CHICAGO | St. Regis Chicago (Vista) | 1,191 FT | 101 FLOORS - Page 79

the urban politician · #**1561** Posted **Aug 31, 2016, 1:55 PM**

I think you guys are missing my point. I get that Illinois Center and what is presently LSE was once an apocalyptic landscape, but all in all "downtown Chicago" never was. Far from it

BVictor1 · #**1562** Posted **Aug 31, 2016, 1:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I think you guys are missing my point. I get that Illinois Center and what is presently LSE was once an apocalyptic landscape, but all in all "downtown Chicago" never was. Far from it

The "downtown Chicago" you refer to today, wasn't necessarily downtown back in the day. I think that's one of the points.

Mr Downtown · #**1563** Posted **Aug 31, 2016, 5:17 PM**

Even the area around Sears Tower wasn't where people expected to find offices until they pioneered that area. That was a big garment manufacturing district, and a few remnants

lasted until the 1990s. Further north on Wacker was things like printing plants.

LouisVanDerWright · #**1564** Posted **Aug 31, 2016, 10:57 PM**

Hell, the Sun Times still printed the newspaper at the site of the Trump Tower up until like a barely more than a decade ago. Think about that for a second, talk about a dinosaur of a production activity.

Skyguy_7 · #**1565** Posted **Aug 31, 2016, 11:45 PM**

^I'm a millennial. What's a news paper? Some kind of paper that's new?

Loving the old photos of LSE. Thanks for posting!

aaron38 · #**1566** Posted **Sep 1, 2016, 3:19 AM**

For those of you wondering how well this building is known in China:

Today I was speaking with a colleague from Shenznen who's been living in Streeterville these past four months, in a company apartment, on a four year contract. I showed him my desktop rendering of Vista, remarking how lucky he was to get to watch this rise.

"Oh yes, that's the Wanda tower, being built by China, to be finished in 2019." I thought I would surprise him, but no.

aaron38 · #**1567** Posted **Sep 1, 2016, 3:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

https://cbschicago.files.wordpress.c...ve-reroute.jpg

So that's why upper Wacker just dead ends in mid air?

denizen467 · #**1568** Posted **Sep 1, 2016, 4:33 AM**

^ Basically yes. It seems that a contemporary extension of Upper Wacker had been built eastwards to connect into the S curve. Then, when the time came to demolish the S curve, there was probably no point in also demolishing the still-new far eastern Upper Wacker (which anticipated further towers along there anyway). Yet neither could they just leave it as a dead end in the air, so presumably they then simply added the small turnaround that has lasted to this year, also provisioning for a turn onto a possible future Upper Field Blvd.

Quote:

Originally Posted by harryc

lower Wacker - with the old green lights

That's as classic Lost Chicago as anything else. Always thought ducking into there as a shortcut was like a certain tv show's caped crusaders racing into their secret passage to get back to the Batcave.

Mr Downtown · #**1569** Posted **Sep 1, 2016, 3:18 PM**

Looking north from the foot of Monroe in March 1978:

photo (with now-cruddy Ektachrome sky) by me

harryc · #**1570** Posted **Sep 1, 2016, 4:15 PM**

Slightly OT --- looking at the conical cap on the big storage tank in the middle of the shot -- pretty sure this is the base of that tank, being cleared out for 435 N Park - Lowes.

ardecila · #**1571** Posted **Sep 1, 2016, 9:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Even the area around Sears Tower wasn't where people expected to find offices until they pioneered that area. That was a big garment manufacturing district, and a few remnants

lasted until the 1990s. Further north on Wacker was things like printing plants.

I suppose not, but the N/S Wacker corridor was smack-dab between LaSalle Street and Union Station, so it wasn't exactly terra incognita for commuters.

Agreed, though, that industry and manufacturing have been steadily and constantly retreating outward from the Loop for the last 80 years. The "weather front" used to be along places like Franklin and Lake Streets around the edge of the Loop, now it's half a mile further out in the Fulton District, or on Goose Island. The advent of the PMD slowed the process of de-industrialization, but the future isn't looking good for PMDs either as pressures grow. Now you have to go out to East Garfield Park or the Stockyards to find industrial areas that aren't under siege.

Notyrview · #**1572** Posted **Sep 4, 2016, 1:50 AM**

^^^

"McCLURG APTS"

Rizzo · #**1573** Posted **Sep 4, 2016, 2:08 AM**

I like that wall along the river of the old LSD route. They should have left that remaining to hide the awful elevated section of Wacker. But I suppose at the time the wall needed costly repairs and modifications for the existing alignments

denizen467 · #**1574** Posted **Sep 4, 2016, 6:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notyrview

^^^

"McCLURG APTS"

Shows just how old those twin towers are. They really need upgrading; the windows of each unit are so primitive that ice builds up on the inside during the coldest stretches. I think the hvac system overall is more like what you'd see in a '60s lowrise. Unfortunately the neighborhood is so desirable that even Class C tier rents can be set high, so there is probably little revenue bump they would get if they bothered to invest in updating the units.

But why did you also change your status/tagline to this?

rlw777 · #**1575** Posted **Sep 4, 2016, 6:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayward

I like that wall along the river of the old LSD route. They should have left that remaining to hide the awful elevated section of Wacker. But I suppose at the time the wall needed costly repairs and modifications for the existing alignments

I agree. For years now I've thought it would be nice if the city decided to add a stone facade to wacker east of Michigan Ave. It would beautify the riverwalk there and reduce road noise.

Notyrview · #**1576** Posted **Sep 4, 2016, 10:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by denizen467

Shows just how old those twin towers are. They really need upgrading; the windows of each unit are so primitive that ice builds up on the inside during the coldest stretches. I think the hvac system overall is more like what you'd see in a '60s lowrise. Unfortunately the neighborhood is so desirable that even Class C tier rents can be set high, so there is probably little revenue bump they would get if they bothered to invest in updating the units.

But why did you also change your status/tagline to this?

Bc I think the sign is hilarious