CHICAGO | One Bennett Park | 837 FT | 68 FLOORS

[Swicago Swi Sox]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Ogden Plaza is across Columbus from NBC Tower. It's a gross hangout for bums and winos with a weird giant clock.

An Ogden Plaza re-do was supposed to happen in conjunction with the Lowes tower, but got scrapped due to the city and developers fighting with the parking lot owners UNDER the plaza. It is a very run-down and non-functioning plaza currently, and opens right into the Lowes motor court. Hopefully Lowes still has an interest in fixing it up for their own benefit, and some compromise can be found with the parking lot owners.

[Jibba]

The mass of this building is able to afford a really nice, ascendant design, but the facade elements as they are don't offer any rhythm or verticality--they just seem at odds with the form. All of the recessed areas and places where there are "decorative metal panels" appear too haphazard. They could be necessitated by the program, in which case it's nice that the facade is faithful to the structure, but that's not the point of an ersatz-stone edifice anyway...

I'd be much happier with something akin to Park Tower that has symmetry, ascendancy, and grace.

Originally Posted by ardecila

... I won't be shaking my head when I walk past, like I do at ... 35 W Wacker.

Oh, no you did not!

[CHI -21c]

So they think it'll look like a glam, Manhattan apartment tower, right?

I think that unless you look closely, this is gonna look like all the prefab-concrete buildings plaguing River North. Unless you look right at the top, it's going to be an eyesore. And I agree that the details are too weak for the mass and height. This plus the beige color makes it nothing to look at.

I'm really concerned about the amount of uninspired, value-engineered buildings in our downtown. Chicago's cityscape is its asset that no other city in the world has. There are very few cities that have eras of modern architecture, let alone juxtaposed right next to each other. And that's not even to mention that they're all skyscrapers which were invented here. This is what differentiates us from everyone else. If we take pride in this and raise our standards, we can enhance something unique to the world. Or we can dilute it!

[BVictor1]

I'll be going to a neighborhood group meeting tomorrow night about this project and Related will be present.

Were there any questions you all would like me to ask?

[UPChicago]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I'll be going to a neighborhood group meeting tomorrow night about this project and Related will be present.

Were there any questions you all would like me to ask?

timeframe for the project and how will the keep the pre-cast from looking cheap..... of course it will look cheap regardless but why not ask. lol

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I'll be going to a neighborhood group meeting tomorrow night about this project and Related will be present.

Were there any questions you all would like me to ask?

1. What will be the materials? Are they going with limestone at the base and the parking ramp?

2. Of course, are they going to redesign the park? If so, will they go with mature trees or will we need to wait another 10-15 years to see enclosure?

3. Time frame (as mentioned above)

4. Will there be any ground level commercial space?

5. Have they considered a rooftop bar/restaurant in that little parking ramp structure, or will that entirely be just for the use of the tenants?

[wierdaaron]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I'll be going to a neighborhood group meeting tomorrow night about this project and Related will be present.

Were there any questions you all would like me to ask?

What're the details for this meeting? I haven't heard anything from Reilly or SOAR.

Edit: Nevermind, just heard that it's a closed meeting.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

1. What will be the materials? Are they going with limestone at the base and the parking ramp?

2. Of course, are they going to redesign the park? If so, will they go with mature trees or will we need to wait another 10-15 years to see enclosure?

3. Time frame (as mentioned above)

4. Will there be any ground level commercial space?

5. Have they considered a rooftop bar/restaurant in that little parking ramp structure, or will that entirely be just for the use of the tenants?

1. Yes, limestone at the base, at least for the first 40' then precast

2. Yes, a park redesign. They're going to have to strip everything off and reseal the roof of the garage with a new membrane. The want to put in as mature tree as possible. None of the current vegetation will remain.

3. The want to begin in the 2nd or 3rd quarter of next year. 24-28 months of construction.

4. No

5. That will be an amenities level for the residents.

Can't say too much more other than there well be less density in terms of the number of units, but the size of the remaining units will be increased, so the tower isn't losing any floors or height.

[the urban politician]

^ Thanks, BV, I also wanted to ask if there were any changes to the design from what was posted before. Anything new in response to community/Aldermanic pressure?

I realize that I'm probably the minority here, but I'm definitely happy to hear about the park redesign, although I do think that playground equipment on this park is probably unnecessary (as an about-face from my previous stance on this issue).

[ardecila]

This is BS. The park is less than 10 years old and it already needs a new membrane?

I mean, shoddy workmanship happens all the time on roofs, but you'd think MCL would have gotten it right given than the roof is buried under three feet of soil.

[spyguy]

[harryc]

[Ryanrule]

ban related from chicago, or HEAVILY regulate how they build their buildings. we dont need another one with totally shit layouts and cookie cutter trims that still costs 4k a month.
they are fucking our apartment/condo market up bigtime. it will cost 5k a month for anything that isnt a boring white box soon.

ALSO, someone fuck up that stupid bedroom loophole that exists. A room behind the kitchen with a half height wall is NOT a bedroom. ill pop the next agent that brings me to such a place.

[Perklol]

someone seriously needs to relax

[UPChicago]

Originally Posted by Ryanrule

ban related from chicago, or HEAVILY regulate how they build their buildings. we dont need another one with totally shit layouts and cookie cutter trims that still costs 4k a month.
they are fucking our apartment/condo market up bigtime. it will cost 5k a month for anything that isnt a boring white box soon.

ALSO, someone fuck up that stupid bedroom loophole that exists. A room behind the kitchen with a half height wall is NOT a bedroom. ill pop the next agent that brings me to such a place.

What about AMLI?

[LouisVanDerWright]

Related's "starchitect" decided to grace our cowtown with not one, but TWO motorcourt's?!?!? Hallelujah finally we have culture here in Chicago!

This building is a total piece of shit. Look at how many curb cuts this block will have once Related is done defecating on it. How is it that even much larger buildings like the Hancock, Sears, or even 900 N Michigan generate two or less curb cuts and this one needs to totally swiss cheese the entire block? Talk about a traffic generator, talk about ruining the pedestrian experience... The reason this building has no retail is that 50% of the ground floor is taken up by unnecessary motor courts.

Originally Posted by harryc

Look at how awful the brand new 500 N LSD looks compared to the nearly 50 year old Lake Point Tower. It's pathetic that a building that should be nearing the absolute lowest point of its depreciation cycle looks newer, fresher, and in better shape than something built practically yesterday. Can you imagine what an abomination 500 N LSD will be in 50 years if it looks this bad today? Count me in on the ban Related bandwagon. Let's hope to god they don't get the Spire site as they might be able to fit 3 or 4 motor courts on it. Maybe two off the ground level street and one off each raised level of LSD? They could really step up their game by combining both shitty precast with shitty glass curtain walls and slap up another slab that will look even worse compared to LPT.

I really can't wait for Related to gift us the best dog run, I mean park, in city history here. I'm sure their plan of building blank walls on the butt end of their motor courts to face the park will turn out just fantastic. I've always wanted a brand new park in Chicago faced exclusively by blank walls. Seriously, this could have maybe been a passable building precast and all if it opened up to the park as the massing suggests it should. They may as well just run an alley between this and the park with some nice telephone poles and rat-chewed trash cans at this point. It would at least be more visually interesting than 15' of blank wall.

[BVictor1]

1' shorter than Park Tower which was an LR (now Related) project.

[Mikemak27]

5 curb cuts, yikes!

[F1 Tommy]

Knowing our luck this thing will get built at it's present planned height without and changes...Yuk!!

Even if they build the Chicago Spire next to it 451 will still be visible for all the tourists to see.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by F1 Tommy

Knowing our luck this thing will get built at it's present planned height without and changes...Yuk!!

Even if they build the Chicago Spire next to it 451 will still be visible for all the tourists to see.

Don't worry, tourists love chintzy crap like this...