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They just spent $40 million dollars on that!

Exactly! The designers and development team have wanted to do all sorts of things with the bus transit center, because they rightfully see it as unfortunately cutting their site in two. But they tried building over it, moving it, or integrating the canopy, and it all came down to lack of support from CTA to do any of those things and major issues with tearing something up that just got a federal grant (if the station was changed too substantially, the CTA may have had to pay back the money they got) I guess it ended up being pretty much impossible to do anything but leave it where it is.

And yes, in a time when many tenants are trying to cram as many small workstations and hotelling spots on a floor as possible, rectangular buildings have a definite advantage over their more creatively shaped neighbors. Efficiency of the floor plate is way more important than having a signature design. Look at 151 N Franklin for example. It's a box and it's nearly invisible, but it's having no issues getting tenants. That all said, I think we should see how this thing really takes shape.

The bus transit center rocks!

Bus fumes, loud noises, commuters. It's all screams "you are in a big, bustling city!"

Why hide that?

Haha was about to chime in as well

Agreed

I was thinking second of triplets because of the UBS building :haha:

Also thanks for the link Mister Uptemp.

Correct.

This a copy. O’Donnell, Goettsch and ClarkKent just completely phoning it in now, unfortunately.....

More than 1,000,000 sq ft of FAR left undeveloped. Pathetic...

If any block qualified for super density based on TOD principles it would be this block. Downtown should be split up between multiple wards. One aldermen shouldn't be in control of the central business district.


Btw, a park next to a bus depot reminds me of how Pritzker park was on south state st.

Just reality. Still the nature of the cre industry.

So you’re not exactly an uninterested party, though, to O’Donnell/Goettsch/Clark Construction projects, as I called it a few years back.....as of a couple days ago, 98 of your last 100 posts were on 150 Riverside, 110 Wacker and Union Station. On the rare occasions when you post/opine on other projects, you often spout off on shortcomings/challenges they face - 130 Franklin’s ‘inferior’ location, WPS financing challenges, etc......very obvious.....

Fully agreed. Double the office space, and add residential to this. You can't get any more central and connected than this block. Largest commuter rail station in the US outside of New York immediately across the street, and within blocks of 7 heavy rail lines.

Ha busted Clarkkent

Wait, so does this mean that dude is a shill? Imagine shilling on an obscure skyscraper forum :haha:

I think there is still a residential tower planned for the third phase over the south tracks (Canal between Jackson and Van Buren).

I don't think that piece of air rights is apart of it.

The more I've studied the scheme today, the more I realize how you guys need to just be more patient.

The bus center, for instance, is the perfect place to put a future second tower, using that remaining FAR, supported above the bus bays like examples we've seen in Toronto. But you don't do that phase now, with all its interminable negotiations with CDOT and CTA and its construction staging issues. You wait until you've proven the office demand in this location and wait until the new has worn off the site furnishings at the bus stops so FTA won't demand its money back.

Similarly, nothing keeps someone, 15 years from now, from going up another six or eight stories with 600 more hotel rooms on top of the headhouse, clad in the proper limestone. All that would be lost would be some light-frame construction of the penthouse rooms.

Good. Was meaning to ask that.
Hopefully one day we will see something similar to the massing in the Goettsch 2017 designs.

^That design was at least tolerable but I want something better for the headhouse. Who referenced Hearst Tower? Unless we can get something of that caliber just leave it alone.

Yep, it's still a billion dollar plan according to these train boys, so if we are to take them at their word, we know there will be much more built since that headhouse and tower+park are gonna cost what, $400-500 million total maximum?

Whatever

Lol.

Why no interest in the proximate WPE?

If office is strictly your thing, why no interest in proximate River Point?

What mean?

:koko:

^Lol

Coming to this thread late...take 110's building and add the park from 150 = Union Station. While I think GP has some very unique designs, I feel there was a quick turnaround around from the first community meeting to this new idea and they are using the "cut and paste method"

Kinda hard to get a decent angle of this besides the one in the article. Place holder:

https://images2.imgbox.com/e2/ac/LyrV7uqN_o.jpg

https://images2.imgbox.com/c0/8e/UiDds0Jw_o.jpg

https://images2.imgbox.com/8a/7a/2a5npDgQ_o.jpg

https://images2.imgbox.com/16/b8/8jn5ZbSw_o.jpg

What are the two towers next to 311 S. Wacker?

nice work as usual

this will add a little depth, but unspectacular

301 and 321 S wacker proposal:

https://chicago.curbed.com/2016/11/2...d-wacker-drive

I completely forgot about those two.

Crains is reporting BMO signed a deal to move into this building

^Another day, another major anchor tenant signs lease at another tower. What a time to be alive. :cheers:

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!

:tup::cheers::notacrook:

For an era in which we are having relatively slow job growth and office construction compared to other regions, we are having ourselves a halfway decent office construction cycle

The question is, does this mean that Union Station renovations will still move forward? Isn't the development of this tower linked with that project?

I hope the tower's design is refined some more. It looks way to similar to the bank of america tower.

I agree. I keep assuming that was just a placeholder to show the massing and FAR for the purposes of city approvals. Is it really going to be just a semi-clone of 110 N Wacker?

good news about us getting another tower but i mean another consolidation from Chicago offices isnt really the best for city... would rather have jobs coming from outside the city or even better the state into downtown.. there also like downsizing some 300k square feet of space (3 sites total 850k and going into new tower occupying 500k) . I just wish these huge leases would allow for taller office towers or even some interesting designs... there getting pretty boring now.

I believe there is a bunch of work planned in the head house next year, mostly turning vacant/unrehabbed space into leasable footage for retail/food/beverage.

I know that Amtrak wants to get that thing generating some cash but the major problems in the concourse and at track level remain to be addressed. I'm getting a little concerned that none of that work will ever be done.

Excellent!

It'll be great for that area. I take it they'll also put their logo atop the building like all the other BMO towers?

Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like they are bringing in any of their suburban employees.

tribune article states that construction is set to begin in 2019 (though no more specificity is given).

so along with OCS, that makes two pretty solid chances for 700+' skyscraper starts in 2019. perhaps 1000M will surprise us too.

and according to the rendering posted with the tribune article, it looks like we'll be getting another giant corporate logo in the sky. hooray...... :uhh:

http://www.trbimg.com/img-5c0ecd79/t...ge/750/750x422
source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...210-story.html

Does BMO have sizable offices in the suburbs? I assume most employment is bank branches out there.

Well, think of it this way, if they are consolidating into one office, getting naming rights, and anchoring a new tower.......plus they are taking 500,000 sf for 3,600 employees, I'm wagering they are in expansion mode. There will likely be some workforce additions.

I dont mind the sinage aspect with these new towers because its still far few in between!

Banana ?:whistle:

Call me crazy but I kinda like logos on top of buildings. :frog:

Also, while Equinox isn't quite 700+ it too could start pretty soon, and as a relative neighbor to BMO will really enhance that area.

I also believe a recent article was posted stating that 1000M would break ground next month. Not sure if that's still a go.

As long as they are minimalist logos I'm ok with it. I've seen some wonky logos, especially overseas, and it just looks embarrassing.

Wow, with this and the Salesforce announcements, it feels like there will have been enough new office towers in this general area and along the river that it can be thought of as full redevelopment event/trend...sort of like when all the black and glass towers of Park Avenue in NYC went up at once in the '50s and '60s and fundamentally changed the feel of Midtown East. :cheers:

I would have preferred the earlier "cheese grader" but this one is good tall infill for west of the river-looks like they'll light it up good at night. Thanks for the rendering Steely Dan!:cheers:

Not the most exciting tower. But I'm betting it'll look better in the flesh once it's done.

What I like most about it is that it will beef up the SW loop skyline. I think it will really pop when you are driving West on 94 (really north in that spot) that section of the loop can use some more towers to bulk things up a bit.