Interesting that they're only building the portions of the garage that lie directly under the tower, while the rest of the garage has had its columns capped for awhile.

They must be on a really aggressive schedule with this one.

2/12
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/201202/construction3.jpg

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/201202/construction4.jpg

2/1
 

500 N LSD Feb 17th
 

http://i1161.photobucket.com/albums/...n/500nLSD2.jpg

http://i1161.photobucket.com/albums/...gn/500nLSD.jpg

February 18, 2012
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7208/6...744668b9_b.jpg

Feb 16
 

From upper Wacker

500 N LSD - about an hour ago
 

The nearby park was buzzing today due to the warm weather (though most of the activity was behind me when I took the photo).

http://i.imgur.com/UYvml.jpg

Looks like this tower will help frame this small park in a very pleasing way. I'm optimistic...

^ Nice pocket park, although it seems like it needs more trees and shade

^ It may change substantially when the ParkView East tower is built. Presumably there will be at least benches if additional trees there are not possible.

It has lots of trees and shade, which would be behind the photographer. There's a really neat grove of trees interspersed with benches. Great for eating lunch, taking a girl, etc... From an urbanist perspective, the open space is pretty valuable in a neighborhood of highrises that block out the sun, and this park has relatively untouchable access to sun because the south border is North Pier.

Architecturally speaking, we'll never have huge trees on this park anyway because there's a garage underneath it. There probably isn't enough soil depth to support gigantic trees.

Do you know how big the footprint might be? The garage entry and space behind the dog run aren't that big.

^ From mid-2000s renderings I think I recall the site plan had the 2 towers symmetrically positioned at opposite corners (with the 2nd one having far less height, but we'll just see how that turns out). If you look at the space behind the dog run that you're referring to, I think you need to add to that the dog run itself, and you end up with the final tower footprint (i.e. long side on Grand, short side on Peshtigo). The amenity (and any "townhouses"?) podium would presumably be built on top of the garage entrance.

In other words, sayonara dog run. Normally I'd add the obvious "anything could change" -- especially since 500 LSD's footprint/massing is now finally confirmed and not what it originally was planned to be -- but if columns/caissons are already incorporated into the entire existing structure, it's doubtful the footprint would change materially.

Hopefully when this building goes up it will spruce up the East end of this park. The West end, near Park View tower is pretty nice, but they were obviously waiting on the other development to finish the East end. Plus, I hate that dog park and how the pebbles get all over the side walk on Grand.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6...95227284_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6...b94e9439_b.jpg

^^^ does anyone know if there was anything ever planned for the lot on the river? Seems like a pretty good piece of real estate to me?

^ Over a decade ago:

http://www.gpchicago.com/users/Folde...D/ctftweb1.jpg______http://www.gpchicago.com/users/Folde...D/ctftweb2.jpg
http://www.gpchicago.com/users/folde...t=the+americas

^^^^ That's pretty great. I can't think of anything like it; it's a shame it didn't get built. Well, now at least .we get a surface parking lot... cuz those add so much to the city (Y & E, back me up on this).

Also, Hayward, how long did you spend on those pictures? Look how far the window washers got between the first and second pic on that Miesian building with a fidelity at the foot.

Nice coloration on this shot, Hayward. Reminiscent of a 1960's postcard.

Thanks! Here's one with normal colors...except for the river.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/riverpano1.jpg

I'm sorry, but why is the river green? I'm assuming you edited the color, for some reason.