CHICAGO | General Developments

[Mikemak27]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

^facetious hyperbole

A shameful excuse for a discriminatory comment. Please edit your post as it does nothing to further our discussion on general developments.

[pilsenarch]

Wow. A guy with a Family Guy avatar without any sense of humor...

[spyguy]

by Dron odromo, on Flickr
New Urban Outfitters / say goodbye to Big Bowl

by Dron odromo, on Flickr
by Dron odromo, on Flickr
9 Walton site
by Dron odromo, on Flickr
4 East Elm and future Viceroy Hotel (Cedar Hotel site)

[jc5680]

Two of the new segments of the river walk open today.

[spyguy]

IIT Innovation Center
John Ronan

[wrab]

^ Awesome. Thanks, spyguy!

[i_am_hydrogen]

[streetline]

The new river walk sections were looking good today, although there were still men working down there even as they opened them around noon. The views from down there are amazing on both sides of the river. You wouldn't think they'd be that different from street level, but looking up past rather than straight across Wacker really does wonders; the views are much like what you'd get on a boat.


Anticipating the next few sections of river walk stretching over to Lake avenue that are supposed to start construction this year, and thinking of the recently announced Merchandise Mart renovations, it occurs to me that they ought to think about making better use of their river level. They have a "private dock" currently, but it's somewhat ramshackle and only uses a small fraction of their river frontage. That sort of under-utilization of the river level was understandable in the past, but in a year or so the Mart will be the practically the only property on the main channel that doesn't take advantage of it's river frontage. I wonder if I'm correct in assuming they can develop the river level, or if their right to do so is somehow limited by the street above (if that's even a public street)?


And, is it just me or is the IIT Innovation Center absurdly bright, in both the day and night renders? The building seems interesting, if a bit low slung for my tastes, but those renders up the luminosity to the point it looks ridiculous.

[i_am_hydrogen]

[wierdaaron]

Not far off from the render:



http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...-look-like.php

[emathias]

Here are some more Riverwalk snapshots I took yesterday late afternoon:

TheatreWide by Eric Mathiasen, on Flickr

KayakWide by Eric Mathiasen, on Flickr

DucksWide by Eric Mathiasen, on Flickr

DearbornBridgeTall by Eric Mathiasen, on Flickr

ClarkBridgeWide by Eric Mathiasen, on Flickr

BenchesWide by Eric Mathiasen, on Flickr

Barge by Eric Mathiasen, on Flickr

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by spyguy

IIT Innovation Center
John Ronan

Sick.

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

Sick.

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

Sick.

Mas por favor

[harryc]

[UrbanLibertine]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

Can we just replicate this building all over Chicago? I don't care if we start looking like Miami. This building is stunning!

[J_M_Tungsten]

^^^It turned out pretty great. I'll take good Miami over River North beige any day. Actually, I think Milwaukee has a good number of white buildings, and are trying to brand their city with that look.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by UrbanLibertine

Can we just replicate this building all over Chicago? I don't care if we start looking like Miami. This building is stunning!

The building turned out great. I also don't know why you're saying something like Miami as a bad thing. I'd take that over looking like a Detroit, Iowa, etc any second of the year. This is actually why I like some areas of Wicker Park, Bucktown, etc. Some nice modern buildings kind of akin to something you may semi find in a Miami or Santa Monica.

[wierdaaron]

Some repair/restoration work being done at Printer's Square (Federal & Polk) I noticed last week.

[munchymunch]

http://www.bklarchitecture.com/housi...waukee-chicago

[MayorOfChicago]

Walked the riverwalk this morning, nice. I see they're going to open a City Winery and a Belgiam beer and fry place (I think others, I only noticed those two signs). They were going full steam ahead on the 3rd block between Clark and LaSalle with an army of people putting down paving stones around 830am.

When do they start on the other sections? From everything I can find they plan to be done in 2016, so I assume they will start this summer. They have the contractor and the barges (at least they had them last week). Wouldn't it be easy to just transition everyone over...

[OrdoSeclorum]

Originally Posted by MayorOfChicago

Walked the riverwalk this morning, nice. I see they're going to open a City Winery and a Belgiam beer and fry place (I think others, I only noticed those two signs). They were going full steam ahead on the 3rd block between Clark and LaSalle with an army of people putting down paving stones around 830am.

I'll tell, ya. I walked by that restaurant spot (Flanders, I think) that's going to be serving beer and thought that I can't wait to have a couple beers there. It's going to be great because you are right next to the water at near water level. It looks like an awesome environment to sit and spend time. I loved the river walk and can't wait to see the next 2/3 completed. What I think works great compared to other river walks, is that it engages with the river. It makes all the difference. It's the difference between walking on the beach or walking on a breakwall.

From the renders I was worried it would be too narrow, but that doesn't seem to be a problem at all once you're there.