CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction

[SamInTheLoop]

Some info on City Hyde Park in linked-to article below. What a fantastic project this one is. Permits for underground garage issued, permits being processed for above ground structure.......with construction likely to really ramp up in the next 4-6 weeks, it seems probable the overall project will be completed before the end of 2015, however the Whole Foods won't open until the following summer:

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140212/hyde-park/whole-foods-set-open-hyde-park-2016

[harryc]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

^ Haven't been by recently, but as of about a week ago, our fearful den mother o'reilly, P(pander party)-42nd, stated that core formwork system was being installed (so this could be complete by now), and first concrete pour for the garage tentatively scheduled for next week....

Please do not compare Den mothers with Aldermen -

[SamInTheLoop]

^ Don't be so sensitive. Not endearing.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

^ Don't be so sensitive. Not endearing.

I think he meant that in jest?

[marothisu]

I walked by the 17 or 18 story hotel to go up on Franklin a little north of Madison. 3 backhoes working on the site into the early evening. A lot of the pavement/asphalt torn up it looks like. As we know, they already have a building permit for the entire structure. This one should be filed under site prep for sure.

[J_M_Tungsten]

Thanks for the Rice cube info!
Today
Arkadia

[LouisVanDerWright]

In addition to the news about that little hotel on Franklin:

601 W Jackson is probably under construction now and if it isn't, it will be today. Was by the site earlier and there is a Cassion rig and I think a pile driver on site and they were already assembling Cassion cages. I wonder if they are going to use cassions on the portions of the site directly adjacent to the neighboring buildings and piles everywhere else to avoid damaging the neighbors foundations?

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I believe that this project will be on the next agenda and that meeting will be 2/20 at City Hall.

Confirmed, it is on next Thursday's agenda.......


Slam dunk site of course, notoriously supply-constrained Lincoln Park....if it were virtually any other developer, I may not even need to ask, but, now the only question is: Can McCaffery pull this off.....can they execute successfully? My guess is yes, in spite of themselves....


FYI, next week's Plan Commission meeting is fairly snoozy otherwise.....

[SamInTheLoop]

^^ Thanks for the Arkadia update. I really hope that other ~30 story tower bordering the west side of the expressway (I think it was recently approved, and the cross street is Randolph?) can get financed and underway.....

[marothisu]

The Roanoke Building at 11 S LaSalle was issued a permit to demolish all non-structural interior elements - 35 stories. If you remember, this is supposed to be another hotel conversion. This time, a Residence Inn by Marriott with 380 rooms. They were issued a big loan last month for this too and there's been street-level scaffolding on this site up for a few weeks now, so I am pretty sure work was already under way.

[SamInTheLoop]

^ These projects are hugely important for the ongoing health of LaSalle St and the Central Loop. So glad to see this one getting underway. Perhaps the one I am now most excited for in the area is Kimpton's new adaptive reuse plan (now I'm blanking on the building their project is planned for)....

[LouisVanDerWright]

Yeah, the transformation of the central loop is going to be pretty impressive with all of these conversions. I don't think the parade of conversions during the last boom ever got as intense as it is right now. What will this be? 3-4 hotels under construction in a 2 block radius?

[the urban politician]

^ Question is, how much will these change the character of the central loop? We may hit upon a period where there are a lot of hotel conversions but still not enough critical density to justify more late night activities (bars, restaurants) in that part of the Loop. Once we cross that threshold we will see a drastic change, not sure what that threshold is, though.

For now I expect this part of town will remain subdued at night and on weekends, although we may see a hell of a lot more taxicabs in the Loop as travelers head up to River North/Navy Pier/West Loop for their dining and nightlife..

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Yeah, the transformation of the central loop is going to be pretty impressive with all of these conversions. I don't think the parade of conversions during the last boom ever got as intense as it is right now. What will this be? 3-4 hotels under construction in a 2 block radius?

According to my newest map (https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zts0oihWtDjk.kBT6CjkYv1Tw), here's what I have

* 100 W Monroe - 257 room Hyatt. Under construction
* 11 S Monroe - 380 room Residence Inn by Marriott. Under construction
* Franklin & Calhoun - 206 rooms, 18 stories of new building. Under construction/site prep

Then there's more not far away with the London Guarantee Building, new 27 story Hilton Garden Inn, Virgin Hotel, Atlantic Bank Building, Chicago Athletic Building. Then there's some more in River North like the Giordano's building, the office building on Rush & Erie, the new Godfrey Hotel, etc.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

For now I expect this part of town will remain subdued at night and on weekends, although we may see a hell of a lot more taxicabs in the Loop as travelers head up to River North/Navy Pier/West Loop for their dining and nightlife..

Yep. I think there could be more dining options, but not necessarily nightlife. Maybe in the form of more hotel bars or something. But as long as they make these business traveler preferred hotels, there won't be tons of nightlife around it. I am hoping some of these hotels will be non-business hotels, but I think they will be.

I think that the change is obviously happening in the more northern part of the Loop with hotels such as Virgin, Hotel Indigo, and the possible Ace Hotel at Madison & Michigan.

[wierdaaron]

I'm excited for the hotels popping up in the north half of the loop, especially the cluster around Michigan and Lake/Randolph. It should bring a spike in food options, and Millennium Park might start being even more hopping after dark. They have it lit pretty well... and the new riverfront should keep people occupied as well.

As I see it, it should help address the current problem the loop faces where everybody scatters at 5pm and by 7pm it's a ghost town.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

As I see it, it should help address the current problem the loop faces where everybody scatters at 5pm and by 7pm it's a ghost town.

Yeah, though I did notice that near State & Lake when it was nice out in the beginning of last summer, there were actually a lot of people out there at 9pm on a Thursday evening.

[ardecila]

Also a hotel planned for the Pittsfield Building at Washington/Wabash.

[wierdaaron]

The view from the top few floors of Pittsfield has to be incredible. There's nothing as tall for several blocks.

Edit: ah, damn. Looks like they'd only be converting floors 2-9. The top floors are owned by someone else and probably leased up. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-..._jewelers-row-pittsfield-building-floors

[BVictor1]

200 N. Michigan Avenue