CHICAGO | Boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v5 - Page 400

Mr Roboto · #**7981** Posted **Jul 14, 2008, 7:06 PM**

^I think there was also a little 5-6 story red brick building they took down next door, if i remember correctly.

i_am_hydrogen · #**7982** Posted **Jul 14, 2008, 11:55 PM**

Taken 7/13:

aaron38 · #**7983** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 12:12 AM**

I remember the SoNo website said that all the land around it was downzoned so that this would alway be the tallest in that area - unobstructed views and all. Is that still true, or will this be a highrise district eventually?

SolarWind · #**7984** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 1:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Roboto

^I think there was also a little 5-6 story red brick building they took down next door, if i remember correctly.

February 21, 2007

Haworthia · #**7985** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 1:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron38

I remember the SoNo website said that all the land around it was downzoned so that this would alway be the tallest in that area - unobstructed views and all. Is that still true, or will this be a highrise district eventually?

Regardless if it's true, I don't believe any sort of zoning is ever permanent. I think the area will fill in eventually.

johnandahalf · #**7986** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 2:28 AM**

After a couple of years of following the progress of Spire, Trump, etc., and after weeks of whining about wanting to visit Chicago, I'm comin' for a day.

I have a friend at 200 E Delaware (directly NE of Hancock), but just in case, I also reserved a room at the Club Quarters on West Adams at South Clark. Can anyone tell me if that was a mistake? I'm not familiar enough with the loop to know if the hotel is nice or scary. Help?

I only have one full day (Sunday before Labor Day), and there's a lot of ground to cover. Gotta take pics of the Water tower, Spire/Aqua/Trump/300N LaSalle/Waterview, Grant Park (Jazz Fest), Bean/Crown Fountain, Agora, OMP, Shedd, and Adler. If there's time, I'd like to hit the obs deck in Sears. It seems to me a guy could make it from Hancock to OMP & back on a nice day. Am I crazy? I looked into renting a Segway, but could only find "tours" and not just rentals.

Okay...so those are the sights I wanna see. There's just one other thing. FOOD. Where can I go, in the Loop, that is uniquely Chicago? I'm not looking for fine dining...maybe a pizza place. I'm sure this question will spawn a wide variety of responses, but is there anywhere better than Giordano's?

ô¿ô

Tom Servo · #**7987** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 2:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SolarWind

February 21, 2007

as much i love the new tower. that little red brick building is a sad loss.

Tom Servo · #**7988** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 2:40 AM**

wow, awesome photo; awesome building.

the urban politician · #**7989** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 2:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnandahalf

After a couple of years of following the progress of Spire, Trump, etc., and after weeks of whining about wanting to visit Chicago, I'm comin' for a day.

I have a friend at 200 E Delaware (directly NE of Hancock), but just in case, I also reserved a room at the Club Quarters on West Adams at South Clark. Can anyone tell me if that was a mistake? I'm not familiar enough with the loop to know if the hotel is nice or scary. Help?

I only have one full day (Sunday before Labor Day), and there's a lot of ground to cover. Gotta take pics of the Water tower, Spire/Aqua/Trump/300N LaSalle/Waterview, Grant Park (Jazz Fest), Bean/Crown Fountain, Agora, OMP, Shedd, and Adler. If there's time, I'd like to hit the obs deck in Sears. It seems to me a guy could make it from Hancock to OMP & back on a nice day. Am I crazy? I looked into renting a Segway, but could only find "tours" and not just rentals.

Okay...so those are the sights I wanna see. There's just one other thing. FOOD. Where can I go, in the Loop, that is uniquely Chicago? I'm not looking for fine dining...maybe a pizza place. I'm sure this question will spawn a wide variety of responses, but is there anywhere better than Giordano's?

ô¿ô

What you're asking will almost certainly lead to a lengthy off-topic discussion which will be deleted. So to get a good answer to your question, visit this thread. And if you're not a SSC member, become one

VivaLFuego · #**7990** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 2:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron38

I remember the SoNo website said that all the land around it was downzoned so that this would alway be the tallest in that area - unobstructed views and all. Is that still true, or will this be a highrise district eventually?

One of the zoning gurus can correct me if I'm wrong, but the area allows an FAR of 5.0, and a max height of (I think) 80 ft. That will still allow for some pretty dense development in theory, but would indeed protect most views from SoNo.

That said, all it takes is a well-connected developer to submit a PD at the right time to the right alderman, and any constraint is out the window. If the developer is promising protected views in perpetuity, I'd get that in writing (with specified damages) were I buying a unit. To which the developer would probably utter a profanity, and that would be the end of the exchange.

the urban politician · #**7991** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 2:49 AM**

What are the available development sites on Wacker Drive now?

The biggest one that comes to mind is the current General Growth headquarters. I'd love to see that replaced with a sleek tower.

Out of curiousity, does anybody have older photos of Wacker Drive, before it took over as Chicago's premier office address?

Alliance · #**7992** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 2:50 AM**

SoNo is sex.

honte · #**7993** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 3:40 AM**

^ First glimpse of those reflections and I knew that was coming...

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

What are the available development sites on Wacker Drive now?

The biggest one that comes to mind is the current General Growth headquarters. I'd love to see that replaced with a sleek tower.

Out of curiousity, does anybody have older photos of Wacker Drive, before it took over as Chicago's premier office address?

I wouldn't put the General Growth in there because I am fond of it and it is on an improbably narrow lot. Ditto for the lovely loft building at Lake / Wacker, which should be protected before it's toast.

The best sites are the lots on the sides of 311 S. Wacker (I will miss the little park and I think the City should just make a deal to buy that and upzone the south lot for a mega-tower), the lot south of 311 where a tower is still planned, and possibly the small little building south of 123 N. Wacker that SOM redid about 8 years ago. Something else in the offing - hopefully not going to happen - is the plaza of Sears Tower.

Chicago Shawn · #**7994** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 4:42 AM**

Great pictures I am Hydrogen! SoNo is HOT!

Quote:

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

One of the zoning gurus can correct me if I'm wrong, but the area allows an FAR of 5.0, and a max height of (I think) 80 ft. That will still allow for some pretty dense development in theory, but would indeed protect most views from SoNo.

That said, all it takes is a well-connected developer to submit a PD at the right time to the right alderman, and any constraint is out the window. If the developer is promising protected views in perpetuity, I'd get that in writing (with specified damages) were I buying a unit. To which the developer would probably utter a profanity, and that would be the end of the exchange.

The city's website is down right now so, I can't cross check it; but the site as well as it surroundings was zoned B3-5 (or pre-2004 equivalent), which allowed SoNo as of right before the zoning rewrite in November of 2004. The city wanted to keep this corridor industrial/ service uses and tried to down zone everything when Draper and Kramer moved forward on a residential development plan. Developer won in court and as a result SoNo moves forward, and everything else gets downzoned. If surrounding parcels still have a B3-5, that allows a FAR of 5 and no height limits, except we have PD thresholds at 80 feet which require PD process and subsequent NIMBY review and attempted blocking of development. The good news is that between this, New City and TOD discussion picking up steam I only see this area going up and becoming more urban over time; that is anything that is not Vi Daley's domain.

Recent Pics....

AMLI 900 07-08-2008

600 N. LSD 07-10-2008

the urban politician · #**7995** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 1:41 PM**

Great pics, Shawn. This picture actually makes south Clark St look urban. Add a few more Apt towers and we'll have ourselves a semi-decent streetscape:

Chicago3rd · #**7996** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 3:33 PM**

There is siding going up on 155 N Wacker on the Randolph Side. Cannot get a photo up until this evening.

Mr Downtown · #**7997** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 5:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Add a few more Apt towers and we'll have ourselves a semi-decent streetscape:

No, that would be a skyline. A streetscape would have sidewalks and shops.

aaron38 · #**7998** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 5:04 PM**

Isn't there first floor retail in those buildings?

Mr Downtown · #**7999** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 7:56 PM**

There's retail in Burnham Pointe. None in Amli 900 or AvalonBay's twin towers.

Mr Roboto · #**8000** Posted **Jul 15, 2008, 8:46 PM**

^But they'll probably have all the retail they need, and then some, in Roosevelt collection. Not saying that as an excuse, but the developers of Avalon Bay at least, probably took this into account. Also, this particular area with the DP wall on one side, and Clark traffic moving at 40 mph, is not exactly the best setting for providing an adequate streetscape.

Considering how empty this area was, and how closed off it is, Ill take the tall apt towers to add to the skyline at least; even if it means the street level retail and foot traffic may suffer somewhat.