CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[APPRAISER]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

This is the image on the front page for Millennium Park Plaza




These have just come into my posssession. The resolution is a bit better. If these have been posted before, sorry.

I don't know if anyone knows, but will this be the smallest site for a highrise in Chicago?

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by APPRAISER

I don't know if anyone knows, but will this be the smallest site for a highrise in Chicago?

Not sure, but another obvious contender is 1418 Lake Shore:
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=1418northlakeshoredrive-chicago-il-usa

[spyguy]

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27737

Developer looks to reshape south lakefront
Lake Meadows would get 7,000 new residential units

Jan. 12, 2008
By Alby Gallun

Plans are in the works for one of the city's largest residential developments ever, a 70-acre project that promises to invigorate Chicago's southern lakefront.


High-rises like this one, on Martin Luther King Drive between 31st and 35th streets, would be razed as part of the Lake Meadows redevelopment. Photo: Stephen J. Serio

[CenIL_LA]

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27737

Developer looks to reshape south lakefront
Lake Meadows would get 7,000 new residential units

Jan. 12, 2008
By Alby Gallun

Plans are in the works for one of the city's largest residential developments ever, a 70-acre project that promises to invigorate Chicago's southern lakefront.


High-rises like this one, on Martin Luther King Drive between 31st and 35th streets, would be razed as part of the Lake Meadows redevelopment. Photo: Stephen J. Serio

oh wow....these highrises dont need to be torn down to redevelop the blank useless area in between. Anyone who sees the movie 'Stranger than Fiction' would see how beautiful and amazing these towers are. They dont build them like this anymore. If they knew how to do sightplanning well and get many disciplines actively involved they could easily integrate the towers into a good mordernist ideal while giving lower rise buildings more of the streetform character they need. I am quite angry at this. What is with all this proposed destruction lately? I'm amazed at the stupidity that still happens using 1950 neighborhood clearing methods long criticized and im many cases abandoned to tear down lived in nieghborhoods. This method is how this neighborhood was built in the first place.

[honte]

^ Exactly.

Utterly disgusting... this must be stopped. I am horrified.

Please PM me if you are interested in helping to save Lake Meadows.

[pasadenabinks]

Originally Posted by CenIL_LA

oh wow....these highrises dont need to be torn down to redevelop the blank useless area in between. Anyone who sees the movie 'Stranger than Fiction' would see how beautiful and amazing these towers are. They dont build them like this anymore. If they knew how to do sightplanning well and get many disciplines actively involved they could easily integrate the towers into a good mordernist ideal while giving lower rise buildings more of the streetform character they need. I am quite angry at this. What is with all this proposed destruction lately? I'm amazed at the stupidity that still happens using 1950 neighborhood clearing methods long criticized and im many cases abandoned to tear down lived in nieghborhoods. This method is how this neighborhood was built in the first place.

Oh man, well said!! When I read this article, I thought the same thing!! When I ride the Metra to my parents in the South Suburbs, I always look at these classic modern buildings and consider them one of the highlights of architecture along the trip. They say that they are lonely and cut off from the street grid. Why not extend the grid into the development and build a mixture of townhomes, midrises and high rises to increase density and enliven the neighborhood.

And with Chicago's focus on green building, we should not be tearing down perfectly good buildings. It's all about recycling!! I am FURIOUS!!!! Too bad I'm 2000 miles away....I wanna protest this!!!! Here's a call out to all of you in Chicagoland, help them realize they need to modify this plan.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by pasadenabinks

Oh man, well said!! When I read this article, I thought the same thing!! When I ride the Metra to my parents in the South Suburbs, I always look at these classic modern buildings and consider them one of the highlights of architecture along the trip. They say that they are lonely and cut off from the street grid. Why not extend the grid into the development and build a mixture of townhomes, midrises and high rises to increase density and enliven the neighborhood.

Wow... these demolition threats keep cropping up, and they keep getting bigger. I'm all for a re-configuration of Lake Meadows, but only if it includes the preservation of a significant number of highrises (preserving all of them is unrealistic).

I'll work on a compromise site plan soon.

[pasadenabinks]

One of the beautiful things I admire about Chicago is our diverse stock of buildings from every era of architecture from the mid 1800's to today. These buildings should remain, and I agree that it is probably unrealistic to save them all, but at least some of them could be integrated into a very interesting and cohesive development!!

[DHamp]

I have been expecting redevelopment of Lake Meadows for some time. I think 7000+ units in that area would be a great thing. I'm kind of torn. I used to loathe those buildings, but I've come to appreciate them over time. If I had to choose between changing nothing and tearing them down and replacing them with a denser Central Station like development with a Chicago streetgrid, I'd choose the latter. I think, however, there is a way to continue the street grid through lake meadows and infill the area with more towers, retail, and town houses. That would be ideal.

[left of center]

Eh, im not too impressed with the Lake Meadows towers. Now, the towers along MLK Drive north of 31st i absolutely love. They are 5 modern towers from 26th to 31st St. As long as those face no imminent demolition threats, im fine with the towers to the south of 31st meeting the wrecking ball. There is just too much open space in Lake Meadows that isnt really being used to its potential. A redevelopment is welcome, IMO.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

This is the image on the front page for Millennium Park Plaza




These have just come into my posssession. The resolution is a bit better. If these have been posted before, sorry.

While the original design was solid, the current one is much better. Can someone help me out with the crown, though? It appears they've turned it into a triangle, with a vertex on the southwest corner, a vertex on the southeast corner and -- I think -- a vertex on the northeast corner. Am I reading it wrong? If not, it will be very interesting... Also, the plan: Is it rectangular or trapezoidal?

[Pandemonious]

It is totally unnecessary to tear down the Lake Meadows towers... For the redevelopment though, I think it would be nice to have some townhomes/midrises added all along the MLK Park Boulevard (not some cheesy pomo crap either.. how about some nice modern designs..), and then add more highrises toward the lake, and completely redesign the park with more amenities or attractions. Hopefully the planned shopping center is designed well and not like a suburban piece of shit.

If anything, I hope most of the surface parking lots can be eliminated. The area is loaded with them.

It would be nice if they also connected 35th street with LSD, and added more pedestrian bridges to the lakefront as part of the plan..


I am still digging Millennium Park Plaza. Although, really just about anything would look better along the park than Doral Plaza..

[honte]

^ Yes, basically I don't think anyone would demand that they not do anything (although personally I think something will be lost when more buildings are built, no matter how good they are).

So, the best idea here, I believe, is:

1) Rehab the existing buildings in a historically- and environmentally-sensitive fashion. This includes both generations of towers, tennis club, the elementary school, and the office building, all of which are award-winning SOM designs.

2) In-fill new architecture that is sensitive to the original design and master plan, starting with the parking lots. No more PoMo crap intrusions, which has already happened once.

3) Possibly reclaim some park land by decking over the tracks.

I am not in favor of restoring the street grid, personally. I don't see why it's necessary for all of the city to have the same boring, monotonous street grid. Furthermore, I think the layout of the blocks - however "suburban" - is a part of the planning and should be treated as a historic element.

Edit: Also, I would add that the streets in this area were not a pure grid, even before Lake Meadows. If they restore anything, Vincennes and Cottage Grove should be put back along their unique courses.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

Where exactly will the [Studio Gang Columbia College] tower be? Are there any renderings for it, yet?

I think there's some confusion here. Studio Gang has been retained to design a new Media Production Center for Columbia, on the southwest corner of 16th and State. It will only be two stories (but about 50 feet) tall.

Sometime in the next few years, Columbia will attempt to build a campus center at the northwest corner of 8th and Wabash, which may be 12-18 stories. Though Valerio Dewalt Train did a planning diagram and would love to design that, no architect has been chosen.

[pasadenabinks]

Originally Posted by honte

^ 1) Rehab the existing buildings in a historically- and environmentally-sensitive fashion. This includes both generations of towers, tennis club, the elementary school, and the office building, all of which are award-winning SOM designs.

2) In-fill new architecture that is sensitive to the original design and master plan, starting with the parking lots. No more PoMo crap intrusions, which has already happened once.

3) Possibly reclaim some park land by decking over the tracks.

I've had a vision for decking over the tracks on the south lakeshore between McCormick and Hyde Park for quite some time now. Even if there could be some decking only near major streets this would help to integrate the existing neighborhood with the lakeshore parks!

[firstcranialnerve]

Is there any word on what has happened to X/O? Last I heard they were suing Fioretti or so. Are the developers still trying to build the structure? What are the chances of that happening? I would be glad to see more height down that way and more of these twin buildings, like museum park place 1&2, if done well.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by honte

^ Yes, basically I don't think anyone would demand that they not do anything (although personally I think something will be lost when more buildings are built, no matter how good they are).

So, the best idea here, I believe, is:

1) Rehab the existing buildings in a historically- and environmentally-sensitive fashion. This includes both generations of towers, tennis club, the elementary school, and the office building, all of which are award-winning SOM designs.

2) In-fill new architecture that is sensitive to the original design and master plan, starting with the parking lots. No more PoMo crap intrusions, which has already happened once.

3) Possibly reclaim some park land by decking over the tracks.

I am not in favor of restoring the street grid, personally. I don't see why it's necessary for all of the city to have the same boring, monotonous street grid. Furthermore, I think the layout of the blocks - however "suburban" - is a part of the planning and should be treated as a historic element.

Edit: Also, I would add that the streets in this area were not a pure grid, even before Lake Meadows. If they restore anything, Vincennes and Cottage Grove should be put back along their unique courses.

How's this?

The biggest preservation feature is the retention of the large landscaped mall and the 4 western towers. Lake Meadows Park is kept, with new facilities to serve the neighborhood. The 5 towers to the south are kept, but a street (35th Place) runs where the parking lot is currently, and fill-in towers are built between 35th Place and 35th.

The only demolitions are of the parking garage of the easternmost tower (on axis with the mall) to allow the extension of Cottage Grove, the tennis club, which will be replaced by facilities in Lake Meadows Park, and one of the newly-built townhome buildings at 32nd/Rhodes.

The shopping mall is totally demolished, to be replaced by 3 blocks. Large-scale retail can be placed here along 35th, but I showed rowhouses

For any parcel that fronts onto the central mall, modern design will be favored. Rowhouses in other locations will be an arbitrary mix of modern and traditional designs, and the same for high-rises.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by honte

^ Exactly.

Utterly disgusting... this must be stopped. I am horrified.

Please PM me if you are interested in helping to save Lake Meadows.

They ain't all that.

I agree that maybe some should be saved, but the street grid is like a maze over there. I'd tear down all the highrises with the brick siding.

[Chicago Shawn]

I caint believe Lake Meadows went public already. It has been in the works for a while, but I didn't think it was comming out of the cooker.

Well, I have seen the redevelopment plan, and it is amazing. I know it will likley be retooled over time, but its far better than what is there now.

Lake Meadows outright rapped the neighborhood, and I support any plan to rebuild the grid which used to exist there. The site is highly underutilized as it sits now, which is about 72 acres in size.

The plan will save atleast one existing high-rise, the one farthest east, demolish the four others, as well as the nasty mid-rises to the south. I am a huge fan of modernism, but serriously the mid-rises are awful. Rebuilt will be a veriety of multiple new towers (some really big ones too), with some smaller scale buildings mixed in, and a huge new URBAN retail district.

I don't know what else I can say, as the plan might still be not avialable to the public yet, and may have even changed since I last saw it.

[honte]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

They ain't all that.

I agree that maybe some should be saved, but the street grid is like a maze over there. I'd tear down all the highrises with the brick siding.

The brick-sided buildings are more valuable once you consider the history and their place in the development of modernist high-rise apartments. I disagree that they all should be torn down. I have friends who live in them, and they are quite pleasant for their age / level of maintenance, and especially considering that they were never meant to be exquisite accommodations.

As far as mazes, who cares? Try to tell me that Rome, London, Paris, most of the world's great cities aren't mazes. Chicago is way too hooked on street grid.

Originally Posted by ardecila

How's this?

I think it's a fair start - certainly a lot better than wiping the slate clean. I can't agree with removing the tennis club though.

The other question: Why do we need the townhouses? I say, keep the nice parts about the place if at all possible. One of the nice features is how open and airy it is, how much green space is available. Once they add density and retail in appropriate locations, people would be glad there is so much green space. So, just do super-dense and tall towers where they are appropriate.

I really like the idea of getting rid of the parking deck, but unfortunately it is one of the very few privately-owned properties on the site.