CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 652

denizen467 · #**13021** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 11:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarlyBuyer

Radisson Blu hotel at Aqua opening date set: November, 2011
http://www.magellandevelopment.com/r...november-2011/

Towards the end of the news release (is the staircase a Mies homage?) :

"The interior design will feature dramatic focal points including a “flying staircase,” a folded steel plate staircase without structural support that appears to defy gravity, and a 50-foot fireplace feature in the lobby area surrounded by a 100 foot long solid Egyptian bronze metal wall sculpture."

Mr Downtown · #**13022** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 1:16 PM**

As far as I know, Roosevelt only owns (or has leased) the small corner parcel. Last I heard, the L-shaped garage was owned by Warren Barr, but of course he's had to sell his other South Loop holdings.

spyguy · #**13023** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 1:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by denizen467

What on earth is the 2 or 3 story thing being built on Huron next to The Pinnacle? 10-foot diameter round windows and red cladding. The site used to have something like a Japanese-looking house, I believe.

Ikram's new store + cafe concept. Her store is probably one of the few that could survive moving farther away from Oak Street.

Nowhereman1280 · #**13024** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 2:16 PM**

^^^ Yeah I saw that the other day and was just going to say that's what it is...

Buckman821 · #**13025** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 3:07 PM**

Post Removed

aic4ever · #**13026** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 3:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by denizen467

Towards the end of the news release (is the staircase a Mies homage?) :

"The interior design will feature dramatic focal points including a “flying staircase,” a folded steel plate staircase without structural support that appears to defy gravity, and a 50-foot fireplace feature in the lobby area surrounded by a 100 foot long solid Egyptian bronze metal wall sculpture."

Good luck to them with the code review on that thing...Hellenic wanted to do something of that nature with its focal point staircase and ran into all kinds of trouble, particularly surrounding vibration requirements if I recall correctly, and had to beef up the structure substantially. I don't know if it wound up with a support to ground or not, though. Haven't been by it in some time.

Also heaven help them if the fire department calls it an atrium and they make them put in smoke evac. That happened at Barney's, and I think also at JW Marriott, and it was phenomenally expensive.

EarlyBuyer · #**13027** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 4:06 PM**

Water Tower Food Court Slated for Major Expansion
Chicago Real Estate Daily
6/8/11

"...The acclaimed Foodlife food court at Water Tower Place is poised for its biggest-ever expansion, with a new market that’s to feature wine and sushi bars and a phone-booth sized room of chocolates, while an M Burger sandwich shop replaces the old market...the expansion came about partly because the space, a 7,500-square-foot portion of the former Lord & Taylor department store, was available and also because the market’s business has been strong in recent years. The market already makes up 20% to 25% of Foodlife’s business..."

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...ajor-expansion

Nowhereman1280 · #**13028** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 4:18 PM**

What the hell is a "phone booth sized room of chocolates"?

spyguy · #**13029** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 8:54 PM**

Wright Hall will become the Institute for Sustainable Urban Living and Learning
To the south will be a new greenhouse and labs and then San Francisco Hall (442 beds, LEED Gold)
Across the street (West of Kenmore) will be Bellarmine Hall (200 beds + dining hall)
Est. construction start is November 2011

Nowhereman1280 · #**13030** Posted **Jun 8, 2011, 8:59 PM**

^^^ Sick, it's about time Loyola proposes something architecturally interesting. These new buildings will look great with all the funky 4+1's in the area. Also, it's great to see that parking lot disappear...

James2390 · #**13031** Posted **Jun 9, 2011, 1:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

What the hell is a "phone booth sized room of chocolates"?

I couldn't refrain from laughing at this.

Nowhereman1280 · #**13032** Posted **Jun 10, 2011, 5:58 PM**

I heard from a friend of mine that the Uptown Theater will be getting a new roof (or other major roofing repairs) done this summer. He works for a roofing company and says they've been in talks to do this for JAM. He was up there two summers ago doing some spot patches and they plan to do something much more extensive now. Hopefully this means movement on the Uptown soon!

J_M_Tungsten · #**13033** Posted **Jun 11, 2011, 5:30 PM**

Today
That construction company expansion project on the off ramp to Ohio and Halsted.

Chicagoguy · #**13034** Posted **Jun 13, 2011, 9:21 PM**

I was just curious if it was actually confirmed that it will be Walgreens going in the southeast corner of Irving Park and Sheridan? I drove by it today and they have basically completed demolition and have construction signs up around the perimeter...they just do not say what the construction is for?

denizen467 · #**13035** Posted **Jun 14, 2011, 1:12 AM**

How about this other lot under demo - the former Citgo at Wells & Chicago - some efforts were undertaken to rebrand it as a BP, but now it is fenced off and there is some construction and/or excavation work going on. Is this one of those R.I.P. downtown gas stations we heard about over the last year, or are they just rebuilding it?

ardecila · #**13036** Posted **Jun 14, 2011, 3:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

Today
That construction company expansion project on the off ramp to Ohio and Halsted.

This is an expansion for Water Saver Faucets. IIRC, they are receiving TIF money because they are consolidating their operations at the River West location. Also, parts of the Metra embankment needed to be stabilized to allow Water Saver to build out to its property line.

EarlyBuyer · #**13037** Posted **Jun 14, 2011, 4:41 AM**

Roosevelt Road Developer Must Fill 300,000-Square-Foot Void

Crain's Chicago Business/Chicago Real Estate Daily
6/13/11

"...[a] partnership between Chicago-based McCaffery Interests Inc. and a group including former NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson recently closed on its acquisition of the Roosevelt Collection...people familiar with the transaction pegged it earlier this year at $160 million to $175 million, about half of what it cost to build...The residential portion of the project at Roosevelt Road and Wells Street has fared well, with more than 90% of its apartments occupied. But only about a quarter of the Roosevelt Collection's 398,324 square feet of retail space is leased...to improve the project, the developers plan to raze retail buildings in a median at the center of the project, converting the space into a public plaza with landscaping, water features and children's play areas..."

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...uare-foot-void

jdcpamba · #**13038** Posted **Jun 14, 2011, 7:09 PM**

Tons of activity at the Jones College Prep School construction site. They are also assembling a large crane on State Street and have two lanes of traffic shut down just south of Polk. Looks like this one is moving ahead with construction.

denizen467 · #**13039** Posted **Jun 15, 2011, 7:08 AM**

^ If that is indeed the case, then here's to long-stalled projects getting going during the recession:

Rizzo · #**13040** Posted **Jun 16, 2011, 3:14 AM**

Can someone tell me about the abandoned unfinished building at Kinzie and Morgan? It's only two stories and built of cmu, steel and hollowcores. Looks like it would have had huge windows, making me think it was intended as an office bldg.