CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction - Page 704

LouisVanDerWright · #**14061** Posted **Apr 24, 2014, 4:46 PM**

A few new images of the Giordarno's Hotel Proposal courtesy of Lynn Becker's Blog:

Let the debeigeification commence!

An interest write up on the proposal by Becker can be found here:

http://arcchicago.blogspot.com/2014/04/tactical-insertion-friedmans-45-story.html

The most interesting part of the article to is:

Quote:

Peter Lemmon of parking consultant TADI told the meeting that in an area like this, about 30% of the hotel guests come by car, and 80% of those via taxi, translating to a maximum of 40 to 50 cars a day for the new Hyatt tower. Standard Parking's Jim Buczek added that overnight hotel parking averaging $50-70 a night would probably be considered a bit steep to guests taking advantage of the Friedman project's more moderate room rates. Although residents in attendance expressed their skepticism, Buczek claimed that Standard Parking's nearby properties could accommodate up to 300 additional cars in nearby garages at such buildings as the Fordham and 900 North Michigan, with an additional 4,000 spaces available in garages serving Northwestern's Streeterville campus.

I.e. this building will have no or virtually no parking at all. I'm amazed at how many buildings downtown are going this route right now. Everything from major apartment buildings with reduced counts to large office buildings with absolutely no spaces and now we have numerous hotels getting in on the action. Soon downtown will be a place that it is nearly impossible to drive into just like Manhattan. That extremely pricey environment will only further drive the neighborhoods to abandon the automobile as well as it becomes an increasing necessity to use transit to get downtown.

SamInTheLoop · #**14062** Posted **Apr 24, 2014, 4:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sentinel

IIRC, I think it was GREC Architects. I think

Aha, GREC. So, coincidentally, that was the firm I was blanking on the other day with respect to one (at least) of the previous designs (long dead proposals) for the 750 N Hudson site. GREC has former DeStefano folks, no? And, GREC had designed a couple of the previous versions of the Buck office tower (now Ronan) at Randolph/Franklin. Also, I think they designed the Hotel Palomar/apartment tower in River North.

GREC does some nice work - I'd like to see much more from them around town....

SamInTheLoop · #**14063** Posted **Apr 24, 2014, 4:50 PM**

^^ Looks like a very nice addition. Certainly much superior in design than a good majority of the other taller buildings in the immediate vicinity. In addition, meaningfully large shot of activity and energy into the area....

Notyrview · #**14064** Posted **Apr 24, 2014, 5:54 PM**

Oh glorious de-beigeification!

sentinel · #**14065** Posted **Apr 24, 2014, 5:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Aha, GREC. So, coincidentally, that was the firm I was blanking on the other day with respect to one (at least) of the previous designs (long dead proposals) for the 750 N Hudson site. GREC has former DeStefano folks, no? And, GREC had designed a couple of the previous versions of the Buck office tower (now Ronan) at Randolph/Franklin. Also, I think they designed the Hotel Palomar/apartment tower in River North.

GREC does some nice work - I'd like to see much more from them around town....

Yes, yes and yes again

I was the project architect for the Hotel Palomar (interior work). They're getting more work again in the City, which is good for them (the Hilton next to the Motor Club building is their's as well. I think).

marothisu · #**14066** Posted **Apr 24, 2014, 6:20 PM**

That new hotel will be a welcome addition to my neighborhood. Fits in nicely, and also not pictured is the new 35 story building going up right now at State and Chestnut which looks like it will be visible from that first image. You may even be able to see the top of the new Loyola building going up next to it from there too. So the view will be even denser looking most likely

rlw777 · #**14067** Posted **Apr 24, 2014, 6:27 PM**

Kind of off topic... but for anyone interested, Google Maps Street View has updated the images for the Chicago area to late 2013. Lot's of interesting not too old views of various projects still under construction.

munchymunch · #**14068** Posted **Apr 24, 2014, 10:06 PM**

Regarding 430n michigan remember this article

http://arcchicago.blogspot.com/2013/11/alderman-reilly-put-brakes-to-realtors.html?m=1

Its basically about how the developers should kiss riellys — before they can get anything done.

HomrQT · #**14069** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 1:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by munchymunch

Regarding 430n michigan remember this article

http://arcchicago.blogspot.com/2013/11/alderman-reilly-put-brakes-to-realtors.html?m=1

Its basically about how the developers should kiss riellys — before they can get anything done.

We do need checks and balances on developments but this Alderman comes off like a real sleezeball. He's very obviously power hungry and the language he uses seems like he's pandering for an under the table deal.

wierdaaron · #**14070** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 1:47 AM**

I think the NAR site plans might be really huge, and they didn't tell Reilly because they don't think he could keep his yap shut about it.

munchymunch · #**14071** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 2:55 AM**

Whats with the americas plaza, first of yes its a nice little plaza but saying how "important" it is BS. I don't think anyone ever visits chicago to see the plaza also its not like the developers cant find a way around closing the plaza.

sentinel · #**14072** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 3:46 AM**

That empty RiverView(?) parcel, just west of Related's recently completed 500 N. LSD rental tower on Peshtigo will be a 50 story residential tower (unsure of whether it will be rental or condo), with exterior skin/facade designed by well-known East-coast architecture firm...details and renderings to come soon. I can't divulge the designer yet, but I will say HE was a dean of a well-respected design school and is known for doing very nice but somewhat stoic pre-cast residential buildings, especially in NYC.

munchymunch · #**14073** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 4:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sentinel

That empty RiverView(?) parcel, just west of Related's recently completed 500 N. LSD rental tower on Peshtigo will be a 50 story residential tower (unsure of whether it will be rental or condo), with exterior skin/facade designed by well-known East-coast architecture firm...details and renderings to come soon. I can't divulge the designer yet, but I will say HE was a dean of a well-respected design school and is known for doing very nice but somewhat stoic pre-cast residential buildings, especially in NYC.

Hopefully there will be a little more effort in design for this one, also this is a smaller piece of land right.

ardecila · #**14074** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 5:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sentinel

That empty RiverView(?) parcel, just west of Related's recently completed 500 N. LSD rental tower on Peshtigo will be a 50 story residential tower (unsure of whether it will be rental or condo), with exterior skin/facade designed by well-known East-coast architecture firm...details and renderings to come soon. I can't divulge the designer yet, but I will say HE was a dean of a well-respected design school and is known for doing very nice but somewhat stoic pre-cast residential buildings, especially in NYC.

"ParkView" actually.

This is good to hear... hopefully the "unnamed architect" will continue his New York tradition of using face brick over the precast. I'm getting really tired of naked or painted concrete facades (courtesy of SCB). Limestone would be even better.

He's also got a blank site with no neighboring buildings, so there is plenty of room for this tower to breathe with windows on all sides, setbacks, terraces, etc.

sentinel · #**14075** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 5:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

"ParkView" actually.

This is good to hear... hopefully the "unnamed architect" will continue his New York tradition of using face brick over the precast. I'm getting really tired of naked or painted concrete facades (courtesy of SCB).

'ParkView', yes - thanks, I couldn't remember lol!

chris11 · #**14076** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 5:05 AM**

^Very small piece of land. Gives it potential to have some nice height.

pilsenarch · #**14077** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 1:04 PM**

haha Sentinel... sounds a lot like Robert Stern, LOL

guesswho · #**14078** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 1:05 PM**

ParkView - Related

The site is only 23,000 sq ft (0.52 acres), so I'm glad that Related is increasing the height to 50 floors from the previous developer (26 floors), but won't Related need to seek approval for the height increase, as it is currently zoned for only a 280 foot tower (I'm sure it would be approved by Reilly though....).

And how cool would it be if this were:

A- condo rather than apartment signalling the return of the condo market (the fact that a high profile East Coast designer is on board makes lends me hope they're spending the money to make this condo as well as the fact that it adjoins a public but privately developed 1.6 acre park thus increasing the cachet).

B- integrating the underground 700+ stall parking garage into the design thus eliminating/minimizing the need for podium style parking

............
A bit off topic, but I spoke with some brokers at Related Realty recently, and it sounds to me like they almost expect to gain control of the Spire site by the end of the year......and I know it's natural to "root for the home team", but just their tone and general knowledge of the legal proceedings lent me to believe that even though there isn't anything further that Curt Bailey can do in order to gain the site, they just might have a fully designed contingency plan ready to go if that is the case (which signals to me that they are a well run organization).

SamInTheLoop · #**14079** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 2:06 PM**

^ Their 'plan' could be referring to sitting back and watching as Kelleher and Atlas deal falls through (as I'm sure many people expect to happen), then they get the site, no?

SamInTheLoop · #**14080** Posted **Apr 25, 2014, 2:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

haha Sentinel... sounds a lot like Robert Stern, LOL

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, God NO!!!!!! God!!!!

This is where I really need Ch.G, Ch.G to come in with one of those clips - I'm thinking maybe from The Office: Michael Scott's reaction to when Toby suddenly reappears in the office after his misadventures in Central America.....

Come to think of it - Robert AM Stern is like the Toby Flenderson (at least in Michael's eyes!) of the design world - just a horrible, haggardly old, boring mega-douchebag, and it shows in his work - in spades........with that stated, if it is indeed him, I wonder if there's a chance for this particular site he could go off-style and maybe even do something 'of our day'??