55th street is kind of a dead zone along there. With the garage and dorm both offering retail space, maybe it could turn into a livelier environment. I wonder if they might eventually upgrade that Jimmy's building into some kind of mixed use retail...

Dude, the new Penn dorm going up doesn't have ground floor retail. Which is a huge contrast to the Drexel dorm across the street that does. Soooo... :shrug::shrug:

Hub 3939 isn't a UPenn dorm? I know the university leases the retail front. That being said, you are right that Drexel has done a lot with adding vitality to the streets of University City. The neighborhood has become an extension of Philadelphia's CBD with all the built and proposed offices and high rises. I should have given Drexel a lot more credit in my post.

Wow this is really fantastic

Ahh you're right. Penn has done a lot on 40th and Walnut. I was thinking of the one they're putting up right now. Interestingly enough, the guy who now runs Drexel ran Penn back in the '90s, when they put up most of their most urban stuff.

But this is a Chicago thread. ;)

City Hyde Park
http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/4/6/1...ark-apartments

I like the fact the fact that:
1) UChicago has been expanding the quads by closing streets
2) The University often doesn't hesitate to knock obsolete buildings down any more. Instead of building around them or trying to renovate them...

Agreed. That's a great finished product. Also its varied facade fits in nicely with U of C's diverse architecture. I love it.

Huh?

As someone noted above, the University is closing part of Greenwood to expand or make a quad by North Campus. previously, the University closed part of 58th street east and west of the Main Quads to, in effect, expand the main quad:

http://facilities.uchicago.edu/const..._enhancements/

In addition, instead of just building around existing buildings, such as the University did a while ago when they built Crerar and the Biological Sciences Learning Center, they are now routinely demolishing buildings to open up space--knocking down a million apartments in west campus by the Medical Center, knocking down Woodward Court, Pierce, Phemister Hall, the Post Office, the Research Institutes, etc., etc.

^ So you like the fact that University is turning its buildings into rubble? Also, closing streets reduces the connectivity of the city and often creates worse traffic in the areas around it.

And this is a good thing to you?

As a student, it's a good thing for me...

Yes, when the building is an ugly, obsolete old eyesore. I also like the fact that in LA, where I live, they are knocking down ugly old strip malls and buildings and replacing them with more attractive mixed-use developments.

Greenwood and those parts of 58th street weren't exactly the Dan Ryan expressway. The gain in quality of life for pedestrians and the campus and community is much more desirable than maintaining a few blocks of asphalt and concrete.

In Europe often city centers have pedestrian-only zones and I like this sort of thing.

Anyone who questions the closure of the part of 58th St. between University and Woodlawn really needs to take a trip down to see it. Visually stunning landscaping, and it ties together many campus buildings. 58th was a very minor street between 57th and 59th/Midway so likely not much missed by anyone.

Greenwood we need to see when completed, but here you have a secondary one-way street running into another secondary one-way street. Replacing that block of Greenfield with a cul-de-sac that serves the new residence hall and the existing parking garage seems to meet the needs very well. Another good chance to increase green space while doing very little to destroy the street grid.

I go back and forth on street closures. It's really frustrating in certain Chicago neighborhoods where most streets are one-way, where one street closure can force drivers to make long, laborious detours or get lost. The city seems to grant carte blanche for street closures near schools, which I think is a terrible policy.

On the other hand, where I live in Pilsen most streets are two-way, and I love the street closures in my area, especially the plazas at 18th Pl/Paulina and 18th Pl/Leavitt where they are tied in with church buildings (feels very old world). Detours are relatively simple if you're driving and as a pedestrian, you can easily walk through without feeling like you're intruding on private property.

As far as the University of Chicago is concerned, that campus is still very well integrated with the city grid. It's easy to drive through and there is a clear hierarchy of design that helps you navigate. I can pass through that campus, again, without feeling like I'm intruding. The vast majority of urban college campuses are designed like impregnable fortresses, though. UIC comes to mind, where they put in so many damn closures it totally ruins the street grid.

Apparently there will be a Starbucks in the Target Express at Vue53, based on a notice the building posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday. I think that's the 5th Starbucks in Hyde Park.

They have started demolition of Mott to make way for the new conference building.

Cool. Another example of getting rid of a bland building for, we hope, a new, improved building.

Mott Building demolition permit:

http://www.chicagocityscape.com/perm...?pid=100637387

The Maroon is reporting that the Rubenstein Forum is supposed to start construction this year, and that a detailed timeline and renderings will be released in three weeks.

The Maroon article on Mott:

http://chicagomaroon.com/2016/04/29/...enstein-forum/

The 53rd/Dorchester hotel proposal is on the Planning Commission agenda for this month:

More pics of Mott biting the dust:
http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/5/2/1...benstein-forum

Renovation permit issued to put a Target into Harper Court

I think you mèan Vue53:

http://www.chicagocityscape.com/perm...?pid=100633823

Not sure how accurate these are anymore, but came across these that might give an indication of the design:

http://s32.postimg.org/lv38cmm0l/15_...hwest_2000.jpg
http://s32.postimg.org/tp3ty0tth/Chi...es_MR_1800.jpg

Looks like it could be a nice counterpoint to the Logan Center tower.

If you're not already familiar, check out this Columbia University building also designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Hmmmm... It could also serve as an air traffic control tower for planes landing on the Midway.

If that's the design, it does seem to reference the Law School, SSA, and Logan Center...

I see Vue53 has been posting tours of some of the units on its Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Vue53/videos/1598529560437696/

Planning Commission APPROVED

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ci1fLkKWsAIuGYj.jpg:large

:cheers: :banana:

^ Awesome! Get her done

^^ That is very nice. Pleasant blending of complimentary facade types, high height all glass retail space, holds the corner, active uses on every floor, and it is replacing a surface lot. Great neighborhood development, I'll take another 100 iterations please.

That's a good looking building.

Yes, I do like it now. It has a more sophisticated, urban look. Not some bland suburban holiday inn or Hampton inn look.

That is a nice looking building!

Reminds me of some of the more traditional infill in the DC area. I like it! Good urban design.

Based on this rendering, I'm assuming they are knocking down that building that is currently between the alley and the parking lot, serving for the moment as a branch of UCPD (West side of the alley).

BTW if anyone is interested there is this cool event that is free that talks about the University of Chicago and how they are building and designing their campus buildings: http://www.microdesk.com/Education/E...Through-Design.

I think I am going to register myself. Anyone want to go?

The preliminary design for the Rube has been released:

https://news.uchicago.edu/article/20...benstein-forum

Once the Rube opens, I'm going up in the air traffic control tower and directing planes to land on the Midway.

Further details on the Rube:

http://www.designboom.com/architectu...go-05-25-2016/

Opening up entrances to the North and South mirrors the approach taken for the Logan Center, which was to be more welcoming to the neighborhood to the south.

Actually, at first blush this building feels very much like the Logan Center in general.

it looks like a lot of the stuff going up in Fulton market. had to do a double take to make sure this was still the hyde park thread

wish all of the city would get stuff like this!

Yikes, certainly not the most elegant stack of volumes.

Well, at the very least, the Midway is starting to be a more interesting and exciting place buildingwise and activity wise (though that kind of a park right in the middle of campus is a beautiful resource in itself).

Since the University has shown it is completely willing to knock down obsolete buildings, I hope it will knock down two remaining eye sores: 1) that NORC / computation center / current Harris School building on the Midway and 2) the Admin Building.
Replace both with something more inspiring and uplifting for this gorgeous campus.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro


Planned for the southeast corner 60th and Woodlawn.
http://www.dezeen.com/2016/05/26/dav...go-campus-usa/

http://hpherald.com/2016/05/26/u-of-...f-61st-street/

What's the deal with the one brown stone directly north of the new hospital parking garage on 56th-57th Maryland--and the couple of units across the street? Are they people who wouldn't sell to the University or has their lease not expired or the University simply hasn't knocked them down yet?