CHICAGO | Grant Park 3 & 4 | (3) 790' - 73 FLOORS | (4) 900' - 83 FLOORS NEVER BUILT

[BVictor1]

I decided to form a new thread for the 2 Grant Park Towers. There's no need to cram all the information on these buildings into the One Museum Park thread.

[SlatsGrobnik]

Back from the meeting. They showed a rendering of Tower 3-the one we've seen before, 790'. No renderings yet for Tower 4; I asked about when that tower would be designed, and was given a figure of 18 months.

Very little new information, and many, many vapid comments about how Fulton (sp?) has to do something about the parking situation, the traffic situation, project safety, overcrowding in general, the flow of winds around the neighborhood in general (not his buildings in particular), and a host of other things that he has nothing to do with.

Fulton kept explaining over and over that thinner, taller towers are less crowded and let in more light. Bob O'Neill actually did a very nice job of explaining that residential towers have very little to do with traffic--it is the retail and attractions in the vicinity of residential towers that are the sources of traffic.

After an hour and a half of listening to inane NWAs (NIMBYs with attitude), I was either going to vomit or walk out, so I walked out.

Nice-ish building; horrible meeting.

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by SlatsGrobnik

NWAs (NIMBYs with attitude)

Wow, an acronym involving an acronym, isn't that a derivative? You know, X^2= 2X, N^WA=NIMBY(with attitude)? Mathmatical analogies anyone? Haha, sorry...

[Knightwing]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

Wow, an acronym involving an acronym, isn't that a derivative? You know, X^2= 2X, N^WA=NIMBY(with attitude)? Mathmatical analogies anyone? Haha, sorry...

[SNT1]

noooo, NIMBYs... bad news

[alex]

They also showed new pictures of the south and east elevations of GP3. They stated that there would be comercial spaces in both GP3 an GP4. They appear to be very serious about marketing GP3 starting next year and GP4 about 2009. They also have the plans to cover the railroad tracks but is up to the city to come up with the money. They apperently have plans to cover the tracks north of Macormick Place and to build highrises over the tracks. All the buildings along the south wall of Grant Park apparently have the blessing of the city, they just want permission to add ten floors to each of them and make them taller.

[Loopy]

It was a pretty good meeting actually. Nothing terribly exciting was revealed, except perhaps that there will be retail in the bases of these towers.

Five-O (Alderman Bob) was late, and off his game a bit when he did show up. I didn't get the sense that he was going to put up any opposition to this request for an administrative change on height. Being a good pol he listened carefully to all of the bleating. But at the end he commented that he wanted "a skyline that'll knock your socks off". Somewhat comforting to hear.

The NIMBY contingent was in force but actually pretty tame compared to other South Loop meetings I've been to lately. The Prairie Avenue cranks who showed up went into their usual feedback loop on parking and "congestion". They don't hold a candle to the Dearborn Park kooks, who blessedly stayed home tonight.

[Dale]

Originally Posted by alex

They also showed new pictures of the south and east elevations of GP3. They stated that there would be comercial spaces in both GP3 an GP4. They appear to be very serious about marketing GP3 starting next year and GP4 about 2009. They also have the plans to cover the railroad tracks but is up to the city to come up with the money. They apperently have plans to cover the tracks north of Macormick Place and to build highrises over the tracks. All the buildings along the south wall of Grant Park apparently have the blessing of the city, they just want permission to add ten floors to each of them and make them taller.

Wait a second, they want to add ten floors to the present 73 and 83, respectively ?

[Loopy]

No, 73 and 83 stories are the current proposed heights in the requested Administrative change.

[Dale]

Originally Posted by Loopy

No, 73 and 83 stories are the current proposed heights in the requested Administrative change.

Gotcha.

[Sir Isaac Newton]

Originally Posted by SNT1

noooo, NIMBYs... bad news

There were a few NIMBY's there - one who complained that it is difficult for visitors to find street parking when they are visiting him, one who complained that the South Loop is getting too congested, one who complained about shadows in Grant Park, one who complained about project safety, one who complained about large vacuums of winds in the area due to highrises and asked if they had done a "wind study", and an old lady who complained about birds dying from flying into skyscrapers.

However, the majority of the people there seemed to be in favor of the project. And since the developer wasn't asking for more units, but only to build a taller but thinner building, none of the complaints that were voiced were even relevant to the developer's request and the purpose of the meeting. Many people praised the design of the building and voiced their support for tall and thin buildings while no one argued against tall and thin buildings or the increased height of the building (although Fioretti refused to give a response to an audience member who asked him if he preferred tall and thin or medium sized and squat). Pretty much, the only times people applauded was after someone voiced an opinion in favor of the building and the height increase. The biggest round of applause was for Bob O'Neill, who gave a passionate speech in favor of the proposed building and framing the south side of Grant Park with tall and thin and environmentally sound buildings.

Overall, I am pretty optimistic that the proposed increase in height will be allowed.

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

There were a few NIMBY's there - one who complained that it is difficult for visitors to find street parking when they are visiting him, one who complained that the South Loop is getting too congested, one who complained about shadows in Grant Park, one who complained about project safety, one who complained about large vacuums of winds in the area due to highrises and asked if they had done a "wind study", and an old lady who complained about birds dying from flying into skyscrapers.

However, the majority of the people there seemed to be in favor of the project. And since the developer wasn't asking for more units, but only to build a taller but thinner building, none of the complaints that were voiced were even relevant to the developer's request and the purpose of the meeting. Many people praised the design of the building and voiced their support for tall and thin buildings while no one argued against tall and thin buildings or the increased height of the building (although Fioretti refused to give a response to an audience member who asked him if he preferred tall and thin or medium sized and squat). Pretty much, the only times people applauded was after someone voiced an opinion in favor of the building and the height increase. The biggest round of applause was for Bob O'Neill, who gave a passionate speech in favor of the proposed building and framing the south side of Grant Park with tall and thin and environmentally sound buildings.

Overall, I am pretty optimistic that the proposed increase in height will be allowed.

Sounds like there are either lots of people who agree with the majority opinion on this forum or there were lots of fourmers there. Also, it sounds as if the bird lady was there. She's at every meeting to remind people of the birds!

[sale]

BVic was at the meeting with his camera. Expect some photos of some new angles. Good looking building overall. Crazy people, though.

[dvidler]

[QUOTE=Sir Isaac Newton;3093827]one who complained about large vacuums of winds in the area due to highrises and asked if they had done a "wind study", and an old lady who complained about birds dying from flying into skyscrapers.
QUOTE]
No NIMBY here but these are two legit concerns. As a full time pedestrian nothing is worse than wind tunnels. Especially in the winter. It is a big deterrent from walking at all.

And why do I love tall residential buildings in dense areas? Because its good to walk everywhere and its good for the planet as well. If the developer can use glass or other ways of hundreds of birds killing themselves during migration then so be it.

Anything with traffic and parking I can care less about.

[cubbbyblue]

[QUOTE=dvidler;3094359]

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

one who complained about large vacuums of winds in the area due to highrises and asked if they had done a "wind study", and an old lady who complained about birds dying from flying into skyscrapers.
QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Sir Isaac Newton

No NIMBY here but these are two legit concerns. As a full time pedestrian nothing is worse than wind tunnels. Especially in the winter. It is a big deterrent from walking at all.

And why do I love tall residential buildings in dense areas? Because its good to walk everywhere and its good for the planet as well. If the developer can use glass or other ways of hundreds of birds killing themselves during migration then so be it.

Anything with traffic and parking I can care less about.

I used to ride my bike over roosevelt every day over the past few summers on my way to work. I can tell you that almost every time i was climbing up the portion of roosevelt right after michigan, traveling east, I felt like i was already in a wind tunnell w/o any buildings.

[dvidler]

[QUOTE=cubbbyblue;3094621]

Originally Posted by dvidler

[B][I]

I used to ride my bike over roosevelt every day over the past few summers on my way to work. I can tell you that almost every time i was climbing up the portion of roosevelt right after michigan, traveling east, I felt like i was already in a wind tunnell w/o any buildings.

I agree. Its windy already and I feel if there were buildings there it would actually improve the situation. But if it were to make it worse....

So, I feel its not a out of the ballpark kind of question

Alright, said my peace. On to other subjects...

[Adam186]

Ahhh, I love this forum. I wish my real friends were like you guys. So many one liners and inside jokes.

[cbotnyse]

I really get a kick out of the NIMBY stories. It never ceases to amaze me how they can find anything to complain about. This is urban living! Move to the suburbs already people!

[Alliance]

so we're looking at 890' and 1000' then.

Thats good news.

Thanks to all ov you for your reports!

[SlatsGrobnik]

Originally Posted by Alliance

so we're looking at 890' and 1000' then.

Definitely not. The requested change is to allow tower 3 to go to 790' (and eventually tower 4 to 900').