Now if we can just get 1000 S going, Chicago's skyline will be changed forever.

January 3, 2017

Is that East-West University building going to continue unchanged as far as we know right now?

I don't think the design is bad. The vertical columns on the north/south facades save it and remind me a bit of Inland Steel.

Doe's anyone have a link to the schedule of this project. Just wondering if the hotel rehab is going to shut down the whole hotel or if they are going to do a floor by floor type of thing? Also will that portion coincide with the tower portion or after the tower is finished?

"Is that East-West University building going to continue unchanged as far as we know right now? " ^^^^

I wouldnt be surprised that east/west wouldnt try to build something like Spertus did with the prime location in the next 10-20 years. Then again I have no idea about enrollement of east/west or their financial situation. It would be sick to see another Roosevelt U type of highrise along mich.

When I Google Essex Inn and this pops up, I get so sad. Hopefully HPA re-introduces it somewhere else down the road...in Chicago of course.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/apps/...20150928125127
Via Crains.

I'd been thinking the same thing. I miss the original stilts, but prefer the new tower.

I prefer the newer tower as well.

I prefer the current version as well - the stilts were a bit gimmicky.

I'll take a bit gimmicky over generic.

The whole hotel will shut down for 8 months with the reopening of the hotel occurring about the same time as the tower opening.

I noticed that the Essex Inn is a landmark property.

I was wondering how the landmark designation works.

To me as a layman, the Essex Inn is a nice looking hotel from the 1960's, but doesn't look like something I would think would typically be landmarked.

I was wondering, is the main reason the Essex Inn is landmarked is because it's on Michigan Avenue across from Grant Park?

Or is the hotel landmarked because the city has an interest in seeing that architecture from the 1960's is preserved?

The developers asked for it to be landmarked as a part of the project and I'm sure they'll apply for tax credits.

Thanks for the info.

But I assume there are at least some standards for what can be approved as a landmark?

For instance , I hope it would not be possible for a McDonalds built in 2005 to be classified as a landmark

Generally a building must be at least 50 years old in order to be considered for landmark status, though exceptions have been made for exceptional examples, such as with the Daley Center and Inland Steel Building. A building must also have high integrity, that is largely unaltered or easily restorable to it's original construction or period of significance. Those are the base lines to be eligible, but to be designated, building must also be shown to meet 2 of seven criteria: importance to city heritage, association with a significant event, association with an important person, important architecture movement, important architect, distinctive theme as a district, or unique visual features.

In the case of Essex, it qualified for designation as 1. an important work by architect A. Epstein and Sons, 2. as a postwar building within the existing Michigan Boulevard Landmark District (per a study that was conducted this summer to expand the period of significance for the district), and 3. as a highly intact example of the International Style (and fairly early example at that)

Landmarks is interested in broadening its protection of midcentury modernism in Chicago, and extracted a promise to restore the existing hotel as they began discussions of approving the new building. On paper, it may look to BVictor1 like the owner requested the designation, but that's not my understanding of the actual dynamics of the negotiation.

Thanks for the info on landmarking, guys. Very interesting.

https://twitter.com/ChicagoDPD/statu...82113774198786

You don't say...

Unfortunately it seems like much of the best midcentury modernism (outside of downtown) is located in bungalow belt areas that are unlikely to really appreciate modernism.

Even North Federal Savings and Loan at North/LaSalle ended up being rejected as a landmark, in part due to neighborhood opposition. This in a neighborhood full of prosperous, educated folks that shop at Crate and Barrel and Design Within Reach...