CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5 - Page 295

LA21st · #**5881** Posted **Feb 12, 2008, 6:16 PM**

There is a rendering on Sheridan between Foster and Devon for another highrise thats not 5440/Bluewater. Looked to be 15-20 stories.

Nowhereman1280 · #**5882** Posted **Feb 12, 2008, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA21st

There is a rendering on Sheridan between Foster and Devon for another highrise thats not 5440/Bluewater. Looked to be 15-20 stories.

I believe that is at Catalpa and Sheridan and its not that tall, I believe it is like 10 floors. Ride by it on the 147 twice a week on my way to work.

Breezyfingers · #**5883** Posted **Feb 12, 2008, 11:46 PM**

OMP and the Columbian, which I think looks it's best from this direction.

honte · #**5884** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 1:14 AM**

According to YoChicago, 565 W. Quincy is now U/C.

Dan in Chicago · #**5885** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 6:17 AM**

^ That's old news, honte

. Emporis had it long ago, and Steely already updated the list.

honte · #**5886** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 6:42 AM**

^ Sorry. I am so desperate to get the scoop around here.

My connection speed doesn't allow me to see page 1, unfortunately, but I'll check emporis next time. Sorry about that - I thought I had remembered you posting that it looked like it might "start soon."

_____________

An article about the 535 St. Clair Hotel Proposal

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=28171

Developer switches to hotel in Streeterville
By Alby Gallun

(Crain’s) — A Chicago developer has dropped plans for a 300-unit condominium tower in Streeterville and wants to build a $200-million, 498-room hotel there instead.

...

While the [SOAR] organization would prefer that the project include a parking garage below ground rather than above it and thinks the proposed tower is too close to a condo building next door, it doesn’t plan to oppose the development, says SOAR President Gail Spreen.

“We don’t feel there’s enough there to say no, don’t build it,” she says.

the urban politician · #**5887** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 2:55 PM**

^ That article also mentions that the hotel will buy all its 'time share units', thus there is no need for dreadedly slow hotel-condo sales (plus it won't add more hotel condos to the market, hopefully allowing the existing projects to continue selling).

Regarding the article below, is this the site where there's a decent Thai restaurant? I always kind of liked this little building, if it's the site I was talking about:

Feb. 13, 2008
By Eddie Baeb
Loyola buys property adjacent to Water Tower campus
(Crain’s) — Loyola University Chicago is buying a small commercial building and adjacent parking lot at the northwest corner of Chicago Avenue and State Street for about $40 million.

The acquisition, which is expected to close this week, would give Loyola a 61,470-square-foot site that could be used in future years for expansion of its Water Tower campus.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=28174

VivaLFuego · #**5888** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 3:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Loyola buys property adjacent to Water Tower campus
(Crain’s) — Loyola University Chicago is buying a small commercial building and adjacent parking lot at the northwest corner of Chicago Avenue and State Street for about $40 million.

I would love, love, love for that parking lot to get developed, so this is generally good news; however that corner building at Chicago/State is really charming and in good shape. It'd be nice if a new development could somehow preserve that, but I realize it's doubtful. If Loyola plans something really awesome, I suppose it could be a worthwhile loss. Now just deal with the entire vacant block accross the street...

i_am_hydrogen · #**5889** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 3:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

If Loyola plans something really awesome, I suppose it could be a worthwhile loss. Now just deal with the entire vacant block accross the street...

I sincerely hope this building doesn't become yet another casualty in the gradual attrition of River North's historic soul. Besides, I don't think Loyola's recent construction projects give any indication that we'll be seeing something "really awesome." Everything they've done up to this point has been pretty bland, and that's putting it euphemistically.

Nowhereman1280 · #**5890** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 4:02 PM**

Let me chime in about this Loyola purchase. This lot is a long term investment and will probably not see anything close to development within the next 5 years. The next phase of the Water Tower expansion is to tear down the buildings to the west of 26 E. Pearson and build another highrise with more housing and classrooms and student amenities. I would expect that this new lot will come after that.

I completely disagree with you Hydrogen. Looking at the buildings that Loyola has constructed in Recent years they have all been very high quality and progressive designs. Sure, Baumhart residence hall isn't the flashiest building ever, but I think its a really good looking building. The Clare isn't really Loyola's project, we are just getting the bottom floors. For those of you who do not live in the area, Loyola's newest addition, the Information Commons at Lakeshore campus has turned out absolutely stunning. I know its quite the statement, but this building has completely restored my faith that Loyola can do something and do it right without screwing around with all sorts of bureaucracy and wasting time and money.

After seeing the progressive and quality designs Loyola has been commissioning lately, you can expect something relatively stunning for this new site when it does get developed.

I will try and get up there and take some pictures inside and out for you all to see.

As soon as I can get more knowledge about Loyola's next Water Tower highrise I will post it here.

the urban politician · #**5891** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 4:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

^ This thing's a goner. I just have a hunch...

dvidler · #**5892** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 4:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

The next phase of the Water Tower expansion is to tear down the buildings to the west of 26 E. Pearson and build another highrise with more housing and classrooms and student amenities. I would expect that this new lot will come after that.

Can anyone give details on what is currently located "west" of 26 E. Pearson?

emathias · #**5893** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 4:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

I would love, love, love for that parking lot to get developed, so this is generally good news; however that corner building at Chicago/State is really charming and in good shape. It'd be nice if a new development could somehow preserve that, but I realize it's doubtful. If Loyola plans something really awesome, I suppose it could be a worthwhile loss. Now just deal with the entire vacant block accross the street...

What I'd love to see happen is for the city to buy the entire block and turn the buildings on the western half into some sort of museum or other cultural center, bolstered with small-scale modern buildings on the NW and SW corners to "bracket" the older buildings along Dearborn then bury parking for the church and other Catholic buildings across the street (could even run a pedestrian underpass to the east side of state) and turn the upper level into a very attractive central square type of facility, with the European-style open-air markets that Daley has always talked about in the summertime. In the winter, you could have a smaller, secondary winter market (like Christkindelmart, but not German) type thing, or something along those lines with just food and local, non-German gifts/crafts. You have all the makings of a great public square with a church on one side, that beautiful YMCA building, the massive (though ugly) 1 W Superior thing, and if Loyola made a nicely-scaled modern building on that parking lot they just bought, all the better.

Normally, I'd say the proximity to the Red Line stop should yield high-density development, but I think cultural centers on the west side, plus a well-planned public square right off the Red Line stop would be a great use in this particular location.

Nowhereman1280 · #**5894** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 5:03 PM**

^^^ I completely agree, that would be a great spot for some openspace. Unfortunately I think its far too valuable for this use and will never see use as an open space.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvidler

Can anyone give details on what is currently located "west" of 26 E. Pearson?

From east to west along pearson: A two story building that is not owned by Loyola and refuses to sell (I can guarantee this person will never sell), A three story building that is occupied by some special Law program at Loyola, A three Story building with apartments and a hair stylist in the ground floor. A three story building with apartments and a bar on the bottom.

Then going north from the last building along state, Loyola's mail center, The old Loyola Bookstore which has been abandoned for about a year by Loyola, then there is a parking lot for the remainder of the block.

spyguy · #**5895** Posted **Feb 13, 2008, 10:05 PM**

http://chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=28170

Retail REIT buys vacant building on Michigan Ave.
By Thomas A. Corfman

Better known as a strip mall owner, Kimco Realty Corp. has purchased a vacant, 12-story office building on a forlorn stretch of North Michigan Avenue, between the Chicago River and Randolph Street.

An affiliate of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Kimco bought 168 N. Michigan Ave. for $13 million from a joint venture that includes Mercantile Capital Group LLC, according to property records filed Jan. 16 with the Cook County Recorder of Deeds.

Chi_Coruscant · #**5896** Posted **Feb 14, 2008, 2:29 AM**

^In this article, the previous developer planned either to renovate this building or to redevelop as a hotel but nothing's came out of fruition. Instead, they flipped it at higher price. Hopefully, Kimco would not repeat the history. This place really needs to be redeveloped for the sake of foot traffic flow between Millenium Park and Mag Mile shopping district.

dvidler · #**5897** Posted **Feb 14, 2008, 2:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

From east to west along pearson: A two story building that is not owned by Loyola and refuses to sell (I can guarantee this person will never sell), A three story building that is occupied by some special Law program at Loyola, A three Story building with apartments and a hair stylist in the ground floor. A three story building with apartments and a bar on the bottom.

Then going north from the last building along state, Loyola's mail center, The old Loyola Bookstore which has been abandoned for about a year by Loyola, then there is a parking lot for the remainder of the block.

Are these buildings valuable for the neighborhood, etc?

Tom Servo · #**5898** Posted **Feb 14, 2008, 3:19 AM**

*http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=28171
that's a very nice looking building! i love B + L and want to see more more more!

Nowhereman1280 · #**5899** Posted **Feb 14, 2008, 3:46 AM**

^^^ Weren't you just complaining about this design a few weeks ago? Or was that Alliance or someone...

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvidler

Are these buildings valuable for the neighborhood, etc?

The one directly west of 26 E. Pearson is historically significant, for details ask honte, but that one is in no danger of being torn down since it is owned and occupied by someone who has an appreciation of Arichitecture and history and refuses to sell.

The three buildings west of that are nice, historic bulidings, but in somewhat questionable shape and aren't anything special or worth raising a fuss about. They are similar to the corner building that just got bought by LUC today, except lower quality and in worse shape.

The Loyola Mail Center and the Old Loyola Bookstore are both unquestionably detriments to the neighborhood and need to be torn down sooner rather than later. They were both either built or rennovated in the 60's or 70's and are really bland, ugly, and in awful shape. Like I said before the Bookstore isn't even in use anymore, its been abandoned for more than a year. The sooner these two are gone and replaced by a nice new Loyola tower, the better.

Tom Servo · #**5900** Posted **Feb 14, 2008, 4:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ Weren't you just complaining about this design a few weeks ago? Or was that Alliance or someone...

wasn't me... i've liked this building since the first drawing we saw a few weeks back.