CHICAGO: boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v4

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Mojava

On this beautiful day in Chicago I walked by 600 N Fairbanks to look at the glass. This glass seems crystal clear. I'm concerned what this is going to look like from the outside once the units are occupied. With all of the different window treatments and shades this will look not so great. Anyone have thoughts on this?

I think that if you have concerns about this, then you have to be concerned about Trump Tower, One Museum Park and any other project that uses transparent glass.

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by Dan in Chicago

I changed 353 N Clark back to "approved" on Emporis. You doubters out there shook my belief in that caisson. Don't know if anyone's noticed, but there's another false caisson or tunnel shaft south of the Aqua site, where the future project is supposed to go. (This is in addition to the 2 false caissons at the Aqua site before construction started.)

Yeah...I think the basket being there shows us that they are lowering people down the hole. Just looking back at other cassion photos of other properties and don't see that basket hanging around.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by pyropius

It's not that bad, really. There ought to be a lower-end (relatively, anyway) segment of the high-rise residential market so it's not only the super-rich that can enjoy that kind of density.

There already is plenty of it. Edgewater, Sandburg Village.....basically, in 30 years many of these will be middle-class, entry-level highrise residences like those in older highrises. You can easily rent a high-floor studio or 1 bedroom in an older 60s highrise for under $1000/month.

And in terms of lower-class housing, highrises just do not make economic sense since there are a fair amount of inherent maintenance costs (see, Robert Taylor, Cabrini-Green, etc)

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Dan in Chicago

I changed 353 N Clark back to "approved" on Emporis. You doubters out there shook my belief in that caisson.

fair enough. i've bumped it back down to site prep on page 1.

[Marcu]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

There already is plenty of it. Edgewater, Sandburg Village.....basically, in 30 years many of these will be middle-class, entry-level highrise residences like those in older highrises. You can easily rent a high-floor studio or 1 bedroom in an older 60s highrise for under $1000/month.

And in terms of lower-class housing, highrises just do not make economic sense since there are a fair amount of inherent maintenance costs (see, Robert Taylor, Cabrini-Green, etc)

I have a feeling as real estate prices continue to increase and as demand for higher end condos continues to increase (especially on the water where space is limited), some of those fugly high rises in edgewater, rogers park, and uptown will be recladded or torn down all together.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Marcu

I have a feeling as real estate prices continue to increase and as demand for higher end condos continues to increase (especially on the water where space is limited), some of those fugly high rises in edgewater, rogers park, and uptown will be recladded or torn down all together.

Believe it or not, 50s-60s-70s concrete residential highrises are growing on me. I mean some are undeniably awful, but maybe the fact that I live in one has made me appreciate the style and the context a bit more. Of course, they were revolutionary when built, in that nothing like them had been built before, and some of the better ones clearly exemplify some modernist, minimalist, and or brutalist characteristics. I think they make up an important part of Chicago's urban fabric and would hate to see many of them torn down.

[trvlr70]

Originally Posted by Marcu

I have a feeling as real estate prices continue to increase and as demand for higher end condos continues to increase (especially on the water where space is limited), some of those fugly high rises in edgewater, rogers park, and uptown will be recladded or torn down all together.

I've always thought the same thing. Unfortuneately, because they are, for the majority all residential co op's, there is little chance a condo board is ever going to assess the residents millions for a recladding. And it would be impossible to kick deeded people out.

Perfect example: 1000 Lake Shore Plaza. This is ground zero for the most optimal address in Chicago(Michigan Av. at Oak across from Oak St. beach) and this building is U-G-L-Y. I suppose if you're in it, you won't have to look at it.

So, this should serve as a lesson to developers to pay more special care with residential buildings.

[trvlr70]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Believe it or not, 50s-60s-70s concrete residential highrises are growing on me. I mean some are undeniably awful, but maybe the fact that I live in one has made me appreciate the style and the context a bit more. Of course, they were revolutionary when built, in that nothing like them had been built before, and some of the better ones clearly exemplify some modernist, minimalist, and or brutalist characteristics. I think they make up an important part of Chicago's urban fabric and would hate to see many of them torn down.

True, but so many look so similar to public housing stock.

[Loopy]

Many were built as HUD/FHA projects and became condos later. Unfortunately for the present owners, these buildings were designed to have a useful life of 50-75 years, and now must be maintained perpetually. This essentially requires that they be reconstructed, system by system, over the coming years.

Also, I agree with VivaLFuego. I like some of these buildings. They give cool European look to the skyline.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

fair enough. i've bumped it back down to site prep on page 1.

I got confirmation today that they are in fact working on the tunnels that run under the site at 353 Clark. There are infact 2 tunnels that tre there. One is an old freight tunnel, which has been bulkheaded alreaded, but they still need to inspect it and grout it.

There is also an old brick lined water tunnel that goes under the site. I was told that it's about 85' below the surface.

[spyguy]

Looks like that Metro Center 290 project was redesigned again...for the better
Now there appears to be two 20-30 story buildings instead of one.

[honte]

^ Not bad at all. The towers have a very Wells Street Tower feel to them. Have the SCB signature design elements gone too far?

The Eisenhower side of the cinema part has that suburban mall feeling though. I'd like to see more variety in the facade.

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Believe it or not, 50s-60s-70s concrete residential highrises are growing on me. I mean some are undeniably awful, but maybe the fact that I live in one has made me appreciate the style and the context a bit more. Of course, they were revolutionary when built, in that nothing like them had been built before, and some of the better ones clearly exemplify some modernist, minimalist, and or brutalist characteristics. I think they make up an important part of Chicago's urban fabric and would hate to see many of them torn down.

Thank you!

Just give these things another few decades; many of them were very carefully designed. And, well, for the ones that still —... they're kind of cool just because they're so badddd.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by honte

Have the SCB signature design elements gone too far?

Perhaps. But how much should we expect from this location? This whole project actually looks much nicer than a lot of stuff going up around the city.

The Eisenhower side of the cinema part has that suburban mall feeling though. I'd like to see more variety in the facade.

I agree that some of the sides are sort of dull, and this might partly be due to the cinema and lots of parking. However, I think overall they did a nice job with the big box retail facing the highway and smaller retail entrances along Jackson at street level, and also the health club (glass cube) at the top of the podium.

I just hope that the entire project WITH the two towers is approved.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by spyguy

I just hope that the entire project WITH the two towers is approved.

does this project (with the towers) have a snow ball's chance in hell with WLCO essentially running the show on anything west of halsted?

[honte]

Originally Posted by spyguy

This whole project actually looks much nicer than a lot of stuff going up around the city. ... I think overall they did a nice job with the big box retail facing the highway and smaller retail entrances along Jackson at street level, and also the health club (glass cube) at the top of the podium.

I just hope that the entire project WITH the two towers is approved.

Couldn't agree more!

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Believe it or not, 50s-60s-70s concrete residential highrises are growing on me. I mean some are undeniably awful, but maybe the fact that I live in one has made me appreciate the style and the context a bit more. Of course, they were revolutionary when built, in that nothing like them had been built before, and some of the better ones clearly exemplify some modernist, minimalist, and or brutalist characteristics. I think they make up an important part of Chicago's urban fabric and would hate to see many of them torn down.

Agreed 110%! I too have really started to admire Chicago's '60s stock of buildings. I happen to love the Sheridan Road canyon, sure it may not be the most scenic stretch in town, but I love the density and the fact all the buildings were built in the same period. Its quite fun to compare and contrast the towers that came out well vs. the ones that didn't.



The new Chinatown hotel's official name is: Imperial Court Hotel Plaza.
The height to the top of the pagoda roof is 192'-0". This does not include two decorate scroll elements on the north and south ends of the roof which will bring up the total height to 193' or 194', there is not a deminsion avalible in the elevations provided in the PD application. So for now, main structrual height is 192'. The building will have ground floor retail facing both Archer and Clark, and the 15th floor will house a restaurant, with two outdoor roof terraces at the uppermost setback. There will be some pretty bitchen' skyline views from up there.

The architecture firm is based in Gurnee, I cruised thier website and discovered they also designed 1349 S. Wabash and the Granville.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

does this project (with the towers) have a snow ball's chance in hell with WLCO essentially running the show on anything west of halsted?

Doubt it, but it should be interesting to watch this one.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by trvlr70

I've always thought the same thing. Unfortuneately, because they are, for the majority all residential co op's, there is little chance a condo board is ever going to assess the residents millions for a recladding. And it would be impossible to kick deeded people out.

Perfect example: 1000 Lake Shore Plaza. This is ground zero for the most optimal address in Chicago(Michigan Av. at Oak across from Oak St. beach) and this building is U-G-L-Y. I suppose if you're in it, you won't have to look at it.

So, this should serve as a lesson to developers to pay more special care with residential buildings.

I think you're saying that most of these buildings are co-op's. If that's really what you're saying, then I disagree with you about special assessments. Since the co-op is a corporation and the residents are just shareholders, it seems like they would have more options available for financing than a condo building. I would think they could float a bond and then the residents can pay for the recladding over a number of years. Hell, some of the residents would probably end up buying some of the bonds. Wouldn't that be weird.

[a chicago bearcat]

a little off topic, but if that new megaproposal hinted at earlier is in fact the post office, I'll be torn

because I'd love to see something that brings it to a real life, one it never had before, but at the same time my more romantic dreamer side holds out for john ronan's urban mausoleum to be realized, so I can be interred there

[VivaLFuego]

^ The revised Metro 290 project is pretty cool. Are there any west loop forumers that can be publicly in favor of this project? WLCO is going to go bananas when they see this, and we definitely need voices (CBP?) to try to convince residents and aldermen (Heithcock or Fioretti) that this will significantly improve the West Loop by adding much-needed density and retail options.