CHICAGO | The Elysian | 686 FT / 209 M | 60 FLOORS | COM

[Chicago Shawn]

^The far right is the Talbot Hotel, a small high-rise in its own right, and is staying intact.

[honte]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

That is good news on the frame house. I had thought the little cottage demolished for the Elysian could have been moved to Washington Square Park and converted to some kind of a community center. Its nice to hear that other frame house may actually be spared. From a 1872 picture taken from the Water Tower, it appears that both this house and the lost cottage are immediate post-fire buildings.

Hi Shawn,

Not sure if I wrote a confusing message, or if I'm not reading yours right. But the house that is already gone is the one that people tried to move, and yes, Wash. Sq was exactly where it was supposed to go. It was from 1871 or 1872, as you say, or possibly a survivor of the fire (some things around this vicinity actually did survive).

But in any case, there has been no effort to save the other house, and I believe with about 95% confidence that the 10 E. Project is going to claim it.

So there isn't much good news, alas.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

^The far right is the Talbot Hotel, a small high-rise in its own right, and is staying intact.

^ Good. That's by far the best looking structure.

Sorry to burst anybody's bubble, but I don't really think the buildings (other than the Talbot) on that block are THAT noteworthy, other than for their historic-ness. I certainly don't see any significant amount of detailing (that we love so much about the pre-war era) in these buildings, again aside from the Talbot Hotel. Considering the nice design of the Elysian and the use of limestone on the lower levels, I'll wager that the Elysian Part II (or 10 E Del) will likely be a worthwile replacement.

[oshkeoto]

"Sorry to burst anybody's bubble, but I don't really think the buildings (other than the Talbot) on that block are THAT noteworthy, other than for their historic-ness. I certainly don't see any significant amount of detailing (that we love so much about the pre-war era) in these buildings, again aside from the Talbot Hotel."

But that's not the point. The street itself is gorgeous; it has a kind of scale and homeyness that are unmistakably urban Chicago. Any city can have highrises; not every city has 19th century wood frame cottages next to their highrises.

"Considering the nice design of the Elysian and the use of limestone on the lower levels, I'll wager that the Elysian Part II (or 10 E Del) will likely be a worthwile replacement."

Has any new construction adequately imitated old styles? I don't think I've seen any.

[honte]

Originally Posted by oshkeoto

But that's not the point. The street itself is gorgeous; it has a kind of scale and homeyness that are unmistakably urban Chicago. Any city can have highrises; not every city has 19th century wood frame cottages next to their highrises.

Yeah, I've got to agree here. None of these are exactly stand-outs in the architecture department, but it is so charming to come across a pocket of Victorian buildings in the middle of downtown. I will miss them. This kind of stuff used to be all over River North, and it's really taken it on the chin due to this boom.

And 10 E. Delaware is so bad, there's not much I think it would be a good replacement for.

[honte]

Originally Posted by honte

But in any case, there has been no effort to save the other house, and I believe with about 95% confidence that the 10 E. Project is going to claim it.

Just to cap this conversation, I was looking at the elevations for this project again, and it's clear they are razing everything up to the Talbot.

[Dan in Chicago]

Originally Posted by oshkeoto

Has any new construction adequately imitated old styles? I don't think I've seen any.

There's one. In Washington DC they recently expanded a famous 10-story condo building (the Kennedy-Warren) by adding a wing according to the original plans, doubling the building's size. The results match the original section completely!

But my point is to agree with you -- in almost every case, attempts to capture the look of old architecture are just plain weak. Sticking a gable on top of a strip mall does NOT give it the feeling of a traditional village downtown! Duh. The only postmodernist I admire is Michael Graves, because he doesn't use classical motifs to recreate "ye olde" whatever, he rearranges the motifs and has fun with them.

[honte]

Originally Posted by Dan in Chicago

There's one. In Washington DC they recently expanded a famous 10-story condo building (the Kennedy-Warren) by adding a wing according to the original plans, doubling the building's size. The results match the original section completely!

But my point is to agree with you -- in almost every case, attempts to capture the look of old architecture are just plain weak. Sticking a gable on top of a strip mall does NOT give it the feeling of a traditional village downtown! Duh. The only postmodernist I admire is Michael Graves, because he doesn't use classical motifs to recreate "ye olde" whatever, he rearranges the motifs and has fun with them.

The proposed Union Station plan here seemed pretty darn good too, although this is another case of dusting off the old plans and trying to reassemble an old project. I can't think of anything either that was from scratch and very convincing.

Of course, I'd much rather they hire Norman Foster to put a glass egg on top of Union Station than try to match the Burnham, since I doubt they'll do a flawless job. We'll have to see...

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by honte

The proposed Union Station plan here seemed pretty darn good too, although this is another case of dusting off the old plans and trying to reassemble an old project. I can't think of anything either that was from scratch and very convincing.

^ The Harold Washington Library is, as far as I have seen, easily as good as anything built in that era

[honte]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ The Harold Washington Library is, as far as I have seen, easily as good as anything built in that era

^ Yikes! Have you gone inside?

And while I like the building, the outside in detail will never compare to its neighbors. It's a pleasant postmodern building.

[the urban politician]

^ I've been inside. Actually, I'm just referring to the exterior. When I first saw it I mistakenly assumed it had been built 100 years ago

[Loopy]

A very unfortunate thing was done to the Library that really makes it look less than it's best: All of the mortar joints between the masonry blocks have been caulked with a neutral white urethane sealant. The original mortar was likely colored reddish-brown to match the blocks. Now all of the joints are white.

It is very unusual to caulk over mortar joints. It's usually only done on a building as a last ditch waterproofing effort when the owners cannot find the cash or the will for tuckpointing.

This is no doubt the result of a typical beaureacratic decision making process: The new building leaked during storms, no doubt, and the solution was "do something...anything" So instead of an engineered solution, some nitwit Facility Manager hired some caulkers.

Edit: Crap, I just noticed that this was an Elysian thread. Sorry to take the conversation further offtopic.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Loopy

A very unfortunate thing was done to the Library that really makes it look less than it's best: All of the mortar joints between the masonry blocks have been caulked with a neutral white urethane sealant. The original mortar was likely colored reddish-brown to match the blocks. Now all of the joints are white.

It is very unusual to caulk over mortar joints. It's usually only done on a building as a last ditch waterproofing effort when the owners cannot find the cash or the will for tuckpointing.

This is no doubt the result of a typical beaureacratic decision making process: The new building leaked during storms, no doubt, and the solution was "do something...anything" So instead of an engineered solution, some nitwit Facility Manager hired some caulkers.

Edit: Crap, I just noticed that this was an Elysian thread. Sorry to take the conversation further offtopic.

Oh well, keeps the page on the radar in the meantime.

When potential buyers place deposits on units in an unbuilt building, is there ever a time limit? I mean I think the first buyers for this must have bought a good 1.5-2 years ago, and the thing still isn't U/C, they won't get delivery til 4-5 years after their deposit...

[Mojava]

There's usually a clause that states a completion date. If they cant make the completion date then the buyer has a right to cancel the contract

[BVictor1]

There's some new information on the Elysian. Also, some information not posted in the article is the fact that McHugh will be working on this building.

Here is a link to the article:
http://www.newcityskyline.com/ElysianResumesWork.html

[spyguy]

Nice. I look forward to seeing this one actually under construction after so many years.

Unrelated, I like the new NewcitySkyline logo.

[kazpmk]

excellent news.

[Marvel 33]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Nice. I look forward to seeing this one actually under construction after so many years.

Unrelated, I like the new NewcitySkyline logo.

Thanks Spyguy!

[Steely Dan]

the report from newcityskyline last week said work would resume this monday, so has anyone spotted any work crews at the site so far this week?

[Chi_Coruscant]

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=21670

Developer of Elysian Hotel nears deal on construction loan

The developer of the Elysian Hotel & Private Residences in the Gold Coast is close to landing a $203 million construction loan from a German lender after an earlier loan fell through.

Hypo Real Estate Capital Corp., a subsidiary of Munich-based Hypo Real Estate Group, has agreed to provide the loan, which is expected to close in September, a source says. The 60-story project last summer received a commitment for about $60 million in equity financing from Arcapita Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of a Bahrain bank.

Yet the development at 11 E. Walton St. is several months behind schedule, fueling speculation that it was having trouble securing financing. Chicago-based LaSalle Bank Corp. had tentatively agreed to be the lead lender on the project last year, but that deal fizzled.

Financing, however, was never a problem, says David C. Pisor, president and CEO of Elysian Worldwide LLC, the project's developer. It simply has taken much longer than expected to get a foundation permit for the building, he says.

The project includes four stories of underground parking, adding to the project's complexity and contributing to the delay, he says.

Mr. Pisor declines to confirm the Hypo loan but says that buyers have signed contracts about 125, or 66%, of its 188 hotel suites.

Unlike a traditional hotel, which is owned by a single investor, the Elysian is a condo-hotel, in which hotel units are sold to individual investors much like regular residential condos. Owners can use the suites when they please or let the hotel operator rent the units when they are away.