CHICAGO: boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v4

[spyguy]

I think that's Vetro.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

That meaning Burnham Pointe. But, after looking at the rendering, I think I'm mistaken.

yes, you are mistaken, burnham pointe just began pile driving last week. i believe the building under construction in your pic is vetro.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

yes, you are mistaken, burnham pointe just began pile driving last week. i believe the building under construction in your pic is vetro.

Yep, you guys are right. It's Vetro. Sorry for any confusion.

[honte]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

I do agree with your point, but I would much rather end up with projects like 340 on the Park and Canyon Ranch (that maybe didn't aim to be absolutely remarkable structures but are very worthy designs that I think will stand the test of time) than projects that aimed for greatness and missed, ending up mediocre at best, which for me sums up Park Tower fairly well...

Touché. LR's grandeur potential went down, but the quality of its designs went up. Go figure.

This could be luck of the draw, shifts in taste, or a conscious move, I guess. If the P+W proposal on LSD is as good as 340 OTP, I certainly won't complain.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Great job on that conversion! Personally I think Haithcock has a half-decent chance to win without a run-off, despite the fairly large group of contenders. The 2nd ward is just so much larger than the Printer's Row Nimby Zone... At any rate, I couldn't agree with you more that there does need to be a shift in balance of power over development and zoning issues away from alderpeople and toward DPD...

Actually, I believe the large number of contenders is to her advantage. It splits up the opposition vote, and therefore she may win by defalt. She may not be the best Alderman, and I for one think she could have been a little more prepaired for that forum, however, she understands how the city works, and whats good for the city far more than the other candidates do, especially Hairy Dookie, er I mean Larry Doody.

[honte]

Hey all,

Very pleased to report that cladding is going up on the north side of 600 North LSD. Most exciting, the building will have a full curtainwall with apparently no exposed concrete slabs (spandrel cladding for slabs, continuous ribbon windows over columns). This one is on its way to being a fine addition to the city.

But what are they going to do at the corners? It seems these may become painted concrete? Let's hope not.

[Chicago Shawn]

^ That is really good news, but I do believe those corners you speak of are panted concrete, although I could be wrong.

Originally Posted by chicubs111

Jan. 10, 2007
That formula has worked well with CMK's other projects. At the end of the third quarter, buyers had signed contracts for 70% of the units in a 498-condo CMK development at 1720 S. Michigan Ave. and 98% of the units at a 249-unit project at 1620 S. Michigan, according to Appraisal Research.

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=23426

Holy crap! 249 Units in that little building? CMK really knows how to pack them in. I am excited about 714 new condos+ Office+ Retail in that dead corner of the Loop, it should have a nice impact on street activity. Yeah its a big base of parking, but this is a dense building. Even with the poduim, it still checks in at only .798 parking ratio. Could be lower, but that is not too bad.

My only conern with more condos in the Central Loop is more potential NIMBYs. I am not too concerned with rental apartments, as those residents typically complain less than condo owners.

[Jaroslaw]

-Well, 1620 is L-shaped, so I think the part fronting Michigan is only about half the total footprint. But yeah, these are warehouses for secretaries, or students.... SRO's for the new millenium. Glad it's there though.

[Loopy]

The buzz on the street is that East/West University has purchased the Wabash frontage of the Park 1000 project (1000 South Michigan), to build of all things, a gym facility.

Personally, I am sick of condos and willing to consider more diverse uses of the remaining land in the South Loop, but this has me concerned. Just how interesting can a gym facility be? I would think that street level retail would be part of the program for the revenue generation required to fund the ongoing budget for this facility. THis is a big piece of land, so how tall is this thing going to be? two stories?

The other perplexing thing about it is that Columbia was diligently hunting for a piece of property like this for their production studio. How did little ole East/West end up with this prize parcel?

Has anybody heard anything about this?

[Loopy]

Originally Posted by Lukecuj

This blows. I think south wabash is a hidden gem especially once residents realize the views trump tower is going to give that street. Perhaps this deal involves a swap for EW property on Michigan Ave ?

I'm finding this hard to believe though since they are such a small educational entity... A gym.... it just doesn't make any sense.

Something interesting is going on. That's for sure.

[dvidler]

Originally Posted by Loopy

The buzz on the street is that East/West University has purchased the Wabash frontage of the Park 1000 project (1000 South Michigan), to build of all things, a gym facility.

Personally, I am sick of condos and willing to consider more diverse uses of the remaining land in the South Loop, but this has me concerned. Just how interesting can a gym facility be? I would think that street level retail would be part of the program for the revenue generation required to fund the ongoing budget for this facility. THis is a big piece of land, so how tall is this thing going to be? two stories?

The other perplexing thing about it is that Columbia was diligently hunting for a piece of property like this for their production studio. How did little ole East/West end up with this prize parcel?

Has anybody heard anything about this?

To be honest I can see this as true. One, why would East/West need a gym facility? And am I wrong in saying East/West is a very small school? It does not make sense to me.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Loopy

The buzz on the street is that East/West University has purchased the Wabash frontage of the Park 1000 project (1000 South Michigan), to build of all things, a gym facility.

Personally, I am sick of condos and willing to consider more diverse uses of the remaining land in the South Loop, but this has me concerned. Just how interesting can a gym facility be? I would think that street level retail would be part of the program for the revenue generation required to fund the ongoing budget for this facility. THis is a big piece of land, so how tall is this thing going to be? two stories?

The other perplexing thing about it is that Columbia was diligently hunting for a piece of property like this for their production studio. How did little ole East/West end up with this prize parcel?

Has anybody heard anything about this?

It's not buzz... I went to the sales center 2 days ago, and the sales associate told me this also. I didn't know about the gym though... I figured that it would be a waste of space, shit project. Institutions never build anything good. The only plus that I can think of is that the cash infusion that the developer gets from the sale of the land can go towards 830 South Michigan.

I was also told that they want to break ground, I believe she said February. The have currently sold 30% of the units. I know that this seems low, but when the new developers took control, they had to begin all over again.

I was told that financing has already been secured, and that they don't have a 50% quota to meet.

So I guess there are some pluses and minuses.

[dvidler]

^ I am really surprised by this. I hope they try to incorporate the street activity with the design. I would hate to see dead space.

Maybe it will another dorm/gym facility? With Daley pushing for more dorms downtown this would make sense. I hope it is more than a gym facility. I am thinking it will not be a public gym facility with Fitplex and State/Roosevelt and the new X-Sport going into State & 8th

[Loopy]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I was also told that they want to break ground, I believe she said February. The have currently sold 30% of the units. I know that this seems low, but when the new developers took control, they had to begin all over again.

I was told that financing has already been secured, and that they don't have a 50% quota to meet.

So I guess there are some pluses and minuses.

One big plus for Rennaissant is that they can market units on West side of Park 1000 as having much better views than they could have with the original 3 tower program.

[museumparktom]

Originally Posted by Loopy

The other perplexing thing about it is that Columbia was diligently hunting for a piece of property like this for their production studio. How did little ole East/West end up with this prize parcel?

Has anybody heard anything about this?

I just read on SSC Chicago/Cultural Compilation that Columbia production studio had a design completion and that it was going to be built at 16th and State, just north of the District 1 police station.

[Loopy]

Originally Posted by dvidler

^ I am really surprised by this. I hope they try to incorporate the street activity with the design. I would hate to see dead space.

Maybe it will another dorm/gym facility? With Daley pushing for more dorms downtown this would make sense. I hope it is more than a gym facility. I am thinking it will not be a public gym facility with Fitplex and State/Roosevelt and the new X-Sport going into State & 8th

Given the way that 2nd Ward poilitics are shaping up, it will more likely be a Gym/Parking facility.

[honte]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I figured that it would be a waste of space, shit project. Institutions never build anything good.

Well, I disagree with this. The U of C has built many amazing buildings and continues to do so. The new UIC gym is pretty cool too. But of course, these guys have a lot more cash.

In any case, it would be sad to see this great amount of land not used for high density. East-West or whoever the buyer is, they should consider selling air rights above their development if they don't max out the potential of the site themselves. It would be foolish not to.

This also may be "selective confusion" from the sales office designed to foster the concept that the units will have good views to the west, as Loopy mentioned.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by honte

Well, I disagree with this. The U of C has built many amazing buildings and continues to do so. The new UIC gym is pretty cool too. But of course, these guys have a lot more cash.

In any case, it would be sad to see this great amount of land not used for high density. East-West or whoever the buyer is, they should consider selling air rights above their development if they don't max out the potential of the site themselves. It would be foolish not to.

This also may be "selective confusion" from the sales office designed to foster the concept that the units will have good views to the west, as Loopy mentioned.

The new UIC facility is pretty good. It was cooler before value engineering came to the project. One of the items cut from the design was a cantilever over the Polk Street stub. You can see where it was to be, it was reduced to a small bump out of the south facade.

I am crossing my fingers for a deal East-West makes with a developer to build a high-rise with the lower floors for facilities, class rooms, dorms and the upper floors as condos, where all the selling views are.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by honte

Well, I disagree with this. The U of C has built many amazing buildings and continues to do so. The new UIC gym is pretty cool too. But of course, these guys have a lot more cash.

In any case, it would be sad to see this great amount of land not used for high density. East-West or whoever the buyer is, they should consider selling air rights above their development if they don't max out the potential of the site themselves. It would be foolish not to.

This also may be "selective confusion" from the sales office designed to foster the concept that the units will have good views to the west, as Loopy mentioned.

I think that they should partner with some major condo developer and do a large mixed-use project on that site. A tall one, not super tall, but tall. The school could use the first 10 or so floors. Then, I'd like to see 20 or so floors of commercial office space. No big firms, but something like what the Reliance Building originally was, home to doctors and lawyers and other small businesses. It's time to get some commercial and retail space into that area, and what better way? It's better than having a strip mall isn't it? Then it should be topped off with between 20 - 40 floors of residential.

How does that sound?

[Loopy]

Columbia is proposing to develop the lot just South of this into a high-rise theater production facility. It's too bad that they couldn't have snatched up this parcel before East/West for their Film/Video/Sound Production Studio that they just announced for 16th and State.