CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction, v7

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by 10023

What is the issue? General disrepair, or is it just inefficient (difficult to hear and cool, etc)?

Both.

It was value engineered by the state back in the 1980's. The building was designed to be double skinned, the state skimped out. That's why you have the heat gain and overworked mechanics. That and over the past 30 years the state has continually deferred maintenance and now the repair price tag is in the hundreds of millions...

[takascar]

Originally Posted by Kumdogmillionaire

The cynical side of me hopes the Thompson Center is torn down so I don't have to always here how awesome of a building it is by everyone here. The atrium is very cool, but the building is a really inefficient usage of space in the heart of the city. I for one will be able to get behind that thing being torn down, because aside from the atrium I find the building to be atrociously clunky and just flat out ugly.

Tear it down. Its ugly, looks like an upside-down toilet. It leaks (badly) and is energy inefficient. There is NOTHING worth saving.

[Via Chicago]

thompson center rules. yall are crazy. theres no other public space like it in the city. if a similar soaring atrium design with all sorts of mechanics fully expressed was proposed today everyone would be going batshit for it. its the kind of design that in 50 years everyone will be asking "how could they tear something this cool down?"

but dont worry im sure we'll get another groundbreaking blue box in its place.

[Notyrview]

Originally Posted by takascar

Tear it down. Its ugly, looks like an upside-down toilet. It leaks (badly) and is energy inefficient. There is NOTHING worth saving.

very bad taste. sad!

[Notyrview]

Originally Posted by ithakas

Tearing down the Thompson Center would be one of the city's most significant architectural losses since the Stock Exchange or the old Federal Building. Not sure why some forum members complain about a lack of design innovation out of one side of their mouth and at the same time declare that the city's most significant postmodern building is a piece of junk to be thrown to the scrap heap.

What we're really talking about is a reclad, ripping out some outdated carpets and desks, adding glass walls to create proper office suites, and reconfiguring the elevators.

Jahn's proposal to carve out a corner and build up is one of the most exciting I've seen since I joined the forum. I always imagined myself settling down somewhere on Michigan between Congress and Roosevelt, but if it were to see the light of day and built condo it would immediately become my first choice of where to live.

It's the perfect mix of preservation, ambition, and innovation that Chicago needs.

Thank you for this. It sounds like you know what you're talking about.

[SamInTheLoop]

I think we should probably create a new vision project thread for the Thompson Center redevelopment.....

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by ithakas

The developer passed away last year, did it have to do with that? Or just weak sales?

....or in this case, what appeared to be realistic!

808 N Wells.


Guys - I'm assuming that this project's apparent cancellation is almost entirely due to Bill Smith's death last year. This is a smaller local developer, not a large corporate development operation. Bill Smith was Smithfield Properties. This is the case with a lot of these small entrepreneurial players. It's likely that there is no right hand person that can smoothly take the company and pipeline projects over. There's a number of developers out there that would likely react in the same way if the principal suddenly died or decamped.

What might be interesting is if another developer would be able to swoop in and buy this thing, entitlements and architectural and engineering plans outright and relaunch it........it's possible certainly, but have no idea.....

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

....or in this case, what appeared to be realistic!

808 N Wells.


Guys - I'm assuming that this project's apparent cancellation is almost entirely due to Bill Smith's death last year. This is a smaller local developer, not a large corporate development operation. Bill Smith was Smithfield Properties. This is the case with a lot of these small entrepreneurial players. It's likely that there is no right hand person that can smoothly take the company and pipeline projects over. There's a number of developers out there that would likely react in the same way if the principal suddenly died or decamped.

What might be interesting is if another developer would be able to swoop in and buy this thing, entitlements and architectural and engineering plans outright and relaunch it........it's possible certainly, but have no idea.....

Yeah, this was my first assumption when I heard about it, though there is still a second principal/partner listed on Smithfield's site. Given how far along this seemed to be in this building's sales/marketing cycle, I was a little surprised that they weren't able to pull this off... Though I'm certain that the passing of the company's founder creates all kinds of complications/entanglements that would have occupied the remaining staff.

[ithakas]

With Cole Haan and the Apple Store both closing their Michigan Avenue locations, I wonder if a configuration like this might allow a developer to combine the sites and preserve the handsome retail building Cole Haan's in now without affecting Niketown? It would be a great place for something striking.


Source: Goettsch Partners

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by ithakas

With Cole Haan and the Apple Store both closing their Michigan Avenue locations, I wonder if a configuration like this might allow a developer to combine the sites and preserve the handsome retail building Cole Haan's in now without affecting Niketown? It would be a great place for something striking.

Wow, yes.

[Tom In Chicago]

Can we please credit these images or they will be removed. . . thank you. . .

. . .

[danielschell]

Getting close to the 30-story mark

http://wp.me/p7uLxw-1YN

[emathias]

For the curious, this was a Goettsch proposal for 29/39 South LaSalle. I guess it's not happening since the newest proposal is just to convert the existing building to residential. Disappointing.

Originally Posted by ithakas

With Cole Haan and the Apple Store both closing their Michigan Avenue locations, I wonder if a configuration like this might allow a developer to combine the sites and preserve the handsome retail building Cole Haan's in now without affecting Niketown? It would be a great place for something striking.


Source: Goettsch Partners

[LouisVanDerWright]

Goettsch only designs boring glass boxes am I right guys?

[danielschell]

Still cool, even down to one tower crane

http://wp.me/p7uLxw-20e

[KWILLSKYLINE]

That Goettsch design is glorious. Too bad if it never happens.

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by KWILLSKYLINE

That Goettsch design is glorious. Too bad if it never happens.

I think the opening of the Kimpton Gray Hotel pretty much killed this idea. Cool, nonetheless.

[Randomguy34]

I hate to be that guy, but can a mod please please updated the 1st page with the following projects:
675 N. Wells should be starting at some point
508 W. Diversey is in foundation prep (thanks Daniel Schell!)
DNAInfo is reporting the Jefferson Park tower is expected to be in next month's plan commission

[the urban politician]

Developments in Jefferson Park have just now caught on to the styles of 2002

[danielschell]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

508 W. Diversey is in foundation prep (thanks Daniel Schell!)