CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction, v7

[Steely Dan]

This isn't RN specific, but for all of those under the mistaken impression that only the near west is growing while the near north and loop have stalled out, here's central area population growth from last decade:


the 4 CA's of the "greater downtown area" are the loop, near north, near west, and near south.


Community Area - 2010 - 2020 - change

the loop - 29,283 - 42,298 - +13,015 (+44.5%)

near north - 80,484 - 105,481 - +24,997 (+31.1%)

near west - 54,881 - 67,881 - +13,000 (+23.7%)

near south - 21,390 - 28,795 - +7,405 (+34.6%)
_______________________________________________

total - 186,038 - 244,445 - +58,407 (+31.4%)


source: https://gist.github.com/nmpeterson/5...348ca1903099e0

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

This isn't RN specific, but for all of those under the mistaken impression that only the near west is booming while the near north has stalled out, here's central area population growth from last decade:


the 4 CA's of the "greater downtown area" are the loop, near north, near west, and near south.


Community Area - 2010 - 2020 - change

the loop - 29,283 - 42,298 - +13,015 (+44.5%)

near north - 80,484 - 105,481 - +24,997 (+31.1%)

near west - 54,881 - 67,881 - +13,000 (+23.7%)

near south - 21,390 - 28,795 - +7,405 (+34.6%)
_______________________________________________

total - 186,038 - 244,445 - +58,407 (+31.4%)


source: https://gist.github.com/nmpeterson/5...348ca1903099e0

Yep. Remember that The Loop CA goes down to Roosevelt. A lot of population growth from 2010 to 2020 there was south of Ida B Wells, though some near Millennium Park and Lakeshore East of course.

With hybrid work becoming more and more of a thing, I'd hope we see more office to residential conversions. From a residential perspective, it is better closer to Millennium Park now l than 2010 but south of there or especially west of there is dead. I actually think that conversion to residential of some parts of buildings spread around The Looo proper would be very good for the area.

[BuildThemTaller]

Did everyone forget that there were like 8 new towers built along Wells street in the last half decade?

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

The Loop will have its ups and downs, but it will never not be the core of the city.

I mean, just look at the architecture and the history. Nothing that has ever been built in River North, Streeterville, or the West Loop can ever come close to comparing. It is a legendary city center. The whole damn Loop needs to become a UNESCO World Heritage site some day

River North, Streeterville, and West Loop are simply extensions of the core Loop. When they benefit, so does the Loop.

This is not a City of London vs. Canary Wharf or a Seattle vs. Bellevue arrangement where the business districts are in competition or trying to cannibalize each other.

There’s just not that many sites in the Loop left that are begging for development. Most buildings are already very dense or are national architecture treasures. The ebb and flow of tenants and building uses as the spaces age and get refurbished is a natural process in any city that has an abundance of real estate.

[JN12Franklin]

Did I just imagine the time River North had a development with dual towers of 969 ft and 574 ft and 812 units? Something the West Loop hasn't come close to equaling. I could list close to a dozen other west loop sized projects that have been completed in River North in the last couple of years.

Not to mention 3 new projects starting on the west end of Chicago Ave in River north with about 400ish combined units and it looks like the office building at 301 W Huron is about to kick off.

Now that I think about it, this same discussion came up last May and I did list the river north projects. So here it is again:

-One Chicago
-Two Chicago (not sure it's actually called this)
-Wolf Point South, East, West
-The Hudson
-Superior House
-400 W Huron
-360 W Erie
-The Ronsley
-Hubbard 221
-311 Illinois
-Gallery On Wells
-640 N Wells
-Exhibit on Superior
-The Bentham
-The Ardus
-Home2Suites Hotel
-Moxy Hotel
-369 W Grand (Omni?)
-490 N Lasalle Office Building
-The Marlowe
-Oh, and the McDonalds has solar panels now.

[chicubs111]

Random question...Does anyone think its possible that 400 East Randolph would ever be torn down and replace with something larger... This building looks so old, ugly, and out of place and it takes up so much prime real estate with facing millennium park and being part of the lakeshore east community it seems likes if built today a much larger condo/apt building could command some serious prices.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by chicubs111

Random question...Does anyone think its possible that 400 East Randolph would ever be torn down and replace with something larger... This building looks so old, ugly, and out of place and it takes up so much prime real estate with facing millennium park and being part of the lakeshore east community it seems likes if built today a much larger condo/apt building could command some serious prices.

i very highly doubt it.

the building is 40 floors and has 955 units, making it one of the largest (the largest?) single residential buildings in the city in terms of unit count. it's also condo, which would make it more difficult to acquire.

demolishing it would be extremely expensive, and i don't think the city would let anyone build back more densely there. sure, you could do bigger units in a much taller building, but enough to offset that massive demo bill? in a residential building?

i'd say inertia most likely keeps it there for the long haul.

[BVictor1]

For those interested in watching the 170 N. Green (Bridgford) presentation to the Committee On Design, that begin at 1pm today (02.09.22)

Comments by the public are welcome in the Q&A box.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83519787296#success
passcode 886511

[chicubs111]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

i very highly doubt it.

the building is 40 floors and has 955 units, making it one of the largest (the largest?) single residential buildings in the city in terms of unit count. it's also condo, which would make it more difficult to acquire.

demolishing it would be extremely expensive, and i don't think the city would let anyone build back more densely there. sure, you could do bigger units in a much taller building, but enough to offset that massive demo bill? in a residential building?

i'd say inertia most likely keeps it there for the long haul.

shortest looking 40 story building ive seen... but thats too bad... this location could be ideal for something special ala St Regis on opposite side..

[Steely Dan]

^ it didn't look so short back when it was first built.


source: http://www.connectingthewindycity.co...ast-first.html

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

It was irrationally held down as an industrial district despite it's excellent proximity to downtown, transit, and freeways. As soon as the city decided it was to be residential and office instead, the floodgates opened. The existing warehouses and industrial buildings were an adaptive reuse gold mine and define the character and desireability people are looking for today.

That's exactly what happened in River North 25 or so years ago when Friedman cracked that whole area open. What Sterling Bay did to the West Loop is almost identical in process and reason.

River North got decimated for parking lots because it was a short walk into the Loop or Mag Mile. Decades later, those parking lots are still profitable so they're hard to redevelop. We've seen most of them get built up regardless, but it's not surprising there are still a few holdouts. E.G. some old Italian guy who owns a River North parking lot as his retirement plan and has no desire to sell the land and lose his cash flow.

West Loop (west of I-90) didn't get decimated the same way, it was too scary for commuter parking with Skid Row and still valuable to meatpackers and other industrial users for production. Not to say there weren't parking lots, but they were usually for employees or truck storage and not public lots. As the industrial users left, there's been a steady stream of sites coming on the market for development.

[thegoatman]

Yeah River North had some development but I was just talking more these last 2-3 years...just seems like West Loop has continued to boom meanwhile these past couple years outside a handful of developments, River North and the Loop are just *crickets*

[rgarri4]

I think since river north is already so built up compared to the West Loop the growth sorta goes un noticed.



Via Urbanize Chicago

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by chicubs111

shortest looking 40 story building ive seen... but thats too bad... this location could be ideal for something special ala St Regis on opposite side..

there are still vacant lots fronting grant park

seems off to demolish a 40 story fully utilized building with vacant lots sitting around

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

there are still vacant lots fronting grant park

seems off to demolish a 40 story fully utilized building with vacant lots sitting around

Well, with 1000M back on, I think the only vacant lots facing grant lot are where NEMA's twin is planned and the tiny lot here: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8708...7i16384!8i8192

Don't know if anything is planned for that one...

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

Well, with 1000M back on, I think the only vacant lots facing grant lot are where NEMA's twin is planned and the tiny lot here: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8708...7i16384!8i8192

Don't know if anything is planned for that one...

There's one more... 830 S. Michigan where the old YWCA once stood.

[Klippenstein]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

Well, with 1000M back on, I think the only vacant lots facing grant lot are where NEMA's twin is planned and the tiny lot here: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8708...7i16384!8i8192

Don't know if anything is planned for that one...

I remember liking the last plan I saw with the tower on Wabash and a smaller extension of the building and entrance on Michigan Ave. I’m guessing that’s dead now.

[Klippenstein]

You know what now that you mention that BVictor I think they were going to do a facedectomy on the Michigan Ave frontage as part of the proposal I am remembering.

For those who never saw it (thegoatman), this was proposed sometime before the 2008 recession

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

There's one more... 830 S. Michigan where the old YWCA once stood.

I thought that's the one I linked .

Too bad they tore down the YWCA...

[Briguy]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

Well, with 1000M back on, I think the only vacant lots facing grant lot are where NEMA's twin is planned and the tiny lot here: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8708...7i16384!8i8192

Don't know if anything is planned for that one...

Same size lot as Essex on the park so it could still be substantial, especially if they take the air rights from that lot adjacent at 9th/wabash