CHICAGO | General Developments

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Link N. Parker

Also - is it confirmed that Google is actually moving in there? I thought it was actually Motorola Mobility (which was owned by google at the time) but I heard Google sold the Motorola Mobility unit to Lenovo? So, isnt it IBM/Lenovo that is moving into the building?

Yes, they already did around or over a month ago. I have a friend who works there and he's been there at least a month and says the space is awesome. Google sold it to Lenovo, but part of the deal was that they'd have to be in that space.

[jc5680]

Originally Posted by Link N. Parker

Also - is it confirmed that Google is actually moving in there? I thought it was actually Motorola Mobility (which was owned by google at the time) but I heard Google sold the Motorola Mobility unit to Lenovo? So, isnt it IBM/Lenovo that is moving into the building?

Motorolla is still moving to the Mart. Google is moving to Fulton. Google has been in a building on kinzie for some time and their pressence in Chicago was/is seperate from Motorolla. I think locally they are mostly just ad sales types though.

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Yeah, not a fan at all of what I'm seeing here as far as first facade elements on fulton cold storage.

This is for google, right (not a suburban bank, insurance co or medical offices)?right?

It isn't really for google, they picked up a good chuck of space after the project got started IIRC.

SRAM was the large tenant that set this project in motion. Kind of a shame that it has become known as the google building when it is mostly just a sales team. This will be SRAMs global headquarters that Perkins + Will "is developing a design that will connect two levels of workspace with a bleacher stair for group gatherings, a product development machine shop, and an internal cycling test track" for SRAM.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

I just saw these trucks at the empty lot at Lake and Stetson. They could just be holding for a delivery somewhere nearby. That lot (and the road itself) could definitely use some love, considering the rocket pace at which N Mich has been developing a block away.

Is that the lot the second GEMS phase is going into or am I thinking of something else?

[Mr Downtown]

Burnham's public waterfront mandate

People often confuse and conflate Burnham's and Montgomery Ward's ideas about the lakefront. In fact, they were diametrically opposed to each other.

Burnham proposed a cultural center (new Art Institute, Crerar Library, Field Museum) in Grant Park while Ward was fighting for the idea that there could be no buildings whatsoever in the park. But that prohibition only covers the part between Randolph and 11th Place. Meanwhile, the Lakefront Protection Ordinance of 1974 merely sets out some goals and procedural steps to be followed. So the only thing required for a new museum—or for that matter a new stadium, new condo tower, or new nuclear-powered auto crusher and slaughterhouse—right next to the lakefront is for the Plan Commission to vote twice.

[wierdaaron]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Is that the lot the second GEMS phase is going into or am I thinking of something else?

No, this is west of LSE. Across the street (to the west) from AON and the gym whose new name I can't remember.

[Baronvonellis]

Lol, I vote for a new slaughterhouse next to north ave beach!!!! Freshly slaughtered grassfed beef delievered to your door daily! I'm sure the foodie community would be on board too.

So are they going to charge people to use the rock climbing wall? That looks really awesome! Can't wait for the Maggie D park to open. Got to be a litigation nightmare for the city, no?

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

People often confuse and conflate Burnham's and Montgomery Ward's ideas about the lakefront. In fact, they were diametrically opposed to each other.

Burnham proposed a cultural center (new Art Institute, Crerar Library, Field Museum) in Grant Park while Ward was fighting for the idea that there could be no buildings whatsoever in the park. But that prohibition only covers the part between Randolph and 11th Place. Meanwhile, the Lakefront Protection Ordinance of 1974 merely sets out some goals and procedural steps to be followed. So the only thing required for a new museum—or for that matter a new stadium, new condo tower, or new nuclear-powered auto crusher and slaughterhouse—right next to the lakefront is for the Plan Commission to vote twice.

Ooh ooh, I vote 'Chicago Auto-Crusher-Slaughterhouse Stadium Bar and Grill' - I'm thinking 150,000 GSF of a Blues Brothers/Ferris Bueller's design mash-up, with a large, arena-like stadium where Victory Auto Wreckers brings out jalopies and crushers them with a giant, mechanical Mrs. O'Leary's cow machine while audiences from around the country watch in delight. Please and thank you. How can we get this going? (It's Friday and I'm exhausted from the work week - humor me please )

[UPChicago]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Lol, I vote for a new slaughterhouse next to north ave beach!!!! Freshly slaughtered grassfed beef delievered to your door daily! I'm sure the foodie community would be on board too.

Sorry, I proposed that last year it only passed the Plan Commission once.

[Skyguy_7]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

I just saw these trucks at the empty lot at Lake and Stetson. They could just be holding for a delivery somewhere nearby. That lot (and the road itself) could definitely use some love, considering the rocket pace at which N Mich has been developing a block away.

Those are Stevenson's counterweights for a couple pretty big cranes. My guess is that they're for the Riverwalk project. You did get my hopes up for a brief half-second.. I'm still pretty sour about the failed Mandarin Oriental. I'd settle for just about anything there at this point.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by jc5680

... I think locally [Google] are mostly just ad sales types though.
...

They have a little legal presence, too - a friend of mine is a paralegal for them here.

[ih8spires]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

People often confuse and conflate Burnham's and Montgomery Ward's ideas about the lakefront. In fact, they were diametrically opposed to each other.

Burnham proposed a cultural center (new Art Institute, Crerar Library, Field Museum) in Grant Park while Ward was fighting for the idea that there could be no buildings whatsoever in the park. But that prohibition only covers the part between Randolph and 11th Place. Meanwhile, the Lakefront Protection Ordinance of 1974 merely sets out some goals and procedural steps to be followed. So the only thing required for a new museum—or for that matter a new stadium, new condo tower, or new nuclear-powered auto crusher and slaughterhouse—right next to the lakefront is for the Plan Commission to vote twice.

Thanks for that clarification. And I guess I meant to refer to Ward before and not Field.
So, if they covered the IC tracks for a Lucas Museum, would that break any of Burnham or Wards plans? I think Chicago needs to offer an impressive location to Lucas, or his Museum will end up in SF.

[LouisVanDerWright]

WTF, you might be on to something interesting here. Look closely, it looks like there are fresh tracks from a grader or something across the entire site. Is the PD for the Mandarin Oriental from before the crash still in place? Could it be possible someone is planning on building something here as of right under those conditions?

I doubt those counterweights are for the riverwalk, I can't think of anything large enough to require such a crane along the walk. Then again, I can't think of anything large enough to require such a crane if they were to be building a skyscraper here. What on earth is going on? I can't think of anything else they could be staging? Maybe the crane is to be set up in Maggie Daley Park to do some heavy lifting???

[Skyguy_7]

^I noticed those tracks too, LVDW. The Riverwalk cranes are my best and only guess because of: 1. They've been pile driving for well over a month, and I'm thinking it's now time for the platform beams which will require heavy lifting. 2. The black color scheme- most of the other cranes in the area don't match. 3. Logistics of that lot in relation to the riverwalk just makes sense. 4. I can't picture any other projects that require such lifting.

Since we all know that groundbreaking doesn't begin with cranes or counterweights, it's unlikely that the trucks are for this site... but WHY is the site freshly graded?

I hope you learned a lesson here, Weird'..next time just shout down there and ask them! Haha happy Friday, all.

[Link N. Parker]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

I just saw these trucks at the empty lot at Lake and Stetson. They could just be holding for a delivery somewhere nearby. That lot (and the road itself) could definitely use some love, considering the rocket pace at which N Mich has been developing a block away.

I think this is the location where they were proposing a Mandarin Hotel at one point. I wish that that had been built! This lot definitely needs to be built on.

[intrepidDesign]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

... I'd settle for just about anything there at this point.

I don't know if I would settle for ANYTHING there, that seems a bit impatient. I think this spot is perfect for some high density residential development, and I think 200 N Michigan will spur the development of this site. Something dense on this site could really create some decent foot traffic to and from Boul Mich, and maybe even better connect LSE to the rest of the city (maybe wishful thinking). No sir, I don't mind this site sitting empty till just the right moment.

[Link N. Parker]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Yes, they already did around or over a month ago. I have a friend who works there and he's been there at least a month and says the space is awesome. Google sold it to Lenovo, but part of the deal was that they'd have to be in that space.

Ok thanks guys (Marothisu and jc5680) for the info!! Greatly appreciated.

[Chi-Sky21]

Maybe they are just cleaning up the site because they are going to use it to stage everything for the Riverwalk there. Beams and all. Wish it were the Mandarin though also.

[wierdaaron]

Originally Posted by emathias

They have a little legal presence, too - a friend of mine is a paralegal for them here.

I know some people who have had interviews for engineering jobs at Google locally. I think they're indeed building out their engineering force, despite claims to the contrary.

[jc5680]

^^ I wasn't trying to make any "claims." Or at least my intent was not to be absolute. Of course there are engineers and other types of employees here. And clearly with the larger space they would be growing locally. That is all great. And I hope that there growth is more technologically driven. My point was really more that it seems like some of the fondness I have seen of their move is tied to google as a business and their consumer facing products and maybe not so much as what their local employees actually do. Their presence here is still largely ad sales.

From the accomplishments section on the google Chicago page

"Our advertising and enterprise sales teams work with some of the biggest companies in the world, and our online sales and operations teams help small and medium-sized businesses grow using Google products.

Our engineers have developed products like Google Web Server, DoubleClick, the Google Affiliate Network, Google+ Analytics, the Data Liberation Front and the Transparency Report.

We show up regularly on the Crain’s Chicago Business list of the best places to work in Chicago."

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by ih8spires

if they covered the IC tracks for a Lucas Museum, would that break any of Burnham or Wards plans?

That would break the bank, but (if south of 11th Place) not the Montgomery Ward Cases injunction.