CHICAGO | 108 North State (Block 37)

[HK Chicago]

the world's largest strip club

those are the exact words my wife used to describe riverbend once the lighting scheme kicked in...

while i'm against B37 becoming downtown disney I could definitely see the the value of some serious TnA.

[Norsider]

Agree with anti-movie-ites.

Maybe one or two screens a la Siskel Film Center could happen, but modern multiplex would be disastrous, not to mention tacky.

Come Downtown! See Armageddon 2!!!

[dvidler]

The way things become tacky is if its done that way. I dont think having a movie complex is tacky, especially if B37 is to be done for the purpose of entertainment purposes. Going to see a movie and having dinner is a general form of entertainment.

[Tom In Chicago]

^I just don't like the over-whelming smell of buttered popcorn. . . to me that's just tacky. . .

[Steely Dan]

^ well, maybe they could only serve that popcorn that's got the cheese flavoring on it. you're a good old wisconsin boy there tom, you don't have anything against cheese now, do ya?

[HowardL]

Here's a rendering of the street level studio from the CBS2 site.

[Steely Dan]

^ oh that's right, this thread had a topic.....

looks pretty good. the glass wall looks to be truly that, and those big screens above i would imagine are some kind of video image screens ala times square.

[dvidler]

I really like it. I think NBC could have done more with their street level studio. It definitely brings energy to the street.

[BVictor1]

April 06, 2005
www.chicagobusiness.com

Block 37 hits milestone in protracted development

By Gregory Meyer

A day after an anchor tenant inked a lease for a new building at Block 37, Mayor Richard Daley on Wednesday introduced two ordinances laying out plans for the long-deserted parcel.

One would sell the Central Loop site to Virginia developer Mills Corp. The other would direct $42 million in tax-increment financing funds to help pay for a planned $200 million subway station beneath the project, among other things.

On Tuesday, WBBM-TV/Channel 2 signed a “long-term” lease with Mills for 100,000 square feet of the lower floors of an office tower on the site at Dearborn and Washington Streets, said Joseph J. Ahern, the station’s president and general manager. He declined to disclose terms.

“It’s at Main and Main [Streets] as far we’re concerned,” Mr. Ahern said, noting WBBM’s TV newsroom would be perched above Daley Plaza.


CBS 2 Chicago's broadcast center will occupy the first five floors of the office tower at 108 North State Street. It will anchor the corner of Washington and Dearborn Streets, with a showcase street-side studio facing Daley Plaza. Rendering by Perkins & Will courtesy of The Mills.

Channel 2 hopes to move out of the building it owns at 630 N. McClurg Ct. by late 2007. Real estate broker Staubach Co. is handling its sale, he said.

City officials did not immediately provide the text of the ordinances, but under the deal the city would sell the 2.8-acre parcel to Mills for $12.3 million – far less than the $32.5 million the city agreed to pay to take back the site from a previous developer owner who failed to make headway there.

Steven Jacobsen, the Mills Corp. executive vice president in charge of Block 37, called the lease and the resulting proposed ordinances “huge.”

“This is a big milestone,” he said. “No one over last 12, 15 years has been able to reach this milestone.”

Envisioned on the site is a five- or six-story base building housing retail, entertainment and dining space. Phase one of the project also includes the office tower on Block 37’s southwest corner.

Phases two and three of the project are less defined, with two more towers containing either offices, a hotel or residences, Mr. Jacobsen said.

The planned CTA station, which would improve connections between the Red and Blue Lines and eventually serve as a point of departure for express trains to Midway and O’Hare International Airports, would share underground space with a 300-vehicle parking garage, according to the plan.

In addition to the city’s TIF funds, $130 million in CTA bond proceeds have been pledged. Mills Corp. would also pay a share of the CTA station.

If the ordinances pass the City Council, Mr. Jacobsen said construction should begin this year and end in late 2007.

[the urban politician]

This is great news.

If you ask me, this news is even more important than the Trump Tower. Either way, I'm excited to see this block finally get developed

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by dvidler

This is a great first step in having Block 37 redeveloped. I have no doubts that Block 37 will be something by the end of this decade. With the new condo/apartment buildings being placed in the loop, State Street being revitalized, and finally a long running theatre production "Wicked" taking place across the street at the Oriental Theatre. This will entice business to sign on with Mills. The reason this has taken long is because business has been scared off because of the past failures. But with CBS signing on this will get the ball rolling.

Another good sign for the loop is the building at State and Lake with the Dunkin Donuts/Taco Bell/KFC will be torn down and a new 16 story hotel will be built in its place. An added bonus is the old restaurant Fritzel's will be brought back to the loop.

Does anyone know if Mills is pursuing a movie theatre complex such as AMC? If the want the block to be an entertainment area it only make sense.

State and Lake will have a new 16 story hotel? Never heard of that one. That intersection is changing fast. I think a couple of new high profile restaurants are coming there also.
State Street from Roosevelt all the way to Division is kicking ass right now. That Dunkin Donuts/Taco Bell thing was just gross and attracted alot of homeless. What hotel is it?

[LA21st]

Downtown Chicago could easily handle another 14 screen theatre, at least. Come on, downtown Santa Monica has 3 or 4 movie theatres ALONE, that compete with Westwood Village, Century City and numerous others that all a few miles apart.

Chicago doesn't have too many large theatres in its neighborhoods compared to Western/Central LA which has a smaller population than Chicago. If LA can do it, Chicago can.

A B37 theatre would be far more accessible to surrounding hoods than AMC Streeterville. In the winter, that walk from Grand to McClurg is no joke.

[BVictor1]

I didn't realize that they were planning to put a hotel where the taco bell/duncin donuts is. i think that it would be better to put a condo building or office tower on that site. the ugly renaissance hotel is directly across the street at wacker and state.

i believ that an ultra modern and elegant condo building should go there instead, i mean momo is going 1/2 block to the south so why not, but no hotel.

[LA21st]

I agree. There are enough hotels nearby, and the Loop could always use more residential. I wouldn't mind seeing a 60 story condo in that location.

[BVictor1]

I find it interesting that three weeks ago officials were like: oh no is Block 37 in trouble again, can we pull this off, and now!!!!

Exclusive retailers show interest in Block 37

April 7, 2005

BY FRAN SPIELMAN AND DAVID ROEDER Staff Reporters


City Hall's chief planner said Wednesday downtown's empty Block 37 has drawn serious interest from at least 15 retailers, some of which now have no stores in Chicago or the United States.

Denise Casalino, Mayor Daley's planning and development commissioner, said an ordinance designating Mills Corp. as the site's developer requires the project to exude one-of-a-kind retail appeal. She said that to avoid an overrun of stores found in any mall, 40 percent of the stores on the complex's eventual first or second levels must be unique to Chicago.

Mills has 15 letters of intent from retailers wanting to move to Block 37, Casalino said. Letters of intent are promises to negotiate seriously, but represent no commitments to sign a lease.

Casalino declined to name the potential tenants. Mills Executive Vice President Steven Jacobsen also dropped no hints but insisted the interest he's seen from retailers "surpasses anything I've seen in my career."

Jacobsen said he hopes to announce leases in the coming months. He said the decision by Chicago's WBBM-Channel 2 to anchor an office building on Block 37 will bring other users to the site. "There's basically a road map for success on this project," he said.

Casalino discussed Block 37 as the mayor introduced to the City Council ordinances about the development. To herald his station's involvement, Channel 2 General Manager Joseph Ahern attended the council meeting.

Pressed to define the "uniqueness" of the project, Casalino said Mills is "looking at retailers that have only come to New York or they're still only in Europe and this would be their first U.S. expansion. This is going to be a big anchor for State Street -- to completely revitalize it."

Daley said he's convinced that development of the star-crossed Loop parcel is finally moving forward after years of false starts. "Many projects came before us, and we would not allow them to go ahead. ...I'm not willing to sign my name off to anything. ...We look for quality tenants and good retailing and different retailing, to be very frank."

One ordinance introduced Wednesday authorizes the city to sell the property to Mills for $12.3 million, even though Chicago taxpayers bought it back for $32.5 million just three years ago.

A companion ordinance paves the way for construction of a new multilevel CTA station at Block 37 that could ultimately include express service to O'Hare and Midway airports. The super-station will include a 26,600-square-foot airport check-in facility and electronic displays with updated train and airline schedules along with local, national and international weather reports.

The transit component is seen as central to hopes for a high-rise hotel and busy pedestrian traffic at the block, the empty parcel between the Daley Center and Marshall Field's. But the CTA has to tunnel under the site, and that has complicated the planning and added to the costs.

The CTA has already set aside the $130 million needed to build the downtown station and upgrade signals. The agency has yet to secure the money to lay the extra rail line needed to provide express airport service. Even so, Casalino said she hopes to provide express baggage check-in on Day One when the station opens.

Jacobsen said he's confident the CTA will be able to deliver on its involvement. "Watch that space" was his advice to Chicagoans who have been impatient to see something exciting on the block.

Channel 2, the CBS affiliate in Chicago, will occupy 100,000 square feet in an office building at the northeast corner of Dearborn and Washington. Plans allow for the building to offer from 200,000 to 400,000 square feet, depending on market demand.

Jacobsen said he hopes to break ground this fall for the CBS building and the CTA construction, elements that he called phase one of the project.

I wish these prople would quit dicking around!!!

[dvidler]

There was a Sun Times article by Roeder that explained the scenario. I couldnt find it but here is the synopsis of that article. The Joffrey Ballet sold the building to an investor who is planning on tearing the existing building down this fall and plans are for a 16 story hotel. They are also bringing the old school Fritzels back on the floor. Used to be a a very popular restauraunt back in the day.

Hotel 71 is going condo so that eliminates a big hotel in that area.

[dvidler]

Its a bit off topic but the other day I went to Northerly Island for the first time. There isnt much to it right now but it has great potential to be a great nature park. You truely feel alone even though your downtown. Give or take another 10 years this place could truely be a nature sanctuary and a human being sanctuary. There is even a beach!

I know many are pissed because people cant fly their planes directly into Chicago but sorry I really cant feel sorry for them

[Chi-town]

Hopefully they retain the design developed by the Joffrey for the hotel at State/Lake... that thing rocked.

[dvidler]

Do you have a picture of that design?

[Chi-town]

It's in the boom rundown thread somewhere.