CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5 - Page 195

brett7three · #**3881** Posted **Oct 24, 2007, 11:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alliance

Neither are proposals. Both are "visions" and absolute abominations.

Didn't Burnham propose extending the Ogden slip and the "slip" currently terminated at the Shedd Aquarium (not exactly like the proposed design here). I'll go back and look at the Burnham plan, but that's honestly the first thing that came to mind when I saw this proposal. "hmm... that somehow reminds me of a Burnham plan that I saw"...

SamInTheLoop · #**3882** Posted **Oct 24, 2007, 11:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Sure is

Yes, yes - I know - I have egg all over my face on this one.....
Had my prospective tenants crossed. Oh well, admit your f-ups and
move on...

So I am very interested to see the other 2 proposed announced designs for a BP tower - especially Buck's. Depending of course on the actual design, I would rather have them move to the site at Franklin and Randolph - I guess I just care much more about what happens east of the river than west (unless of course we're talking about directly on the river, such as 150 and 200 Riverside, etc...

I'm sure every office developer in town is going to make a presentation in front of BP for this one - they'll probably get 5-7 serious contenders, and my guess is the front-runners will end up being Buck (240 W. Randolph), Hines (Wolf Point) and Fifield (601 W. Monroe) - I know - surprise, surprise....

spyguy · #**3883** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 12:01 AM**

^Speaking of 601 W Monroe, Fifield has updated their website again with different renderings.

Sir Isaac Newton · #**3884** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 12:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alliance

THe burnham plan included a 1000' tower obstructing the lake? ...oh wait.

THINK.

Brett7three said the rendering "reminds" him of the Burnham Plan. The Burnham Plan may have not had a large tower, but at the same time, does have a lot of similarities to the rendering we have seen. So apparently, he was "THINK"ing.

I also find it kinda funny that you claim that the tower would be obstructing the lake. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this tower would have to be pretty damn wide to obstruct the 6th largest lake in the world.

aaron38 · #**3885** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 12:24 AM**

Went up on Mount Palatine to watch the ISS flyover, but of course couldn't keep my binoculars off the skyline.
Cold clean air and the city lights meant the skyline was just stunning on the horizon. I could easily see everything over 500ft.

Trump stood out easily with its bright construction lights. And to the right of 311 S. Wacker, I could see the construction lights of OMP. I wasn't sure if my angle would let OMP be visible, but it is. 311 is no longer the end of the skyline!

honte · #**3886** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 12:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Yes, yes - I know - I have egg all over my face on this one.....
Had my prospective tenants crossed. Oh well, admit your f-ups and
move on...

So I am very interested to see the other 2 proposed announced designs for a BP tower - especially Buck's. Depending of course on the actual design, I would rather have them move to the site at Franklin and Randolph - I guess I just care much more about what happens east of the river than west (unless of course we're talking about directly on the river, such as 150 and 200 Riverside, etc...

I'm sure every office developer in town is going to make a presentation in front of BP for this one - they'll probably get 5-7 serious contenders, and my guess is the front-runners will end up being Buck (240 W. Randolph), Hines (Wolf Point) and Fifield (601 W. Monroe) - I know - surprise, surprise....

No need to be chagrined. Not a big deal. Plus, with the new renders Spyguy pointed out, the fancy Fifield tower doesn't seem to be in the cards anyway. And by the way, the newer buildings shown suck. I guess at least we should be happy that they are over 15 floors.

Then again, if BVic is on-target (as usual), there might be some hope for something above average yet? The very modest Bidclerk report seems to indicate otherwise.

I was favoring Fifield in this campaign, only because I am sure Buck will spit out another nearly-identical (but high-quality) Goettsch tower. But if Fifield is going to produce something equally bland but as cheap as always (as is his penchant after the PoMo excess BK), forget him.

SamInTheLoop · #**3887** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 12:30 AM**

This is directly from the agenda for tomorrow (thurs.) morning's Chicago City Council Committee on Zoning meeting in council chambers at 10am:

No. A-7235 (2nd Ward) Ordinance Referred (7-19-07)
To classify as DX-5 Downtown Mixed-Use District, instead of Residential Planned Development No. 1033, the area bounded by

A line 547.13 feet north of and parallel to East 18th Street; South Prairie Avenue; East 18th Street; and the alley next west of and parallel to South Prairie Avenue

(Map 4-E) 1712 South Prairie Avenue

First of all, I can't believe this actually made it on the agenda. Second, how does everybody like the fact that Little Bobbie Fioretti has decided to risk tens of millions of our tax dollars on a sure-lose lawsuit? He's a Loser, with a big L....

Jaroslaw · #**3888** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 12:56 AM**

Well, it takes two to tango, and I'm betting Fioretti has word from Forest City that X/O is not going to happen... there was a fellow who said their financing fell through because of Countrywide, he was hounded off the forum pretty quickly... X/O could be the best residential after Aqua in this boom, so I hope it survives, but I don't think Fioretti would be doing this if it meant taking on committed $$$.

honte · #**3889** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 1:16 AM**

^ You're suggesting that Frankel and Giles would have a back-room deal with Fioretti just to save face in a bad development deal? I think that's a bit far-fetched. After all, the property is still worth a bankload more with high zoning, even if they don't build X/O. They could either 1) wait until the market improves, 2) partner / sell to another lender-backed developer, or 3) sell the land with existing zoning to another developer and let them do what they will with it.

I'm with Sam on this one - Fioretti is just on a power trip and off his rocker to boot. I hope he's laughed out of the chamber.

Alliance · #**3890** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 2:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by honte

I hope he's laughed out of the chamber.

but moreso, i hope X/O is built.

VivaLFuego · #**3891** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 3:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://www.suntimes.com/business/roeder/616718,CST-FIN-roeder24.article

Making no small bets

October 24, 2007
DAVID ROEDER

BELL'S RINGING: Now that Bank of America Corp. has completed its purchase of LaSalle Bank, developers should cast a covetous eye toward an interesting piece of excess corporate real estate. LaSalle owns a small building at 79 W. Monroe, the old flagship office of Bell Federal Savings and now home to a Walgreens. It figures to be a logical site for an office high-rise.

-----------

No matter what happens to that old building, the Weather Bell must be kept!

I'm blanking on this building. Is there where that Italian restaurant is?

10023 · #**3892** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 4:20 AM**

We're not allowed to link to Crain's, right?

So take my word for it that an article appeared several days ago saying that BP is looking at three potential sites to consolidate its Midwest operations:

601-625 West Monroe (the Fifield site)
645 West Madison
240 West Randolph (where the random Walgreen's and parking lot is in the northwest Loop - Buck has an option to purchase the property)

They're laying off or relocating 3,300 employees in Naperville and Lisle and the positions that aren't eliminated will be moved downtown.

May or may not mean a tall tower. They need 350-400,000 square feet with at least 50,000 square foot floorplates. So let's call it 8 floors, plus a lobby (2 floors) and probably 4-5 levels of parking. So it looks like something at least 15 stories high, but depending on the economics (i.e. how many extra floors does it pay for to have 8 leased floors guaranteed), maybe a 30 story tower as good as built and whatever else the developer feels like betting on?

Sir Isaac Newton · #**3893** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 4:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaroslaw

Well, it takes two to tango, and I'm betting Fioretti has word from Forest City that X/O is not going to happen... there was a fellow who said their financing fell through because of Countrywide, he was hounded off the forum pretty quickly... X/O could be the best residential after Aqua in this boom, so I hope it survives, but I don't think Fioretti would be doing this if it meant taking on committed $$$.

Are you referring to the fellow "Lux Veritas" on SSC? He came out of nowhere to state in his first post ever on SSC that "X/O is dead"...and that he heard a phone call he shouldn't have, between one of the Giles brothers and someone from Countrywide, about how the financing was falling through (even though X/O was, and perhaps still is many months before construction so I don't think it would make sense that they would have financing in place with anyone yet). After a few more posts, all about X/O, within the next couple of days, he disappeared from SSC, never to be heard of again. So I think it's safe to say that this guy was anti-X/O and made up some BS story.

From all the things that I have heard and seen, X/O has sold fairly well. So from a financing standpoint, they should probably be okay....and from a legal standpoint, I really don't think that Fioretti can do much either.

harryc · #**3894** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 10:36 AM**

October 23rd

[ full set http://picasaweb.google.com/harry.r.carmichael/111WIllinoisFromABA ]

harryc · #**3895** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 10:52 AM**

View from above

Shoring up the neighbor

Pouring caissons

SamInTheLoop · #**3896** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 12:34 PM**

Not sure if this was already reported here, but the planned apartment tower at 215 W. Washington showed up on Bidclerk.com recently, with a reported start date in December...

trvlr70 · #**3897** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 12:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://www.suntimes.com/business/roeder/616718,CST-FIN-roeder24.article

Making no small bets

October 24, 2007
DAVID ROEDER

BELL'S RINGING: Now that Bank of America Corp. has completed its purchase of LaSalle Bank, developers should cast a covetous eye toward an interesting piece of excess corporate real estate. LaSalle owns a small building at 79 W. Monroe, the old flagship office of Bell Federal Savings and now home to a Walgreens. It figures to be a logical site for an office high-rise.

-----------

No matter what happens to that old building, the Weather Bell must be kept!

I don't think the Congress Hotel on Michigan is a great option. Yes, the place is a dump and an embarrassment. But it is an unpolished gem. With its location, I'd rather see a high end hotel.

BVictor1 · #**3898** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 2:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

This is directly from the agenda for tomorrow (thurs.) morning's Chicago City Council Committee on Zoning meeting in council chambers at 10am:

No. A-7235 (2nd Ward) Ordinance Referred (7-19-07)
To classify as DX-5 Downtown Mixed-Use District, instead of Residential Planned Development No. 1033, the area bounded by

A line 547.13 feet north of and parallel to East 18th Street; South Prairie Avenue; East 18th Street; and the alley next west of and parallel to South Prairie Avenue

(Map 4-E) 1712 South Prairie Avenue

First of all, I can't believe this actually made it on the agenda. Second, how does everybody like the fact that Little Bobbie Fioretti has decided to risk tens of millions of our tax dollars on a sure-lose lawsuit? He's a Loser, with a big L....

From an email I received...

XO to be Down Zoned ???
73 Story Building Coming to Central Station ???[/

Thursday, October 25 at 10 AM

The City Council's Committee on Zoning will be meeting at City Hall, located at 121 North LaSalle Street, in Room 201-A. The Committee on Zoning, which is chaired by Alderman William Banks, votes upon proposed zoning changes, which then go before the full City Council for final approval. There are two ordinances that are of great concern to many South Loop residents that were originally scheduled to be heard by the Committee at the October 25 meeting.

The first ordinance would down zone the XO Development at 1712 South Prairie Avenue to the originally allowable height for that location before XO was approved by the City Council last year. The second ordinance would increase the height of the third "Grant Park South Wall" building at the southwest corner of Roosevelt and Indiana by 100 feet, or approximately 10 stories. Both ordinances were introduced by 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Fioretti.

According to a staff person with the Committee, both of these ordinances are going to be deferred and will not be heard at the October 25 meeting. According to the Committee agenda (attached below) however, both of these ordinances are still showing as being on the schedule.

Regarding ordinances that are scheduled to be heard by the Committee on Zoning, interested parties wishing to testify either for or against a proposed ordinance may do so by signing in at the beginning of the meeting.

For more information on the meeting, visit www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/agendas/zoning102507.pdf
For a link to a recent article on XO, visit http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?post_date=2007-07-20&id=25726

Taft · #**3899** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 3:37 PM**

WTF, I thought Fioretti met with CBP and seemed pretty reasonable. Is this a departure from his campaign promises?

Taft

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

From an email I received...

XO to be Down Zoned ???
73 Story Building Coming to Central Station ???[/

...

Both ordinances were introduced by 2nd Ward Alderman Bob Fioretti.

...

harryc · #**3900** Posted **Oct 25, 2007, 4:42 PM**

New crane arrives - the "little one" will be replaced by one of the angle types ( Lufter ? )