CHICAGO: boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v4

[honte]

Originally Posted by denizen467

Any notable examples in the greater downtown area?

Well, basically if you drive around Bridgeport or McKinley Park long enough you will see a lot of very suburbanized stuff with almost no architectural detail. The buildings are brick and use a lot of stock building components like standardized bay windows, roof trusses, &c that produce some very bad looking buildings. They are just extremely cheap and have no artistic quality at all IMO. Just about the only developer down there doing things this bad - and believe me, there are lots of bad developers down there - is Richland.

Some of them look like those 1960s two-flats with the rocks selectively placed on the front facade, which you might see near O'Hare or Midway. But these are sometimes as little as 5 years old...

I don't have any photos of the developments, but here is the "banner image" from Richland's web site.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by aaron38

The buildings being built today are going to stand for at least 100 years. What are we going to do with parking podiums when we're not driving cars anymore?

^ The same thing that we've been doing to the empty factories and storage warehouses in west and south loops for the past 20 years--converting them into lofts.

Ages ago I started a thread at SSC about that. I honestly believe that many (but not all) garage podiums in the future will be fair game for residential loft conversions

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by spyguy

^ This thing is crazy cool.

Does anybody know what occupies this site right now?

EDIT: nevermind, it's a vacant lot, as it says bolded in the article

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by denizen467

Fifield said that this oversupply will cause many developers to limit construction starts in the new year. But his company instead is planning to ramp up in 2007 to take advantage of what he predicts will be the resulting undersupplied market by 2009.

Yet all they are doing is building apartment towers... Unless they plan to convert to condos immediately

[honte]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ The same thing that we've been doing to the empty factories and storage warehouses in west and south loops for the past 20 years--converting them into lofts.

Ages ago I started a thread at SSC about that. I honestly believe that many (but not all) garage podiums in the future will be fair game for residential loft conversions

Well, interestingly, they have already done this at the Fairbanks...

[Tom In Chicago]

That's it!!! I'm moving to Miami!!!

[Dan in Chicago]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

Why doesn't the Ritz just tear this one down?

Leave the Landmarks alone.

Best idea anyone's had yet!

The Imperial Plaza Hotel has been added to Emporis as bu>290384. I'm interested in finding out more about the site. 2150 South Clark is an extremely narrow strip of grass between Clark Street and the Red Line el tracks, which comes to a point at Cermak. It doesn't seem to offer enough room. The rendering is no help, since the surrounding buildings are not recognizable (at least from that area).

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by honte

But these are sometimes as little as 5 years old...

ugh, that's depressing..

[Chicago Shawn]

Burnham Pointe is very much under way, about 8 piles have been driven so far. The pile driver is taller than the Falalio Sqaure building. Astoria Tower will start next week as confirmed by one of the CASE employees on the site. The area has already been potholed, and everything is in place. 2007 is off to a roaring start, 3 buildings U/C in less than 2 weeks.

Also, Theater District Lofts II in Uptown had a public notice in the window, stating an application for planned development was filed on 11-01-06. So this one is finally moving up through the approval process.

[jcchii]

1) I love the chinatown hotel

2) maureen posner looks like she could bite through a can

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

Also, Theater District Lofts II in Uptown had a public notice in the window, stating an application for planned development was filed on 11-01-06. So this one is finally moving up through the approval process.

Very good to hear.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by honte

Well, basically if you drive around Bridgeport or McKinley Park long enough you will see a lot of very suburbanized stuff with almost no architectural detail. The buildings are brick and use a lot of stock building components like standardized bay windows, roof trusses, &c that produce some very bad looking buildings. They are just extremely cheap and have no artistic quality at all IMO. Just about the only developer down there doing things this bad - and believe me, there are lots of bad developers down there - is Richland.

Some of them look like those 1960s two-flats with the rocks selectively placed on the front facade, which you might see near O'Hare or Midway. But these are sometimes as little as 5 years old...

I don't have any photos of the developments, but here is the "banner image" from Richland's web site.

I'll take it since Richland has been key in really revitalizing the Bridgeport area. It was pretty rough, even about 15 years ago. If these were being built downtown, that would be another story.

[spyguy]

At Deadline

Architect Goettsch hired for Aon redo

The possible residential conversion of the top floors of Aon Center is taking a step forward. Chicago architect James Goettsch has been hired by landlord Wells Real Estate Funds to work up plans for the trophy tower overlooking Grant Park. Goettsch declines to comment, but the project could include as much as the top 13 floors of the 80-story structure at 200 E. Randolph. [Thomas A. Corfman]

[no-la-usa]

Whether we like it or not, the views from Aon Center would command top dollar. Lets just hope they leave the facade alone!!

[honte]

^ This is one of my worst nightmares. I would take any alteration of Aon to the streets - seriously.

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

I'll take it since Richland has been key in really revitalizing the Bridgeport area. It was pretty rough, even about 15 years ago. If these were being built downtown, that would be another story.

So downtown gets to look beautiful, but — is ok everywhere else? This seems to be the Daley Administration's perception too. Personally, I don't buy it.

Affordable housing is fine. Lower-end housing is fine. But bad and cheap architecture is inexcusable in any setting. Plus, now that these neighborhoods have gotten better, the architecture coming out is just as bad.

[aaron38]

I realized that I could see the base of the Tides construction from the Adler Skyeye.
That plus a new laptop, plus commercials during the playoff game, plus a desire to do anything but homework equals this rendering of the LSE skyline with a completed Tides.
Enjoy.

[DANTHEDISCOMAN]

I think the Tides will be a nice addition to LSE with its all glass facades, well come to think of it, anything built that has a finished looking facade in LSE will be a nice change.

[TowerGuy37]

Im sure this would command top dollar and who wouldn't want to face Millenium Park from up there. My only problem with all these transformations is that for every one they annouce it seems to hurt the probability of another great tower announced starting. Maybe there is more than enough buyers to go around for all these projects cause none seem to have fallen thru yet. It just seems its gonna give at some time. Anybody feel the same way out there?

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by aaron38

I realized that I could see the base of the Tides construction from the Adler Skyeye.
That plus a new laptop, plus commercials during the playoff game, plus a desire to do anything but homework equals this rendering of the LSE skyline with a completed Tides.
Enjoy.

Good job. Now just throw a huge Aqua on the far left side....

I'm picturing a mod to Aon on par with the "Park Monroe" disaster.....slap on a new facade and hang some balconies off of it!

[honte]

The City has managed to landmark the Daley Center and the Inland Steel building, 860-880 and Crown Hall. These are the only official post-WWII landmarks in Chicago, considered by many to be the nation's (world's?) capital of International Style and modern architecture from that period. It's a crying shame.

(Edit: Actually, there are a few modern houses in old landmark districts that were created before the designations spelled out exactly which buildings were considered "contributing" or not, so no one is exactly sure if these are protected. It would be up to the commission on a case-by-case basis.)

So, it is doubtful that they would even consider a landmarking of the AON Center. But I think it's worth a try... consider the uproar over the poor Ed Stone building on Columbus Circle in NY. Chicago may want to avoid such a problem.

I suppose we should wait and see what the proposal is, but I am very concerned. But really - as even the money master Trump knows, who wants a balcony at 1100 feet? Pretty scary. Also, I think it would seriously hurt AON's image as an office building to change the facade 1/2 way up. So, I am hopeful that they will "silently" change over the space and that will be it.

Also, what will happen to the great art collection in the lobbies of the AON Center?