CHICAGO | General Developments

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Beta_Magellan

I think the key thing to note is that parts of Chicago are growing—the city’s incredibly uneven, but the prospects of “global Chicago” can be quite good even if those of “rust belt Chicago” are terrible—the main question is the degree that one pulls on the other.

In any event, I’ve read (and couldn’t find good a link in eight seconds of googling) that tourism from abroad’s beginning to emerge as a bright spot in the national economy, so a slew of hotel development might make sense, although my intuition would say it’s still a bit early.

Absolutely agree, and that's what I had neglected to add from my earlier post - there are still many problems with Chicago, but at least certain parts are developing more quickly, where other areas will hopefully follow (questions of gentrification and dealing with vast areas of blight still remain to be answered).

[Rizzo]

I know this probably belongs in the Chicago Transit thread, but GD seems more picture friendly.

This is Morgan





Not sure why this tower rises well above the height of the bridge. You don't need mechanical penthouses for traction elevators anymore for low / midrise buildings.

[Standpoor]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Not sure why this tower rises well above the height of the bridge. You don't need mechanical penthouses for traction elevators anymore for low / midrise buildings.

Interesting enough I had to go out to Rush last week and got a good look at the Morgan stop and it seems that Morgan will have a transfer pedestrian bridge over the tracks. From what I could see, the elevators on either side will be able to go from street level to platform level and then up another level to the pedestrian bridge. I do not remember if that was in the renderings but that is what it looked like to me.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Wow, so we've got the Langham, the Virgin Hotel, the McCormick Hotel expansion, and the 3 hotel project moving forward, at the least.

This despite the fact that the local hotel industry has only partially recovered. Anyone else worried about a hotel glut? We're building new hotels while the Staybridge project remains a shell under torn plastic sheeting

Another important one that I think will probably be launched soon is Michael Reschke's adaptive re-use project at 11 S. LaSalle, converting that building to a 240 room high end boutique. Would be a great follow-up to his JW Marriott project, and - I very much would like his focus to really be on conversions of historic buildings, as his new construction projects end up being really, really very bad architecturally.....

I'm not concerned about a glut.....I don't think we'll have any deliveries at all downtown in all of 2012 (unless something were to move quickly with Staybridge, but still that would only be one relatively modest project). Business travel's coming back a bit, leisure only slightly but I think starting to move in the right direction........no, the market would struggle in the face of a true new building boom right now, but given the handful of larger projects we might be looking at for 2012-2013 combined (or perhaps up to 6-8 total going out through the end of 2014), I definitely don't sense a move into even modest oversupply territory (excepting of course should a shock or unexpected slip back into recession produce another hit to demand in the near-to-medium term)...

One project I was wondering about, as far as if it's still on the table or not is ECD Co's proposal for a hotel (was it an Aloft?) in the South Loop on Wabash. Anyone heard anything recently on that one? Was looking forward to it as decent infill. And, to me seems like a sure thing as far as demand for a new mid-price small-to-medium size entrant into the south loop market, looking at nothing other than the tremendous continuing growth in all the higher education institutions within a few blocks....

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Considering there are more hotels to come (not yet announced) in that area between the River and Millennium Park...just a bit concerned.

John Buck's mixed-use tower plan? Others?

[SamInTheLoop]

Thanks Sentinel for the renderings of the Langham, and Hydro for the photo update.

I think the Langham looks really nice actually...just hope they can do it all in the most seamless and respectful way of course...

Also, Hydro, your photos of Jones College Prep (simply stunning) should be the official visuals for any grass roots movement to save the building (not that I know of one or think the city or cps has any designs on preserving it!)...

[emathias]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Wow, so we've got the Langham, the Virgin Hotel, the McCormick Hotel expansion, and the 3 hotel project moving forward, at the least.

This despite the fact that the local hotel industry has only partially recovered. Anyone else worried about a hotel glut? We're building new hotels while the Staybridge project remains a shell under torn plastic sheeting

Not to mention that Airbnb brings several hundred rooms into the mix.

[Buckman821]

I know this project has been mentioned a few times before here.

Area Property Partners targets West Town warehouse for apartments

By Dave Mathews 11/7/2011

A local investor has teamed up with New York private-equity firm Area Property Partners to convert a nearly vacant West Town warehouse into a 70-unit apartment building.

Area Property Partners said Monday it plans to redevelop the 130,000-square-foot building at 1313 W. Randolph St. into a mixed-use structure that will also include 27,000 square feet of retail space.

Read more: http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...#ixzz1d40lPJAo
Stay up-to-date on Chicago real estate with our free, daily e-newsletter

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Not sure why this tower rises well above the height of the bridge. You don't need mechanical penthouses for traction elevators anymore for low / midrise buildings.

Probably just for visual effect. The towers have a signage function as well as a circulation one, so if they can add a little bit of height to the towers and make them visible from Randolph, it's probably worth it. If the renderings are correct, the CTA logo will be etched onto the towers at that high level above the transfer bridge, and they should be visible to pedestrians on Randolph or Fulton above the existing buildings.

RBJ's website actually shows a cool earlier design that had staggered platforms and then a transfer bridge that crosses the tracks on a 45-degree angle. CTA shot down the cool idea, although I think the end result will be easier to understand, since the secondary exit on each platform will lead to Sangamon, instead of one to Sangamon and one to Carpenter.

Old design:

[harryc]

Felini

The place is a very warm orange after the cobalt blue entranceway






for warmer days

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Alright, time for whoever was giving me shit a while ago and saying that they would not be altering the existing curing ceiling on the base of Aqua to buck up and admit they were wrong. This fucks up the entire design of the base of Aqua. This landmark is only 2 years old and they are already hacking it up....

Looks cool enough in its own right, but is way too busy to match the minimalism of the rest of the base.

[emathias]

Why brick? There are thousands of bars in Chicago that are authentically brick. Why on EARTH would this place think it was smart to bring in brick as an accessory in a nice, modern building? Ridiculous.

Originally Posted by harryc

Felini

The place is a very warm orange after the cobalt blue entranceway

...

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by emathias

Why brick? There are thousands of bars in Chicago that are authentically brick. Why on EARTH would this place think it was smart to bring in brick as an accessory in a nice, modern building? Ridiculous.

You just answered your own question. The hotel designers wanted a space that felt authentically Chicago with still being abstractly modern. You can't get more "authentic" than Chicago common brick.

Essentially, this bar is just a hoity-toity Portillo's.

[J_M_Tungsten]

I like everything about the Aqua Blu. Thanks for the photos Harry!

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by harryc

Felini

The place is a very warm orange after the cobalt blue entranceway






for warmer days

Seridipedous as I was just there having drinks in the Filini bar last night and lamenting the fact that I didn't have my camera - thanks Harry!

I was iffy about the brick too, as I'm not a big fan of it, especially in an application like a semi-high-end hotel like this. Surprisingly (and I'm just as surprised as anyone), in this situation it works, at least visually. There are many elements of the interior that might be too busy, in any other application, but it's funny how the 'masonry wall' acts as a separator, between the warm tones of the lobby foyer and the very contemporary finishes of the bar/restaurant on the other side. The hotel reception is off to the left side where you walk in, and I believe links to the the Aqua residential lobby on the north side of the building.

One thing that I really loved was the use of Cor-tens steel for all of the stairs, accessible ramps/landings and decorative, embossed floor panels between the foyer and the restaurant. When you step down to the lower part of Filini, which is the main bar, I couldn't help but think of Cheers, because street level is about 5 feet above you and you can see people walking by - it was kind of cool..this also means that the actual dining room above is only about 7-8 feet above street level (the main bar has relatively low ceilings, but it actually makes it feel warmer, like a pub), so it's very much like a split level home - one of my friends who was with last night commmented on how the first thing he thought of as we were sitting in the bar and looking out at the brick lobby and the split-level stair was that he felt as though he was in the Brady bunch home

[J_M_Tungsten]

Old Town
11-8
I apologize for quality, but the north part of the building is topped out.







1225oldtown website

[Rizzo]

The brick seems out of place, but I can't debate whether it's inappropriate or not. After all, sleek and modern offices get built inside historic buildings and no one seems to make a big deal about the intrusion of these contemporary materials. That said, I like the design of the bar, but I'm silent on the issue of context.


As for the Oldtown building, if there were any NIMBYs out there complaining that this building would be overpowering, it certainly isn't the case. Only about 4 floors to go, and it's really not all that imposing.

[harryc]

[lawfin]

????What where....it looks like sprawlburbia

[denizen467]

^^ Harry the photographic documentarian, I didn't know you were on-call in the 'burbs too! Plus, for both an afternoon and an evening session.

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Man, there is one very handsome structure just finishing up construction on Clark at Sunnyside (sw corner). It looks commercial or institutional, almost in the vein of a Poetry Foundation, and it'll be as worthy a neighbor on that street as Poetry was on Superior (although maybe not quite as orthodox and sleek an execution as Poetry). Nice to see this overlooked gap between Uptown and Andersonville get some loving; does anyone know what it is?