CHICAGO: boom rundown - everything over 12 floors. v4

[SamInTheLoop]

^ Definitely agree re the potential of Chinatown, and I think a hotel at this location could be quite successful - a traditional hotel, that is. It amazes me that for brand new projects, some developers are still planning to sell hotel rooms! The only things that have changed since last year when it was becoming plainly obvious that condo-hotel rooms in Chicago have a very limited, short-lived future are that the condo market has slowed somewhat further while the hotel market has further strengthened, ie making traditional hotel financing even easier and increasing the attractiveness of NOT planning to sell hotel rooms. Some of these developers are a little slow on the uptake...

[Mr Roboto]

^ But the targeted buyers in this case is a little different than the other projects, namely chinese businessmen. I personally dont think selling hotel-condos is a good idea either, but who knows. These guys likely have some contacts in back in Asia who are interested.

Either way, I'd like to see more renderings, but I like this project for chinatown. And with all the new development around the south loop and near south side, I also think chinatown is on the rise for sure. It'll be interesting to see once people move into all these new condos around the area.

Great updates on the pics fellas, I also noticed Parkview west is shooting up fast along with the river north Marriot.

[BVictor1]

There is a soil testing truck on the X/O site. In the parking lot where the second tower would be. Can't do soil testing for the other tower until the fugly office structure that's currently there gets demolished.

[museumparktom]

Originally Posted by Mr Roboto

^ But the targeted buyers in this case is a little different than the other projects, namely chinese businessmen. I personally dont think selling hotel-condos is a good idea either, but who knows. These guys likely have some contacts in back in Asia who are interested.

Either way, I'd like to see more renderings, but I like this project for chinatown. And with all the new development around the south loop and near south side, I also think chinatown is on the rise for sure. It'll be interesting to see once people move into all these new condos around the area.

Great updates on the pics fellas, I also noticed Parkview west is shooting up fast along with the river north Marriot.

There was a rendering in the Chicago Journal this Fall and I think it was posted here or on SSC -

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

February 15, 2007



The glass is very transparent. I think this will turn out well. Unfortunately my camera's battery gave out just as I was about to take a closer picture. It drained quickly in the cold. The second photo posted is a magnified view of the first.

Whoa, I went by there last night and did not even see the glass. It must be crystal clear at night. Thanks for the pics.

[honte]

^ I couldn't be more exicted that Jahn is "back in town," but does anyone feel a tiny bit disappointed that this building is something of a repeat of the Xerox Center? I mean, in those 20-odd years, Jahn has turned into an ultra-sophisticated architect. But I don't think this building really reflects everything he's capable of.... and the form is rather prosaic.

Anyway, it's going to be great, regardless.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by honte

^ I couldn't be more exicted that Jahn is "back in town," but does anyone feel a tiny bit disappointed that this building is something of a repeat of the Xerox Center? I mean, in those 20-odd years, Jahn has turned into an ultra-sophisticated architect. But I don't think this building really reflects everything he's capable of.... and the form is rather prosaic.

Anyway, it's going to be great, regardless.

It's called a budget my man... When you have a hold on the purse strings, there's only so much "$$sophistication$$" that you can include.

[wrab]

Hopefully, Jahn will be getting more residential projects soon, now that this one has sold like hotcakes (mmmm, hotcakes...) I do see the profile similarity to Xerox, though this one doesn't have the same mischievous twist on the Miesian grid. The ultra-clear low-iron glass really does make it a different sort of animal, IMHO.

[denizen467]

I'm not sure I like the window panel frames being black. Or is this just the top end of the parking floors, and then white frames begin on higher floors? The rendering isn't one of the more realistic ones, so it's hard to tell.

[BVictor1]

I just drove past the Michigan Avenue Tower II site, and I noticed that several piles had been driven. Now, this might just be for the load test, but none the less, piles have been driven.

Steely, would you consider this under construction?

[Nowhereman1280]

The Granville is under Construction or will be very soon. Just walked by it last night and there is a small crane assembled and all the parts for a really big one, plus a Cassion rig assembly sitting there that looks like it will be put on the big crane. Also there are about 5 or 6 drill bits ranging from about 2 ft diameter to about 3 or 4 feet and some of those big metal interlocking tubes laying there.

So I am fairly certain that they will be drilling next week if they haven't started already.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

The Granville is under Construction or will be very soon. Just walked by it last night and there is a small crane assembled and all the parts for a really big one, plus a Cassion rig assembly sitting there that looks like it will be put on the big crane. Also there are about 5 or 6 drill bits ranging from about 2 ft diameter to about 3 or 4 feet and some of those big metal interlocking tubes laying there.

So I am fairly certain that they will be drilling next week if they haven't started already.

Hooray

[honte]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

It's called a budget my man... When you have a hold on the purse strings, there's only so much "$$sophistication$$" that you can include.

Yes, of course. But if you hadn't done a high-rise in your home town for over a decade, wouldn't you do what you could to really show your stuff? An architect is always in some control of the overall form, the materials, and there are subtle things you can do to really set things apart if you so desire. A great architect like Jahn certainly has that control of his craft. I suppose Jahn doesn't feel like he has anything to prove.

Granted, this discussion is all a bit premature.

Wrabbit's points are well taken, and the end result probably won't look anything like Xerox to the normal viewer.

Another theory I had: It's well-known that Xerox was originally intended to be blue glass. Jahn's client pretty much forced the while issue (which Jahn said much later was the right thing to have done). Perhaps this is a bit of an experiment to show how the building could have looked with the glassier finish.

[Sir Isaac Newton]

I remember hearing a few months ago that Jahn might be designing a high rise in the South Loop (I think at Harrison and Wells?). Does anyone know if this is still the case and if there have been any recent developments on this?

[Sir Isaac Newton]

http://www.eastgatevillagechicago.com/n/ar/?nid=38&cid=2

News Articles
February 3, 2007
Price breaks ending at 1555 Wabash

Site work is under way at New West Realty's 1555 Wabash, a contemporary, new-construction midrise in the South Loop, marking the final opportunity for buyers to receive pre-construction pricing. According to the developer, groundbreaking is expected in March....

[Tom Servo]

Sorry guys, I know these pictures are a few days old.

FEB 14th:

600 North Fairbanks


550 St. Clair



River North Marriott Suites




300 North Lasalle




353 North Clark




SNOW!

[the urban politician]

The latest (and best) rendering to date that we have of Imperial Court Plaza, posted at SSC by Spyguy (sorry Spyguy, not trying to steal your thunder here ):

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

The latest (and best) rendering to date that we have of Imperial Court Plaza, posted at SSC by Spyguy (sorry Spyguy, not trying to steal your thunder here ):

I must say that I like about 90% of this design. I will make a nice addition to the growing South loop skyline.

But I don't like how the base is looking. For some reason it looks flat to me. I don't know if the little roof structure above it is too high off the ground, or if it's too wimpy and doesn't have enough flare and cantilever.

I al;so think the landscaping should be increased.

[Chi_Coruscant]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/realestate/chi-0702180355feb18,1,3223934.story

237 condos in project set for the West Loop

By Jeanette Almada
Special to the Tribune
Published February 18, 2007

A 17-story, mixed-use project with 237 condominiums is planned for the West Loop.

DAGS Desplaines LLC, which consists entirely of Chicago-based Mesirow Financial Real Estate Inc., will build the project on a development site at 659 W. Randolph, on the southwest corner of Randolph and Desplaines Streets.

"We bought the site from Catholic Charities in April last year and finished demolishing the building on the site in August," Gavin Stein, a vice president at Mesirow, said last week.

The Chicago Plan Commission, in December 2006, approved the project as a business and residential planned development, and the City Council approved it this month.

The developer will build the 237 residential units in 21 floor plans on the 4th through 17th floors in the L-shaped building; 124 of the units will be 1-bedroom condos; 41 will be 1-bedroom plus den units; sixty-five will be 2-bedroom units; and 7 will be 3-bedroom units.

The condos will have a range of 655 to 2,137 square feet, and 213 of the units are being marketed for prices between $210,000 to $879,000. "We are already selling them from a sales center at Randolph and Desplaines," Stein said.

Twenty-four 1-bedroom units with 655 square feet of space are being sold for $147,500, under the Chicago Partners for Affordable Neighborhoods program, administered by the Chicago Department of Housing.

"The units will be sold to buyers that are pre-qualified by the housing department, and the buyers will have deeds with restrictions in them . . . saying that they will be held in a [community] land trust for 99 years," Stein said.

"Also, because of the affordable component in the project, we have a special arrangement with National City Mortgage, who is offering all qualified buyers a 1.5 percent discount off the 30-year fixed mortgage rate," Stein said.

The project will have 12,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 185 parking spaces on the ground and second and third levels, according to Stein.

Chicago-based Brininstool + Lynch Ltd designed the project.

Construction will begin in April, and the developer hopes to deliver the first units in August 2008, Stein said.

[Monkey36]

A few shots from today.

It appears they are starting to put the siding up on River North Marriott


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Columbian from the base


Columbian from NE side of OMP


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