CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[Marcu]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

Here's a slightly different rendering than the one spyguy posted earlier. I took a picture of a sign in front of the Cityfront Plaza parking garage.

Some variation in the glass wouldn't hurt.

[Chicago Shawn]

Future retail space:

[jboy560]

i love, love, LOVE that Optima bldg. i drove by it once, and it is gorgeous!

[Alliance]

Optima is a FANTASTIC project. Great shots C. Shawn.

[Busy Bee]

Old Orchard Woods has turned out beautifully. In Ebay feedback fashion I say Great execution! Wonderful quality! Would like to see more Optima projects as good as this, A++++

[honte]

We are so lucky to have Hovey working here, even if one has to drive to the suburbs to see his work. Thanks for the update.

[testdrive]

Is it me or is it accurate to say there is not much excavation work to the buildings in Chicago. Is all the parking above grade? Just curious because it takes so long for a building to get built here in Seattle because all or most of the parking is below grade several levels so the holes that are dug are huge which takes a lot of time.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by testdrive

Is it me or is it accurate to say there is not much excavation work to the buildings in Chicago. Is all the parking above grade?

Chicago is built on a swamp, and it's rare to excavate more than two levels below grade. Frequently Chicago highrises have no habitable space below grade at all, simply putting a concrete mat below the ground floor to transfer loading to a few caissons that reach down to hardpan or bedrock.

Subsurface parking certainly is better for the streetscape, but I guess the theory is that if it can't all go below grade, it's impractical to have it split with part below grade and the rest above. Downtown office buildings that only have a hundred or so parking spaces will put them all below grade, but this is almost impossible for large residential highrises.

[honte]

^ It's worth noting that a few recent residential buildings have bucked the trend, notably Chicago Spire (7 floors below grade), and more remarkably (given the price point and buildable site), Parkview Towers (4 floors below grade).

[VivaLFuego]

1. Concerned about the backside of Clare, really screwing up the view from the south or west from Chicago Avenue. The curved face is pretty sharp, even as painted concrete. That back is pretty dreadful for a variety of reasons.

2. SolarWind has a phenomenal camera. Half your pictures I do a double-take because I think they're a computer rendering...too perfect.

3. Old Orchard Woods is pretty awesome suburban project. Towers-in-the-park done right, for sure.

4. Excavation is a bit less tedious in places like Seattle, Vancouver, NYC, where rock is pretty near the surface. Any excavation here requires a great deal of various lateral bracing since, as MrD pointed out, it's all just mud. However, the city gives some various incentive bonuses to developers, in terms of allowable density and reduced overall parking requirement, if the parking is placed under ground, which is an incentive for some but most don't bother. As long as 1) the bases aren't absurdly huge, e.g. 12 stories 2) the first floor has a variety of retail spaces and 3) the facade treatment of the garage is tasteful (not a dead blank wall, not faux windows, etc.) then I really don't mind it. It's simply part of our residential highrise vernacular. And on the margin it makes more projects feasible because the lowest level units command the least price and have relatively longer market times than the primo upper floor units.

[Nowhereman1280]

Honte,

I believe I got some good news for you regarding the Speyer house and the next Loyola tower. I asked further today and found out that someone on the block has been refusing to sell to the school and still hasn't sold. Now if you had heard Speyer house was refusing to sell, it would appear that house is the one that is the only hold out. I walked by and checked today and, sure enough, every building on that block has a Loyola plaque or insignia except the Speyer house. So it looks like that building is in the clear.

Would you mind sending me a link to more information regarding that building. I'm curious and, in the case that Loyola does get their hands on it, I can at least try to get some support for saving it.

[Dr. Taco]

Solarwind, your pics are always appreciated, and this time is no different. great pics. I especially like your pic of the Tides, since I don't really like the building, but the picture gives me doubts

[harryc]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

2. SolarWind has a phenomenal camera. Half your pictures I do a double-take because I think they're a computer rendering...too perfect.

I have taken the same picture, same day, same view, I get a good picture of a building, he gets a Photograph ... I don't think it is the camera.

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by testdrive

Is it me or is it accurate to say there is not much excavation work to the buildings in Chicago. Is all the parking above grade? Just curious because it takes so long for a building to get built here in Seattle because all or most of the parking is below grade several levels so the holes that are dug are huge which takes a lot of time.

Also, may I add to Mr. Downtown and Viva, that Chicago has quite a few elevated roads so some parking spaces that are above grade may be (at least partially) below street level.

However, thats why you see buildings like JHC, Trump, Marina City, Waterview that all have parking in the building itself. It can also serve to make the building taller, which is something we're rarely abject to.

[harryc]

Originally Posted by Alliance

Also, may I add to Mr. Downtown and Viva, that Chicago has quite a few elevated roads so some parking spaces that are above grade may be (at least partially) below street level.

...snip...

At 321 N Clark the servers, print shop, mail room are all on LL2 - 2nd basement, This is ground level and has an access road that runs from Wells to State. There are also 2 parking levels that are truley below ground ( and river ). Waterview has 4 levels below ground, 2 parking, 2 kitchen. 300 N Lasalle appears to have 4 levels of parking actually below ground. The extensive 2 level streets, along with alleys, make the loop work.

[honte]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

Honte,

I believe I got some good news for you regarding the Speyer house and the next Loyola tower. I asked further today and found out that someone on the block has been refusing to sell to the school and still hasn't sold. Now if you had heard Speyer house was refusing to sell, it would appear that house is the one that is the only hold out. I walked by and checked today and, sure enough, every building on that block has a Loyola plaque or insignia except the Speyer house. So it looks like that building is in the clear.

Would you mind sending me a link to more information regarding that building. I'm curious and, in the case that Loyola does get their hands on it, I can at least try to get some support for saving it.

Wow, bless the owner's heart. It's hard to believe that in this day and age, some people are (it might appear) in it for more than the money. The building was designed by Sol Kogan in 1928 - same architect as the amazing Burton Street Studios building.

I will send you a PM with a lot more information.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by honte

We are so lucky to have Hovey working here, even if one has to drive to the suburbs to see his work. Thanks for the update.

I usually CTA it up there. In July, the damn bus blew its power steering on a Sunday evening, so I had to wait about an hour up at the deserted after-hours Old Orchard Mall in deperte need of a bathroom.

On the new Loyala building, Is there any chance the walk up building on the NE corner of State and Pearson will be saved and re-used? That is a really great corner structure. Everything to the north of it can go, including the old book store and the surface lot.

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

On the new Loyala building, Is there any chance the walk up building on the NE corner of State and Pearson will be saved and re-used? That is a really great corner structure. Everything to the north of it can go, including the old book store and the surface lot.

I'm afraid that one is probably directly in the path of this development at the moment. Again, these plans are relatively preliminary right now, but I doubt that Loyola will save that building especially if they can't get their hands on Speyer House. I dunno, maybe we can get Daley involved to push Loyola to build higher and skinnier and keep that building as well, in exchange for the rights to grass over that segment of Pearson?

Its not like Loyola doesn't have the money to build taller and skinnier right now. This school is flush with cash right now and in outright expansion mode.

Edit: Question for any of you out there who are architects or architects in Training and care about this Loyola thing. Perhaps one of you could throw together a quick layout showing how Loyola could save the corner building and the Speyer house and still build a cohesive campus using the block surrounded by Pearson, State, Chestnut and Wabash. Perhaps they could get rid of the two building between Speyer house and the corner building and make a green quadrangle right there and push the entrence of the building back from Pearson and then build the building on the parking lots back there?

[Dr. Taco]

There was a rendering of Beitler's proposed building at Hollywood and LSD in thursday's Suntimes, but it was just a photo with a caption, so there was no internet article associated with it. Therefore, I couldn't find a jpeg or anything. But, if someone is better able to search for it, at least you know where to start now....

The picture is hazy in my mind right now, but I think I remember it looking kind of Trumpesque. all glass facade. curving around a sharp corner. spire at top. but I'd better stop describing

[honte]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

I'm afraid that one is probably directly in the path of this development at the moment. Again, these plans are relatively preliminary right now, but I doubt that Loyola will save that building especially if they can't get their hands on Speyer House. I dunno, maybe we can get Daley involved to push Loyola to build higher and skinnier and keep that building as well, in exchange for the rights to grass over that segment of Pearson?

Its not like Loyola doesn't have the money to build taller and skinnier right now. This school is flush with cash right now and in outright expansion mode.

Now, there's a fine idea. Shawn, you're right, the nice corner building slipped my mind.

With a little progressive brainstorming + community involvement (not NIMBY, of course), this development could be better for everyone.

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

Edit: Question for any of you out there who are architects or architects in Training and care about this Loyola thing. Perhaps one of you could throw together a quick layout showing how Loyola could save the corner building and the Speyer house and still build a cohesive campus using the block surrounded by Pearson, State, Chestnut and Wabash. Perhaps they could get rid of the two building between Speyer house and the corner building and make a green quadrangle right there and push the entrence of the building back from Pearson and then build the building on the parking lots back there?

Yeah, I think Maxwell St. is possibly the model for this (although aspects of it are a total disaster). But consider rehabbed vintage buildings fronting a plaza / market place, tons of urban character, with retail on the ground levels and possibly student services above. The tower could be to the north along State and Chestnut. Any insignificant buildings on Pearson (I can't recall any?) would be removed to create a direct entrance, or simply Loyola students could walk around the block and get some exercise to get to their dorm elevators. Right?