit access is by most measures, at least "decent." Nonetheless there would need to be a sizable parking component. As long as it isn't a bunch of pedestrian-hostile stripmalls and office towers surrounded by seas of parking (*cough the criminal Roosevelt & Ashland suburban schlock cough*), this should be fine. 1.5 million square feet on that parcel suggests significant density.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Ten years ago, they were thinking biotech. That's why they put it next to the medical schools and hospitals. And I don't know what you mean by limited transit access. "Only" four bus lines and the L?

^ There is only 1 L stop in the area right?

Again I used the word "limited", not "lacking". Compare that to IIT's University Technology Park, which is not only next to the Kennedy but has 2 L stops, bus lines, and soon a Metra stop as well. I think that makes a difference.

And I agree with Viva, I'd be horrified if this project consisted of strip malls . If Rush/UIC want to step it up a notch and truly compete with U of C/Northwestern's medical districts to attract talent (besides doing the obvious such as building state of the art facilities and bringing in research money) they really need to think about creating walkable, liveable mixed-use environments around their primary hospitals. U of C has Hyde Park, Northwestern has downtown, and Rush has....a giant swath of nothing.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

If Rush/UIC want to step it up a notch and truly compete with U of C/Northwestern's medical districts to attract talent (besides doing the obvious such as building state of the art facilities and bringing in research money) they really need to think about creating walkable, liveable mixed-use environments around their primary hospitals. U of C has Hyde Park, Northwestern has downtown, and Rush has....a giant swath of nothing.

Yep. It's really only recently that this ("this" being a pleasant and livable neighborhood) has become a serious consideration for where people locate for education/work, but I'm glad it has and I hope Rush doesn't drop the ball with a crapola strip mall.

[the urban politician]

^ Considering that they want to build a garage, an office tower, a residential tower, 200,000 sf retail, and perhaps even a cancer treatment center on 13 acres I am hard pressed to imagine how they would manage to fit the kind of parking they need as surface parking.

And wouldn't city planners have some sort of influence on this?

[pherek]

First off, it took me a second to figure out what this newer building was when I walked by. Do you know? Answer is at the end.




The Wit




Hotel Palomar




Silver Tower




New Children's Hospital




353 North Clark and 300 North Lasalle

The illustrious Grand Plaza of the People sits here in all its glory, crowned with its regal spire meticulously designed to propel the award-winning structure toward the heavens. Unfortunately, it will soon be flanked by these two unsightly nouveau-glass behemoths, casting the Grand Plaza in an omnipresent shadow that will eventually cause it to collapse under the weight of its pride and painted concrete.



Answer to the mystery building: Avenue East (everyone's new favorite in town)

[10023]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

Can't figure out which project is going up in this shot from today:

Dearborn Park is quickly becoming one of the most underutilized plots of real estate in the U.S.

Is there anything that prevents someone from buying up blocks of houses there and tearing them down to replace with something more in keeping with the location?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by 10023

Is there anything that prevents someone from buying up blocks of houses there and tearing them down to replace with something more in keeping with the location?

^ In the free market, no. But I'm sure NIMBY whining and a receptive Alderman (Fioretti) would probably fight to prevent such a "travesty" from happening.

But people live and die, priorities change. In the end, time is on our side.