This article is from the
Skyline paper. And for those of you who don't know what Skyline is, it's a weekly community newspaper. I am typing this article word for word, including the errors.
January 13, 2005
"South Wall" condo project moves ahead in Grant Park
By: Adam Pincus
Contributor
Saying it will nicely frame the south end of Grant Park, comminity groups are pleased with plans for One Museum Park, the condo tower thar will anchor the long-awaited "South Wall" project in the park.
In fact, the only complaint neighborhood groups have about the high-rise tower planned for Columbus and Roosevelt is that it is not quite tall
enough.
Developer Central Station Development Corp. submitted plans for 65-story anchor building to the city, but will likely start with 61-feet and possibly build up to 65-feet. One Museum Place is one of the four buildings that will form the "wall."
"The city is approving 65 stories," said Tim Desmond, president of Central Station Development Corporation, who said they could add stories if there is interest.
The city's Dept. of Planning and Development was expected to approve the plan Wednesday, January 12. Construction on One Museum Park, which went on the market January 10, is planned for this fall.
Jeffrey Key, president of the Greater South Loop Association, said the group had wanted at least a 70-story tower in order to ballance the 1,136-foot Aon Center and other buildings on the north side of the park.
"But we are happy that they did a large, architecturally-significant building there," said Key.
Desmond said the costs for a 75-story building "were outrageous. The costs just "skyrocketed" as it got taller, and "the pricing in Chicago wouldn't support that kind of height."
Developers and architects unveiled renderings and outlines for the four buildings that make up the project to about 100 people at a December 9 community meeting hosted by the Grant Park Advisory Council and the grant Park Conservency.
Co-developer Fogelson, in a phone conversation December 24, explained that the city wanted architecture that would form a gateway to the museum campus and be "bookends to the (Grant) park."
He said the city and community groups, cognizant of the lasting significance of these buildings, urged developers and the Chicago-based architect, Pappageorge/Haymes to build modern and slender structures. The same firm recently designed the towers to be built at 600 N. Lake Shore Dr.
The city, he said, "wanted modern architecture. They wanted balance on the Park, to frame the Park. They did not want lots of mass, but taller and more graceful [buildings]."
Local community groups, such as South Loop Neighbors, support the project and the building, though not without some reservations.
The president of South Loop Neighbors, Leslie Gryce Sturino, said in a phone interview that One Museum Park, "is a very sharp design. It will add some real sparkle to the south end of [the Loop] skyline."
She added however, "Some of our members thought it was counterintutive to build west to east, getting increasingly taller," thereby blocking some views of the lake. One Museum Park will be the tallest building in Central Station.
The buildings are planned for the northern edge of the 80 acres of land owned by Central Station Development Co., a partnership of Chicago-based Fogelson Cos. and Cleveland's Forest City Enterprises, Inc. These companies are partnered with Chicago-based Enterprise Development Co. for the development of the first two buildings, which will include One Museum Plaza.
The corner tower will house "about 280" market-rate condominium units, reguardless of the height, which will be priced between $400,000 and $4.1 million, according to developers.
The engaging architecture is a union of two separate design elements: a mast-like central tower with vertical accents, which is framed on each side by asymmetrical wings of staggered terraces, full of horizontal accents.
The economic impact on the south Loop promises to be tremendus, which is what developers and community leaders are counting on.
Central Station, which currently accounts for about a quarter of all condominium sales in the Loop, according to Desmond, will grow by 1,000 units with the completion of the four buildings.
These buildings, Desmond said, "Set the stage for the development of the park", as development at the north end of Grant Park spurred the development of Millennium Park.
Each building should generate approximately $2 to $3 million in property taxes for the Near South Tax Increment Financing District (TIF), which will be used for infrastructure and other projects.
Bob O'Neill, president of the Grant Park Advisory Council said, "We are looking into TIF money for Grant Park south," which he characterized as still unfinished near Roosevelt Road.
The scene at the VIP sales release, at the Museum Park sales offices at the corner of 13th St. and Indiana Ave. was a "madhouse" Monday, according to one attendee.
He said he waited an hour in an unsuccessful attempt to meet with a sales agent, before giving up and leaving. "I overhead people talking about buying several units," he said, adding that he thought a lot of the building boom in the South Loop is investor driven.
The building should be ready for occupancy in 2007.
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As you can see, there is still a chance for an increase in height. In my opinion, the developers better take every chance possible to increase the height of this building; it's not every day when you get several neighborhood groups who want a taller building. And I think that Mr. Desmond was incorrect when he said the prices wouldn't support a taller building seeing as there are 2 soon to be built residential buildings in Chicago surpassing 1,000'.
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