CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction - Page 375

Tom Servo · #**7481** Posted: **Apr 17, 2012, 10:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ Yeah, this design is extremely successful at breaking up the massing while still holding the lot lines and remaining a cohesive design. The finshes/materials and philopsophy behind it are trash though. It would be much better if they had just left it raw concrete.

Much as I love the concrete aesthetic. That would look AWFUL. That is, the concrete aesthetic isn't universally applicable.

The only alternative I would propose, an expensive one, would be some sort of brick veneer... idk... something like that. But as I said, this building is fine. It'll very soon fade into the background of everything else.

i_am_hydrogen · #**7482** Posted: **Apr 18, 2012, 12:14 AM**

A few more of Admiral at the Lake

Nowhereman1280 · #**7483** Posted: **Apr 18, 2012, 1:55 PM**

^^^ Lol, love how the base is keeping it contextual with the 4+1...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

Much as I love the concrete aesthetic. That would look AWFUL. That is, the concrete aesthetic isn't universally applicable.

The only alternative I would propose, an expensive one, would be some sort of brick veneer... idk... something like that. But as I said, this building is fine. It'll very soon fade into the background of everything else.

I disagree, it looks a hell of a lot better grey than it does tan. Concrete is pretty much limestone and raw concrete looks a hell of a lot more like limestone than these strange colors they choose. I don't know if they are trying to make it look like it's made of sandstone or something, but it sure as hell doesn't look like limestone.

Nowhereman1280 · #**7484** Posted: **Apr 18, 2012, 2:13 PM**

FYI this was posted in the general development thread by Mikemak27 via Crains:

Mike Latsko to move ahead with 26 Story, 200 Unit, apartment tower at 212 W. Illinois with approval already obtained and financing pending. This is scheduled to start this summer.

Here is the only rendering of the project that I know of:

jdlcorp.com

I think this may be been before the boom so who knows if the design has changed.

ChiPhi · #**7485** Posted: **Apr 18, 2012, 3:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

FYI this was posted in the general development thread by Mikemak27 via Crains:

Mike Latsko to move ahead with 26 Story, 200 Unit, apartment tower at 212 W. Illinois with approval already obtained and financing pending. This is scheduled to start this summer.

Here is the only rendering of the project that I know of:

jdlcorp.com

I think this may be been before the boom so who knows if the design has changed.

It was posted in general developments, but without the picture. It looks really quite good. Here's to this thing actually getting built. There are a lot of "pending financing" buildings out there right now, so I'm still skeptical.

tptraub · #**7486** Posted: **Apr 18, 2012, 5:34 PM**

We all get old as time goes by.

tptraub · #**7487** Posted: **Apr 18, 2012, 5:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ Yeah, whether they like it or not they are going to be living in raw concrete box six feet underground in a few years anyhow...

I find this post as offensive.

Nowhereman1280 · #**7488** Posted: **Apr 18, 2012, 7:53 PM**

^^^ Really? I can't believe you actually are upset about my post, it was clearly in jest. Life's not worth living if you are going to take death so seriously...

ChiPhi · #**7489** Posted: **Apr 18, 2012, 9:52 PM**

^^^I actually loled. Maybe tptraub should get that pole out of his or her ass...

Chicagoguy · #**7490** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 4:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

How many starts does that bring the total to this year?

If I am counting correctly I believe we have had 5 highrise developments break ground thus far in 2012, although I may have the time of official ground breaking wrong on one or two of them?

Optima City Center, Tri-Hotel Development in River North, 360 W. Hubbard, Hyatt McCormick Place expansion, and Harper Court in Hyde Park.

Hayward · #**7491** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 4:50 AM**

I'm sorry, but I have to agree. I don't want to live my waning years of life in a building that looks so institutional. The massing is very nice IMO. But I'm not entirely sure about the facades. This building has a very stoic vibe to it. I also don't like how the peach colored upper-stories attempt to coordinate with the muted limestone colors on the lower floors.

10023 · #**7492** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 12:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ Yeah, whether they like it or not they are going to be living in raw concrete box six feet underground in a few years anyhow...

My point was more that a building like this is a semi-permanent addition to the urban fabric, while its initial residents are not.

Oh well, maybe some day they can reclad all of these painted concrete buildings in brick or something.

SamInTheLoop · #**7493** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 1:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chicagoguy

If I am counting correctly I believe we have had 5 highrise developments break ground thus far in 2012, although I may have the time of official ground breaking wrong on one or two of them?

Optima City Center, Tri-Hotel Development in River North, 360 W. Hubbard, Hyatt McCormick Place expansion, and Harper Court in Hyde Park.

The first 2 of those were definitely 2011 starts........

The next one? Northwestern Memorial Outpatient tower probably.........we also have East-West student center, but who knows what's going on there. Also, I'd assume that just as soon as M&R can close on a construction loan, demo on the existing structure at 73 E. Lake and start on caissons could happen pretty quickly......and, although I guess it won't be an official construction start per se, probably won't be too long before Related Midwest wraps up financing and can restart construction on what's built of the old Waterview plan.....

Tom Servo · #**7494** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 4:00 PM**

I just wish developers or whomever would get a sense of humor. We need more green, blue, and purple concrete colors. A cheap painted building would at least look awesome in a bright and crazy color!

Nowhereman1280 · #**7495** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 5:50 PM**

^^^ You mean like this:

bdsmarchitects.com

BDSM architects is right... BDSM on our eyes, lol...

ChiPhi · #**7496** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 6:13 PM**

^^^ Or the horrific Catalyst by LaGrange. Here's to hoping that never gets built... though the guy in charge secured some financing about a year ago to build Catalyst as apartments. No word on the rest of the necessary financing...

the urban politician · #**7497** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 6:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

I just wish developers or whomever would get a sense of humor. We need more green, blue, and purple concrete colors. A cheap painted building would at least look awesome in a bright and crazy color!

^ Some day, when I can muster enough money (right now I'm just rehabbing), I want to try my hand at ground up development (obviously it will only be a 2-3 level building). When that time comes, I'll hire you to come up with a zany and "humorous" design for me.

But if that design doesn't attract buyers, laughter will quickly turn into tears as I continue to pay my electric, gas, water, and property tax bills and my monthly mortgage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiPhi

^^^ Or the horrific Catalyst by LaGrange. Here's to hoping that never gets built... though the guy in charge secured some financing about a year ago to build Catalyst as apartments. No word on the rest of the necessary financing...

^ I think the general consensus at the time (according to the Crain's commentors, who tend to be more civil and intelligent than the commentors at Chicago's other periodicals) is that this news was BS.

ChiPhi · #**7498** Posted: **Apr 19, 2012, 7:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I think the general consensus at the time (according to the Crain's commentors, who tend to be more civil and intelligent than the commentors at Chicago's other periodicals) is that this news was BS.

I rarely bring out the banana (in my brief few months of commenting), especially for a cancelled project, but:

Joe Zekas · #**7499** Posted: **Apr 20, 2012, 12:12 AM**

Alan Schachtman, the principal in charge of the project, talks in this YouTube video about the status of the project.

Window installation will start in May and McHugh will be on a 3-day-per-floor schedule once the 9th floor is complete. The sixth is nearing completion.

Off camera Alan told me that a deal has been finalized to bridge from the K2 deck level directly to Jewel.

I finally have all the insurance clearances and safety training that enables me to begin roaming the job site more freely, and expect to be donning my hard hat and safety vest and shooting video of the trades at work and chatting with them about their jobs.

Alan also mentioned that K2 will be more architecturally interesting than the other K Station buildings. I'll be meeting with George Pappageorge, Brian Kidd and Adam Lavey to talk about the details of that on camera.

ardecila · #**7500** Posted: **Apr 20, 2012, 1:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Zekas

Off camera Alan told me that a deal has been finalized to bridge from the K2 deck level directly to Jewel.

Cool. I wonder how this will work from a security perspective... will they issue some kind of key or keycard to K2 tenants to pass through a gate? Or will the passageway be (hopefully) open to the public?

K2 offers a great opportunity to introduce pedestrian connectivity to an area that's incredibly chopped-up due to numerous layers of infrastructure.

Also, Joe, is this the last tower that Fifield is planning for K Station? There are several more sites in the area, although I know the Kennedy running underneath and the high-speed rail ROW pose some unique challenges.