CHICAGO | One Mus. Park West | 595 FT | 54 FL | One Mus. Park | 734 FT | 65 FL

[BVictor1]

The only problem with having retail there is parking. did they mention anything about the number of parking spaces for the residential portion of the building? I mean who the hell wants to walk all the way over from Soldier Field or McCormick Place parings lots? For anytype of retail, there needs to be parking for the people who use it, because we know not everyone uses public transportation.

[Rivernorth]

I dont know why retailers just dont flock there... there is certainly critical mass for restaurants and cafes and delis at the very least... the population of the South Loop has just boomed like mad. Heck, even without parking they should be able to get enough business from the people who live in the area.

To solve the parking problem, they can construct an underground garage under the retail... although id rather they didnt cater to parking at all whatsoever. Welcome to Chicago, now get your ass out there and walk.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

The only problem with having retail there is parking. did they mention anything about the number of parking spaces for the residential portion of the building? I mean who the hell wants to walk all the way over from Soldier Field or McCormick Place parings lots? For anytype of retail, there needs to be parking for the people who use it, because we know not everyone uses public transportation.

there will be parking in the building, but numbers either weren't mentioned or i forgot to take notes it. i don't think that retail/restaurant space neccessarily needs to get its business from soldier field or mccormick place, the thousands and thousands of new city residents that will call central station home would be the bulk of the patrons.

also, looking over my notes once again, there was one more interesting point made by that park district representative that i don't think either I or marvel has mentioned yet. the park district is currently developing all types of plans for the south west corner of grant park down by the central station development, and one of the plans that is in the very serious planning stages right now is to bring a large public art work(s) to that section of the park to help balance the drawing power of the whole park with that of millennium park on the north end. i thought that sounded pretty exciting.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

The only problem with having retail there is parking. did they mention anything about the number of parking spaces for the residential portion of the building? I mean who the hell wants to walk all the way over from Soldier Field or McCormick Place parings lots? For anytype of retail, there needs to be parking for the people who use it, because we know not everyone uses public transportation.

BVictor, I think the vast majority of patrons to this retail will be the actual residents of the district, who will surely walk there. I am not sure how important parking will be. Besides, like Steely said, a lot of these buildings will have pay garages, as well as street parking. I don't think more parking should be provided anyhow, as it will only create a downward spiral (ie North/Clybourn district)--and FREE parking should definitely be a no no.

Either way, Steely--I don't understand the economics of not having ground-level retail in these buildings. Even if the market is not there yet, how can it hurt a developer not to reserve these spaces for future commercial use? It only makes sense that they will stand to make more money by renting these spaces out as opposed to just doing nothing with them. I wonder what these developers are thinking..

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

there will be parking in the building, but numbers either weren't mentioned or i forgot to take notes it. i don't think that retail/restaurant space neccessarily needs to get its business from soldier field or mccormick place, the thousands and thousands of new city residents that will call central station home would be the bulk of the patrons.

I didn't mean that the possible retail/restaurants would get the bulk of its business from the soldier field or mccormick place entities, I just meant using those two facilities parking lots: but now that you mention it, i'm sure that those businesses will be boosetd guring game days and convention season.

[the urban politician]

^I always envisioned the businesses as servicing the neighborhood, instead of visitors. Thus, less "destination retail", which often does require more parking

[BVictor1]

^That too, I was just saying...

Hey Steely, I guess it was a good idea that you created and kept this thread after all. There's been a lot of great input and information here. I guess even a 65 story building can rouse great excitement here in Chicago.

[Rivernorth]

Its not so much the height of the building that has generated excitement, as opposed to the magnitude of this entire project, as well as its location on Roosevelt, and the massive impact this will create on the skyline due to its location on the Park. Had this building been in River North of the Loop, it wouldnt nearly get this much discussion

[BVictor1]

^I know. If built, this building will always be visible in the skyline, or should I say newly created southern skyline. With the aid of binoculars, these people will be able to look down on the games or whatever at Soldier Field.

[Rivernorth]

Haha, looks like the Bears will be having the same problems as the Cubs then

Hopefully Central Station will act as a catalyst to boost the construction of taller buildings south of the Loop. There are a lot of parking lots along the Green Line that could be developed. It would be cool to have the Green Line completely canyonized in the South Loop.

[BVictor1]

^^Oh No, No, No!!! All that space along the Green Line should be developed into residential. The southside portion along the green line has been neglected long enough. Hell, the southside has been neglected period.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Hey Steely, I guess it was a good idea that you created and kept this thread after all. There's been a lot of great input and information here. I guess even a 65 story building can rouse great excitement here in Chicago.

well, rivernorth is right, it's all about location. i can honestly say that i never expected to ever see anything over 500' south of roosevelt, let alone a 700 footer. one museum park, along with its 3 500+ footer neighbors, is going to be such a wonderful addition to the mightiness of the chicago skyline.

4 buildings over 500' creating a southern grant park streetwall! this was what all of us scraper nerds wanted, i just never expected the city, developer, and neighborhood and civic groups to see it our way!

[Marvel 33]

^ I guess we should give some of the credit to Mayor Daley. We may or may not agree with some his policies, but when it comes to the beautification and development of the city of Chicago, I give him a lot of credit. He's been certainly part of the changes and development of the Grant Park area, including Central Station.
I hope he continues the trend.

[Steely Dan]

^ yeah, i loved the story the developer told of how the first plan for the roosevelt streetwall that they brought before the city had shorter, stocky building designs, and the city responded with "you can do better than that". it was the city that wanted something tall and magnificent for this south wall of grant park.

so often it seems that it's the developers who are always trying to cajole the city into allowing larger, taller buildings, but in the case of one museum park, the tables were completely reversed.

[Rivernorth]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

^^Oh No, No, No!!! All that space along the Green Line should be developed into residential. The southside portion along the freen line has been neglected long enough. Hell, the southside has been neglected period.

Oh, ofcourse. Thats the trend that the South Loop has been taking anyways. office is going into the West Loop, which is good for expanding the skyline in that direction. There needs to be a stop between Roosevelt and 35th/IIT/Bronzeville... scratch that, there needs to be 3 or 4 more

[BVictor1]

^Well they certainly need one at Cermack/22nd. It's right there ar McCormic Place. 3 or 4 sounds a bit much to me.

[Steely Dan]

i just got a blurb about the new grant park sculpture installation from the grant park conservancy. there's a meetig tonight at 6:30pm at the art institute if anyone wants to learn more about this. it sounds pretty cool:


Please join us and the Chicago Park District in a presentation of a major new sculptural installation—Agora - by world-renowned, Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz. One hundred iron figures, nearly nine feet tall, will be created in Poland as a gift to Chicago, a Sister City of Warsaw, the first international city to become a “sister city” of Chicago. Agora, will consist of figures walking in multiple directions or standing still. Like individuals, each will be uniquely created.

Mary Jane Jacob, Chair of the Sculpture Department and professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, will give a slide presentation on Magdalena Abakanowicz and the Chicago Park District's Department of Planning will present the siting, design and planning for the park space.

The artist has donated the design and is fabricating the sculpture in Poznan, Poland, with Polish artists who are generously volunteering their time. Today, Chicago is the largest city of Poles outside Warsaw.

The prominent location of the northeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road is being considered for this public sculpture. This corner is one of the last remaining, unfinished landscaped rooms envisioned by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett for Grant Park. Starting from Millennium Park at Randolph to Roosevelt Road along Michigan Avenue there are several defined, landscaped rooms with art, culture, activity, and beautiful landscaping creating Grant Park destinations. This location is a gateway to the South Loop and Near West Side as it is connected literally and figuratively ( sculptures on the bridge represent UIC) by the Roosevelt Road Bridge to the UIC community and campus. It is also the site of one of the city’s historic entry points for immigrants and migrants during the much of the 20th century.

[Rivernorth]

wow! thats amazing! hopefully this will squash the idea for a dog park there... honestly, i dont think a dog park belongs on Grant Park. The proposed skatepark, though, im in full support for

and now we are gonna have to get Warsaw an Xmas gift too! yet another damn hassle!

[Steely Dan]

^ the dog park is no longer slated to go in that section of the park. they haven't finalized the location of it within grant park at large, but it is no longer slated to be a part of the room in the southwest corner of the park at roosevelt and michigan, where this rather large art installation is proposed to go.

[HK Chicago]

honestly, i dont think a dog park belongs on Grant Park

no, I'd rather all of Grant Park was open to dogs... I let mine run loose in the middle of the night in Grant Park all the time...