CHICAGO: boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v4

[SolarWind]

January 17, 2007

30 West Erie



The Clare at Watertower

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

Budman, the site with the Metra Tracks has had a two-tower project planned there for about 6 years. The frist developer was Prime Group, and the plan was reborn as the "Medici Towers", but no renderings were ever made public.

The Prime site is a planned development and is currently in year 6 of 7. Since it looks like nothing is happening any time soon, it might just expire and then who knows what will happen.

[brian_b]

Oh, and I'm seeing that R+D659 wants to get rid of the underground parking and move to a parking podium. It was originally supposed to have ground-level retail on Randolph and Des Plaines streets. Don't know what will happen with the retail.

Good thing they tore down the historic building already... Indecisiveness is no good unless you have a massive hole in the ground.

[pip]

Originally Posted by brian_b

Oh, and I'm seeing that R+D659 wants to get rid of the underground parking and move to a parking podium. It was originally supposed to have ground-level retail on Randolph and Des Plaines streets. Don't know what will happen with the retail.

Good thing they tore down the historic building already... Indecisiveness is no good unless you have a massive hole in the ground.

Sick of parking podiums. I am disliking all buildings that have parking podiums.

[honte]

Originally Posted by spyguy

KPF, D+S, and SCB are not the same, though.

Yeah, of course. But the community here is so incestuous, sometimes it's hard to tell them apart.

In any event, the quality overall is certainly getting more modern and better quality, so I shouldn't complain. But it would be great to have the more avant-garde people in our city get a bit more exposure to mix things up a bit.

[SamInTheLoop]

^ Looks like 30 W. Erie is turning out just as bad as I thought it would.
Also, speaking of slow-moving projects, what is the deal with The Clare? You'd think they only have 2 or 3 people working on it!

[honte]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

That red brick building with the ivy on the river facade is the Great Lakes Building, built ~1913, and I am quite sure that is a designated city landmark, thankfully too because its the last Chicago school building on Wacker Drive.

Shawn, you are absolutely correct about the building's beauty, importance, and value as the last Chicago School and last industrial building on Wacker Drive. However, I have the displeasure of correcting that it has no protection of any kind from the city or other landmark bodies. The remarkable condition of the building can only be thanks to the owners and to a good degree of luck.

Hopefully one day in the future this building will be protected. But it may require a good deal of public effort to make that happen, especially once a huge tower is proposed there.

[SamInTheLoop]

[QUOTE=brian_b;2571110]Oh, and I'm seeing that R+D659 wants to get rid of the underground parking and move to a parking podium. It was originally supposed to have ground-level retail on Randolph and Des Plaines streets. Don't know what will happen with the retail.

Good thing they tore down the historic building already... Indecisiveness is no good unless you have a massive hole in the ground. [/QUOTE

Is the height increasing? (or will the parking be to the side)

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Dan in Chicago

Emporis just got the height of 155 North Wacker. The current version of the design is 635'-1" to the building's highest point.

Wow - I'm surprised 155 N. Wacker didn't at least break 650'. So it's about 120' or so taller than 191 N. Wacker. For some reason, it looks like more of a height difference than that in the latest renderings...

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Marvel 33

For those who couldn't attend the Grant Park Advisory Council and Grant Park Conservancy meeting on Monday, here is a brief article regarding the Doral project.

You can also click on this link to view the high-resolution renderings.


NewcitySkyline - Park Ridge, IL developer BJB Partners, owner of the Millennium Park Plaza apartment building, announced a few months ago that they were adding a new residential tower to the existing structure.

The 24-year-old building formerly known as Doral Plaza is located at 151 N. Michigan in one of the best locations in downtown Chicago.

The new addition would stand at the south end of the existing property, sitting on a small 6,000 square-foot lot currently occupied by La Strada restaurant.

Once built, the new tower located at the north east corner of Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street would become one of the most visible buildings in the city of Chicago due its strategic location – facing Millennium Park to the south and Michigan Avenue to the west.

Such a high-profile location required a design that would be so worthy. The new building would be the latest contribution to Grant Park’s north wall, which includes some of downtown’s most prominent skyscrapers – the likes of the Aon Center, the Blue Cross Blue Shield building and the Prudential Plaza complex.

To achieve a suitable design for their new high-rise, BJB entrusted Chicago-based architectural firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Associates with the task.

Originally the project called for a 40-story tower measuring approximately 416 feet. However, the most recent design unveiled Monday at the Grant Park Advisory Council and Grant Park Conservancy meeting by Architect John Leahy from Solomon Cordwell Buenz, calls for a 41-story structure measuring 417 feet.

The building’s skin consists of glass and stainless steel finishes. To add more consistency, the first two floors of the existing Millennium Park Plaza would also get new cladding.

The 74-apartment tower will also include retail on the first floor, a restaurant on the 2nd and 3rd floors and a roof garden on top of the building next to a mechanical penthouse.

The entrance of the new building will be located on the east side, on Beaubien Ct., avoiding increased traffic to Michigan Avenue or Randolph Street. Residents would also have access to the pedway and the public parking garage underneath Millennium Park.

So far the project has not gone through the Chicago Planning Commission and the developers still don’t have a starting construction day, however, the project is expected to take approximately two years.

Other projects in Chicago by Solomon Cordwell Buenz proposed or currently under construction are 340 on the Park, Madison West 645, The Legacy, Mandarin Oriental, Block 37, Parkview towers and 50 East Chestnut.

For more information about Millennium Park Plaza you can visit www.doralmichiganavenue.com or call 312.616.6000.

Is Millennium Park Plaza 417' tall or 470'?

[SamInTheLoop]

I'm just wondering - has anybody come across info or renderings for the new Children's Memorial Hospital in Streeterville? It was posted again on Bidclerk.com - about 20 stories, expected construction start Spring 2008...if I remember correctly, SCB is one of the firm's on the design team...

[denizen467]

^ SolarWind, gorgeous pictures of 50 E Chestnut. It was a beautiful clear day, and you obviously are using a great camera as well.

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Also, speaking of slow-moving projects, what is the deal with The Clare? You'd think they only have 2 or 3 people working on it!

No, silly, it's not just for senior citizens, it's being built by senior citizens..

[denizen467]

Alluded to in the 300 N Lasalle thread:
www.250southwacker.com
Emporis has images of how it used to look -- extremely dated, so this will be a vast improvement.
It will become an office condo, so there will be a greatly diminished chance it will ever be replaced with anything (good news for Sears and its low-rise tenants).

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by denizen467

No, silly, it's not just for senior citizens, it's being built by senior citizens..

Well, for their sakes, I hope they at least get a decent discount on their units!

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by honte

^ I like the new building a lot, but I have to say I am not a fan of the mods to the Doral. Even if Doral isn't a stunner, I regret all of the negative space (eg larger sidewalks and mini-plazas) along Michigan being turned into retail cash cows. These buildings are losing a lot of their character and their generous, grand lobby entries.

What do people think, though, about the fact that the 3-block stretch of Michigan between Randolph and Wacker seems to sort of fizzle? I can't quite put my finger on it, but compared to the Mag Mile and the 'Cultural Mile', I've always felt that there seems to be something uninviting about it, especially around South Water. The Doral changes could help this area tremendously, and maybe even add vitality to the Michigan Plaza plaza (sorry) and the 2 Pru plaza, both of which seem somewhat underused outside of the lunch hour. Add MO into the mix, and we've got ourselves a new mini-neighborhood germinating..

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by denizen467

What do people think, though, about the fact that the 3-block stretch of Michigan between Randolph and Wacker seems to sort of fizzle? I can't quite put my finger on it, but compared to the Mag Mile and the 'Cultural Mile', I've always felt that there seems to be something uninviting about it, especially around South Water. The Doral changes could help this area tremendously, and maybe even add vitality to the Michigan Plaza plaza (sorry) and the 2 Pru plaza, both of which seem somewhat underused outside of the lunch hour. Add MO into the mix, and we've got ourselves a new mini-neighborhood germinating..

Also a potential hotel or residential tower where the Walgreen's and Radio Shack are now - I think a quality development there could really be a catalyst...

[SamInTheLoop]

Just a reminder that 235 Van Buren, as well as other high-rises are on the agenda today. It's looking unlikely I'll be able to make it....just wanted to post in case anyone else was thinking about going...

[honte]

Originally Posted by denizen467

What do people think, though, about the fact that the 3-block stretch of Michigan between Randolph and Wacker seems to sort of fizzle? I can't quite put my finger on it, but compared to the Mag Mile and the 'Cultural Mile', I've always felt that there seems to be something uninviting about it, especially around South Water. The Doral changes could help this area tremendously, and maybe even add vitality to the Michigan Plaza plaza (sorry) and the 2 Pru plaza, both of which seem somewhat underused outside of the lunch hour. Add MO into the mix, and we've got ourselves a new mini-neighborhood germinating..

Yeah, of course there are benefits. Adding some high-end retail along this stretch will certainly go a long way toward connecting Millennium Park to the Mag Mile from a shopping perspective.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Is Millennium Park Plaza 417' tall or 470'?

i very clearly heard 470' at the meeting on monday evening, though it was stated that was just a preliminary height. perhaps mario simply heard the stated figure incorrectly.