CHICAGO | Aqua | 858 FT / 262 M | 87 FLOORS - Page 249

wrab · #**4961** Posted **May 23, 2009, 4:49 AM**

Thanks, EB - glad you liked them. I'm shooting in RAW mode now with a Panasonic G1.

EarlyBuyer · #**4962** Posted **May 23, 2009, 1:03 PM**

Thanks for the info wrabbit.

andydie · #**4963** Posted **May 23, 2009, 1:14 PM**

have to agree with early, great shots wrabbit! Amazing talent on here from many awesome chicago photographers

spyguy · #**4964** Posted **May 23, 2009, 7:06 PM**

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?articleId=31794

Aqua lands a hotel
By: Thomas A. Corfman May 25, 2009

...Kimpton Group Holding LLC, a San Francisco boutique hotel firm, is in negotiations to buy 15 floors in the wavy, 82-story tower two blocks north of Millennium Park, where residents began moving in this month.

...Key to the transaction is $28 million in earnest money that Strategic forfeited and which allowed Chicago-based Magellan to cut the sale price. To further sweeten the deal, Magellan will let Kimpton spread out purchase payments and make them partly contingent on the hotel's success, sources say. Because Kimpton stresses its upscale eateries, it also would get a prime restaurant space, sources say.

...To boost revenues, Kimpton intends to increase the number of rooms from the 225 originally planned.

EarlyBuyer · #**4965** Posted **May 23, 2009, 8:05 PM**

spyguy, thanks for finding and posting this! Excellent news!

Kimpton's already strong presence in Chicago is now most impressive with Allegro, Monaco and Burnham long in place, and Palomar and Aqua now under construction.

Chicago Shawn · #**4966** Posted **May 23, 2009, 8:07 PM**

^That is so awesome!

Kimpton creates a unique hotel for every location. I assume the Aqua build out will be great.

the urban politician · #**4967** Posted **May 23, 2009, 8:35 PM**

That is stupendously awesome news

EarlyBuyer · #**4968** Posted **May 23, 2009, 10:21 PM**

Photos taken by EarlyBuyer 5/23/09

EarlyBuyer · #**4969** Posted **May 23, 2009, 10:35 PM**

Photos taken by EarlyBuyer 5/23/09

wrab · #**4970** Posted **May 24, 2009, 1:24 AM**

^ Great to see some shots of the ballroom.

And excellent news about Kimpton. I'm a big fan of their other three Chicago hotels. Kimpton has a good funk and should fit into the Aqua milieu well.

harryc · #**4971** Posted **May 24, 2009, 1:24 AM**

EB another spellbinding set, thank you for the detail.

wrab · #**4972** Posted **May 24, 2009, 2:02 AM**

5/23

ungerdog · #**4973** Posted **May 24, 2009, 4:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyBuyer

I apologize if this has been answered before, but I was wondering if stores will be located on this side of the base or is this just townhouses. I see the sign advertising the townhouses, but are they from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor as seen in this photo or what? It looks like there are glass doors on the ground floor which seems strange for a townhouse. Are those the townhouse entries or are they somewhere else?

SolarWind · #**4974** Posted **May 25, 2009, 4:32 AM**

May 18, 2009

J_M_Tungsten · #**4975** Posted **May 25, 2009, 6:15 AM**

Wrabbit that shot looks like its from the future! So in the pics by earlybuyer, it looks as if the public has access to Aqua's pool deck? Is that so, or am I just misinterpreting what level he is on when shooting the pictures?

denizen467 · #**4976** Posted **May 25, 2009, 8:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ungerdog

I apologize if this has been answered before, but I was wondering if stores will be located on this side of the base or is this just townhouses. I see the sign advertising the townhouses, but are they from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor as seen in this photo or what? It looks like there are glass doors on the ground floor which seems strange for a townhouse. Are those the townhouse entries or are they somewhere else?

IIRC there has never been mention of any retail on the Aqua podium except at Upper Columbus level (and maybe one floor up from there too?).

I'm inclined to say the glass doors are for balconies for the townhouses ... though on the other hand, in the photo below, the balconies aren't walled off unit-by-unit as you'd expect, so it's not totally clear. Maybe they will serve as sort of back door entrances directly into a kitchen/dining room (as well as code-required fire exit?) ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyBuyer

Photos taken by EarlyBuyer

denizen467 · #**4977** Posted **May 25, 2009, 8:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

or am I just misinterpreting what level he is on when shooting the pictures?

That is correct - I think those photos by earlybuyer are from Upper Columbus / Upper Lake level, which is at the bottom of (or only halfway up, depending on the vantage point) the podium.

Fabb · #**4978** Posted **May 26, 2009, 6:13 PM**

EarlyBuyer · #**4979** Posted **May 28, 2009, 12:10 AM**

Great shots Solar and Fabb!

Another article from a hotel industry trade journal that's a follow-up to the article from Crain's posted by spyguy:

Kimpton Close To Deal For Chicago Flagship Property

"...According to Dow Jones, Kimpton has US$250 million in discretionary cash in an equity fund that will be used to buy hotels, office buildings and shopping centers from owners who are having difficulty making mortgage payments. "Our goal is to look for properties that we can turn into Kimpton-style hotels," CEO Michael Depatie says.

Kimpton has reportedly identified nearly 500 distressed commercial properties that could be good conversion candidates and 30 new properties under construction that could be distressed by completion..."

http://www.hotelsmag.com/article/ca6660761.html?q=aqua

EarlyBuyer · #**4980** Posted **May 28, 2009, 1:31 AM**

Update released by Magellan 5/27/09:

"...Windows are nearly complete and are primarily installed through floor 81 of Aqua. Framing is complete through floor 71. Progress continues on The Shore Club amenities with the third [floor] significantly completed and the second floor currently being drywalled. CVS Pharmacy is opening on Sunday, May 31st and is located on the SW corner of Aqua..."