CHICAGO | General Developments

[ardecila]

Is this the same thing as Metro Center 290, or a different project?

[alex1]

mau is an amazing addition to the city's creative community. He'll attract some top flight talent to the city. The kind of people who really care about urban environments/theories, architecture and high-design.

seems that chicago's creative community is getting stronger and stronger by the minute these days.

we're no longer immersed in the days of dearth that we saw so prevelent just 5 or 6 years ago. People like Mau, Gang, Jahn, Valicenti, Towler-Weese, Anke Loh, Garafalo & Paul Preissner make up the new backbone of critical and progressive design.

True that some of these names have been around some years or aren't young (valicenti didn't even start designing until his later years in life), but all of these folks are arguably making their best work at this time. Progressive to the point where the aesthetic isn't always the end all (pushing forms and the concept of beauty is) .

After Yale, I have the knowledge that coming back to Chicago is a good option from a carreer standpoint. I'm no longer bound to London or nYc as I would have been just a few years back.

[honte]

^ Yeah, I'm pumped he's coming. I hope the "establishment" listens up.

[spyguy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classi...realestate-hed

Building from 1864 set to be preserved

By Jeanette Almada
Special to the Tribune
Published May 27, 2007

The Archdiocese of Chicago will salvage the city's only known-surviving building associated with the Civil War: A 4-story, stucco-covered brick building in the Oakland neighborhood.

Known as the Soldier's Home, the building at 739 E. 35th St. was erected in 1864 by architect William W. Boyington, who also designed the Old Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station.

The Plan Commission approved the project, which falls under the Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance.

In Civil War times the building was a hospital for convalescent soldiers, then a residence for disabled veterans.

Five additions were built between 1866 and 1957, a project manager told commissioners.

After the Chicago Fire, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet used the building as an orphanage.

More recently Catholic Charities used it as a home for troubled children.

To accommodate offices and community meetings, the archdiocese will demolish additions constructed in 1873, 1923 and 1957.

A 3-story, 31,000-square-foot structure will take their place.

Aside from being a Chicago Landmark, the building, just south of the Stephen Douglas Tomb Memorial, is important because of its nearness to the planned Olympic Village development site, along Lake Shore Drive from 23rd to 31st Streets, between Lake Michigan and the Illinois Central Railroad.

The archdiocese will restore the original facade, salvage what it can from the interior and build the addition from pre-cast concrete panels.

"We will try to salvage what we can of the building's interior, such as the ornamental railings," the project's architect, Monika Benitez, of Park Ridge-based Jaeger, Nickola & Associates, told commissioners.

"But the building has been through several uses and has been unoccupied for some time."

Working with the Chicago Department of Transportation, the grounds will include a park designed to complement a new pedestrian bridge to the lakefront.

That landscaping effort is expected to create a green gateway to Burnham Park and to extend the park into the neighborhood, the project manager told commissioners.

The Chicago Landmarks' Permit Review Committee approved the restoration in March.

[spyguy]

Grant Park Advisory Council and Grant Park Conservancy public meeting

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.

Daley Bicentennial Plaza - 337 E. Randolph just east of Columbus Drive.

Chicago Children's Museum

Please come out and give us your input on the newest plans for the museum.
Thank you very much for your interest and participation.

Please contact:
Bob O'Neill
Phone: 312-829-8015

[brian_b]

The developers have yet to request a zoning change and have not shown plans to neighbors, the standard way of building political support.
...
The issue is sensitive because Near West residents have organized against what they see as an encroachment of high-rises into their midst. They gained political muscle in the last aldermanic election when a challenger, Robert Fioretti, defeated an incumbent in part by criticizing her for tuning out residents when development issues arose.

Eric Sedler, president of the West Loop Community Organization, said the developers a few months ago suggested a building of about 25 to 30 stories and were informed the idea "is a non-starter."

No need to rush into things. West Loop foreclosures are up 440% so far this year. If Redford can wait a few months, Sedler and whatever is left of WLCO will be begging for anything at all to prop up their local area - so they can sell and move somewhere else.

Redford should announce a humanitarian plan to buy up all the West Loop foreclosures and turn them into section 8 rentals. Sedler and Co would be mortified of their new neighbors, but even they're smart enough to know what they'd look like if they opposed it.

Suddenly a 25 to 30 story building won't seem so bad.

[BorisMolotov]

Could this be the fall of the WLCO? What they've tried to avoid for so long, now comes to bite them in the ass...
Maybe this will send a message to other NIMBY organizations.

[Marcu]

Originally Posted by BorisMolotov

Could this be the fall of the WLCO? What they've tried to avoid for so long, now comes to bite them in the ass...
Maybe this will send a message to other NIMBY organizations.

Not just that but it tells all the other NIMBY groups to not take investment and development in their community for granted. As the number of foreclosures continues to climb and as abandoned factories continue to sit (see fannie may), wlco will realize what kind of opportunity it missed. And to think they could've had the type of development in central station or lakeshort east. What idiots.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Grant Park Advisory Council and Grant Park Conservancy public meeting

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.

Daley Bicentennial Plaza - 337 E. Randolph just east of Columbus Drive.

Chicago Children's Museum

Please come out and give us your input on the newest plans for the museum.
Thank you very much for your interest and participation.

Please contact:
Bob O'Neill
Phone: 312-829-8015

I went to that this evening, and holy hell was there tension in that room. I can understand comments about not putting a larger structure in Grant Park to replace Daley Bi. Plaza, which is a base for discussion. But all through the presentation it was people interrupting to irrationally bitch, and then bitch some more when it came to public comments, and then bitch even more at people with supportive comments. The main complaints were "This is our community park, and its too crowded." "Too much new construction" "Lake Shore East has negitively affected our quaility of life." "I want a quiet place to raise my kids without thousands of other screaming kids." "Too much traffic"

I HATE THESE FUCKTARD ASSHOLES! These complainers all act as if "The New Eastside" is some gated subdivison in Naperville. I swear I heard "we want our quiet bedroom community and our neighborhood park" at least 50 times this evening. I reminded all of them that thier community was originally APPROVED to be twice as dense, so they should not be complaining.

There were a few supportive people with awesome comments to fire back at all the complainers.

We saw a few renderings of the concept design. It is by the same architects as Spertis, and took a few design cues from the facade of faceted glass. The building would replace Daley Bi. Plaza and would be built into the hillside. Two stories would be exposed above grade, with two floors below carved into the existing parking garage. All drop off zones would be from Lower Randolph, so the traffic would not evening be visable. Of course, that still drew traffic complaints. So far the concept has loads of potential with lots of intergrated public spaces that flow into the shape of the building. The musuem will include construction of a brand new Grant Park field house.

The architects will be having a presentation in mid-June. Sparks will fly on that evening, so bring some popcorn if you attend.

[ardecila]

Krueck + Sexton are masters of glass, I'm sure they can pull this off very well.

[honte]

My opinion hasn't changed: Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Daley Bi is beautiful as it is, especially the planning and very subtle integration of fieldhouse and park / plaza. The interiors could be updated and made perfectly wonderful.

Put the Museum somewhere where it really can make a positive impact, like over the Metra tracks in Grant Park.

[alex1]

while i think that NYMBYism is a healthy reaction (public discourse of a neighborhood should be debated), I don't think a neighborhood that opposes an adjoining public space is of their concern. Especially when that space is the city's "front-lawn".

What the LSE crowd doesn't understand is that Grant park is a public space with the sole purpose of bringing people in for cultural, relaxation and other activities. Anything to improve on those things is a great thing IMO.

the collection of museums on our lakefront have been successful in bringing people downtown to enjoy Chicago's lakefront and amenities. While the plan should be debated from an architectural standpoint (and how it is implemented), I don't think that voicing concerns for it not being at a Grant Park location are valid.

[trvlr70]

What I find annoying is the sense of entitlement some folks have in regards to Grant Park. As if it is a private space given for their use only? Give me a break!

[dvidler]

Do you remember what else was said in the meeting in regards to other projects? I saw the email and it stated discussion on reforestation of Grant Park and Columbus Drive rehab. Can you give us more details on this?

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

I went to that this evening, and holy hell was there tension in that room. I can understand comments about not putting a larger structure in Grant Park to replace Daley Bi. Plaza, which is a base for discussion. But all through the presentation it was people interrupting to irrationally bitch, and then bitch some more when it came to public comments, and then bitch even more at people with supportive comments. The main complaints were "This is our community park, and its too crowded." "Too much new construction" "Lake Shore East has negitively affected our quaility of life." "I want a quiet place to raise my kids without thousands of other screaming kids." "Too much traffic"

I HATE THESE FUCKTARD ASSHOLES! These complainers all act as if "The New Eastside" is some gated subdivison in Naperville. I swear I heard "we want our quiet bedroom community and our neighborhood park" at least 50 times this evening. I reminded all of them that thier community was originally APPROVED to be twice as dense, so they should not be complaining.

There were a few supportive people with awesome comments to fire back at all the complainers.

We saw a few renderings of the concept design. It is by the same architects as Spertis, and took a few design cues from the facade of faceted glass. The building would replace Daley Bi. Plaza and would be built into the hillside. Two stories would be exposed above grade, with two floors below carved into the existing parking garage. All drop off zones would be from Lower Randolph, so the traffic would not evening be visable. Of course, that still drew traffic complaints. So far the concept has loads of potential with lots of intergrated public spaces that flow into the shape of the building. The musuem will include construction of a brand new Grant Park field house.

The architects will be having a presentation in mid-June. Sparks will fly on that evening, so bring some popcorn if you attend.

Shawn - I really must have missed something in the evolution of the new Children's Museum plan - I had thought the location was moved from Daley Bi to the NE corner of Monroe and Columbus??? Did I just imagine that??

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by honte

My opinion hasn't changed: Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Daley Bi is beautiful as it is, especially the planning and very subtle integration of fieldhouse and park / plaza. The interiors could be updated and made perfectly wonderful.

Put the Museum somewhere where it really can make a positive impact, like over the Metra tracks in Grant Park.

Amen and hallelujah!!!

Putting it over the tracks:
It covers those babies up!
It is on major bus routes and the trolly system and one block east of the El

Why is it being forced out into that area?

2nd alternative if it has to stay in Grant Park, the S.E. side next to the Museum Campus...duh.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by honte

Put the Museum somewhere where it really can make a positive impact, like over the Metra tracks in Grant Park.

How much would that cost?

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by honte

My opinion hasn't changed: Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Daley Bi is beautiful as it is, especially the planning and very subtle integration of fieldhouse and park / plaza. The interiors could be updated and made perfectly wonderful.

Put the Museum somewhere where it really can make a positive impact, like over the Metra tracks in Grant Park.

The fieldhouse is a piece of shit. It leaks like the pecker of an old man with a swollen prostate.

Daily Bi Plaza itself is beautiful, but it's about to be ripped out anyway for the rebuilding of the parking garage which lies below it.

Putting it over the Metra track in the park is just adding another building to the park which is always frowned upon.

The current idea is to replace an existing structure with an updated and expanded structure which will also remove several hundered parking spaces. This is rebuilding and expanding the current fieldhouse with no cost to the taxpayers.

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Shawn - I really must have missed something in the evolution of the new Children's Museum plan - I had thought the location was moved from Daley Bi to the NE corner of Monroe and Columbus??? Did I just imagine that??

You didn't imagine that.

It's been changed again back to its originally proposed location.

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

The current idea is to replace an existing structure with an updated and expanded structure which will also remove several hundered parking spaces. This is rebuilding and expanding the current fieldhouse with no cost to the taxpayers.




You didn't imagine that.

It's been changed again back to its originally proposed location.

Will there be a lose of open space with the new building? Sounds like there will be no loss...that the building is for the most part going to be built into the hill?

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Chicago3rd

Will there be a lose of open space with the new building? Sounds like there will be no loss...that the building is for the most part going to be built into the hill?

The ice ring directly to the south of the fieldhouse will be removed. They are looking at how and where that can be replaced. The CM would also have a green roof, but other than that, I don't believe any significant amount of open space will be affected.