Chicago and Amazon are meant for each other.

A greenfield/close proximity "campus" sounds more logical to me. With tech companies that value culture, a 2000 foot vertical tube doesn't sound very inviting and collaborative, not to mention the range of uses they probably want.

On the other hand, if this doesn't nab Amazon, and stays a white elephant for several more years, I have some random ideas. The country's first urban format, transit-accessible Carmax (irony, right?), or the future site of the City auto pound, after they get kicked out by Vista from Wacker.

The only major tech company left who really thinks this way is Apple. Yea Google wants a big-er campus in Mountain View but they occupy lots of urban real estate across the country/world.

Another urban campus sounds like what they'll (Amazon) want since that's what they built/still are building in Seattle. They don't seem to be height averse.

Of course shortly after that tower was built, they entered a long, painful decline ...

The city will happily build that connection to land Amazon now.

Not to mention a clever activation of the riverfront/some adjacent property (Holiday Inn lot for starters.... please) could accommodate an "urban campus" feel.

And, along with the lot that little strip of trashy neglected storefronts, and heck, take down the Holiday Inn at the same time. Clean sweep.

https://s26.postimg.org/bozk0q18p/image.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/y2cckn8i1/Sc...0.26.57_AM.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/5dzehf6bt/Sc...0.27.16_AM.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/3ra6w6ua1/Sc...0.27.39_AM.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/unu64id3d/Sc...0.27.49_AM.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/y4w87hc5l/Sc...0.28.01_AM.jpg

http://www.thepostofficechi.com/

Looks really nice.

The old 'sugar factory' building seem to still be standing to the far left.

Isn't that Riverwalk plaza where the first tower was proposed under the PD?

What's with the line of red vans. The Amazon Employee shuttles?

I'm surprised to see that band of something sticking out above the Congress cut through is still in the renderings. They certainly don't look original to the building, and are sort of ugly. Anyone know what they are?

I assumed those were food trucks.

This will be especially cool if the riverwalk ever gets built out in front of 300 S. riverside.

I believe so. The shorter, first phase tower would be north of Congress, and the mega tall in phase two would go on the southern side.

The fact that they're not showing a plaza south of congress makes me hopeful that they believe something can still go there in the future.

Quite a lot of activities available on the rooftop
https://s26.postimg.org/ge0qanq2x/image.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/4dfa9xio9/image.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/un0csq4ll/image.jpg
https://s26.postimg.org/bvyfika15/image.jpg

Well it is big enough you could play the Super Bowl on it.

Those interior renders really look like they are cloning ideas done at Merch Mart. That's a good thing, although it seems they are omitting the idea of giant atrium light wells seen in some past proposals.

That first render suggests an underbridge at VanBuren, and there certainly is dead space along the river at 300 South. (Curiously, there is a roadway visible there in Google Earth; I assume that's just railroad property?) Really, 300 South needs to be torn down and the whole half-block redeveloped from scratch.

I'd be more worried about replacing what's on the opposite side of Canal (the parking garage and that bus depot, which I hope is just temporary).

Look up union station redevelopment plans, the garage and bus depot will not remain long term.

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

No, the Circle project includes reconstruction of I-290 as far east as the west edge of Canal, including the offramps at Canal.

Unfortunately this does not include any streetscaping, plaza space, etc under the viaduct but the new piers will be somewhat decorative and there will be new lighting installed that should make the area beneath the highway more inviting at night.

There was a building permit issued last week, for $5M, for this:

"INTERIOR RENOVATION OF EXISTING SPACE AT LEVEL 2 & 4+5E FOR MARKETING OFFICE & SPEC OFFICE SUITE. (STRUCTURAL PEER REVIEW)**CERTIFIED CORRECTIONS- - SUBJECT TO FIELD INSPECTIONS & AUDIT "

Is this both an actual company building out and 601W having an actual tenant already, or just all spec? It does mention specifically marketing office

Pretty sure it's just the spec suite and some common areas. Spec suite/ marketing on 4+5E and level 2 might be stuff near the lobby.

https://i.imgur.com/22aFNath.jpg

Took a picture of the North-East corner of the building today. You can see how the floors in the Northern block of the building don't match up with the East section. It's easy to tell by the condition of the windows that the 2nd floor, which is connected to the lobby as some sort of mezzanine is part of that permit.

Then in the North section, you've got the 4th floor with the nice looking windows, and then further south on the eastern face of the building you have 5E with it's windows looking new and shiny.

Da mayor is supposedly doing his big reveal today

Inside the Old Main Post Office, a $500 million 'blank canvas'
Ryan Ori | Contact Reporter | Chicago Tribune
September 27, 2017, 10:25 AM

If memory serves, there are four different buildings within what we call the Old Post Office. There's the office tower with lobby on Van Buren, the Terminal Building (from a decade earlier) facing east, and the workroom sections to the west and south along Harrison, with other floor levels because of the loading docks. Office tower is probably 12-foot ceilings, workroom areas 20-to-24-foot ceilings, and the Terminal something in between.

Interesting to hear 601 talk about teaming up with Riverside for a bid.

From what I've seen from the inside, you are correct. I'm interested to see how the division of the different floors and possibly tenants shakes out.

Looks like your link got broken somehow. Heres the actual link:

Inside the old main post office, a $500 million 'blank canvas'