Quote:
Originally Posted by denizen467
What was the story there?
Do you mean adding floors onto an existing low-rise?
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The Reliance building has a bizarre history. In brief: There was a four-story building there from the 1870s. In 1890, the new owner wanted a 15-story building, but the upper floors had leases several years out. So, they shored-up the upper floors and managed to excavate the ground floor and basement, add piers for a 15-story building, and build a new ground floor to the design of John Wellborn Root. This was going on while the upper floors were occupied! Carson Pirie Scott moved into the new department store, on the first floor and basement, when it was done.
Then, when it was time to expand vertically in 1894-5, they demolished the upper floors and added the rest of the skyscraper (I am not clear as to when the upper floors were actually demolished - it might have been before this time). The addition was designed by Charles Atwood because Root had died in the meantime. Again, the ground floor retail continued to operate while this was going on. New steel was erected in only two weeks and the cladding went up not long after.
It's not a direct comparison to Old Navy, but it's a good precedent and inspiration. Definitely there must be a way to keep them there if they want to be there, while giving us a respectable building on that site again.