CHICAGO | Optima Center Chicago | 442 ft | 42 FLOORS | COM

[Joe Zekas]

Been in the units quite a few times. The floor-to-ceiling height is about a minimal 7'8".

The Village of Skokie imposed height restrictions on the buildings that led to this result.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Swicago Swi Sox

Caisson installation ongoing at the site...wish there was more than the one rendering on this one.

It'll be interesting to watch a skyscraper get built without everyone knowing exactly what its going to look like (or supposed to look like) from every angle imaginable. It hasn't been that way in quite some time.

[Frankie]

...Recreational facilities and other amenities will include a glass-enclosed fitness center with an exercise facility, basketball court and flex studio. An indoor lap pool will feature retractable glass walls for indoor/outdoor use. A hot tub and locker rooms equipped with steam rooms will be in the pool area. Outdoor patios and grills will be available at amenity-level terraces.

The top of the building will feature a landscaped roof sky deck with two fireplaces circled by seating areas, two large hot tubs and two grills.

A multipurpose room for residents will feature a game room, lounge, flat-screen TV and two catering kitchens. Private offices will be available with workstations.

Security will consist of monitored access, intercom and video surveillance as well as a 24-hour doorman.

The 238-car parking garage will have bicycle storage space and other storage facilities. The building also will include commercial/retail office space.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classi...,2188778.story

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by Joe Zekas

Been in the units quite a few times. The floor-to-ceiling height is about a minimal 7'8".

The Village of Skokie imposed height restrictions on the buildings that led to this result.

I don't think this is correct. The building is a hair under 200' tall and is 20 floors. This would mean the average floor height is just under 10'. Take out 3" for the slab and 6" for utilities (which is conservative seeing as how they probably just ran them through runs rather than drop the ceilings) and you are at 9' - 9' 3". On top of that several of the listings for condos in the building right now list the ceilings as 9' ceilings.

So unless there is more than a foot of wasted space between each floor, there is no way the ceilings are 7' 8".

[Tom Servo]

7'8"? What are they building, a Hobbit hole?

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

I don't think this is correct. The building is a hair under 200' tall and is 20 floors. This would mean the average floor height is just under 10'. Take out 3" for the slab and 6" for utilities (which is conservative seeing as how they probably just ran them through runs rather than drop the ceilings) and you are at 9' - 9' 3". On top of that several of the listings for condos in the building right now list the ceilings as 9' ceilings.

So unless there is more than a foot of wasted space between each floor, there is no way the ceilings are 7' 8".

They don't typically run conduit or HVAC under the slab except beneath bathrooms or near entrance vestibules, and occasionally hallways. They may soffit the ceilings in a few areas as well, but typically all ventilation diffusers and returns as well as fire protection are wall mounted and plumbing runs in chases near kitchens and bathrooms.

Slab is probably 4" but I doubt floor to floor runs more than around 9' I'm guessing height between finished surfaces is close to around 8'4". It appears to be that on their website. It's definitely not 7'8" though. I also see no images of recessed lighting which would require some depth for the housing.

10' average is a bit much when you take into account what I assume is a double height lobby space

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Remember how wide the building is. The lobby only exists under a small fraction of the building and shares the ground floor with parking and the first 3 floors (its 2 or 3 depending on where you are in the building) are parking which typically has slightly lower ceiling heights. The lobby is probably equal to two or three floors of parking and has no effect on the average floor heights. If anything the garage would drop the average ceiling height by a touch.

As I mentioned above, there are numerous listings advertising a 9' ceiling height which would be false advertising if it were patently false. Not that realtors have ever thought twice about creating fraudulent listings, but it's unlikely that many people would just be pulling that number out of their ass.

[markh9]

From a few hours ago.

[ardecila]

It's so awesome to see two big construction sites right next to each other. The glory days have returned!

[harryc]

Nice shots Markh9 - thank you

Nov 30, undergound "conduit" may PVC pipes encased in concrete.


They set up shop, moving in trailers, moving out planters, blocking off the stairs...


Dec 5 - all clean and level.

[harryc]

Dec 8 - Case on site


Dec 13 - Belling bit in use


Augers a plenty


Dec 14 - running new electric service


Dec 15 - This caisson is so close to the bldg (garage) next door that the crane had to back up in order to swing the drill and dirt laden bit over to the side, the mark on the track is to help put it back in the right spot.




The offices(trailers) moved in for site prep have been totaly removed and the stairs re-opened.

[chicagoisepic]

Wow! Great pics there Harryc

[george]

Thanks for the extensive updates, harry & markh9.

[J_M_Tungsten]

Does anyone know if there will be another rendering, or do we just have the one to go off of until it's built?

[harryc]

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by markh9

From a few hours ago.

Ugh another reason I'm glad I don't live in this part of downtown. So bleak and sterile. At least theres a few smaller old buildings to redeem the area somewhat.

[harryc]

[Joe Zekas]

Back in mid-October I shot the following at a unit in Building 3 of Old Orchard. The original is at Flickr.




Nine feet? No way. Work off the standard cabinet heights, including the 42" upper cabinets. Cross-check with standard door heights / refrigerator heights.

I stand by my original statement that the floor-to-ceiling height is 7'8".

[Rizzo]

01/05 Lunch

[george]

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