CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 2645

Toasty Joe · #**52881** Posted **Apr 11, 2024, 9:27 PM**

That's odd because Tao went into a historic building in River North and from what I've gathered seems like most Lettuce Entertainment restaurants are in older buildings. Seems odd they'd be knocking this down vs. salvaging. I wonder if it has major structural issues.

Edit: It's being knocked down by Liam Krehbiel who is the founder and CEO of Topography Hospitality per this MSN article and this Real Deal article. Nothing about structural integrity...

west-town-brad · #**52882** Posted **Apr 12, 2024, 2:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by intrepidDesign

Preservationists are seeking an eleventh-hour reprieve for a historic 152-year-old River North building facing imminent demolition...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hi...b94d412d&ei=31

WTF, how can they tear this down? This building is awesome! What a waste. Who do I email!!

"preservationists" seem to always be behind the ball...

Jibba · #**52883** Posted **Apr 12, 2024, 3:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

"preservationists" seem to always be behind the ball...

They have no time to act on anything unless a building has an orange or red rating in the CHRS (which was done in 1995; I've heard it's not an exhaustive survey), thus triggering a demolition delay. That might be their only source of intel in finding out about these demolitions. There would be no practical or even feasible way for a small non-profit to know which buildings are being threatened until either a demolition delay is issued (if that's even publicly published anywhere) or a demo permit is issued. Or they get lucky enough to hear through the grapevine about a developer's plan for a demolition before it's documented anywhere in the city process.

According to the MSN article, 720 Wells is green-rated in the CHRS, so no demo delay would have been issued (leaving no time to assemble a campaign):

"When the developer applied for a demolition permit in May 2023 for the 207 W. Superior St. building [this is the building just W of the Wells St. building in question], it was put on hold for 90 days and then approved for removal in August. As a green-rated building, the 720 N. Wells St. building didn’t require such a review before seeking demolition, the city said.

“'The survey missed the most historically significant structure on the block,' Miller said of the Wells Street building. 'Time and time again it slipped through the cracks. Now it may be too late for this building, but I hope it will lead to a broader landmark district for River North.'"

Jibba · #**52884** Posted **Apr 12, 2024, 4:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh777

The new one will be just as awesome!

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/08...ng-to-chicago/

Robert AM Stern is a Driehaus laureate (not that this makes him or his -- giant -- company a preservationist), so my (faint) hope is that they find a way to preserve and incorporate at least the cast iron first floor into the design somehow.

Toasty Joe · #**52885** Posted **Apr 12, 2024, 6:40 PM**

What bums me out is a Stern building would look great on that parking lot next to the L a block to the west, and we'd keep a rare example of post-Fire cast iron in River North, which was built in the image of pre-Fire Chicago and therefore still historically relevant. Shocked this one slipped through the cracks.

tjp · #**52886** Posted **Apr 12, 2024, 11:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh777

The new one will be just as awesome!

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/08...ng-to-chicago/

It's being replaced by that Tao / Lettuce Entertain You venture? I hadn't heard that anywhere..

BVictor1 · #**52887** Posted **Apr 13, 2024, 2:43 AM**

04.12.24

KWillChicago · #**52888** Posted **Apr 13, 2024, 5:33 AM**

Anyone got information on the Congress Theater renovation? Not seeing much on google.

Steely Dan · #**52889** Posted **Apr 13, 2024, 2:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

04.12.24

Wow, so nice to see this kinda scale as new infill along 47th.

Randomguy34 · #**52890** Posted **Apr 13, 2024, 3:29 PM**

^ three more buildings planned for that lot received permits this week

Steely Dan · #**52891** Posted **Apr 13, 2024, 6:19 PM**

^ nice!

Klippenstein · #**52892** Posted **Yesterday, 3:48 AM**

• Video Link

ardecila · #**52893** Posted **Yesterday, 5:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jibba

Robert AM Stern is a Driehaus laureate (not that this makes him or his -- giant -- company a preservationist), so my (faint) hope is that they find a way to preserve and incorporate at least the cast iron first floor into the design somehow.

No, RAMSA's design will be a faux Georgian mansion, perfect for your Peaky Blinders cosplay. Essentially this (link).

The cast iron arcade may be salvaged somehow, but it will probably just go into storage if anything.

The fact that RAMSA, of all firms, decided the post-Fire building was unworthy of preservation is a huge slap in the face from NY to Chicago. Tearing down actual history of a major world city to put up a Disneyland fake version of history is insulting.

Toasty Joe · #**52894** Posted **Yesterday, 6:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

No, RAMSA's design will be a faux Georgian mansion, perfect for your Peaky Blinders cosplay. Essentially this (link).

The cast iron arcade may be salvaged somehow, but it will probably just go into storage if anything.

The fact that RAMSA, of all firms, decided the post-Fire building was unworthy of preservation is a huge slap in the face from NY to Chicago. Tearing down actual history of a major world city to put up a Disneyland fake version of history is insulting.

Agree but they likely didn't make that decision, the developer (Topography Hospitality / Liam Krehbiel) did. I'm still surprised RAMSA is on board with replacing it, though. You'd think they'd want to stay away from a controversial demolition like this for the sake of their brand.

Rizzo · #**52895** Posted **Today, 5:12 AM**

^ I don’t know about that. RAMSA designed a new dorm for the university of Michigan, but it replaced the old Ann Arbor high school.

https://aadl.org/N027_0502_001

Granted the interior was terrible and it was owned by the university for a long time, but the exterior was impressive and only a small section was saved. The rich warm tones of the original stone on a classical facade clashed with the cooler red brick and light tan limestone of the neo gothic dormitory replacement.

I rarely see the stewardship of firms turning down jobs to defend protections of the historic building. Even if it happened a Developer or property owner would ultimately level a building anyway, and leave it a blank site until it’s forgotten. At least a high profile architect may try to make up for the loss with a better replacement. It’s rare but hopefully that happens