CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by honte

This is great, to have the "eastern Trump" interested in Chicago. But let's hope he takes his design cues from Kelleher, not Trump. In fact, the little render shown in the article makes it look like the design cues are coming from Loewenberg. Seriously, it looks like State Place on steroids.

No kidding. Chicago does not need more Trumps building Dubai style crap. The idea of the development is nice, but it looks like a lose-lose on those other aspects.

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=28199

Reschke brings on team to lease tower
By Andrew Schroedter

"The 1.25-million-square-foot steel and glass tower, scheduled to be completed in 2011, could rank as one of the top "trophy buildings in the city," said Michael Reschke, Prime Group's chairman and CEO."

from LaGrange? BS.

[Chicago2020]

Originally Posted by Mr Roboto

Anyways, I think its great another billionaire foreign investor is still willing to continue this despite the Rezko scandal. He apparently really likes the chicago market. But someone has to tell me what 'bullish' means.

I believe what that means is that if a certain market is bullish, then its a good market. If its a bear market, then its a slow market.

[cbotnyse]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Not hardly

You dont think that photo looks exactly like State Place?

[wrab]

Originally Posted by chicubs111

British tycoon remains bullish on Chicago development


Auchi: Riverside Park project to create 10,000 new construction, retail and commercial jobs; it is a win-win for Chicago.

not much detail about the project but it looks good for chicago never the less.

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=24332

Here's the visual:

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=24332

[ardecila]

I'm less concerned about vehicular access than I am about pedestrian access. What I would greatly desire is a reasonably-wide pedestrian bridge over Clark/Metra tracks at 14th into Dearborn Park. Another pedestrian connection will be created if the St. Charles Air Line is ever turned into a linear park.

[honte]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Not hardly

You're right: "Entirely."

It also reminds me of good ol' WOW - 41 E. 8th atrocity, for instance.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by cbotnyse

You dont think that photo looks exactly like State Place?

I wasn't refering to this developement in particular, I was refering the the comparison between the architecture of the Southloop and River North. There's no comparison.

[cbotnyse]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I wasn't refering to this developement in particular, I was refering the the comparison between the architecture of the Southloop and River North. There's no comparison.

I wasn't comparing the two, I was referring to the lack of diversity certain areas of the neighborhoods have. This render, State Place, 2 E. 8th, Columbian, Roosevelt Collection, (a few other hi rises on south State, cant recall their names) all have very similar designs. Much like a few blocks of River North all have very similar high rises stacked up next to each other.

[harryc]

Started with the arival of a new crane last week





A temporary path

(below)

Now on the sidewalk



Destroying history - the shack from the old surface lot, it had been moved around the site for the last 17 mos



in a happier day ( center )


And then there was steel - this is one day's work.










cold steel

[Loopy]

Originally Posted by cbotnyse

You dont think that photo looks exactly like State Place?

Actually, it looks like Streets of Woodfield. And for a reason too. The architect was Antunovich. Behold their vision for Riverside District:

[spyguy]

^One story buildings...so beautiful.

[Nowhereman1280]

You know, a development like this could actually look really good if they used real materials like brick and stone. I don't mind Postmodernism if they are to scale and use quality materials.

[Mr Roboto]

SO they actually have detailed models of this thing, do you have a link Loopy?

Street level retail is a good thing. The density is excellent. Buildings are kind of ugly. Also I have a hard time envisioning something like this actually built here though. Looks like something straight out of one of those retirement communities in Florida, like Naples. Its a tough site to work with though.

btw, thanks for the explanation chicago2020

[the urban politician]

Great to see Riverside Park making a comeback.

The city will probably ask them to jazz up the architecture a bit, I'm hoping. However, they're letting Roosevelt Collection be built as the brick bore that it is, so perhaps not..

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by ardecila

What I would greatly desire is a reasonably-wide pedestrian bridge over Clark/Metra tracks at 14th into Dearborn Park.

Do you realize that would be 30 feet in the air? Think how long the approaches would have to be.

[Loopy]

Originally Posted by Mr Roboto

SO they actually have detailed models of this thing, do you have a link Loopy?

Street level retail is a good thing. The density is excellent. Buildings are kind of ugly. Also I have a hard time envisioning something like this actually built here though. Looks like something straight out of one of those retirement communities in Florida, like Naples. Its a tough site to work with though.

The renders are from Antunovich's website which is 100% Flash so no deep linking is possible.

http://www.antunovich.com/

Click: Projects, then Mixed Use/Retail.

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Great to see Riverside Park making a comeback.

I really doubt that anything at all is happening with this project. The article was likely just a P.R piece comissioned by Auchi to clear his name in the Rezko affair.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Loopy

Actually, it looks like Streets of Woodfield. And for a reason too. The architect was Antunovich. Behold their vision for Riverside District:

I don't think we'll see Riverside Park beginning for a long, long time.........several issues at play here - this guy seems to have some sort of ties to Rezko - I don't think he will ultimately have anything to do with developing any part of the parcel, as it would presumably need to go before the city again for something - be it an Amended PD, TIF funding for infrastructure or something else - with question marks surrounding him and his ties to Rezko, I don't see it happening. Also, the condo market is really, really, really bad right now - Crain's reported today that Appraisal Research counted a grand total of 13 new construction condo unit contracts signed last weekend downtown. That is unbelievably poor - it won't be time anytime soon to launch a huge brand new community downtown which would presumably be driven by a majority condo component. My guess is that this character is just blowing smoke - he'll probably wait out the condo downturn (which could be quite a wait), and will sell the land either whole or more likely in pieces when the market does finally rebound. And finally, this is very good news that Riverside Park will not be happening anytime soon - I'd rather developers concentrate on building dense apartment and hotel, and retail (and the few new condo towers that will meet the market with success) infill in already-developed portions of the South Loop with high-quality design - the design in these new collection of renderings is absolutely horrific - as bad as or worse than anything we had previously seen from Hack Antunovich....

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Do you realize that would be 30 feet in the air? Think how long the approaches would have to be.

Not if the approaches were replaced with small buildings containing stairs and elevators. I'm not as concerned with bikers as I am with regular pedestrians.

Of course, there's no chance in hell of Dearborn Park going for this, but there NEEDS to be some kind of access across the Metra tracks. A new crossing less than half a block from Roosevelt is worthless, and the St. Charles Air Line may never become available if CN is blocked in its suburban expansions.

Something like this planned bridge in Denver:

[SamInTheLoop]

Awesome shots Harry. It's about time for steel at this project!
To me, always one of the most exciting stages for a construction project: to see the first steel beams rising from the ground

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=28199

Reschke brings on team to lease tower
By Andrew Schroedter

Prime Group Inc. has tapped veteran landlord reps Nancy Fendley and James Philbin to market a Lucien Lagrange-designed office tower planned for the West Loop.

Their hiring marks the beginning of the Chicago-based Prime Group's push to land a big-name tenant at the proposed 50-story high-rise at 400 W. Randolph St.

I definitely understand Shawn's point about keeping great Near-West Loop sites available for office development, but I'm still bothered by the decision to switch from the apartment-hotel scheme. I thought that was just the right fit and mixes the land-use up in the area. I share concerns about increasing NIMBYism, but realistically I don't think Chicago will ever approach a Boston or San Francisco in terms of the level (hopefully I'm not being naively optimistic)... Also, I liked the fact that DeStefano was designing the 2 tower apt/hotel scheme whereas another local architect (not the globally-renowned architect that he is quite rediculously often portrayed as) that I personally love to hate - Lucien Lagrange - is the new designer for the single office tower. I have pretty low expectations because of his involvement. It's especially sickening what Honte recently mentioned - the firing of the only talented designers in his shop. Who is he without them? Just a silly, sentimental pomo hack, really.

At any rate, I may be a bit biased about the switch from apartment/hotel to office - as I live in the general area, I want as much additional nighttime population/street activity as possible, generating of course more restaurants, retail, services (all with longer hours of course), and just energy in general........oh well, there will be lots of other opportunities........then again, Reschke may not be able to land a tenant, which wouldn't surprise me, and then he may go back to the drawing board as far as scheme, or sell to another developer.....we shall see...