CHICAGO | Aqua | 858 FT / 262 M | 87 FLOORS

[jjk1103]

......I presume that the nice plaza surronding Aqua will NOT be open to the public?

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Lukecuj

I think it's kind of funny that they're still planning office space for this project.
Other than BCBS expansion, I don't see the market for it.

I highly doubt they are actively planning for the possibility of office towers anymore. Rather, these are the original approved components per the PD. I'm sure the developers are planning to increase residential units and/or hotel rooms and dramatically reduce or eliminate the office space. I'm not sure if they would need to go back to the Plan Commission for this, or if they just need approval from the City. Look at it this way - as honte mentioned, total units (residential plus hotel) in Aqua is greater than 900! Clearly they are going to run out of allotted units at the pace they are moving (taller, denser towers - which is a great thing!), along with the reported news that additional 70 and 80 story towers are on the way! Otherwise, we would have to settle for several smaller , super-luxury boutique high-rises because of rising construction costs, the high cost of the land, etc, etc.

[SamInTheLoop]

As reported in the Tribune article, we finally have a realistic total construction cost for Aqua - $475 million. Earlier this year, a $300 million figure was being tossed around, which seemed quite low (maybe believable 3 or 4 years ago, but not with today's construction costs!)

[aaron38]

The Aqua base is going to provide access from those multiple subteranian levels down to the LSE park isn't it? Let me tell you, that area is not very pedestrian friendly right now.
All I wanted to do was go east from Mich. Ave to the park, and there was no way down that I could find.
Ended up going all the way around to the Grant Park entrance.

[Steely Dan]

^ there used to be a urine soaked elevator that would take you from upper columbus down to the lakeshore grill, and over to the park, but with the aqua site now in site prep, i'm guessing that elevator is no longer in service.

[Chi_Coruscant]

^I passed by that site today and saw the demo guys are slowly dismantling the elevator.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by aaron38

The Aqua base is going to provide access from those multiple subteranian levels down to the LSE park isn't it? Let me tell you, that area is not very pedestrian friendly right now.
All I wanted to do was go east from Mich. Ave to the park, and there was no way down that I could find.
Ended up going all the way around to the Grant Park entrance.

^ A while back somebody posted renderings of stairs going down to LSE from Columbus.

[SkokieSwift]

Originally Posted by aaron38

The Aqua base is going to provide access from those multiple subteranian levels down to the LSE park isn't it? Let me tell you, that area is not very pedestrian friendly right now.
All I wanted to do was go east from Mich. Ave to the park, and there was no way down that I could find.
Ended up going all the way around to the Grant Park entrance.

Yeah, I hear ya. I eventually found the main entrance off Randolph east of Columbus. But I guess there's no point building a way down from Columbus until all the construction is finished.

[headcase]

Originally Posted by SkokieSwift

Yeah, I hear ya. I eventually found the main entrance off Randolph east of Columbus. But I guess there's no point building a way down from Columbus until all the construction is finished.

You can also gain access to the park level from a stairway on Wacker.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^

Yeah you can, but going that way requires that you walk like a block through, not lower Wacker, but whatever that third street level, the one under lower Wacker, is which is pretty darn creppy, I did it the other day at like 1000 at night, bad idea.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Originally Posted by headcase

You can also gain access to the park level from a stairway on Wacker.

Yeah, just take Stetson to Wacker, take a right on Wacker, and there it is. But I agree with your general point, aaron38. Lakeshore East is too isolated from the main street grid and something has to be done about it. We can't have people surreptitiously taking these obscure stairwells to get there. There needs to be some form of real connection between LSE and the street grid.

[kalmia]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^

Yeah you can, but going that way requires that you walk like a block through, not lower Wacker, but whatever that third street level, the one under lower Wacker, is which is pretty darn creppy, I did it the other day at like 1000 at night, bad idea.

I went down there that way one night when I took one of the pictures posted on this thread. It kinda looked like I may have been walking somewhere that I might get into trouble.

[forumly_chgoman]

^^^^^off topic but i_am_hydrogen I love Mingus......Mingus,Mingus,Mingus

[GoGetIt]

Sup Yee'all,
I live in San Antonio but just wanted to give some congratulatories for stuff like this. I've spent several monthis a year living in Chicago since I was 12. I attended a year at DePaul before transfering back to a school here in SA Town. However, my dad, a native Chicagoan who has been living in TX, is up in yalls neighborhood this weekend, and he has not been in the city since 96, and I have told him to basically sit in conreet boots in MP/ LSE. He has called me already to say he doesn't even recognize the place..... Aqua will ensure his continuing confusion, and I hope for more like it.

[Atlas]

I hope this project is canceled or they change the design.

[SevenSevenThree]

Originally Posted by Atlas

I hope this project is canceled or they change the design.

Since the likelihood of either happening is slim to none, you might as well get used to looking at it now.

But being curious, what exactly is it about the design that makes you detest the tower so much?

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Atlas

I hope this project is canceled or they change the design.

your hope is futile at this point, you best move your concern onto another matter.

[Atlas]

Originally Posted by SevenSevenThree

Since the likelihood of either happening is slim to none, you might as well get used to looking at it now.

But being curious, what exactly is it about the design that makes you detest the tower so much?

I don't know, I think it will ruin Chicago's skyline. It just looks odd, it looks like it should be in Dubai not Chicago.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

Yeah, just take Stetson to Wacker, take a right on Wacker, and there it is. But I agree with your general point, aaron38. Lakeshore East is too isolated from the main street grid and something has to be done about it. We can't have people surreptitiously taking these obscure stairwells to get there. There needs to be some form of real connection between LSE and the street grid.

^ I kind of agree, esp since tenants in the new retail center planned in the development will likely want greater exposure/access to new customers outside of the immediate area. I guess that most people casually passing by on Columbus or Randolph will likely never be aware of the retail center and thus never make an effort to descend the stairs, etc to see what there is to offer.

However, if you think about it, LSE is projected to have a population of over 10,000 fairly well-off people when it's finished. That and the daytime Illinois Center Population, and one as to wonder if the retail center really needs to cater to a larger crowd. It would be nice if there were some kind of connection between Millennium Park Station and the Lakeshore East neighborhood without one having to inconvenience himself

[aaron38]

Originally Posted by Atlas

I don't know, I think it will ruin Chicago's skyline. It just looks odd, it looks like it should be in Dubai not Chicago.

Well the great thing about Chicago is that the skyline is FAR too massive to be ruined by one 800 ft building, in the very unlikely event that it turns out horribly.
Which it won't.