CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainm...jan27,1,7778342.story?ctrack=8&cset=true

ARCHITECTURE

A gallery of rogues

For every gem produced by the long-running building boom, there are even more clunkers

By Blair Kamin | TRIBUNE CRITIC
January 27, 2008

There is the ideal Chicago, the showcase city glimpsed on the Chicago River boat tour that glides past the Wrigley Building and other glorious skyscrapers. And then there is the real Chicago, a Dickensian construction zone where it is simultaneously the best and the worst of times.

What I would be very interested to see would be a companion piece from Kamin highlighting 5-10 very good and great buildings that have gone up since 2000. As many have opined on these pages before, I think you'll always have mediocre and worse buildings be the norm throughout most if not all building boom periods....obviously this is a very generalized statement, and you can certainly pick out specific periods where an abnormally high proportion of buildings completed were quite good or quite bad. For the latter, I'm specifically thinking of the 1999-2003 period....

[Marcu]

Originally Posted by BVictor1
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...ck=8&cset=true

ARCHITECTURE

A gallery of rogues

For every gem produced by the long-running building boom, there are even more clunkers

By Blair Kamin | TRIBUNE CRITIC
January 27, 2008

There is the ideal Chicago, the showcase city glimpsed on the Chicago River boat tour that glides past the Wrigley Building and other glorious skyscrapers. And then there is the real Chicago, a Dickensian construction zone where it is simultaneously the best and the worst of times.

Both Sherman Plaza in Evanston and Grand Plaza in River North are awful but at least for those living in the area, they provide much needed retail, restaurants, and in the case of Sherman Plaza a gym. Sherman Plaza also made downtown Evanston a lot more vibrant. The real POS buildings are those that have awful design and provide no descernable benefit to those living around it such as the Museum Park Complex. Kamin seems to forget that architecture is a matter of both design and function. I'll take a weaker design that dramatically improves my access to services over a middle of the road design that is effectively a vertical suburbanized subdivision like some of the new construction in the south loop (see Museum Park Place).

[pasadenabinks]

Very well said!! I agree COMPLETELY!!!!

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by Marcu

Both Sherman Plaza in Evanston and Grand Plaza in River North are awful but at least for those living in the area, they provide much needed retail, restaurants, and in the case of Sherman Plaza a gym. Sherman Plaza also made downtown Evanston a lot more vibrant. The real POS buildings are those that have awful design and provide no descernable benefit to those living around it such as the Museum Park Complex. Kamin seems to forget that architecture is a matter of both design and function. I'll take a weaker design that dramatically improves my access to services over a middle of the road design that is effectively a vertical suburbanized subdivision like some of the new construction in the south loop (see Museum Park Place).

Agree 100%. Grand Plaza aesthetically may be nothing more than two vertical turds with gray pubic hairs sprouting from the top, but I use the Jewel all the time and know residents of the area who shop there almost exclusively. The density plus the services have really enlivened the surroundings. Ditto for Sherman Plaza.

[BVictor1]

I stopped by the X/O sales center yesterday, and I was told that they are more than 50% sold on both towers. They said that sales did start to pick back up after the whole PDNA issue was settled. It was also mentioned that they wanted to begin demolition of the building that's currently on site someime in May or June of this year. Finally it appears that they have seen some interest from international buyers and they attributed this to the Chicago Spire. Prices at the Spire are like $1,500 per square foot on average, but the X/O average is around $500 - $800 per quare foot.

[Alliance]

Excellent News on X/O

[Mr Roboto]

Woohoo! Take that PDNA.

The international interest is a twist I hadnt thought of. I wonder if there are a lot of other developments that are also getting some fallout interest because of the spire.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ If the Spire proves to be successful, you can count on a whole lot more international buyers to enter the market as the rich foreigners tell their friends how beautiful Chicago is and how it has such great shopping and cultural attractions. Can you imagine the foreign elite saying "oh we are going on vacation in Chicago for a month, would you like to join us?" to their friends. Many friends would probably be so impressed by our city that they would consider buying here themselves! Then factor in a possible publicity the Olympics would bring and Chicago could quickly become a global hot spot!

[Chicago2020]

^^^Exactly. Great News on XO

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ If the Spire proves to be successful, you can count on a whole lot more international buyers to enter the market as the rich foreigners tell their friends how beautiful Chicago is and how it has such great shopping and cultural attractions. Can you imagine the foreign elite saying "oh we are going on vacation in Chicago for a month, would you like to join us?" to their friends. Many friends would probably be so impressed by our city that they would consider buying here themselves! Then factor in a possible publicity the Olympics would bring and Chicago could quickly become a global hot spot!

No offense, but this post kind of makes me want to puke.

Do we really crave the affirmation of the foreign jet setter set that badly?

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

No offense, but this post kind of makes me want to puke.

Do we really crave the affirmation of the foreign jet setter set that badly?

wrong thread for that discussion, guys.

this thread is exclusively for discussion of highrise projects in chicagoland. if you want to discuss international jet-setters, go to a different thread.

[Chitown]

Originally Posted by TowerGuy37

officially now known and renamed SLOW-MO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As Trump tops out perhaps SLOW-MO will all be cuaght up!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL, that's perfect! From here on out, I will always remember it as "slow-mo."

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

No offense, but this post kind of makes me want to puke.

Do we really crave the affirmation of the foreign jet setter set that badly?

I'll discuss this with you in some other thread if you like, but my short answer is Yes. Let me know if you want to go elsewhere with this, I have a different analysis you may find interesting.

[spyguy]

http://www.globest.com/news/1081_1081/chicago/167803-1.html

Sterling Plans Renovations to 300 W. Adams
By Gina Kenny

The building was constructed in 1928 and includes approximately 21,000 sf of retail. “It is a superb location next to the Sears Tower and AT&T [Corporate Center],” Goodman says. The project will include the renovation of the main lobby and entrance, including the addition of a grand canopy. Common corridors will be upgraded, elevator cabs will be replaced and sprinklers will be installed in the building. The owners also plan to add green-roof landscaping and energy-efficient insulated windows. “Even though it is a vintage building from the outside, it is going to be very updated,” Goodman says. Renovations are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter. Architecture and design firm Booth Hansen, based here, will be the architect for the renovation.

[ardecila]

Looks awesome! I love that building, but I thought it was a goner, since it's a midget compared to its neighbors. Good to see that a renovation plan has been chosen instead. Once several million is invested to modernize the building, the incentive to demolish will be far less.

Fun fact - this is the only office building ever designed by Jens Jensen, who is best known as the Prairie School landscape designer responsible for Garfield, Humboldt, and Columbus Park, as well as much of the boulevard system.

[lalucedm]

Is that little canopy shown on the rendering supposed to be the "grand canopy"?

[BVictor1]

1600 Museum Park 01/27/08

[2PRUROCKS!]

Grant Park Advisory Council and Grant Park Conservancy public meeting

Monday, February 11, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. (location TBA but on Grant Park)

Parkitecture 2008

Grant Park's rapidly-changing Michigan Avenue Streetwall (Historic Michigan Boulevard District)

We will have a thorough presentation about the streetwall and the many new plans and changes as well as the progress of those projects under construction. We will include new Wabash Avenue high-rises as well.



Six years ago next month, the City of Chicago designated Grant Park's Michigan Avenue streetwall a Chicago Landmark. It comprises buildings designed by such great architects as: Adler & Sullivan, Burnham, Holabird & Roche, Marshall & Fox, Cobb, Beman, Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, and Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge. It is one of the world's most-recognized architecture walls framing the increasingly rejuvenated and world-class Grant Park .



There have been many positive changes to the streetwall but there are also deteriorating buildings or those not realizing their potential, even an empty lot and a large, but closed, historic theater. What can we do to encourage and support more adaptive re-use and other development in this slower real estate market to create a more lively, energized district and thus Grant Park?


Thank you for your interest and participation.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by Dan in Chicago

I forgot to mention, a construction worker at 565 Quincy told me the tower would start rising from the roof of the loft building in a matter of days. Technically this started construction a hundred years ago, and has just been on hold since then .

So what constitutes under construction for this one, as I see Emporis still lists it as approved? I believe there is steel rising on the corner of Jackson and Jefferson.

[harryc]

401 N Clark, another surface lot in danger ( lower left )


Lunch time at 353 N Clark


OMP ( so windy it was hard to get a good shot )


Roosevelt area