CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by 2PRUROCKS!

I have some good news! I picked up a copy of the Chicago Journal today and on the front page there was an article about the cool new addition to Rush hospital being approved by the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. It is 14 stories, will cost $617 million to build, and should begin construction this summer. There were a couple of renderings in the article. Maybe someone can find an online article to link to. TUP always seems pretty good at finding Chicago Journal articles.

is this still the current design for the expansion?

[2PRUROCKS!]

I found a link to the Rush article online:

http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=60&ArticleID=3891&TM=36554.48

[2PRUROCKS!]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

is this still the current design for the expansion?

It is pretty close. The older rendering may be a little cooler, but I still think it is pretty good.

The artilce I have shows a rendering that appears to be from the same vantage point. It appears to be less glassy. There are narrow horzontal bands of windows that appear to be sourounded by greyish or silver metal panels. Also the exposed angled columns that support the canterlivered lobe on the right seem to be gone and instead there is a what appears to be a glass entrance there.

[Loopy]

These renderings accompanied a few news stories this month about the TIF approval.

Hmmmm. Something's wrong here.

[Alliance]

Image from the ChicagoJournal Article.

[Sir Isaac Newton]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

well, i finally did a page 1 update this evening.

it would be great if everyone would spend a few moments looking through the list for any mistakes and omissions. i've been out of commission for awhile and it would be nice to start out the new year with as accurate a list as possible. let me know if you find anything.

also, does anyone have a rendering for Eco18?

Steely, here is the website for Eco18...they have a few renderings on the website:

http://eco18.com/

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Loopy

These renderings accompanied a few news stories this month about the TIF approval.

Hmmmm. Something's wrong here.

Yeah - so, which is it? Those two are quite different... Hopefully the final design is as close to the original as possible...

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

Steely, here is the website for Eco18...they have a few renderings on the website:

http://eco18.com/

Eco 18 is just hideous. The design is by Wight & Co. This seems to be one of those integrated firms that offers design, engineering, construction, construction management services, etc. Never (well almost never) a formula for quality design. I'm not sure what Wight & Co.'s design objectives were for this project, but if they had just started out with an overriding objective to "not make this thing as absolutely ugly as conceivably possible", they would have produced a much better result...

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ I love student housing. Lots of density, few cars, and no future NIMBY's. More, please.

On another note, in that article above they talk about Roosevelt University planning to construct another large dorm on Wabash and Van Buren

Yes, please. And more rental towers as well (also minimal NIMBYism). The housing market's continuing problems only increases the demand for more rental units downtown...

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27843

Site near Merchandise Mart sells for $11.8 million

By Alby Gallun
Jan. 22, 2008

A Texas developer has paid $11.8 million for a property just east of the Merchandise Mart where it plans to build a 32-story apartment tower. San Antonio-based Lynd Co. bought the parcel at 161 W. Kinzie St. on Dec. 20 from Chicago-based developer Sterling Bay Cos., according to documents filed with the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. It would be the first Chicago project for Lynd, which wants to build a high-rise with 263 apartments, 25,000 square feet of retail space and 213 parking spots. Chicago-based architecture firm Valerio Dewalt Train Associates designed the building, which was approved by the Chicago Plan Commission in October.

I had thought 161 W. Kinzie never actually made it to Plan Commission. Does anyone know if it did, or did this reporter get it wrong?

I had heard rumblings a couple months ago that this developer from Texas (Lynd Co.) was walking away from this project, but if they've actually closed on the parcel, I guess that wouldn't be the case, thankfully. Like 1401 S. State, I really like this tower, and always look forward to more VDT downtown!

Also, Steely I know you had asked - this is definitely rental, as I believe that's all the Lynd Co. does - develop, own and operate rental communities...

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

... I always look forward to more VDT downtown!

word.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by spyguy

On Clark and Kinzie they're planning a 10+ story parking garage with retail.

Buzzkill. The only good thing I can say about that is that there could be some cool photo opportunities from the top.

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

Steely, here is the website for Eco18...they have a few renderings on the website:

http://eco18.com/

http://www.eco18.com/views/building.html
They must be using some strange definition of "classic, modern architecture" with which I am unfamiliar. I guess the density and ground-floor retail are nice, though.

[JV_325i]

^Hmmm maybe they are also planning on getting rid of 12 surface lots to make up for it....

[Tom Servo]

can some one help?

what is the height of Leiter II and the Holabird and Roche Depaul building across the street?? thanks.

[Tom In Chicago]

eco18 is pretty cookie cutter schlock. . . send it back to Canada. . .

[the urban politician]

^ No doubt about it.

However, I like that cozy little plaza--I can see something like that getting some use. What's going on in the back of that plaza, though? Is that the parking deck in disguise or is there going to be some retail space there? I imagine that if there were a nice cafe there, we could have ourselves a charming little urban nook

[Mr Downtown]

Leiter II is 133 feet high. Rothschild Bldg is shown on fire insurance maps as 177 feet for north part and 190 feet for south part. I don't know how this might have changed with later elevator penthouses or additions made when it became DePaul Center.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

eco18 is pretty cookie cutter schlock. . . send it back to Canada. . .

They're building TWO of those.

TUP, I believe the little building at the back of the plaza is there to cover up the L tracks, which run behind the site. They may try to attract retail there.

Back of the development:

[Chicago Shawn]

^Yuck, what a pile!


I am almost positive the Chicago Journal render is the correct one, with what appears to be a parking garage across the street. The structure across the street has already begun construction some time ago with a cassion foundation and is presently a massive excavation underway, going down about 40 feet across an area equivilant to nearly two city blocks. I have been meaning to grab some pictures of it.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Taken 1/19/08: