^ Nice shot. Looking good.

Different view of Vue53
http://i58.tinypic.com/33nx9bs.jpg

Wow, what a Vue!...please don't hate me

USATODAY's story on transformation of South Side:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel...ance/73400918/

On a side note, Google Maps has been updated to show the July 2015 street view of Hyde park, so you can do fun things like watch Pierce Tower and other buildings come and go.

North Campus webcam:

http://northresidencehallcam.uchicag...shtml?id=27867

Quite an impact
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5789/...0dbd86ac_c.jpgFlickr

Another hotel for Hyde Park. "Soon" there will be 5:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...weprin-targets

1) Hyatt
2) Boutique Hotel on 53rd
3) La Quinta
4) Solstice on the Park Hotel
5) Graduate Hotel

There is a meeting tonight October 29th at 6:00PM at Noyes Hall (1212 E. 59th Street) to discuss the 53rd street boutique hotel.

I encourage whomever can make it to go and support the project.

Solstice will probably be rental and not hotel.

If you read the article, Weprin is looking at converting outdated chain hotels, so this may not be a new building. Any candidates for this?

Isn't there a rundown Ramada Inn down there?

Not anymore, it was bought, renovated, and turned into a LaQuinta. Only existing buildings that might be a candidate for conversion might be some of the old dorms that UofC is closing at the end of the year, and I don't know how practical that is (though on second thought, two of the dorms used to be hotels originally...).

I'll be attending the meeting tonight at Ida Noyes,. Hopefully there will be a lot of business owners there like at the first meeting, they were super supportive at the first one. I'll try to take some notes and pictures, there should be a rendering unveiled tonight.

"Some residents remained unimpressed. One woman was worried about the impact the project would have on plans for her wedding anniversary celebration." - From DNA Info

People are the worst.


http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151...-residents-say

Thanks for the info on the La Quinta – I don't find myself in that little pocket of Hyde Park often, so I wasn't aware the Ramada Inn was gone.

DNAinfo is really turning into the voice of NIMBYs (did anyone see the article they published last summer about the resident concerned about the port-a-potty in the alley for construction workers?) – look at the ridiculous headline on this article. I believe it's bleeding money, so maybe Ricketts will cut off its lifeline soon.

Has anyone been by Vue53 recently?

^ Where will everybody park?!

BAH HUMBUG!

I think the reporter left before the meeting was over. At the end I spoke out that less people are driving and that concerns for parking were overshadowing all of the benefits the project brings to the neighborhood. Some of the NIMBYs there were outright assholes, speaking over everyone and interrupting the representative from GREC while he was discussing the design to ask about parking. I also asked if they were using real brick and was told they were committed to real brick.

Sorry for the picture quality, I only had my iPhone on hand to take pictures.

http://i.imgur.com/dbMPKJZl.jpg

Here is the full album of pictures: http://imgur.com/a/s9PwC

I live a block away :P I'm working from home today and am about to go to lunch, I can snap a pic or two on the way.

Vue53 construction progress

http://i.imgur.com/CPWko8sl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CPWko8s.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9Ec8BTel.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/9Ec8BTe.jpg

Excellent photos! They've made lots of progress.

More renderings of Vue 53. Hadn't seen these before:

https://aiacommitteeondesign.files.w...ubmission6.jpg

https://aiacommitteeondesign.files.w...ubmission7.jpg