CHICAGO | General Developments

[BWChicago]

Did Antunovich actually design Loft-Right?

[Mr Downtown]

I had the chance to tour the Museum of Broadcast Communication last week. There's just not much inside yet: a couple of old TV cameras, some Bozo's Circus props, Charlie McCarthy and his colleagues, some very cool old radios, and the electronic construction you can see from the street. The second floor will remain a flexible event space, with the Radio Hall of Fame (just framed photos) on the walls and some exhibits on wheels. The fourth floor will be an even larger event space with no permanent exhibits at all. The cafe facing Kinzie will be carved out as a condo space and sold to someone else.

Up on the third floor, though, will be the television level. They're doing stretched fabric shapes, rather like the Zaha Hadid Burnham pavilion from 2009, which can have rear-projection surfaces visitors can walk through and among:





The museum opens to the public June 13, though the TV level won't be open for several more months.

[ardecila]

Cool. I wonder why they are selling the cafe space as condo? It seems like long-term rent income is exactly what the museum needs. If they need a lot of money up-front to finance the exhibits build-out, they can borrow against the rental income.

[Mr Downtown]

I think the lengthy delay waiting for the state money put them in a really bad spot. It's interesting that two-thirds of the museum space is essentially rental areas for receptions and banquets.

[intrepidDesign]

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by ardecila

No, it's a Berkelhamer building. Same guys that are doing SoNo II, and who (while working for Booth Hansen) did SoNo I.

Berkelhamer is based out of California, though, so they need Antunovich to be architect-of-record. Antunovich also served this role for SoNo II, and that building turned out pretty nicely.

Ah. I just saw Antunovich on the drawing and assumed they weren't the AoR type of firm.

The former Booth Hansen involvement explains why it actually looks like a good building then. For a minute I thought Antunovich must have hired somebody new.

[spyguy]

http://www.suntimes.com/10713879-417...e-housing.html

Loop University could get $32 million makeover for college housing
BY FRAN SPIELMAN

Loop University — the nickname for a section of downtown Chicago where 65,000 college students take classes and 20,000 of them live — may be getting a $32 million addition tailor-made for graduate students.

Developers want to convert a pair of century-old, but underutilized office buildings — and a former stable in the alley in between — into 199 fully-furnished, one- and two-bedroom apartments specifically marketed to grad students.

The two office buildings — at 20 and 28 E. Jackson — were designed by Chicago architect Benjamin Marshall, who also designed the Drake and Blackstone hotels and the South Shore Cultural Center.

[ardecila]

More students, more vibrancy, less Loop office vacancy. Let's go.

I'm not sure these buildings should be landmarked, though. If we landmark every old building under the sun just to give tax breaks to developers, it's gonna give the landmarks ordinance a bad name. I'd rather just give them a direct subsidy from TIF if they need some assistance. It's all the same in the end...

[Mr Downtown]

^I'm not following your logic on the Class L landmarking process. How does it give the Landmarks Ordinance "a bad name" for the owner to volunteer to preserve a building?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^I'm not following your logic on the Class L landmarking process. How does it give the Landmarks Ordinance "a bad name" for the owner to volunteer to preserve a building?

^ Sounds to me like Ardecila is saying that Landmarking is being used in this case as an excuse to get tax credits. Shouldn't landmarking only be done for historically significant buildings?

If everybody who is rehabbing an old building (like myself) could simply say, "ah, lets landmark the thing so that I can do this more cheaply!", then that would be a bad precedent.

[spyguy]

^I think the alley building is definitely historic.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by ardecila

More students, more vibrancy, less Loop office vacancy. Let's go.

I'm not sure these buildings should be landmarked, though. If we landmark every old building under the sun just to give tax breaks to developers, it's gonna give the landmarks ordinance a bad name. I'd rather just give them a direct subsidy from TIF if they need some assistance. It's all the same in the end...

I assume they would be seeking Federal Historic Tax Credits. That doesn't come out of the City's pocket, which I like.

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Sounds to me like Ardecila is saying that Landmarking is being used in this case as an excuse to get tax credits. Shouldn't landmarking only be done for historically significant buildings?

If everybody who is rehabbing an old building (like myself) could simply say, "ah, lets landmark the thing so that I can do this more cheaply!", then that would be a bad precedent.

I don't think any developers out there are really pushing to get anything landmarked. It will only make the design and construction work more expensive, so it's not like it's getting done more cheaply. In addition, going through the Landmarks review process for permitting takes absolutely FOREVER. Depending on the "level" of landmarking, it could add almost a year to the permitting process, not to mention zoning.

There may be tax credits, but whether or not they pay off for the developer has to be counted against how much more the landmarks process costs.

[BWChicago]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Sounds to me like Ardecila is saying that Landmarking is being used in this case as an excuse to get tax credits. Shouldn't landmarking only be done for historically significant buildings?

If everybody who is rehabbing an old building (like myself) could simply say, "ah, lets landmark the thing so that I can do this more cheaply!", then that would be a bad precedent.

Landmarking still isn't a rubber stamp, it still has to qualify.

[ardecila]

^^ Yes, it has to qualify - by passing a panel composed almost entirely of businessmen and bureaucrats without a single architect.

You know as well as I do that a good deal of Chicago Landmarks are only protected for political reasons, not because the buildings are historic or excellent examples of design. Conversely, lots of worthy buildings have met the wrecking ball because politics were not in favor of saving them.

spyguy noted the stable, which (if it really did survive the Chicago Fire) is most definitely worthy of landmarking. However, I don't see a reason to landmark the Benjamin Marshall buildings. They are seemingly just like any other 1920s skyscraper in the Loop, not especially tall, historically significant, or unique. Almost anything built to replace them would, IMO, be equal or better in quality.

On a side note, hopefully the new owners will keep Fontano's. College students gotta eat, and you can't get better sandwiches in the Loop.

[Mr Downtown]

The Landmarks Commission is guided pretty heavily by staff recommendations, and the ordinance specifies criteria for recognition. Are there any Class L designations that you would argue are unworthy?

The "stable that survived the Fire" is an urban legend I've never found any confirmation for. (A three-story brick stable with windows? In 1870?). The building was Abson's Chop House in the 1890s.



from Chicago and Its Makers

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://www.suntimes.com/10713879-417...e-housing.html

Loop University could get $32 million makeover for college housing
BY FRAN SPIELMAN

Loop University — the nickname for a section of downtown Chicago where 65,000 college students take classes and 20,000 of them live — may be getting a $32 million addition tailor-made for graduate students.

Developers want to convert a pair of century-old, but underutilized office buildings — and a former stable in the alley in between — into 199 fully-furnished, one- and two-bedroom apartments specifically marketed to grad students.

The two office buildings — at 20 and 28 E. Jackson — were designed by Chicago architect Benjamin Marshall, who also designed the Drake and Blackstone hotels and the South Shore Cultural Center.

This is really good news.

[Rizzo]

2/21 Burberry
Morning Commute / Looks like the SW corner here is close to the final height as viewed from street level + some additional height for any mechanical.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Hayward

2/21 Burberry
Morning Commute / Looks like the SW corner here is close to the final height as viewed from street level + some additional height for any mechanical.

Looks great - thanks!

Oh great Oracle, known as spyguy..do you have any additional info on another potential big luxury retailer that is apparently interested in doing something similar to Burberry along the Mag Mile? I believe you hinted on as much a few months ago on SSC..

[J_M_Tungsten]

Today

West Loop Target





Ugh I can't wait for my photobucket account to get over the stupid exceeded bandwidth.