CHICAGO | General Developments

[Nowhereman1280]

Isn't McCaffrey in control of South Works where they hired BIG? I wouldn't say that's exactly "bad design"...

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

I'm not sure if he's a moron or if he's being sarcastic. Lol.



Thanks for backing me up on this. I'm not sure what retail use he is expecting in RC that will exceed $100/SF. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of tenants end up spending $50 or less building out depending on existing conditions. If you are putting in a Big Lots your finishes are going to be dirt cheap and you'll have almost no interior framing to complete. Most of the cost is shelving and building systems.

Of course we are not talking about a Barneys here. Obviously when you slather the inside of your space with marble and custom everything and have all sorts of atriums in your space the TI's are going to skyrocket. What was your bid for Barneys at if you dont mind sharing. You can just give me a range. I'm shocked if it's less than $150 judging by what I've seen of that building. Does it include the restaurant on top?

And restaurants are completely different because you are talking about a space that requires commercial grade kitchens, a bar area, ventilation system, etc. Also, there is a good reason most restaurants go out of business in a year or two. Comparing a restaurant to normal retail is like comparing lab space to office space, same shell, completely different product.

Check your PM's on this. I didn't want to plaster too much info in the public domain.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

Isn't McCaffrey in control of South Works where they hired BIG? I wouldn't say that's exactly "bad design"...

They also hired SOM to do master-planning.

Regardless, McCaffery doesn't have any built projects NOT designed by Antunovich, except for the adaptive-reuse.

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

As we were just discussing, below link to the leasing brochure McCaffery currently has posted on its website - I hadn't seen this version before. It highlights the changes McCaffery is working on....looks like they are making some escalator/elevator changes as well:


http://www.mccafferyinterests.com/re...n_11_22_11.pdf


I'm really hoping - although I fear this may be futile - that McCaffery will find the courage to hire an architecture firm other than Antunovich to design the rental tower(s) that will be coming for the adjoining parcel..........McCaffery Interests is one of these developers that seems to be just hopelessly addicted to bad design......others include Prime Group (Michael Reschke), AMLI (Greg Mutz), Sedgwick Properties (Marty Paris).............my suspicion is perhaps more than any other single factor (including apathy toward design), the most common driving force may simply be personal bad taste among the leaders of such outfits....

I think perhaps you give too much credit to taste. These guys are all about the money, and Antunovich designs cheap. I don't know that there's much to it aside from that.

Also you can't really discount the relationship side of things. The more I watch this business the more it just seems like guys like Joe Antunovich know everybody and everybody knows them and they all always work together. Same reason why WE O'Neil will probably end up building whatever Antunovich does for McCaffery. They just seem to always build everything of any consequence that Antunovich designs.

[spyguy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,0,97280.story

City panel pushes forward on Wrigley Building landmark status, Wrigley Field bleachers
By Naomi Nix

A city commission Thursday unanimously approved a recommendation to give landmark status to the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue, a move preservation advocates say is long overdue.

...In an effort to protect the architectural integrity of the building, the group plans to replace the white glass and metal cladding at the former 410 Club entrance with terra cotta and remove the non-historic glass and wood wall separating the plaza from Michigan Avenue.

In other news, it looks like McClurg Court is finally going to spruce up its first floor similar to what Presidential Towers did. I remember the previous renovation proposal included a large green roof. Hopefully this version is the same in that regard.

[ardecila]

I wish McClurg included some kind of green wall or fence on the roof terrace to give the podium some more substance, but this is pretty cool. Is that cor-ten, or just a flat bronze-colored metal?

I kinda like the glass/wood wall that encloses the Wrigley arcade. It prevents the plaza from experiencing super-high winds. On the other hand, it definitely discourages people from exploring back there. Maybe they could put some hedges in that would allow visibility? I'm interested to see how the new restaurant will use the plaza space.

[J_M_Tungsten]

Today
Wells
This really adds a lot to the street while on Wells. Can't wait for the retail.

By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04


By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04


By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04


By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04

Anybody know what this is? Near Maple and State

By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04

Starbucks building?

By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04


By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04

Fourth Pres

By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04


By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04

Northwestern parking garage... really adds to the neighborhood...

By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04


By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04

What is going on here?

By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04

McDonald house

By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04


By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04


By dsjm2002 at 2012-02-04

[aic4ever]

^^I budgeted the one at Maple & State like three or four years ago when it was going to be a Philippe Chow. It was over the developer's budget pretty significantly and that deal never happened. Last I heard it was going to be a Lou Malnati's, though obviously that may have changed, too.

[wrab]

Does anyone know the provenance of the "non-historic glass and wood wall" that separates Wrigley's plaza from Michigan Ave? When was this feature added?

I'd expect to see a dramatic increase in ingress to the plaza should the wall come down, along with more foot traffic for the retail at adjoining Trump plaza. Let's hope that the plaza renovation includes some usable outdoor seating.

[wrab]

I love the pure Chicago logic of this quote from the above-cited Trib article:

".....City officials had long maintained the skyscraper did not need to be granted official landmark status because the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co would protect its integrity....." (Link)

Got that? The Wrigley Building doesn't need nobody nobody sent.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by wrab

I love the pure Chicago logic of this quote from the above-cited Trib article:

".....City officials had long maintained the skyscraper did not need to be granted official landmark status because the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co would protect its integrity....." (Link)

Got that? The Wrigley Building doesn't need nobody nobody sent.

Yes, and clearly all that trust was misplaced, right?

[sentinel]

Northwestern planning new Visitor's Center in Evanston along the lake:


http://www.northwestern.edu/newscent...rs-center.html

"New Visitors Center Planned

New boathouse also included in development of southeast campus
By Alan K. Cubbage

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University plans to construct a new state-of-the-art visitors center for prospective students and their families, University officials announced today (Feb. 3).

The 170,000-gross-square-foot facility, designed by the renowned Chicago architectural firm of Perkins+Will, will include an auditorium with approximately 160 seats, meeting rooms, offices for admissions visitors staff and waiting areas for visitors..."

Additionally, the new Bienen School of Music, designed by Goettsch Partners (?), will begin construction this May.

[BWChicago]

Originally Posted by brian_b

Yes, and clearly all that trust was misplaced, right?

The last set of plaza renovations suggested that, yes.

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by sentinel

designed by the renowned Chicago architectural firm of Perkins+Will,

Lol, Okee Dokee, I guess Perkings and Will counts as renowned these days...



It's a decent looking building though. I just am pissed that P+W is the best Chicago can do. The sooner Jeanne Gang and the next generation of Chicago architects become dominant the better. I think Gang has a good shot at becoming a true "starchitect" which will basically the first one in Chicago since Jahn in the early 90's/80's who is relatively weak sauce.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

Lol, Okee Dokee, I guess Perkings and Will counts as renowned these days...



It's a decent looking building though. I just am pissed that P+W is the best Chicago can do. The sooner Jeanne Gang and the next generation of Chicago architects become dominant the better. I think Gang has a good shot at becoming a true "starchitect" which will basically the first one in Chicago since Jahn in the early 90's/80's who is relatively weak sauce.

Not my quote, it's from the article. Personally, I think P+W does really good work...whenever they can get it in Chicago. The new Rush hospital, the Contemporaine, Skybridge, the new Jones College Prep..perhaps their designs look derivative to a degree, but I think that's more of a function of being the hand of one (or two) designers than a particular design philosophy of the firm in general.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Yeah, that wasn't directed at you, but at the article.

I like P+W's work, but I would hardly call them renowned. Granted that's not as ridiculous as calling LaGrange renowned is.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ Yeah, that wasn't directed at you, but at the article.

I like P+W's work, but I would hardly call them renowned. Granted that's not as ridiculous as calling LaGrange renowned is.

It's funny, of the three projects that were part of that Northwestern capital development announcement, I liked the rendering of the David Woodhouse designed boathouse the best

Granted I do like both the new Welcome Center from P+W as well as the new school of Music, but for some reason smaller projects appeal to me more, and that one might have potential of being a really beautiful little gem (curbed has the renderings of all three).

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by sentinel

It's funny, of the three projects that were part of that Northwestern capital development announcement, I liked the rendering of the David Woodhouse designed boathouse the best

Granted I do like both the new Welcome Center from P+W as well as the new school of Music, but for some reason smaller projects appeal to me more, and that one might have potential of being a really beautiful little gem (curbed has the renderings of all three).

I suppose they're not necessarily "starchitects" in the Jahn realm, but David Hovey and John Ronan are both fantastic.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by sentinel

It's funny, of the three projects that were part of that Northwestern capital development announcement, I liked the rendering of the David Woodhouse designed boathouse the best

I disagree. I'm a big fan of Woodhouse's work, but those renderings make it look like they're building a bunker. I see heavy, boxy structures made of rough, board-formed concrete sitting on a beach and it immediately calls to mind Omaha Beach.

It's possible to do all sorts of slick, beautiful things with concrete formwork, but if Woodhouse doesn't do it in the renderings where literally anything is possible, what are the odds he will do it in real life?

Perception is reality, especially in the realm of boutique architecture, and my perception of this is not good, regardless of how well-detailed and thoughtful the building might be.

[EarlyBuyer]

Del Frisco's opening high-end steakhouse at old Esquire Theater building
Crain's Chicago Business
2/6/12

"Steakhouse operator Del Frisco's Restaurant Group LLC plans to open a Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House in the old Esquire Theater building owned by trader Don Wilson's Chicago-based DRW Holdings LLC."

"The restaurant is said to be planned for 23,000 square feet, including a street-level entry and all of the second and third floors, and will include private dining. That leaves another 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor."

"The former theater space has been heavily shopped by clubs and restaurateurs, and even a Playboy Club, according to area real estate executives. The high-end shopping destination has very little dining competition in the immediate area."

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...eater-building