CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5 - Page 352

Dan in Chicago · #**7021** Posted **May 8, 2008, 4:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

Dan in Chicago, as a resident of this neck of the woods, would you be able send a letter of support for this one?

I'll be glad to, but I'd like to see what it looks like first. I wouldn't support it if the architecture were lousy. But I have no problem with 30 floors or more, and I live about a minute's walk from the site.

BVictor1 · #**7022** Posted **May 8, 2008, 4:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

So are we ever gonna see this Central Station plan or what???

I was going to post them, but I haven't received the information yet.

BVictor1 · #**7023** Posted **May 8, 2008, 4:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

So Preckwinkle won't support the project until the developer has financing in place. Anybody have suggestions on how to secure financing for a large real estate development without entitlements? I'm sure the developer could use them, so send along...

I don't see how you can secure financing without selling units. Seems ass backwords.

Hopefully they will come up with a stunning design that will change peoples minds.

Eventually...Chicago · #**7024** Posted **May 8, 2008, 6:00 PM**

Sorry guys, my bad on the gateway renderings. I just sent them to ^^^^.

BVictor1 · #**7025** Posted **May 8, 2008, 6:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eventually...Chicago

Sorry guys, my bad on the gateway renderings. I just sent them to ^^^^.

Thanks,

Here you go...

Steely Dan · #**7026** Posted **May 8, 2008, 6:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Thanks,

Here you go...

uh-oh, the PDNA goof-balls are gonna go bat-shit insane when they see those. with fioretti in power i think we can safely file these away under "pipedream".

BVictor1 · #**7027** Posted **May 8, 2008, 7:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

uh-oh, the PDNA goof-balls are gonna go bat-shit insane when they see those. with fioretti in power i think we can safely file these away under "pipedream".

Possibly,

But with the prospects of an Olympic Village and even garunteed development of the MR Hospital site even if we don't get the games, and the redevelopment plans of Lake Meadows, I think that Fioretti might clash with the Mayor on the lakefront plans.

What's funny about the plans is that I don't see OMP E & W and the Grant Park Towers

VivaLFuego · #**7028** Posted **May 8, 2008, 8:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Possibly,

But with the prospects of an Olympic Village and even garunteed development of the MR Hospital site even if we don't get the games, and the redevelopment plans of Lake Meadows, I think that Fioretti might clash with the Mayor on the lakefront plans.

What's funny about the plans is that I don't see OMP E & W and the Grant Park Towers

^ OMP E/W and GP 3/4 are pretty clearly in the top rendering, though GP 3/4 are rather obscured.

I suspect Steely's take is right, or to the extent that things do get built here, the parking ratios will be so laughable that any hope for streetlife resulting from the density will be shot. If the density itself gets attacked, then there wouldn't be enough margin on the towers to pay for the costly decking-over of the tracks to begin with, and the whole thing could die.

Using OMPE as a benchmark, that tall tower at around 16th street is what, maybe 800-900ft tall? PDNA hath shit bricks...

ardecila · #**7029** Posted **May 8, 2008, 8:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

If the density itself gets attacked, then there wouldn't be enough margin on the towers to pay for the costly decking-over of the tracks to begin with, and the whole thing could die.

Possibly, but the elevated pedestrian walkway over LSD to Northerly Island is part of the Olympic plans, and it includes at least some small decking of the tracks.

If we do get the Olympics, the mayor might shove the walkway down the South Loop's throat - or they might even welcome it as more "greenspace". Since this isn't strictly connected to the Olympics, and provides a valuable service afterwards, public funds might be used to build it (TIF, maybe, or CMAQ grants).

wrab · #**7030** Posted **May 8, 2008, 10:11 PM**

The greenspace over LSD is.....intriguing. Like a sort of from-scratch High Line.

chibuddy16 · #**7031** Posted **May 8, 2008, 10:49 PM**

wait are these rendering for a newly proposed project? and how tall will these buildings be, most of them look rather tall

Chicago2020 · #**7032** Posted **May 9, 2008, 12:13 AM**

wow...where did those renderings come from???

i like the idea of greening almost everything including McCormick, LSD and the tracks at Grant

Kngkyle · #**7033** Posted **May 9, 2008, 12:31 AM**

I think I see some giant spires on those towers. Alliance is gonna flip shit.

I'm sure these are just preliminary plans and the outcome will likely look nothing like those if they are even built. Getting the olympics would likely be a big boost for this though.

the urban politician · #**7034** Posted **May 9, 2008, 1:06 AM**

Too towers-in-a-park-ish for me.

Yeah yeah, Honte and others, streetgrids and streetwalls are so cliche and 1920, but whatever. Towers in a park don't do it for me and I don't think they work well in an urban environment, at least at this large of a scale.

BVictor1 · #**7035** Posted **May 9, 2008, 1:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Too towers-in-a-park-ish for me.

Yeah yeah, Honte and others, streetgrids and streetwalls are so cliche and 1920, but whatever. Towers in a park don't do it for me and I don't think they work well in an urban environment, at least at this large of a scale.

I think that you are partially correct, but if the developers do a better job of trying to add and activate some light retail into the development, it could be quite successful. I also think that more events need to be held at Soldier Field during the summer. This will help activate the area, I've seen how much the current green space is used in Central Station, with thousands of new residential units built I don't think to would be a major problem.

jjk1103 · #**7036** Posted **May 9, 2008, 2:35 AM**

....not to change the subject too radically......but....... what is going on with Joffrey Tower ? the top 10 floors have no glass and it seems like it has been that way forever ? ....has work on the building stopped ?

schwerve · #**7037** Posted **May 9, 2008, 3:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Too towers-in-a-park-ish for me.

Yeah yeah, Honte and others, streetgrids and streetwalls are so cliche and 1920, but whatever. Towers in a park don't do it for me and I don't think they work well in an urban environment, at least at this large of a scale.

completely agree, needs streetgrid on some level to make it work as an extension of the south loop, not an idle location with good views, an actual part of the city, but as a general concept I'm all for it, although it'd be cheaper to tear down mccormick place east than it would be to green roof it, I don't know what's going on there, maybe somebody's kid got a little crazy with the green crayon. as well I assume those are massings and not actual design...

ardecila · #**7038** Posted **May 9, 2008, 3:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk1103

....not to change the subject too radically......but....... what is going on with Joffrey Tower ? the top 10 floors have no glass and it seems like it has been that way forever ? ....has work on the building stopped ?

Picture from January... the top floors have all their glass, from what I can see. I believe the center section on the front and side are balconies, so they don't have glass....

picture by harryc

ardecila · #**7039** Posted **May 9, 2008, 3:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by schwerve

completely agree, needs streetgrid on some level to make it work as an extension of the south loop, not an idle location with good views, an actual part of the city, but as a general concept I'm all for it, although it'd be cheaper to tear down mccormick place east than it would be to green roof it, I don't know what's going on there, maybe somebody's kid got a little crazy with the green crayon. as well I assume those are massings and not actual design...

I don't even think a streetgrid is possible from an engineering perspective... the streets in the South Loop are at the same height as the tracks, and LSD is elevated up above. When you build a platform over the tracks for the towers, there will be a sharp change in height between the platform and the streets in Central Station. I think the best we can hope for is maybe an elevated street running above and parallel to the tracks, with towers on either side.

I don't even know where they can stash parking within the site. The few towers built above tracks in Chicago, NY, Cleveland, and a few other cities are all office - they require no on-site parking, or at least no parking built above the tracks. Maybe if Metra moves their maintenance facility elsewhere, then the free land can be used for a garage...

As for a green roof on McCormick Place... the closest thing that we'll see in our lifetimes is green paint. Perhaps certain portions of the roof with conventional supporting columns can be planted, but not the vast majority.

Tom Servo · #**7040** Posted **May 9, 2008, 4:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk1103

....not to change the subject too radically......but....... what is going on with Joffrey Tower ? the top 10 floors have no glass and it seems like it has been that way forever ? ....has work on the building stopped ?

did you read kamin's wonderful article a short while ago? this tower is almost done. and a stunner architecturally too.

when i saw the building two days ago they're finishing installing the aesthetic fins and finishing the interiors.