CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Larger rendering of 111 W. Chestnut

Very nice. The only "downside" of this one was that its two residences per floor, so about 40 units. Still, a big improvement over the empty lot there now. Also an improvement over the public-works-post-office-turned-gang-infested-cineplex-odeon that predated the gravel lot. Aesthetically, I couldn't have asked for more. Also, even about 60 new residents, if they are high-income/high-consumption, can do alot to support area retail (restaurants, spas, grocery, western union check-cashing, etc.)

Perhaps at two residences per floor, it will be easier to get the project off the ground due to submarket conditions. However, I'm skeptical of that logic given the glut of high-end product on the market, and the fact that the Ritz residences (probably a close competitor to this project) barely squeaked through with pre-sales to get financing. So unless the developer is going in with tons of equity to build a rental project, or the price points will be very aggressively low on a per-square-foot basis, I have my doubts about feasibility.

[Tom Servo]

...

[Tom Servo]

btw, 235 w van buren is one of my new favorite buildings u/c... i think it'll turn out to be an absolute stunner just like the other exposed concrete buildings stunners of late such as, vetro, contemporaine, 1620 s michigan, and so on...

[Tom Servo]

does anyone else agree that hpa's latest towers really fall apart at the base?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Very nice. The only "downside" of this one was that its two residences per floor, so about 40 units. Still, a big improvement over the empty lot there now. Also an improvement over the public-works-post-office-turned-gang-infested-cineplex-odeon that predated the gravel lot. Aesthetically, I couldn't have asked for more. Also, even about 60 new residents, if they are high-income/high-consumption, can do alot to support area retail (restaurants, spas, grocery, western union check-cashing, etc.)

Perhaps at two residences per floor, it will be easier to get the project off the ground due to submarket conditions. However, I'm skeptical of that logic given the glut of high-end product on the market, and the fact that the Ritz residences (probably a close competitor to this project) barely squeaked through with pre-sales to get financing. So unless the developer is going in with tons of equity to build a rental project, or the price points will be very aggressively low on a per-square-foot basis, I have my doubts about feasibility.

^ Damn! Why weren't good projects like this, Soltice on the Park, W=A, and that other one in east Streeterville along LSD (forgetting the name, but not the Spire) put on the market 2 years ago when it was still hot? It annoys me that all of the ugly crap got built early but just as our standards are improving we're in a glut.

[Cbautz]

I love this photo!

[cbotnyse]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

btw, 235 w van buren is one of my new favorite buildings u/c... i think it'll turn out to be an absolute stunner just like the other exposed concrete buildings stunners of late such as, vetro, contemporaine, 1620 s michigan, and so on...

what do you think of 111 chestnut?

^^ excellent photo cbautz

[aaron38]

I'd like to see a render of 111 Chestnut with the surrounding buildings. I'm not thrilled with the base, not sure it's going to integrate well.
But the tower is very interesting and should look good regardless of what's around it.

Originally Posted by Cbautz

I love this photo!

Thanks!

[the urban politician]

^ You don't like the base?

So you prefer the 5-story blank wall, or better yet, the 5-story prettied-up, decorated box with opaque windows? Yeah, that's the 'Chicago vernacular', that's what we need more of

[cbotnyse]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ You don't like the base?

So you prefer the 5-story blank wall, or better yet, the 5-story prettied-up, decorated box with opaque windows? Yeah, that's the 'Chicago vernacular', that's what we need more of

exactly what I was going to say.

[honte]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

does anyone else agree that hpa's latest towers really fall apart at the base?

It's not integrated very well, and the little side flares don't make much sense, but it doesn't bother me at all. Compositionally, it looks great, I'd say.

[VivaLFuego]

Base looks great to me.

[Eventually...Chicago]

Originally Posted by honte

It's not integrated very well, and the little side flares don't make much sense, but it doesn't bother me at all. Compositionally, it looks great, I'd say.

I agree with honte, the base is a little awkward. (obviously when compared to other bases, this one is awesome) The whole building has a nice, elegant orthogonal presence to it but again, the angles seem a bit foreign. Also, the base appears a bit out of scale to the whole building, but i think the rendering is playing some tricks on us here.

Overall, it seems to be a very well-proportioned, clean building. I wonder a little about the execution of the vertical "compartments". They never seem to read quite as strong once built. Either way, a fine addition. It almost has a more contemporary corbusian feel to it, in certain areas.

[aaron38]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ You don't like the base?
So you prefer the 5-story blank wall, or better yet, the 5-story prettied-up, decorated box with opaque windows? Yeah, that's the 'Chicago vernacular', that's what we need more of

How about none of the above?
I don't know, it's still just a tower on a pedestal, which I hate, cause it kills the streetwall, and doesn't feel urban.
This is a better pedestal than most, I'll grant that.
But still, I'd prefer something that felt integrated with itself and its environment. The base and tower are like two different designs thrown together by committee.

[VivaLFuego]

I agree the streetwall could be majorly improved by wrapping the base in townhomes....

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

I agree the streetwall could be majorly improved by wrapping the base in townhomes....

huh...

[aaron38]

Upon further review, I retract my objection about the streetwall. There isn't much that can be done.
There's an alley between the site and the building to the west, so there's a gap anyway. And I don't think this goes all the way to the building on the south.

[Jibba]

This is an image I took on 5/14 of the site, and considering that there is drive-through, one-story bank just behind the site, I think any minor quibbles about the base are the least of the concerns for the surrounding area. This development would do wonders for the vicinity around the site.

[VivaLFuego]

Replacing:
http://198.173.15.21/AssessorPics/GeoSpan/17044480190000.jpg

[a chicago bearcat]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Replacing:
http://198.173.15.21/AssessorPics/GeoSpan/17044480190000.jpg

I remember when I was a kid there were a whole bunch of these cineplex odeons, but the only one left is the remaining half of the lincoln village theatres, and I'm not even sure those will last the decade

but yes, the area around lasalle south of chestnut, north of erie, east of franklin, and west of dearborn is pretty spotty. It would be one of my ideal places to invest in land for the next boom, because it's equidistant between two transit lines, has a nice park to the north, a proposed park as part of the 2020 plan, and some decent development that is going up right now.

in 3 years they could call this ChiLaS the intersection of Chicago and LaSalle
but that would be lame, so lets throw up a project on lasalle halfway between the redline and brown line and call it MAROONed, because it'll still be surrounded by unrehabbed apartment buildings and a plethora of bad low density land useage .