CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction, v7

[jc5680]

^ Ditto. I can generally do without another lazy stylistic caricature from Lagrange, but variety generally makes for more interesting cityscapes. Better here than lumped in with the sea of beige in RN.

…

The Coyne site has seen quite a bit of activity today. There have been crews relocating utilities all day along Peoria. They have removed and mulched all the trees on the Wayman side and begun grading or something in that area.

[marothisu]

808 N Wells (Wells & Chicago) might be taking steps again to move forward. Demolition permit to destroy the 1 story building on the site that was originally built to be the sales center for the previous design before the previous developer died.

I believe this is more of a recent design/plan:

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/9/24...808-wells-amli

[Barrelfish]

Originally Posted by marothisu

808 N Wells (Wells & Chicago) might be taking steps again to move forward. Demolition permit to destroy the 1 story building on the site that was originally built to be the sales center for the previous design before the previous developer died.

I believe this is more of a recent design/plan:

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/9/24...808-wells-amli

I passed by this yesterday and demolition is underway. Will snap a pic if no one else goes by there again before I do.

[Handro]

Originally Posted by marothisu

808 N Wells (Wells & Chicago) might be taking steps again to move forward. Demolition permit to destroy the 1 story building on the site that was originally built to be the sales center for the previous design before the previous developer died.

I believe this is more of a recent design/plan:

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/9/24...808-wells-amli

Yep I posted back in December that this is a go. I work for the contractor and the internal start date is still listed as February 24, so it should be starting within the very near future.

[KWillChicago]

I know there was a lot of hate for the previous design but I'm kind of dissapoint ef it didn't go.

[rivernorthlurker]

Originally Posted by Handro

Yep I posted back in December that this is a go. I work for the contractor and the internal start date is still listed as February 24, so it should be starting within the very near future.

+ 306 W Erie https://www.rejournals.com/first-loo...ments-20190807
+ ~450 N Lasalle - https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/1/30...salle-illinois

The River North office miniboom of 2020 has begun.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by rivernorthlurker

+ 306 W Erie https://www.rejournals.com/first-loo...ments-20190807
+ ~450 N Lasalle - https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/1/30...salle-illinois

The River North office miniboom of 2020 has begun.

I like that that first story says SCB is reportedly designing something commercial for 320 W Huron - that big lot on the north side of Huron between Orleans and Franklin and I'd like a little more commercial space in the neighborhood. I like SCB designs, too, so I'm hoping they have another nice one since I live a block and a half from there. If that gets built out, there won't be many big lots left within two blocks of my place. I've been there almost 16 years, so it's changed a lot. If all three lots along Franklin between Erie and Superior get built on, and 808 N Wells happens, and the project on the SE corner of Chicago/Lasalle, and Bentham finishes, then we'll have the former Carson's site, the lot on the NW corner of Superior/Clark, the parking lot at the SE corner of Erie/Lasalle, Al's Beef and the small lot immediately east of it, the small lot on the north side of Chicago in the middle of the block between Wells and Franklin, and the lot on the south side of Chicago between Wells and Lasalle, the lot on the NW corner of Hubbard/Lasalle, the lots on the NE and NW corners of Ohio/Franklin, and on the SW corner of Ontario/Franklin, and then I can't think of anything else east of Orleans and south of Institute or Chestnut except the lots associated with Lawson or a few 1-2 standard-lot sized parcels here and there. After that, it's just actively used but under-scaled things like gas stations and McDonalds.

[rivernorthlurker]

Originally Posted by emathias

I like that that first story says SCB is reportedly designing something commercial for 320 W Huron - that big lot on the north side of Huron between Orleans and Franklin and I'd like a little more commercial space in the neighborhood. I like SCB designs, too, so I'm hoping they have another nice one since I live a block and a half from there. If that gets built out, there won't be many big lots left within two blocks of my place. I've been there almost 16 years, so it's changed a lot. If all three lots along Franklin between Erie and Superior get built on, and 808 N Wells happens, and the project on the SE corner of Chicago/Lasalle, and Bentham finishes, then we'll have the former Carson's site, the lot on the NW corner of Superior/Clark, the parking lot at the SE corner of Erie/Lasalle, Al's Beef and the small lot immediately east of it, the small lot on the north side of Chicago in the middle of the block between Wells and Franklin, and the lot on the south side of Chicago between Wells and Lasalle, the lot on the NW corner of Hubbard/Lasalle, the lots on the NE and NW corners of Ohio/Franklin, and on the SW corner of Ontario/Franklin, and then I can't think of anything else east of Orleans and south of Institute or Chestnut except the lots associated with Lawson or a few 1-2 standard-lot sized parcels here and there. After that, it's just actively used but under-scaled things like gas stations and McDonalds.

Ah, razing that BP/Rainforest/HardRock/McDonalds/BestWestern/McDonalds/PostOffice conglomeration is a dream I don't yet dare to have. But once the 'glass starts filling up' and the low hanging fruit you mentioned gets developed, I think it may come pretty fast. There a are a LOT of small one story buildings though to go before many of those however.

[SamInTheLoop]

I'm opening SSP and there are multiple pro-LaGrange posts for his work in general and that atrocious South Loop POS he puked up. WTF. Did I wander into the upside-down here? Not cool.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by KWillChicago

I know there was a lot of hate for the previous design but I'm kind of dissapoint ef it didn't go.

The architecture of the previous (when it was a Smithfield project) proposal was superior....I think it was mainly the roof that bothered some folks.

[SamInTheLoop]

Glad to hear this one will be moving forward very soon. Sharp design.

[Mr Downtown]

Ald. Dowell said tonight that 1400 S. Wabash has a new developer, so I'm rather surprised to see that same design still shown on the JLL offering memorandum.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by gebs

The South Loop is a mostly homogenous collection of contemporary glass towers with some exceptions. That's precisely why I think a project like this would be a great addition, even if it feels slightly out of place.

Then I remember the Blackstone Hotel:

This building fits perfectly within the South Loop (even if it's a little north to be South). I'm sure Lagrange would blush at the comparison, but it bears some resemblance to his French revivalist style.

I don't think anything could make Lagrange blush, lol.

Obviously the Blackstone pre-dates Lagrange and was initially designed by Benjamin Marshall, but the renovation in the 2000s was done by Lagrange himself, so you can thank him for that cartoonishly green roof, among other things.

[gebs]

^^ I didn't know Lagrange was involved in the renovation, or that the green roof was part of it. The more you learn!

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Ald. Dowell said tonight that 1400 S. Wabash has a new developer, so I'm rather surprised to see that same design still shown on the JLL offering memorandum.

Well...my understanding is that that offering memo was from the sale of the property....and that’s what the seller and now former owner had received entitlements for (was this an approved PD?), so it makes sense they would include a rendering for it. Were all of the architectural, engineering, etc plans included in the property sale, I wonder? I’m curious who the new owner/developer is....if it’s a truly experienced player with a strong track record, brand and image in the marketplace and/or one with a substantive design ethos, that LaGrange scribble might already be in its rightful eternal rotting place - the scrap heap. Here’s hoping.

[ChiHi]

Originally Posted by gebs

The South Loop is a mostly homogenous collection of contemporary glass towers with some exceptions. That's precisely why I think a project like this would be a great addition, even if it feels slightly out of place.

Then I remember the Blackstone Hotel:



This building fits perfectly within the South Loop (even if it's a little north to be South). I'm sure Lagrange would blush at the comparison, but it bears some resemblance to his French revivalist style.

When I was referring to the "South Loop" I was more referring to the south of Roosevelt area although the definition of the South Loop seems to get larger and more broad over time. That area of the South Loop has nothing that comes close to that design. Like I said, I like the density at least and will take it.

[SamInTheLoop]

^ I think to be technical about it, South Loop is actually strictly north of Roosevelt, and south of Roosevelt to roughly Cermak or so is technically the Near South Side. But who’s actually technical about anything, any more....why not embrace the inane real estate agent locality marketing-speak?

Also, the worst offenders in terms of late 90’s-00’s architecture in the general area are overwhelmingly not the contemporary glass-heavy designs (to be sure, there are some uninspired, rather banal examples in this category too - particularly in Museum Park) - rather, they are absolute duds such as Marquee on Michigan, Michigan Ave Towers 1 and 2, Vision on State, State Place, the two condo towers on west side of state around 1500 block, 41 E Eighth, 1111 S Wabash, among others.

The really good news is that the last decade has seen a significant improvement in design quality than the decade prior. Very few if any postmodern or traditional designs of any notable scale, and the contemporary architecture as a whole has improved meaningfully, with far fewer outright misfires such as several of the Museum Park towers. Most recently, outright gems such as NEMA and Paragon, and very solid additions such as the Cooper.

[Mr Downtown]

Without getting bogged down in this, I'll note that both South Loop Neighbors and Greater South Loop Neighbors consider Jackson to I-55, the river to the lake, to be "South Loop." Basically, we're trying to include all the residential buildings built or revived since 1975, but not poach on "Bronzeville." However, we both realize that for demographic and social reasons Chinatown isn't the South Loop, so we kind of notch out the area south of 16th and west of Clark.

The boundary between Community Area 32 (Loop) and Community Area 33 (Near South Side) is Roosevelt. But surely everyone acknowledges that CAs have almost nothing to do with cohesive community identity anywhere other than the North Lakefront.

[BVictor1]

I'm out of free articles, but apparently nearly an entire block in the West Loop, Bridgford Foods is on the market for $60,000,000.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I'm out of free articles, but apparently nearly an entire block in the West Loop, Bridgford Foods is on the market for $60,000,000.

Here:

Big Fulton Market site set to sell for $60 million

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/comm...ell-60-million

The real estate development arm of Clayco is finalizing a deal to buy the Bridgford Foods processing plant at 170 N. Green St., according to sources familiar with the agreement.

The pending sale price is unclear and spokesmen for Clayco and Bridgford declined to comment. But sources said Clayco's development division, CRG, is set to pay around $60 million for the 62,711-square-foot site along Lake Street between Green and Peoria streets, now home to Bridgford's 156,000-square-foot plant. The sale would mark one of the highest prices ever paid for a Fulton Market property that hasn't been redeveloped.

..

Anaheim, Calif.-based Bridgford plans to move its local operations to a new facility in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

..

The sale also would put CRG in position to move ahead with a big mixed-use facility that Bridgford won City Council approval in 2017 to build on its property. That proposal included more than 300 residential units and retail space, but CRG could use the city's Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus program, paying a fee for more density at the site and develop an even larger building.

..

Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, has banned new residential development in the neighborhood north of Lake Street, the northern edge of Bridgford's property.

..

Clayco pulled in nearly $2.7 billion in revenue in 2018, according to Crain's most recent list of the Chicago area's largest privately held companies. The company ranked 19th on that list.