CHICAGO: boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v4

[a chicago bearcat]

if this boutique hotel stroy is the same I heard of about 6 months ago,
there's a little more behind the story

in this other teardown build a new boutique proposal

Preservation Chicago cried afoul when they discovered there were plans to raze the former hotel, without looking into the fact that the developers had originally filed a permit for renovation of the existing building into a boutique hotel, but that plan fell through when the structural beams on upperfloors began giving way and making all but the lowest floor unhabitable, at which point the architects hesitantly moved forth with designs for a 15-20 story boutique hotel.

this might be another case of the boutique hotel wave on the near northside, but it brings forth a point rarely made in this forum

sometimes Preservation Chicago rushes into a fight without looking at the history of the behind the scenes battle that had been waging

I'm not saying it's bad to voice displeasure early, it's a great way to bring attention so that nothing gets lost while you find the real story. The problem is when demands are made and attacks of developers made before due research has been done.

Preservation Chicago is a great grassroots way for people to get involved, as long as the public realizes there are professionals working on all different levels that rarely get their due praise

ala Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois and their Cook County Hospital Fight

[Chicago Shawn]

^Points taken. This seems to be a very nice compromise and will make the best out of this project. It will save the two best features of the Cedar Hotel, the plaza and the facade. If the Hotel is really structurally unsound, then we will lose the building anyway, at least this gives the beautiful facade and activity generator a surviving chance.

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Agreed. And bravo to Mike also for calling out the absurd notion of a meeting only with Newberry Plaza residents and not with the community at large. Those people are also single-handedly responsible for the lovely 30 w. Oak not being significantly taller....they are apparently entitled to be the only tall structure in the immediate area.

I hate these people so much. I still have not forgiven them for 30 West Oak, which was supposed to be paired with the Dr. Schols building. It would have risen out of the north light court and surface parking lot on the site. I saw a model of this project durring that design phase. Then Newburry Plaza bitched about the shaddow on the pool deck, so the building is moved 30 feet south, as if it makes any major difference in the shaddows. But the NIMBYs can pat themselfs on the back, and a historic building was sent to the landfill. How do these people even have the audacity to call a 20 story building "setting a precident"? Is this bitch blind? Her own building is about 3 times as tall!

[headcase]

Continuing on the preservation slant : This article deals with the Ritz-Carlton Residences

Is landmarks preservation in Chicago going the way of the dinosaur?

We may only be starting to get a handle on 2007, but already the Commission on Chicago Landmarks is scheduled to take a Thursday vote that stands to reverse the results of decades of struggle, and leave all but a handful of Chicago's finest buildings open to demolition.

Do I exaggerate? I wish that I were. Please read on.

The proposal is so simply stated as to be almost innocuous:

"Proposed dismantlement, demolition and facade reconstruction of the
Farwell Building as part of a new 40-story, 86-unit residential
condominium tower"

Yet that sentence carries the seed of the mass destruction of much of Chicago's most historic architecture.

The Farwell Building is a designated landmark. Designed by architect Philip Maher, it is a Farwell Building in Chicagobeautiful, classically-styled, 1920's high-rise, clad in Indiana limestone, and engagingly ornamented in a mixture of French Revival and Art Deco styles. It's one of the last survivors of the time when Michigan Avenue earned the nickname "Boul Mich" by being lined by restrained, neoclassical buildings of posh elegance and the highest standards of design.

For those that don't want to read more, they want to demolish a landmarked building to put up a parking garage

There is more in the article (including preceded differences between this and the Legacy project, but the important part is : The Farwell proposal is on the agenda fo the Commission on Chicago Landmarks meeting for this Thursday, January 4th. It will take place beginning at 12:45 P.M. in the Cook County Commission Board Room, 118 N. Clark.

[alex1]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Talk about a wasted opportunity

By November Illinois had gained 74,600 jobs this year for its 16.8 million residents, and 2007 is expected to return slightly better results.

since when does Illinois have 16.8 million people?

I think Illinois has the lowest unemployment rate in its history. The chicago area certainly has the lowest unemployment rate I've seen in my lifetime (3.7%).

not that this signals a wonderful economic picture (as in all numbers, there's more than meets the eye), but it certainly doesn't show gloom.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by headcase

The Farwell proposal is on the agenda fo the Commission on Chicago Landmarks meeting for this Thursday, January 4th. It will take place beginning at 12:45 P.M. in the Cook County Commission Board Room, 118 N. Clark.

This is one case where I hope SOAR gets involved, as I'm pretty sure they want landmark status for the Farwell and are against demolition.

[Taft]

Originally Posted by headcase

Continuing on the preservation slant : This article deals with the Ritz-Carlton Residences



For those that don't want to read more, they want to demolish a landmarked building to put up a parking garage

There is more in the article (including preceded differences between this and the Legacy project, but the important part is : The Farwell proposal is on the agenda fo the Commission on Chicago Landmarks meeting for this Thursday, January 4th. It will take place beginning at 12:45 P.M. in the Cook County Commission Board Room, 118 N. Clark.

For those who can't make the meeting (I'm one of them), I called the landmarks commission and got a direct e-mail address. The woman I talked to said that this guy would handle commentary on planned commission actions outside of the regular meetings. I also include the phone number for the commission and an e-mail address below.

Direct contact: [email protected]
Generic e-mail: [email protected]
Main line: (312) 744-3200

This is one case where I hope SOAR gets involved, as I'm pretty sure they want landmark status for the Farwell and are against demolition.

What makes this so insane is that the building is *already* landmarked. I like Lynn Becker's assessment: this is definitely unprecedented and sets a *really* bad precedent. Hopefully SOAR will get involved...

Taft

[Latoso]

Originally Posted by alex1

since when does Illinois have 16.8 million people?

I have no idea where they got that number,but according to the census bureau it was 12,419,293 in 2000 and an estimated 12,763,371 in 2005.

[SevenSevenThree]

Does anyone remember that guy that showed up out of nowhere and announced supposed heights for the next few towers in LSE? Has there been any behind-the-scenes rumblings about these things? I think the firm was Architectonica or something like that.

Oh btw, what is the next step in LSE?

[honte]

Originally Posted by a chicago bearcat

sometimes Preservation Chicago rushes into a fight without looking at the history of the behind the scenes battle that had been waging

I'm not saying it's bad to voice displeasure early, it's a great way to bring attention so that nothing gets lost while you find the real story. The problem is when demands are made and attacks of developers made before due research has been done.

Preservation Chicago is a great grassroots way for people to get involved, as long as the public realizes there are professionals working on all different levels that rarely get their due praise

ala Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois and their Cook County Hospital Fight

I have to disagree with many of your points. I have been closely involved with both organizations, and I have to say that usually PC is the one who makes level-headed decisions about preservation matters. In fact, concerning this hotel, I believe, from the article, that their position is the development is fine (facadectomy) so long as the facade and setback are preserved. Sounds like a good plan to me.

LPCI and PC both started in the same manner - as non-profit grassroots organizations. LPCI is about 25 years older though, so they have a lot more resources. This does not make them better or more "professional," though, although they have offices and suits. PC was started simply because LPCI has too much to do statewide and there needed to be a voice devoted solely to Chicago - and you'll notice a huge positive swing in Chicago preservation since PC was started. And by the way, PC was equally instrumental in saving Cook County as LPCI.

In Chicago, if you don't voice your opinions as early as posible, things are "done deals" and the wrecking ball comes. It's critical to jump in there, and I for one am hugely thankful that they do.

[X-fib]

Originally Posted by honte

In Chicago, if you don't voice your opinions as early as posible, things are "done deals" and the wrecking ball comes. It's critical to jump in there, and I for one am hugely thankful that they do.

I see things havn't changed much politically. Although I am a great admirer of modern architecture I fully appreciate the balanced need to preserve the past. In my adopted home town, early public opinion over a proposed 52 unit condo that threatened demolition of a historic 1868 building, produced a compromise that preserves the historic structure. The condo will demolish only the 1950s additions adjoining the 1868 building which will be leased for office space. Codos to the City oversires for having the forsite to reach a compromise that will preserve the town's oldest standing public building while allowing its most significant residential project ever to proceed. I hope Chicago never looses this sensibility.

[honte]

Originally Posted by Taft

What makes this so insane is that the building is *already* landmarked. I like Lynn Becker's assessment: this is definitely unprecedented and sets a *really* bad precedent. Hopefully SOAR will get involved...

Just so that we're all on the same page, this is a demolition proposal and facade dismantlement that would ultimately result in the facade being reerected over the new parking structure under the supervision of the Landmarks Commission. This has already happened once on Michigan Avenue (sadly) with the McGraw-Hill building, so that precedent is already there... I am certainly not in favor of this, but it's better than completely losing the building altogether.

The Ritz thing is a real waste. Why can't they just leave the Farwell building alone and insert an ultra-modern sliver tower between it and the City Place building? The City had a lot of control here with the landmarked building, so it is very annoying to see this PoMo bore being put up + the facadectomy. I think the City is being "polite" because of the fight they went through with the Terra to even get the landmarking at all, so perhaps this is the best compromise we can expect.

[a chicago bearcat]

I was never saying that PC was less influential

just that they drew the attention and support from the public

while the older LPCI used its resources to draw up plans and economic numbers that would convince those involved in decision making

and I think the ritz carlton is the shittiest development idea considering that the only reason they want to tear down the shorter building is to create a staging area for the new taller building, keep activity happening in the historic facade, don't push parking behind it

[honte]

^ Well, yes, the younger organization probably needs to strut its stuff more to help establish its "street cred."

[Taft]

Originally Posted by honte

Just so that we're all on the same page, this is a demolition proposal and facade dismantlement that would ultimately result in the facade being reerected over the new parking structure under the supervision of the Landmarks Commission. This has already happened once on Michigan Avenue (sadly) with the McGraw-Hill building, so that precedent is already there... I am certainly not in favor of this, but it's better than completely losing the building altogether.

I stand corrected. I must have misread Lynn Becker's piece on this.

At any rate, this still sucks. Especially given the fact that it will be replaced by a friggin' parking garage.

Taft

[a chicago bearcat]

I think we can all agree chicago has the people who care, and the organizations needed to keep preservation in chicago miles ahead of the rest of the country

[Belacqua]

Apparently Walsh has alerted neighboring buildings that foundation work (very loud foundation work, so I'm assuming pile driving) will begin on Burnham Pointe tomorrow, 1/4.

[spyguy]

^Should be a good year (or two) for Ziv & Co.

[BVictor1]

Just saw the Allstate commercial involving Marina City which was filmed this summer. I was it while watching the Sugar Bowl on FOX.

Has anyone noticed this recently?

[colemonkee]

^ I saw that. It's a great spot.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by Belacqua

Apparently Walsh has alerted neighboring buildings that foundation work (very loud foundation work, so I'm assuming pile driving) will begin on Burnham Pointe tomorrow, 1/4.

Walsh has a in-house Pile crew, so yes it will be loud, drawn out pile driving. Imagine, Ziv waking up at 7am to the ear shattering banging noise occuring a few feet outside his window.

Victory is so sweet.