CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Read the reports above of last night's Central Station meeting. Don't you see that anyone who dares to question anything a developer proposes is, by definition, a NIMBY?

No, it's when they make illogical, hypocritical, or otherwise anti-urban arguments and try to micro-manage the development of property they don't own that they're NIMBYs. Any argument whatsoever about parking and views, and any concerns on traffic that aren't related to car/pedestrian interaction, fall under this category in a neighborhood like South Loop.

[spyguy]

http://chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=26623

2-building condo project planned for Greektown

By Thomas A. Corfman
Oct. 05, 2007

Jos. Cacciatore & Co. is gearing up for a rebound in the condominium market next year with plans for two 12-story condo buildings in the Greektown neighborhood on a site owned for more than 20 years by Victor Cacciatore, the patriarch of the Chicago real estate and banking family.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

No, it's when they make illogical, hypocritical, or otherwise anti-urban arguments and try to micro-manage the development of property they don't own that they're NIMBYs. Any argument whatsoever about parking and views, and any concerns on traffic that aren't related to car/pedestrian interaction, fall under this category in a neighborhood like South Loop.

Precisely - and 95% of the "questioning" or "criticism" that typically goes on is rooted in anti-urban gibberish (just as in Mr. "Downtown"'s highly illogical position, rooted in his tremendously outdated, and frankly stubborn take on urban planning and design principles, on Park Michigan)

[Nowhereman1280]

Has anyone else noticed how 550. W. Adams is an absolute masterpiece? It kinda reminds me of a glass-mullioned Inland Steel Building. I rode by it today and it totally freaked me out. I saw it at a distance at first and the sun was shining through the glass mullions and it looked fuzzy and I had no idea what was going on until I got close and saw that there were glass mullions.

I am still completely blown away by that building, but it seems to be completely ignored on these boards.

Emporis:
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=550westadams-chicago-il-usa


Now that is a building!

Seriously, I just about fell off my bike when I saw it!

BTW, I rode the entire Chicago Marathon Course today and it was the most wonderful Bike ride I've ever taken in Chicago! Its an almost artistically done route that showcases just about everything that is Chicago, Good and Bad. I recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing bike ride! I will ride it again later this week with a camera and do a photo tour of all the Boom Buildings finished, UC, and Proposed!

[lalucedm]

I want to say there's someone good at DeStefano. 550 W. Adams and the green ABN/AMRO building are both beautiful pieces of recent work by them. For the most part, I don't like DeStefano's work, but these two are pretty good imo, and given that they're both of the same scale and in the same area, they could both have the same principal designer. Just a guess, though. Anyone know?

[SamInTheLoop]

^ Have to disagree with you about the overall quality of DeStefano's work - I think they're quite talented and have several top-notch designers covering commercial, institutional and residential projects. I saw the presentation Scott Sarver and Avi Lothan gave at FOD on Thursday. This firm puts out a lot of really strong work. A lot of their impressive stuff is smaller scale institutional, but some of their current large-scale projects on the board are exciting. They showed an unfortunately never-to-be-built version of Fifield's next office tower in the 600 block of W Monroe (I believe this was to be a very environmentally-advanced tower that was designed specifically for Exelon to be the anchor tenant - at least 95% sure of this). However as we all know Exelon opted to move their headquarters into Chase Plaza. I think that version of the design is much better than anything will ultimately get at the site. At any rate, Canyon Ranch and Waldorf Astoria look amazing, and I think the 2nd and 3rd towers at Cityfront Plaza will turn out very nice. Also, I was disappointed that Sarver did not reveal the brand new apartment-hotel scheme for 150 N. Riverside. Hopefully Reschke plans to move forward aggressively with this one, as I think it's a very important piece of riverfront infill to get going asap, and the market right now is very supportive of the new programming (dump condo component, switch to large apartment tower and smaller hotel tower) and putting it on the fast track. Finally, I think DeStefano's One S. Dearborn is one of the best new office buildings in this city in quite some time - I think it's a very good piece of contextual work. Open question: does anyone know how much credit goes to former short-lived partner Richard Keating for that one (and for Canyon Ranch as well for that matter)?

[honte]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Finally, I think DeStefano's One S. Dearborn is one of the best new office buildings in this city in quite some time - I think it's a very good piece of contextual work. Open question: does anyone know how much credit goes to former short-lived partner Richard Keating for that one (and for Canyon Ranch as well for that matter)?

Well, I don't think many people practicing in Chicago will say this, but that building is basically originating entirely from the Keating side, from what I've heard through the grapevine.

I believe what turned into Canyon Ranch was already being designed prior to Keating's involvement, but I might have the facts scrambled on that one.

Maybe the Carley and Reschke feud at Waldorf-Astoria will escalate (or has it been resolved?), leading Reschke to leave in a huff and propose his own comeback supertall at the Medici site. It would be his Carley-style revenge à la W-A and CS.

Lalucedm, I agree with you about 550 W. Adams, but I've got to respectfully disagree about ABN-AMRO. Yuck!

[BVictor1]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/news/chi-apt_re_10-07oct07,0,3041345.story

APARTMENT HUNT

1 bedroom, river view, near it all
Amenities inside and out at Kingsbury Plaza
By Annemarie Mannion | Tribune staff reporter
October 7, 2007

The Chicago River is the city's other waterfront, and Kingsbury Plaza, a new 46-story skyscraper, has a spectacular view of it.

Lake Michigan, of course, is pretty, but the river is just as dramatic. It has a more urban feel from the skyscrapers dotting its banks, the bridges carrying cars over it and the boat traffic along it.

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Finally, I think DeStefano's One S. Dearborn is one of the best new office buildings in this city in quite some time - I think it's a very good piece of contextual work.

Hyatt? 111 S Wacker? 1SD is good, but its not Hyatt imo.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/news/chi-apt_re_10-07oct07,0,3041345.story

APARTMENT HUNT

1 bedroom, river view, near it all
Amenities inside and out at Kingsbury Plaza
By Annemarie Mannion | Tribune staff reporter
October 7, 2007

The Chicago River is the city's other waterfront, and Kingsbury Plaza, a new 46-story skyscraper, has a spectacular view of it.

Lake Michigan, of course, is pretty, but the river is just as dramatic. It has a more urban feel from the skyscrapers dotting its banks, the bridges carrying cars over it and the boat traffic along it.

^ Wow, rents in downtown Chicago are getting pretty up there. Those aren't too far off from Manhattan-level prices

[Vince]

I live across the street from 600 N Fairbanks, and The FairBanks at Cityfront Plaza, and 550 N St Clair are across from my building as well, but I do not have a direct view of them.

At 600 Fairbanks they just took down the construction elevators, finished that today, and are starting to put floorings in.

[10023]

Semi- off topic but there was a conversation at some point about whether or not anything could be done at some point in the future to make buildings like Grand Plaza not look like crap.

Check out this thread:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=130516

Wow. That's the most impressive overhaul of a modern skyscraper I've seen.

Vive la France!

Only problem is it would probably be infinitely more expensive and next to impossible for a condo tower.

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Wow, rents in downtown Chicago are getting pretty up there. Those aren't too far off from Manhattan-level prices

"The 13-by-21-foot living-dining room is reached via a long hallway from door. The hallway has cream-colored carpeting."

Except that a $2,000 / month one bedroom in Manhattan would BE 13 by 21 feet, including the living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and closets. These are probably very nice units.

[Beck4ABigChicago]

I took a look through the front page for a building going up at 1112 N. State, from what I hear the "Mondrian Hotel." Didn't come across it. Does anyone know about this project or where I can find some info?

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Beck4ABigChicago

I took a look through the front page for a building going up at 1112 N. State, from what I hear the "Mondrian Hotel." Didn't come across it. Does anyone know about this project or where I can find some info?

I assume this is the 20-story hotel that will be going up on the Cedar Hotel site. To my knowledge no renderings have been released, but the Cedar's facade and front plaza will be largely preserved in the new development.

[spyguy]

The design is pretty much a glass box with the preserved facade attached.

[iwillirp]

Does anyone know if this development:

http://www.castlerocestates.ie/pure2o.htm

is a new proposal for the site of the Lucien Lagrange designed proposal in Uptown at Clarendon and Leland avenues?

[iwillirp]

In other news up north, the proposal formerly known as 5440 North Sheridan Road looks to be called Bluewater 5440 and has a new website at www.bluewater5440.com (just a registration form for now)

[Dan in Chicago]

Originally Posted by iwillirp

Does anyone know if this development:

http://www.castlerocestates.ie/pure2o.htm

is a new proposal for the site of the Lucien Lagrange designed proposal in Uptown at Clarendon and Leland avenues?

It must be, it's on exactly the same site. The new Emporis ID is 309881. I liked the old design but the new one looks even better. Thanks for finding that, it helps a bit since I'm still reeling from the news that one of my favorite skyscrapers is being torn down (the Tokyo Sofitel).

[honte]

^ This is replacing that thing with all the red paint, right? If so, big improvement!

However, it's always amusing when the advertising people create a logo for a development that's more visually exciting and captivating than the building itself.

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by iwillirp

Does anyone know if this development:

http://www.castlerocestates.ie/pure2o.htm

is a new proposal for the site of the Lucien Lagrange designed proposal in Uptown at Clarendon and Leland avenues?

Well isn't that just a little chip off the old OMP.

Definately LaGrange's better side.