CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[DHamp]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ Really, in the music industry? What do you do? What company do you work for? PM me if you don't mind talking about it.

I'll PM you.

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Interesting. It's right across from where I work, too (228 building).

I'm in 218. We're neighbors!

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Surface parking lots shown in red:

nice map. FYI, the surface lot on the SW corner of Clinton/Kinzie was recently closed for the next phase of the K-station project, I believe.

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Surface parking lots shown in red:

That is an awesome map Mr.D. I was thinking it would be more splattered with red then seems to be. Do you have a similar map by chance that would show all of River North?

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27377

U.S. says office tenants must vacate 220 S. State
By Thomas A. Corfman

The U.S. General Services Administration has notified office tenants in a GSA-owned building on State Street that they must vacate the 21-story tower, as plans for an expansion of the downtown courthouse and office complex slowly move forward.

The terra-cotta structure at 220 S. State is part of a block-long, 1.3-acre site between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard, where the GSA two years ago unveiled plans for much as 1.5 million square feet. The site is adjacent to the Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn St.

I figured there was an eviction date set on this one. I went by there the other night and noticed the large amount of dark windows. The building use to have a lot more active space in it. Payless Shoes is allowed to remain on the ground floor. Hopefully this means the buildings is being serriously considered for rennovation in the expansion process rather than demolition.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Do you have a similar map by chance that would show all of River North?

Now in River North, surface lots offering public parking don't tell the whole story. There are accessory parking lots that could be building sites, things like the lot where AT&T parks its service trucks or the Office Depot parking lot. I tried showing those (in orange) but my database doesn't distinguish accessory surface lots from accessory decks, such as apartment tower parking podiums that cover more land than the tower on top:

[aaron38]

^^^There's a lot less there than you would think actually. And 2 of those Streeterville lots are spoken for already, of course. And once Streeter Place and Parkview East are done, that McClurg one probably won't last too long either.

And personally I can't wait for those lots at Wabash and Congress to disapear. So many ugly blank walls waiting to be covered up.

[Rocket1]

Cool maps, Mr Downtown!

Do you use the database you mention just to keep track of things?

Or are you able to color the map using software tied in to the database?

[Mr Downtown]

My focus is on good-looking maps (that's my business) so it's really more of a "master drawing" than a true database. But it's built in such a way that I can easily select or recolor parcels and building footprints by category. But it has to be one of the categories I built in when I drew the map: that's why I can't instantly distinguish an accessory deck from an accessory lot without going back through and looking at them.

As pointed out, it's also tough to keep it current. Living, working, and shopping downtown (mostly by bike) help me keep up with things.

[VivaLFuego]

Looks like the main concentration of surface lots that needs to be dealt with is along Franklin/Brown Line.

[10023]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Looks like the main concentration of surface lots that needs to be dealt with is along Franklin/Brown Line.

Although will be the last to go because no one really wants to be next to the L. But that's why 215 W. is encouraging. Although, that's a big lot, and most along Franklin are small lots. I'd like to see something creative done in the spots where there are surface lots on both sides of the street (Erie, Ohio), although not sure what that would be. But imagine a building that arches over the tracks (think MoMo, but with the Brown Line going through the hole in the middle).

[honte]

^ They actually were proposing something like that at Diversey and Sheffield, where there are ugly strip malls on both sides of the tracks. But I think the CTA didn't like that idea much - maybe VivaL can explain what happened. My understanding is that the development will still be designed to make an urban statement with the L running through the center.

I agree that something should be done when you have an awesome urban design opportunity like that. Witness Oakley and Division Streets, where Studio Dwell has completed two lovely bookend structures on both sides of the street.

Isn't it ironic that the least developed part of River North is right where you'd think the highest density should be, along the tracks? It might happen - as available sites shrivel in the area, developers might be able to maximize those sites a bit more than current zoning.

[harryc]

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



Start of glass

[harryc]

Climbing form - the inside



Accelerated Schedule ? The crew doing the reabar was ducking the stuff from the crew building the climbing form.







Climbing Crane ( the form will have to go around this soon )





Diesel powered ! ( are there any other non electric cranes in town ? )





Serious winch

[harryc]

[bnk]

Man I almost never complement you harryc because everyone else does and rightly so. But these latest pics really get in the guts of the projects like none other. You keep getting better and better...


This one is cool. I just wish they could pose and eat lunch up there for you.

by harryc

[harryc]

Next to McClurg ct



Back of Jewish federation (?) I think I saw that this was a remodel

[harryc]

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by harryc

Back of Jewish federation (?) I think I saw that this was a remodel

This will be a La Quinta. They are expanding onto the small lot next door - the addition will match the existing building. I can't decide if that's better or worse than the colorful, suburban-style ECFS design they had before.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by ardecila

This will be a La Quinta. They are expanding onto the small lot next door - the addition will match the existing building. I can't decide if that's better or worse than the colorful, suburban-style ECFS design they had before.

Are you serious? Let me answer this one then - it's better - much, much better!

[honte]

^ The existing building is beautiful. There, I said it. Ha!

______________

Also, really digging the color in Harry's shot showing Parkview West, Time-Life, the Streeter, and McClurg Court. The area is becoming pretty successful aesthetically, IMO, with a character I certainly haven't seen anywhere else. The variety of textures, materials, and colors is what is giving it such an interesting character - feels fresh without being obnoxious or cliché; the new and the old really compliment each other. And the unique skin of the Chicago Spire should add nicely to this feeling.

______________

One final comment: The shot with the three cranes in a row is lovely. Printers' Corner turned out far, far better than I was expecting it to. A little variation in form, good proportions, and a couple of tasteful shades of paint go a long way on a painted concrete building.