CHICAGO | Marriott Marquis McCormick Place | 444' | 40 FLOORS

[munchymunch]

Thanks, can't wait to see the proposal.

[munchymunch]

Thanks can't wait to see the proposall.

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by chicagogreg

The McCormick hotel is relatively far south from the tall south loop cluster...this would have a pretty impressive skyline impact

We're going to need a new location other than Adler Planetarium to view the entire skyline if the gap between this and Museum Park Towers starts filling up.

[Tom Servo]

700 feet?! Holy shit. Wow.

[ChiTownCity]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Whether or not you like what this project will do to hotel occupancies, you've gotta love what this will do to the skyline as well as injecting activity to that part of town

Hopefully this whole project will be successful and spur a resurgence for development along State street and maybe we'll even be lucky enough to turn those visions of that field west of Clark into active proposals as well.... one can dream, but I seriously hope that something along those lines come into fruition within the couple of decades....

[BVictor1]

If built to this stature, it's going to make a hell of an impact coming into town on the Stevenson.

[brian_b]

I received the two zoning notices today.

The first, for the data center, seeks to amend PD 675 to allow an 11-story, 281' data center to be built. I assume that the amended PD contains more specifics, or maybe it doesn't. All I can say is that the data center location shown in the most recent renderings fits within the boundaries set forth in the notice. The two-story parking garage immediately north of the existing data center also fits within the boundaries set forth in the notice. FYI. It could be plan B.

The other zoning notice is for the hotel and event center - changing the zoning from a mix of PD 675, DX-3, DX-5 and DX-7 into a single Institutional PD 331, as amended. It states that this includes a mix of an event center, hotel, restaurant, retail, office and entertainment. Nothing we didn't already know.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by brian_b

I received the two zoning notices today.

The first, for the data center, seeks to amend PD 675 to allow an 11-story, 281' data center to be built. I assume that the amended PD contains more specifics, or maybe it doesn't. All I can say is that the data center location shown in the most recent renderings fits within the boundaries set forth in the notice. The two-story parking garage immediately north of the existing data center also fits within the boundaries set forth in the notice. FYI. It could be plan B.

The other zoning notice is for the hotel and event center - changing the zoning from a mix of PD 675, DX-3, DX-5 and DX-7 into a single Institutional PD 331, as amended. It states that this includes a mix of an event center, hotel, restaurant, retail, office and entertainment. Nothing we didn't already know.

Nothing new, but it does indicate they are pushing ahead with the necessary red tape for this project. Hopefully this will start soon before the NIMBYs or Chicago Reader are able to kill it with all their bitching. Thanks for the update.

[Mr Downtown]

Not that anyone seems to care, but the Near South Community Plan limit for that area is 280 feet. Interestingly, that's a special condition only set for the corners of Prairie and Cermak; the rest of the McCormick Place District has a limit of 100 feet.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Nothing new, but it does indicate they are pushing ahead with the necessary red tape for this project. Hopefully this will start soon before the NIMBYs or Chicago Reader are able to kill it with all their bitching. Thanks for the update.

Seriously? Do you think that a bunch of whiny NIMBY's could ever dream of squashing this proposal? We're talking about McPier, Depaul, and a mayor who badly wants this to happen. Good one..

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Not that anyone seems to care, but the Near South Community Plan limit for that area is 280 feet. Interestingly, that's a special condition only set for the corners of Prairie and Cermak; the rest of the McCormick Place District has a limit of 100 feet.

Were not going to get into the discussion about the guideline in the plan. It's nothing that's ever been written in stone, but a stepping off point.

It's not like it's some type of protective covenant.

The plan is recommendation, not an order.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Not that anyone seems to care, but the Near South Community Plan limit for that area is 280 feet. Interestingly, that's a special condition only set for the corners of Prairie and Cermak; the rest of the McCormick Place District has a limit of 100 feet.

There is one thing that I can confirm you are right about - indeed nobody seems to care (with the possible exception of you). Why? See BVic, above. Also, see just released book, 'Lousy Urban Planning Guidelines including building height recommendations that are uniformly 250'-450' feet too short, in Cities that don't even really have Planning Departments or other such Titled Functions in the US Midwest', Doubleday, 2014.

[Chi-Sky21]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

There is one thing that I can confirm you are right about - indeed nobody seems to care (with the possible exception of you). Why? See BVic, above. Also, see just released book, 'Lousy Urban Planning Guidelines including building height recommendations that are uniformly 250'-450' feet too short, in Cities that don't even really have Planning Departments or other such Titled Functions in the US Midwest', Doubleday, 2014.

Not going to sell many books with that title! They really need to summarize it a little more concisely.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Maybe. Or perhaps they just got lucky, because instead of being forced to sell at quick-take "market value" they can now develop the smaller hotel and participate in the investment.

Definitely on to something here.....could be McHugh's plan....unless they run into trouble with this strategy because they've in actuality really pissed off Emmanuel and McPier, and McPier fights them all they way through a lengthy court process to try to get as low a price as possible.....that's assuming that McHugh, being the uber connected contractor that it is, and the City and McPier guys aren't just laughing about this all after work over beers every week together at how they going to squeeze taxpayers for every possible dime....how they can make this all even more expensive, up the TIF take later for the smaller hotel, taxpayer reimbursement of the expensive, lengthy court fight, etc. This is Chicagaw, let's not all devolve into a massive pure heap of babbling cognitive dissonance at once, folks!

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Chi-Sky21

Not going to sell many books with that title! They really need to summarize it a little more concisely.

Shitty editors.

[BVictor1]

Just a little note:

They should be relocating the Rees House (the historic mansion on Prairie Ave.) sometime this summer.

i don't know exactly where it's going to be moved, but I'm guessing it'll go in the lot next to the old Field Mansion.

[Mr Downtown]

DPD Commissioner Mooney said yesterday they'd be moving it in July, "somewhere on Prairie Avenue."

Apparently to shut up Ben Joravsky, they've shifted all the TIF money into the Marriott/ABC building. The arena won't have any TIF funding. The ABC Building will be "integrated" with the hotel; I don't know if that means meeting rooms in ABC or what. I doubt the column spacing would allow anything the size of a ballroom in there. Maybe a restaurant and some suites facing Cermak.

Mooney also stunned me by describing the arena/hotel development as "called for" in the Near South Community Plan, which I was shocked to learn he'd ever even heard of. That's some weapons-grade chutzpah right there.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Mooney also stunned me by describing the arena/hotel development as "called for" in the Near South Community Plan, which I was shocked to learn he'd ever even heard of. That's some weapons-grade chutzpah right there.

So glad he's following said plan to a tee (sarc).

[BVictor1]

From Ald. Dowell's Newsletter

McCormick Place Headquarters Hotel Update

At the February 5, 2014, City Council Meeting, Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced a financial proposal that would utilize $55 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for the development of the planned 1200 room hotel adjacent to McCormick Place. The total cost of the project for the hotel which will include banquet/meeting rooms, restaurants, retail space, and offices is $421.5 million. The construction of the hotel is expected to create 3,700 temporary jobs and 600 permanent jobs.

The Convention Center Headquarters Hotel will be owned by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), which also owns and operates McCormick Place and Navy Pier. This project is part of MPEA's "Elevate Chicago" initiative, which will include a 10,000 seat event center at the northwest corner of Cermak and Prairie and a smaller hotel at the southeast corner of Cermak and Michigan. 2500 permanent jobs are expected to be created through this initiative.

If the TIF assistance is approved by the City Council, it will partially reimburse MPEA for the acquisition of land and TIF-eligible construction expenses involving the hotel only. Additional financing will come from MPEA revenue bonds. Construction could begin in late 2014. Click here to view a design map of the project.

[wierdaaron]

Crains has it now. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...ck-place-hotel

DePaul turned down the TIF money after protests, so now Marriott gets it.