CHICAGO | Riverline | 8 Towers | 600FT - 500FT(X2) - 380FT(X2) - 242FT(X2) - 300FT~ - Page 37

Klippenstein · #**721** Posted **Feb 17, 2022, 4:21 PM**

Yeah this is about where they usually turn around and they talk about River City, the 78 and the Union Station Powerhouse. There’s a pretty great view of the Sears tower and cluster coming up the river from here as well.

BuildThemTaller · #**722** Posted **Feb 17, 2022, 4:51 PM**

I get that this is a somewhat boring box on a podium, but Riverline is a very good development and possibly great. It is taking a long-empty grass lot and turning it into a very dense development with public access to the South Branch. It connects River City to Downtown and will help extend the CBD south. It's a big win even if some of the designs are meh.

Handro · #**723** Posted **Feb 17, 2022, 5:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

They released a rendering of the revised design and then appear to be building that exact design.

Sure, long after the development was already underway, they release an "updated rendering" of this building before construction kicked off.

Of course we'll see a lot more of these late releases of "new renderings" for buildings in megadevelopments now that they need approval from the Committee on Design.

Steely Dan · #**724** Posted **Feb 17, 2022, 5:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

I get that this is a somewhat boring box on a podium, but Riverline is a very good development and possibly great. It is taking a long-empty grass lot and turning it into a very dense development with public access to the South Branch. It connects River City to Downtown and will help extend the CBD south. It's a big win even if some of the designs are meh.

filling in this long vacant piece of land with more "city" is very much welcome.

but there's no need to gloss over how bad of a VE hatchet job this is.

where we started: "ok, this looks pretty damn promising!"

what we're getting: "oh........ " <sad trombone sound>

BuildThemTaller · #**725** Posted **Feb 17, 2022, 6:48 PM**

It's not an improvement, but the general form is very similar. Both have a podium. Both have a big blank wall facing the River. Both have V columns above the riverwalk. The biggest change in my view is the loss of the liner units facing north. The original design was always a placeholder, right? This has happened with Lakeshore East, The 78, and nearly every big development. We are always going to get different designs when the shovels hit the dirt.

If I were a developer and wanted to appease this forum, I'd be sure to start with a slightly boring design in hopes I could work in a better one when the building was u/c

rivernorthlurker · #**726** Posted **Feb 17, 2022, 6:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

filling in this long vacant piece of land with more "city" is very much welcome.

but there's no need to gloss over how bad of a VE hatchet job this is.

where we started: "ok, this looks pretty damn promising!"

what we're getting: "oh........ " <sad trombone sound>

I just don't like the size of the floor plates. I feel like monstrous residential buildings like this never age well - at least visually. They feel a bit too imposing from street level. Reminds me of some of those in River North like One Superior Plaza.

left of center · #**727** Posted **Feb 17, 2022, 7:44 PM**

I agree with that sentiment... tall and slender is much more visually appealing, both from the street as well as from overhead. But its certainly not cheaper, since a few elevators could handle residential floors, whether the floorplates are a quarter block or half block long. This is cheaper for the developers so this is what we get.

The city needs to have a development approval board with teeth, in order to enforce architectural standards. Or at the very least, hold developers accountable when they deviate from the plan that won city approval and VE the design to death.

VKChaz · #**728** Posted **Feb 17, 2022, 7:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

I get that this is a somewhat boring box on a podium, but Riverline is a very good development and possibly great. It is taking a long-empty grass lot and turning it into a very dense development with public access to the South Branch. It connects River City to Downtown and will help extend the CBD south. It's a big win even if some of the designs are meh.

But filling in this lot with density, extending the riverwalk and connecting everything was inevitable. It isn't like the developer took on some great challenge that compensates for a less than inspiring result

Mr Downtown · #**729** Posted **Feb 20, 2022, 1:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by left of center

The city needs to . . . hold developers accountable when they deviate from the plan that won city approval

Be careful what you wish for. This is what the PD anticipated:

harryc · #**730** Posted **Feb 21, 2022, 12:02 AM**

Feb 18

thegoatman · #**731** Posted **Feb 21, 2022, 3:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by harryc

Feb 18

wow that parking podium. This whole project is a disgrace.

chris08876 · #**732** Posted **Feb 25, 2022, 2:34 AM**

River City and other South Loop developments by Steven Vance, on Flickr

ardecila · #**733** Posted **Feb 25, 2022, 3:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Be careful what you wish for. This is what the PD anticipated:

This would have rocked.

LouisVanDerWright · #**734** Posted **Feb 25, 2022, 4:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

This would have rocked.

What could have been:

http://bertrandgoldberg.org/projects/river-city/

VKChaz · #**735** Posted **Feb 25, 2022, 5:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegoatman

wow that parking podium. This whole project is a disgrace.

If I am seeing correctly based on an early image viewed from the west in the link, looks like the podium has been extended northward where the lining units were to be. And maybe shorter

https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/...-at-southbank/