CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[the urban politician]

^ Ya know, I'm gonna get bitch-slapped for saying this, but I actually kind of like this development.

It's a fresh change from a highrise. It not only has more of a 'human' scale, but more importantly, we're not getting stuck with another damn parking podium. The south loop is getting rammed up the wazoo with a dead zone of parking for a good 30-50 feet above ground level, and being that much of the south loop is vacant anyway, there aren't really a lot of historic prewar buildings to dampan the podium effect, as is the case in River North or Streeterville.

A building like this has balconies right above street level. Despite its rather dull design, it scores points in my book just for this reason.

(Never fear, I still love tall, thin, and modern buildings, but I had to say my peace..)

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Ya know, I'm gonna get bitch-slapped for saying this, but I actually kind of like this development.

It's a fresh change from a highrise. It not only has more of a 'human' scale, but more importantly, we're not getting stuck with another damn parking podium. The south loop is getting rammed up the wazoo with a dead zone of parking for a good 30-50 feet above ground level, and being that much of the south loop is vacant anyway, there aren't really a lot of historic prewar buildings to dampan the podium effect, as is the case in River North or Streeterville.

A building like this has balconies right above street level. Despite its rather dull design, it scores points in my book just for this reason.

(Never fear, I still love tall, thin, and modern buildings, but I had to say my peace..)

I'll offer an "amen" here. It is still a high-density development, so I'm fine some variety in the height department. Diversity in housing stock is good because it will also create diversity in residents; many people simply don't want to live in highrise because of stuff like high assessments, while some people will only live in highrises because they need the services that come with it (doorman, management office, full-time engineer, etc)

[honte]

Variety of heights is fine. POS architecture, not so much.

If anything, they should be able to produce something even more exciting with low-rise, because the costs they always complain about concerning tight sites and the expenses of height do not apply.

[the urban politician]

^ The urban environment requires a preponderance of shorter, dull masonry buildings that act as 'fillers' but perform basic services such as containing people, having retail, and leaving airspace above them available so that we can joyfully oggle taller, more glassy, more architecturally distinct structures.

Frequent walks in New York's village and SoHo are slowly warming me up to the wonderful effect that 5-8 story buildings have in a dense urban area.

Again, I'm not turning NIMBY on you guys--I certainly don't believe in height limits, and I never will. But one has to admit, I can see what these WLCO people mean when they keep talking about preserving 'charm'.

Okay, I'll shut up now. I haven't been ostracized so far on this forum (despite my rather strange views), and I ain't lettin' that happen now!

[the urban politician]

Not sure if this was posted yet. 2 highrise developments:

1. The New City Development on N Clybourn

2. 161 W Kinzie, 32 story building with 250 residential units, 25,000 sq
ft retail, 213 parking spaces

[museumparktom]

Originally Posted by spyguy

That's actually an ugly 7 story proposal from the same developers that brought us Marquee

It looks like one of a dozen West Loop buildings to me. I'll echo the comments about diversity of buildings in the South Loop. I think that we have a great mix going. For all the 30 - 50 stories there are an equal number of townhomes and lofts. IMO this one fall in the filler catagory. Nothing special about it.

[TransitEngr]

I was sitting at my office today... and I turned around at my desk and counted 9... yes... NINE tower cranes in the South Loop from my desk.

NINE

And this is from ONE spot...

This boom is just too difficult to get my mind around.

There are towers being built in the south loop that are blocking my view of towers being built, that would be blocking my view of towers that were just finished (if that makes sense).

HOW AMAZING!

[Rocket1]

Originally Posted by TransitEngr

I was sitting at my office today... and I turned around at my desk and counted 9... yes... NINE tower cranes in the South Loop from my desk.

NINE

And this is from ONE spot...

Any idea which buildings the cranes are associated with?

[museumparktom]

OMP
1400 MP
1600 MP
Reebe Loft
Mich Tower 2
Marquee on Michigan
Library Tower
Vetro
900 S. Clark
Burnham Pointe
Lexington Park (is the Tower Crane up)

[TransitEngr]

Originally Posted by Rocket1

Any idea which buildings the cranes are associated with?

off memory...

one museum park
library tower (I think... this crane is red)
vetro
marquee michigan
astoria tower??? (maybe)
michigan ave tower 2??? (maybe)
1720 south michigan
1600 museum park
1400 museum park
Reebie lofts (1401 south state st)

since that's 10 and not 9, i'm guessing i can only see one of these to "maybe" cranes above

oh...wait there's also that building going up immediately north of Target... i forget its name

I can't keep up with it all!



Aaron38... great pictures... particularly considering what an ugly day Saturday was...


Am I crazy.... or does Chicago actually GIVE people energy by just living here???

What an amazing time to be here.

[Rocket1]

Thanks, guys.


museumparktom,

From your user name, I guess it's safe to assume you live in the Central Station area? If so, how do you like things there from a things-to-do/quality of life viewpoint?

[TransitEngr]

Originally Posted by TransitEngr

off memory...

oh...wait there's also that building going up immediately north of Target... i forget its name

I can't keep up with it all!

Hey....what is this building??? This isn't "The Curve" is it???

Whatever it is......this puppy is SHOOTING up like a weed.... all I know is that from my vantage point in my office (222 S. Riverside/Union Station) my view of around 13th and state is now entirely blocked by this building and it only took it a month or so to shoot up to this height.. and no, it's not Vetro.

Did we drop the ball on this and miss a building that's already half-way built?

If you draw a straight line between my office and 13th and State you run through 11th and Clark.... and most of the site north of 11th.

I'm beginning to think this is "The Curve" and that it's probably already half way built....

amazing...did we miss a 37 storey building being built???... only in Chicago

[museumparktom]

Thats ALMI 900 or 900 S. Clark. There may have been more discussion on this on SCC.

Rocket1 - We have been in MP for about 4 years - Tower 3. It's close to most everything. Great for the lakefront and downtown. We are finally seeing a surge in places to eat are affordable for everyday. Tons of grocery stores and IMO the best place for transportation but public and highway access. One of the most racially diverse neighborhoods in the City. OK I'm way bias.

[TransitEngr]

Originally Posted by museumparktom

Thats ALMI 900 or 900 S. Clark. There may have been more discussion on this on SCC.

Rocket1 - We have been in MP for about 4 years - Tower 3. It's close to most everything. Great for the lakefront and downtown. We are finally seeing a surge in places to eat are affordable for everyday. Tons of grocery stores and IMO the best place for transportation but public and highway access. One of the most racially diverse neighborhoods in the City. OK I'm way bias.

Cool, thanks for the answer Tom..

I'm moving to the South Loop in September... looking forward to it.

[Rocket1]

Originally Posted by museumparktom

Rocket1 - We have been in MP for about 4 years - Tower 3. It's close to most everything. Great for the lakefront and downtown. We are finally seeing a surge in places to eat are affordable for everyday. Tons of grocery stores and IMO the best place for transportation but public and highway access. One of the most racially diverse neighborhoods in the City. OK I'm way bias.

Sounds like a great place to live.

I've spent quite a bit of time looking around Streeterville for a place to move to next year, but unfortunately there isn't too much pedestrian activity or "energy" to speak of in the area. And I get the same impression about LakeShore East, though I've yet to spend much time there.

Seems like the Museum Park area is one I should check out the next time I visit Chicago.

[GregBear24]

Just moved here last september, and the neighborhood is completely different now- and will continue to morph at a mind-boggling pace. And BTW, there is no longer a tower crane at 1720- taken down a few weeks ago.

[aaron38]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ The urban environment requires a preponderance of shorter, dull masonry buildings that act as 'fillers' but perform basic services such as containing people, having retail, and leaving airspace above them available so that we can joyfully oggle taller, more glassy, more architecturally distinct structures.

Frequent walks in New York's village and SoHo are slowly warming me up to the wonderful effect that 5-8 story buildings have in a dense urban area.

Yeah I agree with you TUP, in that the shorter buildings definitely have their place. The only thing I don't understand is, why don't they still build them like this?

(Photo by VivaLFuego)

Sure, throw in balconies and modern convieniences, but keep the good pre-WWII architecture that everyone loves.

[Monkey36]

Some pics from Sat. arch cruise (and a couple from the walk over, other pics on appropriate pages)








Top of 600 LSD




pano from hancock

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by aaron38

why don't they still build them like this? . . . Sure, throw in balconies and modern convieniences, but keep the good pre-WWII architecture that everyone loves.

I wonder if you realize how banal and undistinguished those apartment hotels seemed to critics when they were new? They were the Loewenberg designs of their day.

[Monkey36]

From 7/15



Pano from Northerly Island



(posted b/c when it's bigger there are quite a few cranes in the south loop that you can see from here)