Got it. Shame they're not building this:

https://cdn-vox--cdn-com.cdn.ampproj...1.32.23_PM.png

Amazon?

You never know. I believe the block with the parking garage and transit center is slated to get up to 2 million square feet of office space in the Union Station redevelopment. If Amazon moves to the OPO, they would eventually need to expand. This would be perfect for them since its only 1 block away. They might even use that SOM design proposed by Sterling Bay as well.

Considering Amtrak was seeking that much space even before/without Amazon, I wonder if they'd go back to the drawing board and plan for even more square footage if Amazon chooses Chicago - whether or not Amazon wants this site in particular. My impression is that the parking lot does not have tracks running underneath, so there shouldn't be a technical impediment to an even larger skyscraper.

Even if Amazon went with the Post Office and expanded around there and/or across the river, there would probably still be a ton of additional demand for the Union Station site from firms interested in co-locating.

With or without the Lucas Musuem, i hope the new post office building gets relocated within the next 20 yeas

Another permit yesterday:

"Level 2 & 4+5e for marketing office & spec office suite"

The presence of a massive highway, with its attendant noise and pollution, is one thing about this development that keeps bugging me. This would look great as part of the pitch for this site to Amazon, even if it's just a way of the City saying "we're willing to think creatively."

Check out Studio Gang's concept at the Chicago Architecture Biennial's "Chicago Urban River Edges Ideas Lab" exhibition: https://archpaper.com/2017/09/future...lery-0-slide-7

Studio Gang's mock-up makes for a cool idea, but it's unlikely that they'd be able to cover the highway in any sort of way on the east side of the building, or even extend the riverwalk south the highway.

The bridge over the river needs to be able to lift, and their concept deleted the control house. Also, there's the highway signage that got removed.

Are you kidding? The highway running under the post office is one of the wonderfully dramatic aspects of this building. Who does that these days?

It's mid century (highway) running under an Art Deco prewar monster, all of it dedicated to distribution and transportation. What awesome symbolism for a company like Amazon, and nobody can replicate that today.

Oh, good point, I didn't think about the bridge. But as for extending the river walk, I would hope there's some way of improving connectivity across the highway that doesn't go through the post office, assuming the developer eventually wants to build on the site of the factory (or whatever that is).

Don't get me wrong, I love it! Driving under the post office and popping out over the river is always an awesome experience. And the symbolism is great. I just meant that if there's all this green space next to the highway and on the roof of the post office, I hope the noise/fumes and potential disconnect between the north and south sides of the parcel aren't an issue.

You just blew my mind

I don't think there is any plan to develop the area between the OPO and the river, south of the highway, but north of Harrison. I've heard that building referred to as the "Sugar Shack". There's already been some work that has been done under/in/near that building for the utilities, and I think it would make any significant building in that area difficult to develop.

Going further south than Harrison with any river walk would likely get veto'ed by the actual Post office since that's a loading bay area near the river, and even further south is a big ComEd substation.

I haven't seen anything planned for that area from the current owner, but the previous owner's plan certainly included a very significant skyscraper at that location. Of course, Davies had fairly ambitious plans for the site, so i wouldn't be surprised if it's actually completely infeasible.

However, if that's the case I think that does somewhat diminish the Post Office's prospects for Amazon. Sure, there's ample land available to the west - including the Holiday Inn parcel right across Canal that is part of the same Planned Development (1065) but might not be owned by the same developer - but the area lacks amenities and the streetscape is much more of a fixer-upper (since the Eisenhower disrupts the continuity of the neighborhood).

It would be great if they could terminate 290 at the Circle, and then convert the highway east of it to Congress Parkway, with signaled intersections at Jefferson, Clinton and Canal. This would heal the neighborhood of its existing scar, and create a more walkable and welcoming environment immediately around the former expressway. Doing so would also probably open up the blocks south of 290 and east of 90/94 to more development, be it commercial or residential. That neighborhood is pretty isolated as of now.

All of this is probably pretty unlikely to happen, unless the existing elevated roadway is in bad condition to the point where it would need to be replaced.

I mean, they are literally in the process of rebuilding that section right now

I thought the Circle reconstruction project is only replacing the portion of 290 that goes through the interchange itself? I don't think they are replacing any sections east of Desplaines (sans the on and off ramps). I could be wrong though.

Dumb question, probably, but: does 601W own any of the sites surrounding the Post Office building? If not, how would the city go about making its proposal to Amazon? Would the plan just assume that some properties (like the Holiday Inn) would sell?

They own 550 W Jackson which is about 450,000 sq ft as I recall and is about to have large vacancies as existing leases come up.

The city will entitle whatever they need. If the Union Station redevelopment needs to be 5 million square feet of office then it will be 5 million square feet of office. Owners of another half dozen nearby sites would be falling over each other to sell or develop for them.

There's still a potential hold-up problem, though. Once Amazon commits to the site, owners of surrounding parcels can extract higher prices than the actual value of their properties, since Amazon would want to avoid a big hole in middle of their campus. I would presume Amazon would prefer to minimize the number of property owners they have to deal with for this reason.

If anyone on here is a commercial appraiser can you send me a direct message I have a questions and could use some help.

Also, so I can justify asking an off topic question here is a neat photo of the post office. The windows are starting to look nice.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4476/...0c439837_z.jpg