It's a bit more visually stubby than I'd like to see.

Any idea when the next phases are supposed to start?

I saw a couple excavators moving dirt around on the northern half of the site pretty far from Ancora earlier today – my guess is they're getting started on the park and riverwalk now.

Also, unrelated, but I saw a cherry picker next to the Jos Cacciatore sign on the north side of the Hunter building across the street. Hopefully they were just cleaning it or replacing bulbs and not dismantling it, as I really dislike the proposal for that block we saw a couple years ago...

Bad news :( He said that there is no timeline or firm plans to begin construction of the next tower as of now. They’re going to do some excavation and dirt moving to get ready for when they get the financing / approval for the next one, but caissons are on hold until then. He said some of the riverwalk / park should start after the heart of winter is over.

Didnt someone say the townhouses on the south end was the next phase? I thought i remembered reading that.

I think the next building was to be a smaller condo tower on the south end. But work on the park for the north end is great news.

Ancora has liner townhouses... if those aren't selling very well, they might have moved up another apartment or condo tower to start first.

Are they actually selling anything? The website still has nothing but a "sign up for more information" page. I've signed up multiple times and haven't even received an acknowledgement.

If I had to guess, they’ll probably wait to sell townhouses (or even finish them from raw) until the first landscaping package is done. If you’re selling park and river views, I don’t think buyers will be happy to have to look out on a dusty lot for another two years after they close.

Agree. From a business standpoint the housing market has been on the rebound for a while and I think it makes sense to sell townhomes until the rental market absorbs some of this excess inventory.

I would wait a full year before starting another rental tower.

Jan 19th

https://i.imgur.com/oeUQVGC.jpg

Did you happen to go by the Willis tower, is there anything going on there with the new lobby construction?

^ I was there yesterday. The old plaza is entirely fenced off. Substantial work has begun.

Do not feed the troll.

Me too. I am targeting this development for a new condo or townhouse. I am waiting to get an email that they are accepting pre-construction orders.

I'm in a similar boat. When I last walked past the site a few weeks ago, I got the sense that they were ramping up on the park/riverwalk construction with Ancora nearing completion. Those two elements plus the first condo tower were supposed to be phase one, so we may be getting close. I'm sure I'll walk by in the next week or so again.

Well... as long that posters keep updating each other... we might all be neighbors one day. Beers at my place if that happens :cheers:

I'm in! :cheers:

Jan 26







Old dock foundations.


The splintered board is what remains of the retaining wall

Anyone have any info on when the future phases are going to get started?

Anyone got recent shots? Wondering how the excavating is going since harry's last shots.

^I don’t have photos but have been by there recently. They have been taking the tower crane down all week. Can’t see the excavation from the expressway, though.

I really like the scale of this development.

Was just by there this morning and they are using those piles of dirt to make actual terrain and grade changes which is cool. I also saw they've started using huge slabs of rough Indiana limestone to build retaining walls for the new terrain they've created.

Got to be on site today and it appears the next phase will involve buildings C and/or E, including portions of the riverwalk (as previously mentioned on this thread I believe). Not privy to any firm timeline details at the moment unfortunately but at least things seem to be moving forward.

Could've been a bit denser, considering this will be a southward extension of the Loop. While I wouldn't mind the buildings along Harrison and the northern end of the site to be a bit taller, my biggest peeve is that there will be townhouses along the south end of the site. There shouldn't be such low density development anywhere near this area or along the river. *cough* Dearborn Park *cough*

Not from the GGP building are they?

Feb 21





Ready for re-use after about 100yrs


Old footings - I think these are what were in the concrete piers along the river (now mostly removed)

Great shots harry. That last one reminds me of the pictures from the early 1900's were the rivers edge looked like swamp land.

Reminds me of playing with metal Tonka toys!

Great shots, thnx

Kinda wish they left the old dock foundations. They remind me of old dragons teeth tank traps! But i guess you don't need tank traps next to a river in chicago ....... :)

^Those were indeed pretty cool. Definitely gave a WWII era feel.

Photo from today. It will be great to see the rest of the towers fill this area in.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4753/...e7847f55_b.jpg

^ Off topic, but I remember there being a plan for a small office building on the lot just north of the chiller building. What ever became of that?

^^ nice perspective, haven't seen a shot like that before

That parking lot NE corner of Harrison and Wells is screaming out for something.

Yeah something at least 650' would look great there.

Wasn't there some gaudy hotel proposed for that site? It was going to tear down the nice midrise in the middle too :yuck:

I think it was two highrises. There and that lot just south of 311. Or was that two twins south and north of 311, like 40 floors each?

Harryc


I Just want you to know all of those pics you posted were sublime.

I appreciate your contributions to this thread and many others like it when us outer folks cannot update like you can.


Again a Kudos to you. I really appreciate it. Your work on Wolf Point is awesome too BTW. Keep up you sage work as long as you like to do, no pressure but I think you like your pics almost as much as I do.







:tup:

NM. This is what I was thinking of.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago...d-wacker-drive

Drove past this the other day and that would be an amazing spot for development, huge lot. Is there any significance to that midrise with the wster tower on top? I dont know how many people who want to live in the city but work in the SW burbs and take the train everyday but besides the metra the blue line is right there as well. Obviously wont happen anytime soon with riverline happening but interesting lot of land to think about. A possible jewel or marianos at the bottom could give it a boost.

There was a hotel proposed, but I'm not sure how to define "gaudy". I recall that it was a sort of standard mid-range brand.

Is this what we're talking about?

Grand Central [via Phoenix Development Partners]

No, they're referring to the PoMo crap by DeStefano that looked like it was out of 1985 architecturally.

I know I saw some renderings somewhere at the time, but can't seem to find them now. Does anyone have any? I remember them as being rather generic cookie cutter mid-range hotel.

I don't think so, that doesn't look like PoMo to me, unless that term has just lost all meaning(ironically enough)

The address would be right and the article talks about replacing the Cacciatore building, so that would be it. Wow, that's like the world's ugliest parking platform.

Strange they wouldnt develope the east half of that parking lot.

I hope that doesn't come to fruition. I've grown fond of the Hunter Building (Cacciatore Building) over the years, since its so visible along 290/Congress. Its a handsome vintage building in an area that has lost a lot of its historic building stock.

Considering all the new construction on the east side of Wells that has gone up, as well as all the new Riverline buildings that will be going up, this little brick building will help provide contrast to all the steel and glass. It would be nice if they found a way to keep it around, but I will admit its positioning on that block isn't conducive to its preservation, as opposed to if it was located on the north or south ends instead.