CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction, v7

[Bonsai Tree]

I actually like it better. Stinks the second phase got nixed but I don't mind the height cut or design change. I love the setbacks.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

so the State of IL is subservient to Brendan Reilly's aldermanic prerogative? that's funny.

I mean they literally are...

The State has zero control over Chicago zoning changes and little control over city council politics. This is like suggesting Trump could have forced city council to zone him another super tall downtown.

"You have no power here..."

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by Toasty Joe

I know we can't really compare to NYC anymore, but Grand Hyatt redevelopment came out with their design today. It looks amazing, something like the Thompson Center location could use, and with a 500-key hotel on top. Wish we had some grander aspirations and more of this instead of 5.5 simultaneous mega-developments trying to get traction and coming up short of inspiring.

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...&postcount=760

There's an 1,100 footer under construction right now and a 1,400 very likely to be built. Chicago is doing just fine in the skyscraper department.

[Mikelacey45]

BuildThemTaller;9178794]There's an 1,100 footer under construction right now and a 1,400 very likely to be built. Chicago is doing just fine in the skyscraper department


Ummmmm what 1,100ft skyscraper that’s under construction here ? Did I miss the memo

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Mikelacey45

Ummmmm what 1,100ft skyscraper that’s under construction here ? Did I miss the memo

St. Regis?

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by Mikelacey45

BuildThemTaller;9178794]There's an 1,100 footer under construction right now and a 1,400 very likely to be built. Chicago is doing just fine in the skyscraper department


Ummmmm what 1,100ft skyscraper that’s under construction here ? Did I miss the memo

St Regis tower is 1,192 feet and still u/c

[Skyguy_7]

^1,192* footer under construction.. and a 970 footer u/c. Don't short our few sources of pride!

The Lawson House, one block north of One Chicago, has hit the streets for bidding. Gut renovation, 410 SRO units when all is said and done... There hasn't been a stabbing death there in two whole years and this rehab project guarantees there won't be another stabbing for at least 1.5 more years.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

There's an 1,100 footer under construction right now and a 1,400 very likely to be built. Chicago is doing just fine in the skyscraper department.

^ Inertia, my friend. Isaac Newton.

Those all started prior to COVID.

What we are seeing now are a lot of proposals trying to lock in zoning in the hopes that there is a going to be a recovery and a massive return to downtown in jobs, hotels, and the trains are going to be full of commuters.

But investment can be extremely cautious and even fickle. Good leaders (a rarity in 2021) who understand this need to court it, reassure it, pet it and massage it, tell it "everything is going to be okay".

Post-COVID I have my reservations that huge new construction starts could potentially dry up.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

I mean they literally are...

The State has zero control over Chicago zoning changes and little control over city council politics. This is like suggesting Trump could have forced city council to zone him another super tall downtown.

"You have no power here..."

States are sovereign, except where the Constitution specifically assigns powers to the Federal government. The state can absolutely override local zoning if they want to. They're doing a ton of that in California right now to stop suburbs from blocking new housing.

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by Toasty Joe

The Loop has so much potential to become a more vibrant and residential "neighborhood." Definitely feels like some vibrancy is creeping in from the success of the Riverwalk. Pre-covid my coworkers and I would grab after-work drinks at random bars and restaurants around the Loop quite often, seems like there was always somewhere new to explore. The city needs to definitely figure out a new formula now due to the pandemic, but they've also (hopefully) realized that the Loop deserves better than just the after-work drink crew and tourists who shop at Forever 21 and go to Hamilton. That's why the Thompson Center needs to be a home run residential & entertainment catalyst (however that may come), which is a heavy burden made heavier by fucking up Block 37. Hopeful that the success of West Loop proves there is a huge appetite for an urban living/dining/office scene, and the Loop already has an amazing building stock at the literal center of our transportation system!

I dont know the exact stats, but the residential population of the loop has grown from something like zero to 20,000 people in the past 10 years or so.

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by ardecila

States are sovereign, except where the Constitution specifically assigns powers to the Federal government. The state can absolutely override local zoning if they want to. They're doing a ton of that in California right now to stop suburbs from blocking new housing.

Also don't forget aldermanic prerogative on zoning is a tradition, it is not a law. The mayor could override if she chooses to - and I believe she has threatened to do so a few times already...

[Mikelacey45]

Originally Posted by marothisu

St. Regis?

I thought they were done with St. Regis? Did they recently had ppl move in last month

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

Also don't forget aldermanic prerogative on zoning is a tradition, it is not a law. The mayor could override if she chooses to - and I believe she has threatened to do so a few times already...

No she couldn't, only the city council could. That would mean convincing 25 alderbeasties to stab their fellow rabble in the back. Do you think that is easier than simply bribing the shit out of the single aldercreature that currently holds perogative over your site?

It's not gonna happen and the mayor has literally nothing to do with the zoning process aside from appointment of various beaurcrats.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by ardecila

States are sovereign, except where the Constitution specifically assigns powers to the Federal government. The state can absolutely override local zoning if they want to. They're doing a ton of that in California right now to stop suburbs from blocking new housing.

That's absurd, the state is not going to revoke Chicago's home rule status just to squeeze more money out of the site. There is a big difference between what is theoretically possible and what is actually in the realm of possibility. The state hasn't overruled zoning in Chicago before so in what world is it gonna happen now?

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Toasty Joe

I know we can't really compare to NYC anymore, but Grand Hyatt redevelopment came out with their design today. It looks amazing, something like the Thompson Center location could use, and with a 500-key hotel on top. Wish we had some grander aspirations and more of this instead of 5.5 simultaneous mega-developments trying to get traction and coming up short of inspiring.

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...&postcount=760

The design is interesting, but I'm sorry, the massing and ribbing makes it look like a giant, veiny dildo. It's not an elegant design, just...lumpy.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

23 South Sangamon

-DX 5 Zoning

-The project is now 1 tower instead of two

-Approx 80 Condo units vs 370 rental

-Average unit 2,200 sq ft

-19 stories

-30 to 40% presales

-They'd like to begin construction early 2022 with completion late 2023 or early 2024.
.........

I think the revised design and massing is superior to the original proposal.

Also, I've said it before in this forum, but some savvy developers that anticipate push-back from community organizations will over-design proposals, especially in terms of height, and then scale them back to 'appease' those organizations, even though the cost metrics associated with the project most likely line up with the 'revised' proposal to begin with.

[Toasty Joe]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

There's an 1,100 footer under construction right now and a 1,400 very likely to be built. Chicago is doing just fine in the skyscraper department.

I was mainly responding to the shared sentiment on here and the YIMBY comments that we're going to get another Block 37... and urban politician had a good response about inertia pre-COVID that touches on my concern. But my point stands... I'd rather have more organic growth in the surrounding megadevelopments (street grid & subdivide plots) and more focused attention and public resources go towards nailing premier sites like this, especially with the CTA station(s) involved. It just seems like we currently have a lot of balls in the air and I'm afraid none of them are going to live up to their true potential.

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

I dont know the exact stats, but the residential population of the loop has grown from something like zero to 20,000 people in the past 10 years or so.

yeah, a great start but definitely more fundamental work to do. I feel like currently there is a very specific type of person who would live in the Loop (transient, white-collar, somewhat anti-social), and a lot of that growth has been from that demographic. If there's any hope of it being an actual neighborhood one day, a major step is even losing the local stigma as a lame place to live for people who don't know any better.

[Jibba]

Originally Posted by sentinel

The design is interesting, but I'm sorry, the massing and ribbing makes it look like a giant, veiny dildo. It's not an elegant design, just...lumpy.

Yeah, in elevation it's... not cute. Like they're trying to add more contemporary forms (curvilinear elements, delicateness, fluidity) to their legacy of International designs. The unbuilt Transbay proposal looked like a better attempt at the same idea (though not nearly as tall and not with the same site-specific requirements, of course).

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

No she couldn't, only the city council could. That would mean convincing 25 alderbeasties to stab their fellow rabble in the back. Do you think that is easier than simply bribing the shit out of the single aldercreature that currently holds perogative over your site?

It's not gonna happen and the mayor has literally nothing to do with the zoning process aside from appointment of various beaurcrats.

Both Daley and Emanuel made this happen a few times. I think the last time was for the arena at McCormick Place. But this usually only happens for projects of "citywide importance", not your random apartment tower, and I doubt Lightfoot is able to work the Council in the same way.

You also had the opposite for Lincoln Yards, where Ald. Hopkins and the mayor were supportive but 14 aldermen voted against it.

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

That's absurd, the state is not going to revoke Chicago's home rule status just to squeeze more money out of the site. There is a big difference between what is theoretically possible and what is actually in the realm of possibility. The state hasn't overruled zoning in Chicago before so in what world is it gonna happen now?

The state's never been this involved in a downtown development project before either, except for their own facilities. It's kind of uncharted territory. The fact that Reily is trying to kill the redevelopment tells me the state will have to flex its muscles somehow.

But a lot depends on specifics, so we'll have to see. There is certainly some drama coming, that's for sure.

[Chi-Sky21]

Did Reilly actually try to kill the redevelopment though? I did not see that anywhere.