CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by jc5680

I still can't figure out how the tiny adult bookstore wedged right there between brasserie jo and the new hotel on dearborn and hubbard staved off all the redevelopment.

My -guess- is as follows:
The adult use in that location is grandfathered in; new adult uses cannot be located within 1000ft of a residentially-zoned district, within X feet of churches, schools etc. Basically the adult use ordinance means that new adult stores can only locate in god-forsaken bowels of railroad yards, industrial facilities, etc.

Hubbard/Clark? That's a good location, and given the scarcity of that adult use permit in such a location, it is worth ALOT of money. Some day, an offer will come along that the owner can't refuse, but market economics are severely distorted in the case of that little store.

[10023]

So would I be run off the forum if I said that I think the block that now includes the Marriot River North should have been turned into a full block city park? There isn't an open / park space nearby, and that was a great opportunity to take an almost empty block (the older buildings won't survive development anyway) and make a nice little Washington Park / Union Square type space. Chicago doesn't have nearly enough (any?) of those.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by 10023

So would I be run off the forum if I said that I think the block that now includes the Marriot River North should have been turned into a full block city park? There isn't an open / park space nearby, and that was a great opportunity to take an almost empty block (the older buildings won't survive development anyway) and make a nice little Washington Park / Union Square type space. Chicago doesn't have nearly enough (any?) of those.

River North will get a full, or almost-full block park eventually - the post office site looks like the best prospect.....

[Ryan81]

Originally Posted by pasadenabinks

This could be a nice shot for someone to photoshop CS, WV and a completed Trump into....hint,hint

Aaron 38 - I hope you don't mind that I used your image for this.

By the way THERE IS NO NEED TO TELL ME WHICH BUILDINGS ARE MISSING. I know there are many others I could have included. I do not have models made for those buildings yet.

[Sir Isaac Newton]

Originally Posted by jc5680

I still can't figure out how the tiny adult bookstore wedged right there between brasserie jo and the new hotel on dearborn and hubbard staved off all the redevelopment.

I think there are actually two adult bookstores on that same block...not that I've ever been inside or anything like that...

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by jc5680

That is great to hear...I work in the old courthouse building accross the street. Given all the new developments on that block I figured it was only a matter of time before something was put there.

I still can't figure out how the tiny adult bookstore wedged right there between brasserie jo and the new hotel on dearborn and hubbard staved off all the redevelopment.

I'm eager to see some renderings for the tower. I attended the plan commission hearing for the 3-tower river north center amended pd a couple years ago. I was less than enthusiastic with the description that Friedman or someone on his team offered (no detailed renderings were presented at the meeting for the residential tower), because it was implied that the north side would get the bs postmodern treatment to better 'fit in with and reflect the surrounding buildings' (assume courthouse), etc, etc, etc, because of course to have contextual sensitivity, you know mimicry is necessary, you can't contrast and be complimentary as well - everybody knows this... So, hopefully their design approach has increased in sophistication since then...

[10023]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

River North will get a full, or almost-full block park eventually - the post office site looks like the best prospect.....

That would be nice, and it would be nice if it happened before the area is fully developed. That way developments bordering the park could be designed with the park in mind.

[gttx]

Ryan - that photo is breathtaking. Nice work! Chicago is an incredible city....moving there can NOT come soon enough!

[SamInTheLoop]

Changing to the subject of ridiculously-named towers, Fifield has apparently renamed
353 Des Plaines to Echelon at K Station. First it was Allure at K Station, then 353 Des Plaines at K Station and finally, Echelon. I wish they would spend as much time trying to improve the design of their towers as they do their names!

[BVictor1]

There was a section of tower crane on site for 10 East Deleware

[SamInTheLoop]

^BVic - since you were in the neighborhood: did you notice if any real site prep work has commenced at Walton on the Park after the ceremonial groundbreaking last week?

[pasadenabinks]

Originally Posted by gttx

Ryan - that photo is breathtaking. Nice work! Chicago is an incredible city....moving there can NOT come soon enough!

I agree with you.....I can't wait to move back to Chicago, especially after seeing this photo!!!! Thanks Ryan, great work!! I love how much an impact Waterview makes in this picture......just amazing.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

^BVic - since you were in the neighborhood: did you notice if any real site prep work has commenced at Walton on the Park after the ceremonial groundbreaking last week?

Nope. People working in the sales center are still using it as a parking lot. I'll try to keep my eyes open though.

[honte]

Originally Posted by Ryan81

By the way THERE IS NO NEED TO TELL ME WHICH BUILDINGS ARE MISSING. I know there are many others I could have included. I do not have models made for those buildings yet.

Hell yeah.

[Jaroslaw]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

My -guess- is as follows:
The adult use in that location is grandfathered in; new adult uses cannot be located within 1000ft of a residentially-zoned district, within X feet of churches, schools etc. ...

I think it would be grandfathered to a particular person, it has to be renewed when that person passes away. That was the case with Jimmy's Pub in Hyde Park a few years ago, across the street from a church and a school, they were only able to go on because everybody supported them. Not the case with this store, likely.

About the post office site, too bad it'll have Lowendburg parking podiums on the E (Grand Plaza) and the N (Farallon?) plus that wonderful jungle fever green box tourist trap. The S side of that block sure could use an impulse to redevelopment, though.

[honte]

So, I accidentally brought my camera with me today...

Vetro
This has turned out quite nicely. I really appreciate the unique touches, such as the multi-colored glass (which hasn't been done here this visibly since Jahn in the 1980s - look for Aqua and OMP to have some of the same qualities when finished). Also, no painted concrete.






AMLI 900
Which do you like better? Parking Podium or Parking Protrusion?



Burnham Pointe
Backing up a masterpiece...




Lexington Park
Coming soon to a crane near you...

Stanley Tigerman's nicest building is in the foreground.



"Reebie Lofts" aka 1401 S. State
Once I had a friend who went to New York and came back telling me that all the new buildings were so cool because they had crazy metal shafts attached to them (these were, duh, the cranes, later removed). I think he would like this building.




1400 Museum Park
Well, it's not as ugly as I thought it would be. It actually looks nice when the sun is setting.



Site of 235 W. Van Buren
I was thinking this might be useful for a before and after shot... I am hopeful Ralph Johnson and Co. has given us a nice addition to this scene.

[Mr Downtown]

I think it would be grandfathered to a particular person, it has to be renewed when that person passes away.

Liquor licenses have one set of rules; SOB or adult-use special use permits have another. One is authorized by the alcoholic control statutes; the other by the zoning enabling act. Special use permits apply to a particular use of land, surviving changes of ownership and even changes of business.

[honte]

^ There was an article about this piece of property a few years back. The owner said he is making a bank, far more over time than he would be getting from what Friedman offered him. Plus, he has the attitude that this is his retirement, and why should he leave?

I think it's nice to see a little bit of old River North sticking around. It's not doing any particular damage (one's personal views of the subject matter aside). I am equally glad that the White Palace Grill (Roosevelt and Canal) was worked around instead of mowed down.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Jaroslaw

About the post office site, too bad it'll have Lowendburg parking podiums on the E (Grand Plaza) and the N (Farallon?) plus that wonderful jungle fever green box tourist trap. The S side of that block sure could use an impulse to redevelopment, though.

The surface lot fronting Clark will be a hotel. But yeah, the Grand Plaza podium isn't a great park enclosure. Oh well. Here's hoping they plant it pretty dense with trees.

[10023]

Or just tear down Grand Plaza and the Farallon.

At least gut a nice big chunk of the parking and replace it with... anything.