Nice massings there.

I live one block from this site and have for the past 3 years. Saying the immediate area has no street life is laughable. Compared to what? Times Square?

Anyways here's a massing I made with other U/C and proposed towers. Triple crown skyline now more indeed.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...922/mhZdoq.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...922/QRXs1R.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...924/JMcacV.jpg

Thanks for the massing models and skyline models Steely.

Put me in the "love the massing" camp. Just like Wanda, I think it fits very well into the architectural vibe of Chicago. As much as I loved the old Chicago Spire design, it almost didn't really mesh as well with the rest of the skyline. It would have been better in Shanghai or something.

Now we wait for renderings and hope it doesn't get a haircut.

Obviously we haven't seen any renderings of this one, so I'll reserve judgment. I'm not about to get a height boner just yet. I'm pretty disappointed in the lack of open space on the site, and the tower massing is pretty awkward at first glance.

The underground parking is good news at least, although the podium will likely be stuffed with other windowless uses as part of the health club (basketball courts, yoga rooms, etc). It's possible to do these things with windows at additional cost, I love seeing the basketball courts in Legacy from the L.

By selling it to someone who knows how to make decent food?

And a one story structure is not "street scale", it's suburban style infill from when the area was urban-renewaled and needs to go.

But Chicago just really, really needs to stop building above ground parking.

I was just mentioning a recent visit. I grew up in Chicago, and for a long time lived less than half a mile from this site. I have quite a lot of experience with the area, for a lot longer than you do.

I think we just have a different definition of "healthy pedestrian traffic". It's being killed in River North by the fucking parking podiums.

Chicago needs to ban new residential parking, and it needs to do so yesterday.

Is that a restaurant? Bellaulee ... something? On the marquee, obscured at the end by the traffic pole.

Wow, I'm impressed that the new South Loop highrises are visible from that angle. I can't wait to see how much different that perspective is once Riverline is fully built. I love how our skyline is growing more south, northwest, and west

Am I the only one who can't see rgarri's renderings?

Ban ALL parking? Even in a building with hundreds and hundreds of apartments, office space, and large amounts of retail?

Put that crack pipe away for a sec...

Wait, so because you grew up there a number of years ago you think you know better than I do considering I moved away from there only 10 months ago?

I could not give one shit that you grew up a half mile from here a number of years ago. I have way more daily, ACTUAL experience than you do in the last few years. The fact that you grew up there means jack shit when you're talking you someone who lived only 2 blocks away until 10 months ago.

Your growing up a half mile away a number of years ago and visiting for a few days recently means nothing to the context of present day everyday and people who actually experience the area everyday NOW or did very recently. There's another poster who has said that live a block away and agrees with me, but you know you think we should trust you more because you once too lived there many years ago but not anytime in the near past/now.

The corner is held by the restaurant Bella Luna, and directly east of it is an adjacent dry cleaner in the same building.

Gotta agree. River North has changed DRASTICALLY in the past 10-15 years. No comparison

That menu is fantastic. Good prices too and a happy hour, good wine selections. Okay... maybe it should stay. :)

Thanks for these! When you see images like this, it's quite clear this tower at the proposed height/massing would fit in perfectly and there shouldn't be any arguments against its size. Yet we all know there are plenty of loud-mouthed unreasonable people, some of whom will do whatever it takes to force a downsizing of this building. Hopefully the alderman doesn't capitulate to ridiculous nonsensical demands.

I am an Attorney not an Architect, City Planner, etc., but from everything I have read https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21350253 "street scale" is something "designed to promote physical activity".

I believe a walkable/easily accessible restaurant could arguably be said to "promote physical activity".

Listen, bottom line, the building looks like its gonna stay. Instead of b*tching and moaning about it we might as well accept it. Every building does not have to be an architectural masterpiece. Some just serve as accessory pieces that add to the livability of a city. Besides, save for a some much needed warming up/greenery/plants, etc., juxtaposed against a sterile parking garage or fledgling retail store, this building is really not that bad -- particularly if warmed up.

Change the location of this building to somewhere down by Rush street and add trees, plants, etc. and would fit right in.

.

Beautiful work, Steely. I can stare at them for hours. :slob:

River North west of State really needs more height. This will help nicely.

What it's doing is giving the surface a finer grained texture. Hopefully the form is functional and dynamic. It looks like lots of interesting spaces built into that.

Personally I think that podium should step back (NYC style) and have some active use terraces.

How much do you want to bet that instead of trying to improve the design and maybe trying to get the developer to preserve those historic buildings, our usual cadre of obtuse butthole NIMBYs will be entirely focused on traffic and trying every which way to shrink the building.

Residential. And just new parking. There's plenty existing.

Believe it or not, people pay lots of money for apartments in Manhattan and Brooklyn that do not come with parking spaces. Chicago should be no different.

And it certainly shouldn't be built above ground.