[BorisMolotov]

^ I hope not. It's colorful and honest as-is. I think the small improvements are just enough to make it nice without being Disneyfied.

OK well at least clean the back of the buildings. They look dirty.

[trvlr70]

4/10

Couch Place partial redo.

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/6790/dsc00735nr4.jpg

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/3820/dsc00739sf8.jpg

This is one of my favorite little project in Chicago. I hope this trend continues.

[Chicago3rd]

^^
I wish they would do that to Quincy between Sears Tower and the Federal Plaza and encourage buildings that can to open up that back part to shops and restaurants.

[Busy Bee]

A large aerial rendering of the Metropolis project in Bronzeville has been posted over at the Yo. This thing looks so slick and amazing, I'm still awestruck that it's being proposed for this area, we've come a long way this is for sure. It makes me think how much more excited about the Roosevelt Collection I'd be if it carried a design this promising.

[museumparktom]

I'm sure I'll kick my self for asking, but. The Yo? what's this.

[Busy Bee]

^YoChicago.com (we technically aren't supposed to talk about it http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/images/smilies/koko.gif)

[alex1]

love the hospital rendering. Reminds me of Lake point tower in form. The middle section breaks the organic flow of the building which adds interesting tension to the overall design.

very cool. My only wish would be to bring in more color in spots (this building is a natural for such a treatment). Hospitals almost always become too sterile. Color can break any sterility this building might impose.

[alex1]

A large aerial rendering of the Metropolis project in Bronzeville has been posted over at the Yo. This thing looks so slick and amazing, I'm still awestruck that it's being proposed for this area, we've come a long way this is for sure. It makes me think how much more excited about the Roosevelt Collection I'd be if it carried a design this promising.

I saw this project featured in the WSJ a few weeks back. The developer really wanted something nice architecturally speaking for the area and I think SOM did a nice job for the most part.

[perss2000]

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/skylinenews/news/337697,sl-newcity-041207-s1.article


Retail, restaurants planned for YMCA site

April 12, 2007
By FELICIA DECHTER|STAFF WRITER
A new, mega development is planned for the current New City YMCA site on the Near North Side, which will bring a 1 million-square-foot, mixed-use residential and retail complex to 8.5-acres at the intersection of Halsted Street and Clybourn Avenue.

The South Loop-based Structured Development, LLC, and Connecticut-based Commonfund Realty, Inc., will build The New City, which will offer entertainment, retail and restaurant venues, and about 490 residential units divided among five buildings, according to Jeff Berta, director of program management for Structured Development.

"We hope that this complex engages the community now and in the future in several ways," said Berta, adding that the company does not yet know how much of the residential will be condo or rental.

"It will have a large plaza which will serve many purposes including programmed uses such as art fairs and farmer's markets yet be designed to allow an individual to sit and enjoy the outdoors," Berta said. "Ultimately, it is our vision that The New City plaza is adopted by the community as 'the place,' to gather, shop, and socialize."

The $270 million development will include a one-acre public plaza--with a water feature-- intended as a focal point for both residents the surrounding community. Boulevard-like sidewalks with extensive landscaping, and a newly dedicated public street, will also be part of the mix.

Shoppers will have 700 parking spaces in a five-story garage and 400 below-grade parking spaces for residents and another 90 in the garage. To minimize truck traffic, all delivery and garbage service vehicles will dock below grade.

Plans also call for extending Eastman Street to create a new thoroughfare on the south end of the site, to help with traffic. In addition, new traffic signals will be installed where Eastman intersects Clybourn and Halsted.

Construction of The New City is expected to begin in September, with completion planned in 2010. The project is expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to the area, according to information provided by Structured.

Berta said the area is in major transition, with developments such as Whole Foods at Blackhawk and Halsted and the on-going Cabrini Green redevelopment.

Additionally, 10 percent of the units will be designated for low-income housing, with another 10 percent set aside as affordable housing. According to Berta, due to the adjacency of the property to the Cabrini Green redevelopment area, that was required for the project by Alderman Walter Burnett, 27th.

Some 370,000-square-feet of the development will be retail, and anchoring the retail side of the project is Milwaukee-based Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc., which will be housed in a two-story, 80,000-square-foot space in the southeast corner of the complex. Berta said although Structured does not yet have any other retail tenants signed on, he hopes to announce other key tenants soon.

According to Roundy's director of public affairs Vivian King, this will be the supermarket chain's first store in Chicago. Roundy's will break ground this summer, King said, with an anticipated opening of spring 2008.

"It's a vibrant neighborhood and a neighborhood that is ripe for another choice for a grocery store and we think we can provide an option," King said.

[forumly_chgoman]

^^^^I am highly sceptical of the execution of this plan ...it seems like they are envisioning a "lifestyle" center in what is practically the middle of the city....is this going to be little more than a dressed up shopping center / mall.....with a pretty park to sit and watch the other "parkers" dop their shopping.....why not develop a real organic neighborhood.....organic as in naturally flowing with the city continuum not organic like no pesticides.....

I have a bad feeeling that this is going to be crap

[ardecila]

If there is a place for a lifestyle center in the city.. it is here (AND NOT BLOCK 37!!!). It's worlds better than the rest of the Clybourn shopping district, and it has no surface parking. The renderings look amazing.

[nomarandlee]

:previous: Well, i understand the need for parking for such a large development but I hope that the parking garage will be set away from the street at least. A parking garage is better then a parking lot but still.....

I remember only seeing general aerials of a layout has anyone see close up renders of the projects?

[spyguy]

http://www.heartlandrebusiness.com/articles/APR07/cover3.html

THE REINVENTION OF STATE STREET

Chicago’s historic State Street is being infused with a new generation of retailers.

Jason Berngard and Anthony Campagni

As the revered Marshall Field’s department store becomes a Macy’s and the doors of the historic Carson Pirie Scott building close for redevelopment, opportunities to reinvent State Street are opening. Providing a less expensive, yet just as accessible, alternative to Michigan Avenue, the street that once defined Chicago is now being re-established. As Michigan Avenue’s already astronomic rents steadily increase (at the time of writing, rents are in excess of $300 per square foot) and available ground-level retail space on the street is all but non-existent, retailers are looking to State Street as an alternative for their flagship stores and second locations.

With the addition of H&M’s second location, the presence of Urban Outfitters, Annie Sez and Office Depot at 10 S. State Street, as well as the future development of 108 N. State (formerly Block 37) and the redevelopment of the Carson’s building and the Palmer House Hotel, the timing is right to redefine this downtown Chicago shopping district.

Presently, the densely populated street is a mix of retail, office and residential properties. The international recognition and popularity of Millennium Park, which drew more than 3 million visitors in 2006, has sparked interest from diverse retailers such as Segway, Garrett Popcorn Shops and Park Grill Chicago. And while the office market continues to move west, condominiums are becoming popular in the east (where some residential condos with views of Millennium Park are selling in excess of $700 per square foot), transitioning State Street from a 5-day market to a 7-day market, and luring in new retailers and restaurateurs alike. Downtown residential property has experienced an increase in value of $100 per square foot that is attributable to Millennium Park, according to the city of Chicago’s 2005 Economic Impact Report. Evening activity also continues to flourish, with the nearby Theater District nearly doubling its economic impact during the past 7 years, according to the Chicago League of Theaters. Doubling the attendance of 10 years ago, more than 2.4 million Chicago residents attended a live show in the Theater District last year, attracting more restaurants and bars to the area than ever before.

Doubts regarding the potential rebirth of State Street are unfounded. Vacancy rates dropped to 1.37 percent in late 2005, and redevelopments are creating opportunity and interest from an eclectic mix of established, high-profile brands and up-and-coming international retailers. European clothing stores, such as Zara, are considering locations on State Street, giving it a different flavor than the standard high-end retailers Michigan Avenue hosts. For these international retailers, State Street can serve as a test of the American market’s response to their product without incurring the high costs and long waits for retail space on Michigan Avenue.

CBS’s decision to move and use the vitality of the State Street locale as a backdrop for its newscasts illustrates an attempt to become more like its New York City counterparts. Relocating to State Street is a testament to the network’s confidence in the corridor’s unremitting energy and steady foot traffic, almost like that of Times Square. CBS, in turn, will add to the vibrancy and cachet of the street.

In addition, the city’s planned construction of a high-speed rail connection from 108 N. State Street directly to O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport is advantageous for retailers because it will draw more foot traffic to the street, which was designed for dense travel given its numerous CTA stops and wider sidewalks. Furthermore, the transit system will direct tourists to the corridor often overlooked due to the Magnificent Mile.

Once Joseph Freed & Associates acquires Block 37 from The Mills Corporation, the firm will, in essence, control the fate of State Street, as it also owns the Carson’s building. Freed has the opportunity to redefine this downtown retail corridor, but it will need to secure high-profile anchor tenants and unique (and appealing) small shop tenants to be successful.

Future tenants of the Carson’s building have yet to be named, but it is highly sought after space. The rebirth of State Street is dependent upon signed leases at 108 N. State from brands on the level of Apple, Banana Republic and Coach, all of whom have shown interest in the project. And if space at the Carson’s building becomes occupied by Whole Foods, Target or Best Buy, as is rumored, the street is sure to exceed expectations.

The nearby Palmer House Hotel has already gathered its fair share of big names. Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door Salon is in negotiations to open a flagship location, in addition to tenants such as Aldo, Sketchers and Victoria’s Secret, all of which are sure to garner consumer attention.

Retailers also benefit from the more than 20 colleges and universities within walking distance of State Street’s retail corridor. As many Chicagoans and tourists want to avoid the mayhem of Michigan Avenue, retailers have an opportunity to cater to tourists, students, workers and area residents alike. According to the city’s Economic Impact Report, over the next 10 years, sales revenue from visitor spending in the downtown area is projected to be between $1.9 and $2.6 billion. Retailers should be encouraged by the massive amount of money concentrated in such a relatively small geographic vicinity.

The oft seen “herd mentality” of commercial real estate, especially as it pertains to high-profile and well-known retailers, is something that can be expected as developments on State Street continue to progress; as one big name enters the market, others are sure to follow. Retailers view State Street as a high-traffic shopping destination, less precarious than Michigan Avenue and still close enough to benefit from the ever-profitable Magnificent Mile. The redevelopment of the Carson Pirie Scott building, 108 N. State Street and the Palmer House Hotel place State Street in a position to attract exciting retailers and brand itself to live up to its moniker: State Street, that Great Street.

[honte]

^ Man, can you believe it? Really, it's better than many (any) would have ever imagined. ... even without Block 37.

Chicago is on a roll.

[Alliance]

On a roll? It practically on a bull run :cool:

[denizen467]

Speaking of rolls, drum roll please - T minus 2 hours on the Olympics announcement.

(As long as the USOC never went anywhere near the L, I'd say we're a lock...)

EDIT: I just checked LATimes.com and there is not a single mention of this afternoon's upcoming Olympics announcement on the main page. Hmm, conclusive evidence of apathy, or pro-Chicago manipulation by Tribune Company? (Or..maybe they just know they're gonna lose!)

[GregBear24]

Victory!

[honte]

LA today, tomorrow the world.

[sentinel]

I just received an email from someone at the University of Chicago regarding the proposed new Center for the Visual and Performing Arts (name?); an announcement will be made sometime in June regarding the winning design entry - the five finalists being: Thom Maybe (Morphosis), Fumihiko Maki, Hans Hollein, Williams and Tsien and Daniel Liebeskind.

[honte]

^ Can't wait!

Does anyone know if they will be demolishing the Ed Dart parts of the arts campus down there? I really hope not - otherwise, this could be a perfect project.

Dart's work has really been taking a beating (no pun intended) lately. I went to check-up on three of his North Shore houses a few months ago - all were sadly demolished already. And the church in Pilsen is endangered too, as I posted a while back.

[sentinel]

^ Can't wait!

Does anyone know if they will be demolishing the Ed Dart parts of the arts campus down there? I really hope not - otherwise, this could be a perfect project.

Dart's work has really been taking a beating (no pun intended) lately. I went to check-up on three of his North Shore houses a few months ago - all were sadly demolished already. And the church in Pilsen is endangered too, as I posted a while back.

I think that part will be incorporated or rather, or rather the new building will be made to fit in as an extention of the older facility. I was not told as to whether the other four designs will be presented alongside the winning entry when the winner is announced but will let everyone know once I find out.

[bnk]

^ Man, can you believe it? Really, it's better than many (any) would have ever imagined. ... even without Block 37.

Chicago is on a roll.

Best of luck for State Street.:tup:

It seems to be going in the right direction.

My concern is Block 37 though.

Check out the last renders on the Block 37 thread only if you are not hungery.

[the urban politician]

Also posted in the 'Over 12 Stories' Thread:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?article_id=27593
Letters to the editor

Development keeps city dynamic, competitive
Aldermanic elections and run-offs create anti-development rhetoric.

One would think that real estate development in a once run-down, gritty, rust-belt Midwestern city is bad. With little urban-planning research, the anti-development bandwagon seems one to join.

We see the many virtues of developing a city still losing population to suburbs and warmer climates — competition for residents and economic investment is fierce. Chicago must remain competitive.

Being anti-development appears virtuous: Not enough parking, congestion, gentrification and density are the buzzwords. Digging deeper, what is really happening? Residents with a piece of the pie don't want others to impinge. This is hypocritical and not in the interests of us all. Chicago must grow. It was gutted by mass exodus and lack of egress into the city from the 1950s to the 1980s. We lost time and hundreds of thousands of people and economic development.

While our counterparts like St. Louis and Detroit struggle to stay relevant in this global marketplace, Chicago marches dynamically forward. Who would have dreamed it? We are competing with warm-weather, expanding cities like Orlando, Las Vegas and Miami.

Don't reflexively hate development. Make certain it is designed well and that architects and developers create landmarks of tomorrow in a city world famous for architecture and revivals. With anti-development rhetoric, design is rarely mentioned. The cause should be world-class design with green architecture.

Bob O'Neill
President
Grant Park Conservancy
Chicago

[the urban politician]

^^^^I am highly sceptical of the execution of this plan ...it seems like they are envisioning a "lifestyle" center in what is practically the middle of the city....is this going to be little more than a dressed up shopping center / mall.....with a pretty park to sit and watch the other "parkers" dop their shopping.....why not develop a real organic neighborhood.....organic as in naturally flowing with the city continuum not organic like no pesticides.....

I have a bad feeeling that this is going to be crap

^ Sorry man, but a lot of you guys are starting to sound more idealistic than even I am. In modern times, new retail will come in the form of lifestyle centers, so just get used to it.

As long as the parking is tucked away where it should be, then I don't see the big deal. If it is economically successful, that's all that matters anyhow.

I posted a rendering of the entire project in the second-to-last page of the previous version (v4 I believe) of the 'EVERYTHING OVER 12 STORIES" thread. Unfortunately since it switched rather quickly to v5, I have a hunch that most of you never got to see it. The parking will be in a separate 5-story garage facing one of the east-west running streets. But it doesn't seem to be a big deal, since most of the focus of activity will be on the more important north-south running streets, as well as the interior courtyard. (compare it to Manhattan--Retail faces the avenues, with garages facing the streets--similar concept that I actually think Chicago should stick to)

[honte]

This is some of the most depressing news I've read in a long time. It's one of my all-time favorite buildings. It did not "ruin the Skyline." It is not a "Berlin Wall," as Daley has said.

Even if you hate the building, what an unbearable waste of resources. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that structure. Since when was McCormick Place contracting in size? :whip:

Nomarandlee posted this over in the Chicago Olympics thread...

_________________

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/346248,CST-NWS-mccormick18.article

Olympics key to McCormick East fate
LAKEFRONT | 'Berlin Wall' may host Games events

April 18, 2007

If Chicago loses the 2016 Olympic sweepstakes, the future of McCormick Place East will be up for grabs, now that a 720,000-square-foot addition to the convention center is about to open, officials said Tuesday.
But until that time, the hulk of a building Mayor Daley once called a "Berlin Wall" along the lakefront that ruined the Chicago skyline will remain, they said.

Chicago's 2016 Olympic plan calls for the east building to host indoor volleyball and weightlifting.

"In the whole Olympics issue, that's an important venue for us to maintain," said Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority CEO Juan Ochoa, after joining Daley in welcoming the giant tile show known as "Coverings" to McCormick Place.

If Chicago is not the choice to host the 2016 Summer Games, "It would become a different conversation at that point," Ochoa said.

On Tuesday, McPier Authority Chairman Ted Tetzlaff estimated that the upstairs portion of McCormick Place East is booked 70 percent of the time. Not so with the downstairs, which has been converted into a temporary food court.

Fran Spielman

[trvlr70]

Don't hate me for saying this, Honte, but I wouldn't cry over the loss if the area was transformed into more greenspace.

McCormick East is just too imposing to be that close to the lakeshore.

Ironically, there would be less chance of the city losing the Olympic Games if the building was replaced by a lakeshore stadium.

[honte]

^ I don't hate you. ;)

But consider the cost of tearing it down, vs the cost of creating a beautiful lakefront bridge from Northerly Island to the South Lakefront, or even the cost of creating a new parkland island a la the Burnham Plan in front of McCormick Place. Add to that the cost of whatever building they build to make up for the lost floor area of the existing building (there certainly will be demand for all of this space by 2009).

The linking of the south and north lakefronts can still be accomplished, as can more greenspace, while keeping the building.

Similarly, with the Olympics taking the staging area to the south of McCormick for the Village (and this is supposed to be built regardless of the Olympic Vote), and with landmark districts north and west, the only real place left to expand McCormick is over the Stevenson, as we've discussed here before. This seems unlikely. So, I think it would be foolish for McCormick Place to give up any existing land.

[lazar22b]

wow, i never thought that anyone would want to get rid of McCormick East. I'm with you honte in saying they should not tear it down. Hopefully we'll get the olympics and everyone forgets that they even mentioned tearing that dark beast down. I think it would be a shame to lose it.

[trvlr70]

wow, i never thought that anyone would want to get rid of McCormick East. I'm with you honte in saying they should not tear it down. Hopefully we'll get the olympics and everyone forgets that they even mentioned tearing that dark beast down. I think it would be a shame to lose it.

I don't think it is a bad building at all. But, I'm not crazy about the location. It doesn't take advantage of it's lakefront location. When riding your bike along the lake, it is imposing, out of scale, and not attractive.

[Chicago2020]

The city should just build large gardens on top of all the McCormick Place buildings.

http://www.wrdenvironmental.com/images/McCormick2.jpg

[Marcu]

It's a win win situation. Either Chicago gets the Olympics or McCormick East is gone. I'd be happy either way.

[Chicago2020]

How about building an indoor skiing range like the one in Dubai

[trvlr70]

How about building an indoor skiing range like the one in Dubai

That's a great idea, but there is no reason for that type of structure to be on the lakeshore. Build it west of the Loop in an impoverished area.

[BVictor1]

^ I don't hate you. ;)

But consider the cost of tearing it down, vs the cost of creating a beautiful lakefront bridge from Northerly Island to the South Lakefront, or even the cost of creating a new parkland island a la the Burnham Plan in front of McCormick Place. Add to that the cost of whatever building they build to make up for the lost floor area of the existing building (there certainly will be demand for all of this space by 2009).

The linking of the south and north lakefronts can still be accomplished, as can more greenspace, while keeping the building.

Similarly, with the Olympics taking the staging area to the south of McCormick for the Village (and this is supposed to be built regardless of the Olympic Vote), and with landmark districts north and west, the only real place left to expand McCormick is over the Stevenson, as we've discussed here before. This seems unlikely. So, I think it would be foolish for McCormick Place to give up any existing land.


McCormick Place East is easily the most beautiful of all of the buildings in the complex. The North Building by SOM is interesting because of the way the roof is suspended by cables from masts. But the south building and the west building are pretty uninspiring. Too much pre-cast concrete.

[bnk]

The city should just build large gardens on top of all the McCormick Place buildings.

http://www.wrdenvironmental.com/images/McCormick2.jpg


I mentioned this before once and it was said the the roof trusses could not handle even a minor load.:shrug:

[nomarandlee]

I remember when I was young I thought the East building was kinda of futuristic looking and imposing. I still appreciate it and don't really get the amount of hate some have for it. In jest I ask is anyone really too fat to walk from the south lake front to the north around it? There are more important ways I think we could make the lakefront greener then tearing it down.

I opened up a thread a few weeks about the building in SSC thought it didn't get much of a response. I suggseted retrofitting it into an indoor arena that could host winter mega-concerts, NCAA Final Fours, or even a Super Bowl. You could even transfer some of the temporary seating stands used at some o of the Olympic venues and make them permanent inside. I am not really sure if the dimensions warrant it but if they do why not?

[Alliance]

Have I missed any news on the ICE-MERC bidding war for the CBOT? I haven't heard much about it.

[Nowhereman1280]

That's a great idea, but there is no reason for that type of structure to be on the lakeshore. Build it west of the Loop in an impoverished area.

Yes that's right, lets displace a few blocks of poor people so that rich people can go skiing in the middle of the summer...

[tennis1400]

^^Or just maybe all the people skiing in the area will benefit those poor folks economically through increased real estate prices or from bringing new businesses to the area!

[ardecila]

I posted a rendering of the entire project in the second-to-last page of the previous version (v4 I believe) of the 'EVERYTHING OVER 12 STORIES" thread.

The picture is facing southwest. The street running across the bottom is Clybourn.

Eastman Street is extended eastward past Halsted and then onto the small fragment of Ogden remaining there (visible at the left edge). Blackhawk is extended into the traffic circle at the center of the development and then out onto Clybourn.

Even the little buildings built on the south side of the new Eastman Street look convincingly urban. I see absolutely NOTHING wrong with this development.

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5783/newcitymodel1qt6.jpg

[HowardL]

I see absolutely NOTHING wrong with this development.
I quite agree. It will do a massive job of taking a super-block and breaking it down into nice manageable pieces that connect to what's just beyond. I'd like to see a bit more of this attention to urban design in larger projects.

[headcase]

Have I missed any news on the ICE-MERC bidding war for the CBOT? I haven't heard much about it.

Only things I've heard about the Merc and CBOT in the news were yesterday's bomb threats.... :yuck:

SSDD

[Alliance]

How about building an indoor skiing range like the one in Dubai

:sly:

Only things I've heard about the Merc and CBOT in the news were yesterday's bomb threats.... :yuck:

SSDD

Thats all I've heard too...

[VivaLFuego]

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5783/newcitymodel1qt6.jpg

Overall I'd say this looks great...very good density. It does, however, mean the loss of the "Cubs Care" Ballyard.....
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qzj9h87pwf3m&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=11385236&encType=1

[nomarandlee]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070418post-officeapr18,1,3341344.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Plan for huge former post office considered

By Alexa Aguilar
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 18, 2007, 9:22 PM CDT

The old Chicago Post Office, a behemoth that spans the Eisenhower Expressway and two city blocks, is so large that developers have struggled for almost a decade to come up with a workable plan for the vacant space.

On Thursday, 11 years after the U.S. Postal Service moved its operations to a newer facility nearby, the city's Plan Commission will consider a proposal to convert the building's 2.5 million square feet of empty space to a sprawling project of hotel rooms, offices and residences. Previously, different developers have proposed creating a mausoleum, a casino, an auto mall and a water park in the Art Deco-style building.

The latest renovation plan, supported by city officials, includes removing more than a million square feet from the building's center to create a north tower for office space, a south tower for residences, a 240-room hotel facing the Chicago River, 400 parking spaces and a green rooftop terrace.

Walton Street Capital LLC, the real estate investment firm that came up with the proposal, has pitched idea after idea to prospective tenants and hoteliers over the years. The firm first indicated its interest in the space to the Postal Service in 1998.

But the building's size, its historic designation and its proximity to nearby railroad tracks and the expressway have stalled the project repeatedly.

"It's a fascinating project, if we can pull it off," said Raphael Dawson, a partner at Walton Street.

The city will likely kick in subsidies, in the form of a tax-increment-financing grant, for Walton Street, said Constance Buscemi, a spokeswoman for the city's Planning Department. She declined to provide specific numbers.

"We've been working with them on this for quite some time," Buscemi said.

The plan takes a "grand, old building" and gives it a new purpose, she said.

The 10-story building, once the world's largest post offices, is on the National Register of Historic Places. First built in 1921 and then transformed with a dramatic expansion in 1932, the building was designed by Graham Anderson Probst & White, the same firm that designed such Chicago landmarks as the Civic Opera House and the Merchandise Mart.

Because of that designation, the proposal needed the approval of the National Park Service, which oversees properties on the national register. Dawson said the park service has given its approval.

David Bahlman, president of Landmarks Illinois, a statewide preservation organization, said he is disappointed there isn't a plan that could save the entire building. The old post office has been on the group's list of most endangered landmarks, he said.

But he acknowledged that the structure's size and location made redevelopment difficult.

"This is a tough, tough project . . . one of the most difficult preservation issues I have ever seen," he said. "It's the poster child for what we call white elephants."

The stalled project garnered the attention of a U.S. Senate subcommittee last year, when Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) used the old Chicago Post Office as an example of surplus federal property that used taxpayers' dollars to maintain vacant space.

It cost the federal government $2 million a year to maintain the building, he said last year.

aaguilar@tribune.com



Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

[Frankie]

S. Side condos slated
DEVELOPMENT | Big plans for Cottage Grove corridor

April 19, 2007
BY SANDRA GUY sguy@suntimes.com

Four condo developments with space for major retailers are set to be built in the Cottage Grove corridor, whose residents' buying power has been neglected for decades.

The Shops and Lofts at Forty-Seven is the largest, with 161 condos, 28 town houses, professional office space and as many as 30 retailers proposed at 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue.

The $87 million project, stretching from 47th to 48th streets and from Cottage Grove to Evans avenues, is the first in Chicago to be developed by Mahogany Ventures, a joint venture between two Columbus, Ohio, developers. The groundbreaking is expected next spring, with construction completed in 18 months.

The developers plan to create an "urban shopping center," including a deli, coffee shops, fashion retailers and perhaps restaurants, with the potential to employ 300, said Frank Petruziello, a principal with Skilken Development, who with Adam Troy, a principal in African-American-owned Troy Enterprises, are managing partners in Mahogany.

"It is time to bring retail back to Cottage Grove," Petruziello said.

Twenty percent of the residential units will be affordable housing. The market rates will range from one-bedrooms at $190,000 to $210,000, two-bedrooms at $225,000 to $310,000, three-bedrooms at $320,000 to $410,000 and town houses from $370,000 to $465,000. Each town house will have a one-car garage.

The Shops and Lofts at Forty-Seven will have parking for residents, shoppers and professional office tenants, Petruziello said.

The developers are seeking $12 million in tax-increment financing incentives.

Troy said the developers were sold on Chicago because of the integrity and wherewithal of the Quad Communities Development Corp., a community organization that involves residents and businesses in developing a viable mixed-income community. He credited Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) with being clear about the community's needs.

The Mahogany principals plan to build more developments in Chicago's under-served communities, but they declined to disclose details until after they get the first one under way.

Two other developments -- being built by Art Gurevich and Marko Boldun, operating as Cottage Grove Development LLC -- will bring 104 condos and 25,000 square feet of retail to 45th and Cottage Grove.

"This is the seminal project for this area in establishing a standard of quality and architectural design," Gurevich said. The condos will feature marble and granite finishes and hardwood floors, he said.

The development will include 80 condos and all of the retail space at Landmark Courts, 4501 S. Cottage Grove, and an unnamed 24-condo development to be built across the street at 4510 S. Cottage Grove.

Ten of the 80 condos at Landmark Courts will be affordable units. The remainder include two-bedrooms starting at $250,000 and three-bedrooms starting at $275,000 and going up to $400,000.

Finally, developer Michael Silver is planning three condo buildings of 23 units and a commercial space at the northwest corner of 46th and Cottage Grove.

The site is expected to include a restaurant in the 2,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

The Sun-Times reported in February 2005 that a study on the concentration of buying power in Chicago's neighborhoods revealed the Cottage Grove trade area ranked a surprisingly strong No. 18 among Chicago's 77 community areas, one notch ahead of the Loop.

QCDC commissioned the study and spearheads retail development efforts in the area encompassing the North Kenwood, Oakland, Douglas and Grand Boulevard neighborhoods.

http://media1.suntimes.com/nixoncds/image/041907cottage.jpg_20070419_00_22_53_1784-282-400.imageContent
Rendering of the Shops and Lofts at 47.

http://media1.suntimes.com/nixoncds/image/041907cottagemap.gif_20070419_02_15_11_1810-0-0.imageContent

[BVictor1]

http://www.suntimes.com/business/348363,CST-FIN-cottage19.article

S. Side condos slated
DEVELOPMENT | Big plans for Cottage Grove corridor

April 19, 2007
BY SANDRA GUY sguy@suntimes.com


Four condo developments with space for major retailers are set to be built in the Cottage Grove corridor, whose residents' buying power has been neglected for decades.

The Shops and Lofts at Forty-Seven is the largest, with 161 condos, 28 town houses, professional office space and as many as 30 retailers proposed at 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue.

http://media1.suntimes.com/nixoncds/image/041907cottage.jpg_20070419_00_22_53_1784-282-400.imageContent

http://media1.suntimes.com/nixoncds/image/041907cottagemap.gif_20070419_02_15_11_1810-0-0.imageContent

The $87 million project, stretching from 47th to 48th streets and from Cottage Grove to Evans avenues, is the first in Chicago to be developed by Mahogany Ventures, a joint venture between two Columbus, Ohio, developers. The groundbreaking is expected next spring, with construction completed in 18 months.

The developers plan to create an "urban shopping center," including a deli, coffee shops, fashion retailers and perhaps restaurants, with the potential to employ 300, said Frank Petruziello, a principal with Skilken Development, who with Adam Troy, a principal in African-American-owned Troy Enterprises, are managing partners in Mahogany.

"It is time to bring retail back to Cottage Grove," Petruziello said.

Twenty percent of the residential units will be affordable housing. The market rates will range from one-bedrooms at $190,000 to $210,000, two-bedrooms at $225,000 to $310,000, three-bedrooms at $320,000 to $410,000 and town houses from $370,000 to $465,000. Each town house will have a one-car garage.

The Shops and Lofts at Forty-Seven will have parking for residents, shoppers and professional office tenants, Petruziello said.

The developers are seeking $12 million in tax-increment financing incentives.

Troy said the developers were sold on Chicago because of the integrity and wherewithal of the Quad Communities Development Corp., a community organization that involves residents and businesses in developing a viable mixed-income community. He credited Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) with being clear about the community's needs.

The Mahogany principals plan to build more developments in Chicago's under-served communities, but they declined to disclose details until after they get the first one under way.

Two other developments -- being built by Art Gurevich and Marko Boldun, operating as Cottage Grove Development LLC -- will bring 104 condos and 25,000 square feet of retail to 45th and Cottage Grove.

"This is the seminal project for this area in establishing a standard of quality and architectural design," Gurevich said. The condos will feature marble and granite finishes and hardwood floors, he said.

The development will include 80 condos and all of the retail space at Landmark Courts, 4501 S. Cottage Grove, and an unnamed 24-condo development to be built across the street at 4510 S. Cottage Grove.

Ten of the 80 condos at Landmark Courts will be affordable units. The remainder include two-bedrooms starting at $250,000 and three-bedrooms starting at $275,000 and going up to $400,000.

Finally, developer Michael Silver is planning three condo buildings of 23 units and a commercial space at the northwest corner of 46th and Cottage Grove.

The site is expected to include a restaurant in the 2,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

The Sun-Times reported in February 2005 that a study on the concentration of buying power in Chicago's neighborhoods revealed the Cottage Grove trade area ranked a surprisingly strong No. 18 among Chicago's 77 community areas, one notch ahead of the Loop.

QCDC commissioned the study and spearheads retail development efforts in the area encompassing the North Kenwood, Oakland, Douglas and Grand Boulevard neighborhoods.

[Frankie]

Condo complex planned near Midway
DEVELOPMENT | Corner of 43rd and Cicero could house units

April 19, 2007
BY DAVID ROEDER AND FRAN SPIELMAN droeder@suntimes.com/ fspielman@suntimes.com

Developers are proposing a condominium complex along a stretch of South Cicero Avenue that has gotten close attention from city officials as a gateway for traffic to Midway Airport.

Cal Boender and Red Seal Development Corp. have requested a zoning change that would allow for 135 condos at the northeast corner of 43rd and Cicero. The site is at the north end of a heavily used stretch connecting Midway and Interstate 55.

The development of market-rate homes would be built immediately across Cicero from the LeClaire Courts public housing project. The LeClaire Courts development is due for a major renovation under the Chicago Housing Authority's systemwide overhaul, but no timetable for the project has been announced.

Boender and Brian Hoffman, vice chairman of Red Seal, said their project reflects confidence that the Southwest Side will continue as a strong housing market and that the city will follow through on promises to improve LeClaire Courts. They said they've been given no commitments on when that project might start.

Although it never carried the stigma of the CHA's high-rises, LeClaire Courts has been cited as a deterrent to commercial development nearby. Cheap motels, empty lots and rundown storefronts dominate the Cicero streetscape.

Bryan Zises, a CHA spokesman, said the agency is examining options for its property and is preparing a request for proposals, the legal solicitation of developers to consider the parcel. He said plans call for the site to be redone as a mix of one-third market-rate homes, one-third as homes at a subsidized price, and one-third as public housing.

Zises said the property could accommodate up to 900 homes. The current complex is listed as having 270 occupied units.

But on their property, Boender and Hoffman said they're ready to go on the $35 million project as soon as the city assents to the zoning. The plan for what they've dubbed the Landings of Chicago calls for units to be grouped in three four-story buildings, with resident parking on the ground floor.

"The location is a dynamo,'' Hoffman said. "If we deliver a great-looking, well-finished condo project, it will enhance the appearance of Cicero Avenue."

The 2.5-acre site has been home to a scrap metal yard and has received required environmental cleanups. A free-standing restaurant also would be part of the complex.

Hoffman said he expects the condos should be priced mostly from $200,000 to $300,000.

Working in a similar price range, Boender and Hoffman teamed on a commercial and residential project on the old Galewood Yards rail site on the West Side. Hoffman said that in 10 months of marketing, he's sold 150 out of 192 homes there.

The city's Southwest Side, meanwhile, has drawn interest from more home builders as land on the North Side has become scarce and more expensive.

A few miles east of Cicero Avenue is Brighton Park, fast becoming an active market for home construction. Developers have laid plans for about 900 units in the area.

A couple of years ago, Boender planned a hotel at 43rd and Cicero. He said he dropped those plans because he couldn't find a satisfactory deal with a hotel franchiser.

"I'm not a franchise kind of guy," Boender said. "You put up the money and take the risk, and they tell you what to do."

[Frankie]

Looks like we posted the same article at the exact same time.....the more the merrier

[nomarandlee]

Already posted by BVictor

[trvlr70]

Yes that's right, lets displace a few blocks of poor people so that rich people can go skiing in the middle of the summer...

Go cry me river....and GET REAL! This is Chicago, not San Francisco.

[HowardL]

Too bad they can't/won't do like the Mart and punch some light courts into the interior. Leave the facade alone, but open up those gigantic floor plates.

[forumly_chgoman]

^^^I agree....there is something just so massively sexy about the Post office.......driving in on the Eisenhower...which I do not do very often....since I live up up on the north side an d usually scoot around town via metra or the redline......
....but when I do it is the crescendo of that exhiliration I feel after the initial joy of viewing the skyline from further west.....it exclaim I am home sweet home chicago


PS...anyone have any idea how old that photo is I know the watermark says 2006 but I think it is a few years old at least.......I do not see the columbian by roosevelt and a few other building seem to be missing....maybe I am just blind??

[Mr Downtown]

anyone have any idea how old that photo is

I'd say late spring 2006. The Riverside Park site has been scraped clean.

[MayorOfChicago]

I'd say late spring 2006. The Riverside Park site has been scraped clean.

Yep, amazing how much can change in 1 year.

[dropdeaded209]

[edit]

[Mr Downtown]

Yep, amazing how much can change in 1 year.

I'm not following you. Nothing has changed on the Riverside Park site since it was grubbed in early 2006.

[nomarandlee]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070418post-officeapr18,1,3341344.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Plan for huge former post office approved

By Alexa Aguilar
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 19, 2007, 5:56 PM CDT

The Chicago Plan Commission today approved a plan to transform the old Central Post Office, a hulking downtown building that looms overhead as drivers zoom through it on the Eisenhower Expressway, into towers of offices, residences and a hotel.

The historic Art Deco building spans two city blocks. It has sat vacant since 1996, when the U.S. Postal Service moved operations to a newer building nearby. Developers were stumped by its bulk, proximity to railroad tracks, the Chicago River and the expressway, and its historic attributes.

The renovation proposal sent today to the City Council for final action would remove 800,000 square feet from the center of the 2.5 million-square-foot building, build a deck and plaza overlooking the Chicago River and preserve the building's soaring lobby and vestibule.

With a big chunk carved out of its center, the renovated property would have a north tower for office space, a south tower for residences, a 240-room hotel facing the Chicago River, 400 parking spaces and a green rooftop terrace.

Walton Street Capital LLC, the real estate investment firm that came up with the current proposal, has pitched idea after idea to prospective tenants and hoteliers over the years. The firm first indicated its interest in the space to the Postal Service in 1998.

"It's a fascinating project, if we can pull it off," said Raphael Dawson, a partner at Walton Street.

The city will likely kick in subsidies, in the form of a tax-increment-financing grant, for Walton Street, said Constance Buscemi, a spokeswoman for the city's Planning Department. She declined to provide specific numbers.

"We've been working with them on this for quite some time," Buscemi said.

The plan takes a "grand, old building" and gives it a new purpose, she said.

The 10-story building, once the world's largest post office, was built in 1921 and transformed in a dramatic expansion in 1932. It was designed by Graham Anderson Probst & White, the same firm that designed such Chicago landmarks as the Civic Opera House and the Merchandise Mart.

David Bahlman, president of Landmarks Illinois, a statewide preservation organization, said he is disappointed there isn't a plan that could save the entire building. The old post office has been on the group's list of most endangered landmarks, he said.

But he acknowledged that the structure's size and location made redevelopment difficult.

"This is a tough, tough project . . . one of the most difficult preservation issues I have ever seen," he said. "It's the poster child for what we call white elephants."

The stalled project garnered the attention of a U.S. Senate subcommittee last year, when Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) used the old Chicago Post Office as an example of surplus federal property that used taxpayers' dollars to maintain vacant space.

It cost the federal government $2 million a year to maintain the building, he said last year.

aaguilar@tribune.com



Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

[SolarWind]

I lifted this off of KCgridlock's " Above Chicago" photo thread, thought it gave a good perspective of the mass of this buidling.

http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/chicago/chicago_1614.jpg

anyone have any idea how old that photo is

I'd say late spring 2006. The Riverside Park site has been scraped clean.

4/26/2006 @ 1:04 PM. The info is available in the photo's metadata.

[bnk]

4/26/2006 @ 1:04 PM. The info is available in the photo's metadata.


This building looks uniform even without the latter additon.

Too bad they plan to scrap almost a million square feet of the historical registered building.:(

From what I know the loss will be in the center while the towers are to be preserved.

[Busy Bee]

If this goes through I think it will be viewed as a tremendous blunder. They're were better options here. This proposal is creatively stagnant and an injustice to such an important structure.

[honte]

^ Agreed 100%. We need a higher creativity level coming out of the Planning Department, as well as higher standards.

[Marcu]

Since they're getting rid of the middle, will the Ike go under the newly created towers or will that entire element of the building be removed?

[Chicago2020]

I hope they choose a great design for the building

On a side note, they are filming scenes for THE DARK KNIGHT at the Post Office as we speak

[BVictor1]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0704181040apr19,1,5722054.story?coll=chi-news-hed

$85 million development offering condos, shops

By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 19, 2007

SOUTH SIDE -- A developer is planning an $85 million mixed-use project on a mostly abandoned block on the South Side.

The "Shops and Lofts at Forty-Seven" would be the largest proposed development in a series of revitalization projects for the area at 47th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, according to plans unveiled Wednesday at a community meeting.

The project calls for more than 150 condominiums and dozens of office and retail spaces on a full block that is currently occupied by a liquor store bordered by several vacant lots and deteriorating buildings.

The plans were presented at a community meeting for the 43rd & Cottage Grove TIF Advisory Council that drew more than 100 people. Mahogany Ventures, an Ohio-based urban developer, plans to start work on the project next year.

The promise of a Starbucks shop, a gourmet produce store and a day spa -- along with restaurants and clothing stores -- was met with cheers from the crowd. Some shouted, "Hurry up and come" and "Welcome to the neighborhood."

The neighborhood sits near the 3rd Ward, where the need for development on the South Side played into the aldermanic race this week.

The advisory council's chairman, Susan Campbell, said she looks forward to working with Ald. Dorothy Tillman's successor, Pat Dowell, on these issues, calling it a "new era" for the South Side.

"I'm hoping now we'll be able to work together with the ward next door," she said. "I think [Dowell] understands the dynamics of revitalization."

The development would clear the area of drugs and beautify what is now an eyesore, said Rebekkah Ross, 31, a family physician, who recently bought a home with her husband a few blocks from the proposed development. Ross said she currently has to leave the neighborhood to shop or dine out.

"I see a lot of great changes in this neighborhood, but it seems like they can't come fast enough," Ross said. "We need basic services. I'm looking forward to it."

There is plenty of demand for the condos and town homes, which range from about $200,000 to $450,000, the developer said. The project also would provide an estimated 300 jobs.

----------

efitzsimmons@tribune.com


Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

[honte]

Since they're getting rid of the middle, will the Ike go under the newly created towers or will that entire element of the building be removed?

No, they are going to leave about 4 floors in the center from the old building. So, there's not going to be anything significant built or exciting to look forward to. The "Towers" are the existing wings, which don't look like towers now because of the building they're destroying in the middle.

[bnk]

old news but in the news today none the less.

Swissotel Chicago Announces Expansion Plan

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-20-2007/0004570112&EDATE=

CHICAGO, IL UNITED STATES 04/19/2007


http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prn/20070420/AQF025

CHICAGO, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned for its architecture and
location, the AAA Four-Diamond Swissotel Chicago is proud to announce a $47
million meeting and conference expansion plan, which will further enhance
its high profile status in Chicago. "This expansion will essentially change
the entire dynamic of the hotel by doubling the amount of meeting space,
allowing the property to compete for extensive meeting business," stated
Thomas Klein, Swissotel's vice president business development, The
Americas.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070420/AQF025 )
The 632-room property, located at 323 East Wacker Drive, will undergo
an expansion plan comprised of 50,000 square feet of meeting space
including a state-of-the-art 15,000 square foot ballroom. "The additional
meeting space, scheduled to open in June, 2009, in conjunction with the
current meeting space will render Swissotel Chicago as the ideal meeting
headquarter venue, whether it is an executive meeting for 15 or a
convention for 1,500," added Klein.
Swissotel Chicago's new facilities will be designed without pillars for
unobstructed viewing. Also, the meeting space will feature state-of-the-art
technology including wireless internet capabilities, 400 amp service,
extensive flexibility in lighting control and fiber optic cabling. The
largest ballroom within the new facility, which is approximately 15,000
square feet, will accommodate up to 1,500 theater style. Additionally, the
ceiling height will be in excess of 17 feet with integrated Sky Hook(TM)
hang points throughout the ballroom. Moreover, the facility will headline
14,000 square feet of pre-function space.
"The expansion will create a positive financial impact for the City of
Chicago with anticipation that the expanded facilities will generate
additional revenues to exceed $12 million annually," commented Klein.
Additionally, staffing levels will increase by adding approximately 75 new
employees, as necessary to facilitate the increased business levels.
Swissotel Chicago's conference expansion will be in the Lakeshore East
development, believed to be the largest parcel of downtown land under
development in a major U.S. city. This $4 billion mixed-use development in
the rapidly growing New East Side incorporates all the elements of a
traditional city community, a lifestyle center that includes homes for up
to 10,000 residents, 77,000 square feet of retail space, recreational
opportunities and amenities such as a lush 6-acre public park and a planned
charter elementary school. Some 40 percent of the site will remain vibrant
open space.
Swissotel Chicago (http://www.swissotelchicago.com) is a AAA Four
Diamond hotel offering 632 luxuriously oversized guestrooms and suites.
Designed by noted Chicago architect Harry Weese, the all-glass triangular
hotel is wedged into the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.

[forumly_chgoman]

4/26/2006 @ 1:04 PM. The info is available in the photo's metadata.
Thanks SW and MR Dt for your efforts

Seeing the photo makes me wonder why they have yet to develop the plot north of river city....it seems like this is screaming build on me, build on me

[bnk]

Thanks SW and MR Dt for your efforts

Seeing the photo makes me wonder why they have yet to develop the plot north of river city....it seems like this is screaming build on me, build on me

There is also a nice plot south of river city along the river too. We should pool our monies and buy up these plots and drop in a version B around there.

[GregBear24]

^ The plots north and south of river city have been vacant for a long time for a number of reasons, but the one I've been told is the biggest reason is because of the soil that's at those sites. Those plots will be developed in the near future though, because it's becoming feasible in this market.

[honte]

Adrian Smith is working on a big project just north of River City.

[bnk]

Adrian Smith is working on a big project just north of River City.

Do you have any details On this project and will it have boat access ie marina?

[ardecila]

All we have is secondhand information that Adrian Smith might be working with the site. NOTHING beyond that. If the anonymous developer does decide to go through with it, though, I have confidence that it will rock our socks off - Smith designed NBC Tower AND Trump (i.e. he's a master of historicism and modernism).

However, there was a nice-looking fantasy proposal posted on here for that area (unofficially called Franklin Point). It had several Shanghai-style 60-story towers set back from the river, and 4-story townhouses fronting the river.

[honte]

Yes, actually Smith said in the latest interview that there will be several towers, with courtyards in the centers. The courtyards would be partially marinas, the other parts green space.

However, it's not certain this design is a "go" yet.

[Alliance]

Adrian Smith is working on a big project just north of River City.

NO! I dislike that man's work...especially if its going to be a Trump/Wolf Point developement.

[spyguy]

NO! I dislike that man's work...especially if its going to be a Trump/Wolf Point developement.

Well, too bad. Adrian Smith is awesome in my book and I'd love to get one of his sustainable towers in Chicago.

[honte]

NO! I dislike that man's work...especially if its going to be a Trump/Wolf Point developement.

I'm with Spyguy - Smith is a brilliant designer.

Anyway, just to make this clear, I am talking about the parcel directly north of River City. It's at Harrison and Wacker - quite a distance from Wolf Point.

[Alliance]

As there been any ideas of how big the proposal is? Is it big tall/sq ft? I'm assuming we don't have numbers on height.

[alex1]

I'm with Spyguy - Smith is a brilliant designer.

Anyway, just to make this clear, I am talking about the parcel directly north of River City. It's at Harrison and Wacker - quite a distance from Wolf Point.

Smith is a brilliant engineer. As brilliant as they come but the aesthetic success of his buildings really come down to the collaboration between him and the architects who'll work out the actaul look of the tower.

I too would love at Chicago getting his sustainable tower design. It's really great on all levels.

[HK Chicago]

Smith is a top-tier architect/engineer, and a new project (esp from his firm) should be celebrated.

[honte]

^ Huh? I didn't think Smith had any engineering degrees at all. He's always been a pure architect in my book. Are you guys sure?

[sentinel]

^ Huh? I didn't think Smith had any engineering degrees at all. He's always been a pure architect in my book. Are you guys sure?

Perhaps not as an actual degree, but it comes part & parcel with what we do in the profession, I think that is what one of the other forumers was referring to - even though we rely on our engineers a lot we still have to know how to make a building stand up as well :tup:

[honte]

^ Thanks Sentinel. It's my background too, so I understand that relationship well.

I guess what I should have said is, "Smith is not a practicing engineer, nor trained as one, as far as I know."

[ginsan2]

I'm really anxious to hear more about the CBOT/ICE potential merger.

I'm really, really hoping that the two merge, and ICE isn't sold to another NYC company :(

[the urban politician]

I'm really anxious to hear more about the CBOT/ICE potential merger.

I'm really, really hoping that the two merge, and ICE isn't sold to another NYC company :(

^ You'd rather see the CBOT/ICE merger instead of a CBOT/CME combination? I'm not following you. Are you from Atlanta?

[ginsan2]

^ You'd rather see the CBOT/ICE merger instead of a CBOT/CME combination? I'm not following you. Are you from Atlanta?

No, I screwed up the acronyms. I want the CME/CBOT merger... I deeply hope it stays Chicago-owned.

I just can't help but wonder if the current owners cannot see the irony between the last Chicago bank being sold and the current situation... I want to know as soon as possible :(

[Via Chicago]

Actually Northern Trust is the last significant Chicago Bank that is local.

What about Harris? although perhaps not as significant.

this bums me out. if for nothing else, lasalle has always been good to chicago. from the trib:
A deal by Bank of America for LaSalle also raises questions about civic commitments. Although LaSalle is owned by a Dutch bank, it's widely known for its sports and cultural sponsorships.

The bank's marquee investment in the city's art scene was support for the $14 million restoration of the Shubert Theatre in the Loop. It reopened in May as the LaSalle Bank Theatre.

LaSalle sponsored the "Eternal Egypt" temporary exhibit in 2003 and is sponsoring the permanent exhibition "The Ancient Americas," which is scheduled to open in March.

The bank also sponsors events at the Civic Opera House, the Chicago Cultural Center and Navy Pier, as well as a mural near the Kennedy Expressway that frequently features work by teen artists in the Gallery 37 program

In sports, LaSalle has sponsored the Chicago Marathon and a professional golf tournament in Glenview. Just last week, its workers handed out tulips on Michigan Avenue.

[Mr Downtown]

What about Harris?


Owned by the Banque de Montréal since 1984.

[the urban politician]

^ Right. Plus, lets not forget that LaSalle wasn't independent anyhow--it was already owned.

I think the loss here is that the LaSalle name will certainly be erased and replaced by Bank of America. Here's to hoping that Royal Bank of Scotland wins this one

[bnk]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070423/20070423005045.html?.v=1&printer=1

Chicago Declared North American ''City of the Future'' for Its Economic, Business and Financial Strength
Monday April 23, 9:05 am ET

Financial Times' fDi Magazine Awards Chicago the Top Honor


CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Financial Times publication, fDi Magazine (Foreign Direct Investment), today announced that Chicago is North America's "City of the Future" for 2007/2008. The award distinguishes the city as having the best prospects for inward investment, economic development and business expansion in the NAFTA region (USA, Canada and Mexico).
Chicago was chosen based on more than 60 criteria including everything from cost effectiveness to human resources to infrastructure. An independent panel of experts looked at data submitted by each individual city, and Chicago ranks number one overall in its category of "major cities" (cities with populations greater than 2 million people) in the publication, which is distributed worldwide.

Scores were given to each city based on seven selection factors. Chicago was the only city (in any size range) to rank in the top five of all seven selection factors:

# 1 - Best Economic Potential
# 1 - Best Infrastructure
# 1 - Best Development and Investment Promotion
# 2 - Most Cost Effective
# 3 - Best Human Resources
# 3 - Best Quality of Life
# 5 - Most Business Friendly
"Chicago has the most diversified economy in the country," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "The combination of this and our tremendous talent pool, dynamic quality of life and unmatched infrastructure have made us a truly global competitor."

"No other city has dominated any of these benchmarking exercises anywhere around the globe in the way Chicago has in the Major city category," said David East, Publisher, fDi - Foreign Direct Investment.

fDi Magazine researches and awards the honor every other year. Chicago was also awarded "City of the Future" in 2005, when there were separate award categories for the USA, Canada and Mexico. This year, being grouped together, Chicago takes the honor for the whole region, making the title more competitive. Additionally, this year fDi Magazine reported twice the number of applicants as in 2005.

"We are striving to showcase Chicago's tremendous business, cultural and human capital resources to the world," said Paul O'Connor, executive director of World Business Chicago. "Winning this award consecutively proves that our strength as a global competitor is being recognized internationally."

The "City of the Future" feature is one of a global series of regional reports led by the fDi research staff. Unlike other frequent media rankings led by opinion polls, this competition reflects independent analysis of factual data. The selection process is similar to the way executives and site selection consultants weigh potential locations on many critical selection factors as they develop a list of preferences out of an extensive list of alternatives.

[honte]

Holy &#^@!

[Marcu]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070423/20070423005045.html?.v=1&printer=1

Chicago Declared North American ''City of the Future'' for Its Economic, Business and Financial Strength
Monday April 23, 9:05 am ET

Financial Times' fDi Magazine Awards Chicago the Top Honor


CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Financial Times publication, fDi Magazine (Foreign Direct Investment), today announced that Chicago is North America's "City of the Future" for 2007/2008. The award distinguishes the city as having the best prospects for inward investment, economic development and business expansion in the NAFTA region (USA, Canada and Mexico).
Chicago was chosen based on more than 60 criteria including everything from cost effectiveness to human resources to infrastructure. An independent panel of experts looked at data submitted by each individual city, and Chicago ranks number one overall in its category of "major cities" (cities with populations greater than 2 million people) in the publication, which is distributed worldwide.

Scores were given to each city based on seven selection factors. Chicago was the only city (in any size range) to rank in the top five of all seven selection factors:

# 1 - Best Economic Potential
# 1 - Best Infrastructure
# 1 - Best Development and Investment Promotion
# 2 - Most Cost Effective
# 3 - Best Human Resources
# 3 - Best Quality of Life
# 5 - Most Business Friendly
"Chicago has the most diversified economy in the country," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "The combination of this and our tremendous talent pool, dynamic quality of life and unmatched infrastructure have made us a truly global competitor."

"No other city has dominated any of these benchmarking exercises anywhere around the globe in the way Chicago has in the Major city category," said David East, Publisher, fDi - Foreign Direct Investment.

fDi Magazine researches and awards the honor every other year. Chicago was also awarded "City of the Future" in 2005, when there were separate award categories for the USA, Canada and Mexico. This year, being grouped together, Chicago takes the honor for the whole region, making the title more competitive. Additionally, this year fDi Magazine reported twice the number of applicants as in 2005.

"We are striving to showcase Chicago's tremendous business, cultural and human capital resources to the world," said Paul O'Connor, executive director of World Business Chicago. "Winning this award consecutively proves that our strength as a global competitor is being recognized internationally."

The "City of the Future" feature is one of a global series of regional reports led by the fDi research staff. Unlike other frequent media rankings led by opinion polls, this competition reflects independent analysis of factual data. The selection process is similar to the way executives and site selection consultants weigh potential locations on many critical selection factors as they develop a list of preferences out of an extensive list of alternatives.

I sometimes wonder how many of these "best ___ city" rankings come out each week. This one didn't seem to get any press, not even on the financial times website.

Also, does anyone know why and how Chicago is ranked so high for "best infrastructure" and "most cost effective"? That's just not right.

[bnk]

I sometimes wonder how many of these "best ___ city" rankings come out each week. This one didn't seem to get any press, not even on the financial times website.

Also, does anyone know why and how Chicago is ranked so high for "best infrastructure" and "most cost effective"? That's just not right.

Website

http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1241/US_City_of_the_Future:_Chicago.html

US City of the Future: Chicago
June 07, 2005

Chicago is without doubt a world-class city – so much so that the entity that promotes it is called World Business Chicago. The details explain why.

Chicago’s economy is enormous. In 2003 its GDP was $366bn – more than Switzerland’s, Taiwan’s, or the State of Michigan’s.

Chicago is at the centre of one of the largest trading areas in the world: the east-west nexus joining the markets of Europe and Asia, and the north-south nexus of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Its location puts 50% of North American industry a day’s journey away by truck; 75% of North America’s consumers are less than two days away. The location, central time zone and unequalled non-stop passenger service means that businesspeople can fly to meet clients or customers in nearly any US city and return on the same business day.

Chicago has grown rich on location and transportation, drawing first the railroads, then the communications wires, then the interstate highways and the air traffic. It has also attracted people from all over the world and the US for career opportunities and quality of life.

Chicago continually reinvents itself, always taking leadership in new sectors, resulting in it being North America’s most diversified economy. This combination of market access and economic diversity offers all of the resources needed to build a successful, world-class business: stability, support, opportunities for growth, and the good life.

World-class healthcare and research facilities are on offer in the city, provided by more than 12,300 doctors and 88 hospitals, six medical schools and 31 teaching hospitals.

Chicago is home to headquarters for 30 Fortune 500 companies, 12 Fortune Global 500 companies, 17 Financial Times Global 500 companies, and 98 corporates. Chicago is the US’s leading city in high-tech employment (347,100 workers), air travel, distribution and manufacturing with a $72.4bn regional manufacturing output.

Well-educated workers are easy to find in Chicago with 10.6% of its residents holding advanced degrees. The city is home to 98 higher education institutions with a total enrolment of 487,000 students. Among them are the University of Chicago, winner of 77 Nobel Prizes (more than any other US university), Northwestern University, DePaul University, Loyola University and University of Illinois-Chicago. In addition, the area boasts dozens of high-performing primary and secondary schools, more than 20 private primary schools, three major foreign-curriculum schools (French/Japanese/British), and numerous ethnic-oriented schools. The population is diverse with 26 ethnic groups of more than 25,000 people, 120 ethnic media outlets, 100 languages spoken, 72 consulates and immigrants from 200 countries.

Chicago attracted three significant deals last year. BP announced in October that its new $13bn Olefins and Derivatives spin-off was becoming an independent, US-based Fortune 200 company in 2005 and would have its world headquarters in the city centre. Astellas Pharma, created by the merger of Japanese pharmaceutical giants Fujisawa Healthcare and Yamanouchi Pharma America, chose Fujisawa’s current location at Deerfield, a Chicago suburb, for its North American headquarters. The third deal was the 99-year lease of the City of Chicago Skyway toll road to an investment consortium of Macquarie Bank (Australia) and Cintra (Spain) for $1.82bn, the first transaction of its kind ever in the US.


See also



http://www.gdi-solutions.com/fdi/2007future.htm

http://www.gdi-solutions.com/fdi/2007awards/USA/chicago.htm



.

[Marcu]

Website

http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1241/US_City_of_the_Future:_Chicago.html

US City of the Future: Chicago
June 07, 2005


.

That's from 2005 and not the same article.

[bnk]

That's from 2005 and not the same article.

That particular article is one form 2005 yes. 2007 probably has not been published yet. That is why the first post on this was a press release. Expect 2007 to read similar to 2005.


For further information about the rankings please contact charles.piggott@ft.com

Courtney Fingar
Editor
Foreign Direct Investment
www.fdimagazine.com

TEL +44(0) 207 775 6365 (From the USA, dial as 011-44-207-775-6365)

FT Business - The Financial Times group

One Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HL

[hoju]

Daley fills powerful City Hall post
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070423daley-healey,1,7397610.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Mayor Richard Daley today appointed Lori Healey, now the city's planning commissioner, to serve as his chief of staff.

Daley wasted no time filling the job that is considered to be the second most powerful at City Hall behind his own. On Thursday, he announced that Ron Huberman was leaving the chief of staff's post to become president of the Chicago Transit Authority.
Daley said that Healey "has played a lead role in some of the most important initiatives of city government, including job creation and retention, zoning reform and the CHA Plan for Transformation."

She "shares my vision of a city of strong neighborhoods, a thriving economy, outstanding schools and an excellent quality of life," he said. "She also shares my commitment to public safety, better schools and government reform."

Healey joined the Planning Department in 1998 after an eight-year stint with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, the state's economic development agency. She left her city post to become a principal in the Chicago office of architectural firm Perkins & Will, but returned to accept the planning commissioner's job in 2005.

The chief of staff essentially runs the operations of city government. Huberman had the high-pressure job for about two years, a typical tour of duty for that job under Daley.

Chicago Tribune

[ardecila]

Well, good news for P&D. I'm not personally familiar with Ms. Healey's doings, but she has been the object of scorn in many historic-preservation discussions, so... good riddance!

I like how the article does not mention who is in line to fill in at P&D.

[hoju]

On the other hand, it seems like she is an object of scorn in NIMBY circles for not kowtowing to their demands to follow outdated plans and retain "neighborhood character". Knowing Daley, he will install another pro-development person in the P+D to bulldoze all these people that want a quaint piece of suburbia in the middle of our central city.

[brian_b]

If the LaSalle sale to BoA goes through, I'll be moving my accounts elsewhere. I know other people that are going to do the same.

Jesus, anybody but BoA!

[simcityaustin]

If the LaSalle sale to BoA goes through, I'll be moving my accounts elsewhere. I know other people that are going to do the same.

Jesus, anybody but BoA!

I wholeheartedly agree. They have some very sketchy business practices.

(Ex. Giving credit cards to those w/o SSN's)