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Thanks for the history. I was always curious why it was capped in that one spot. Since, people have been talking about capping the Kennedy around the loop lately.
So, since that area is developing again what types of things could be built on top of the cap now? I guess you could put a park on top of it easily. Could you build a small retail building? Would larger structures basically have to be cantilever over top of the cap.
The Halsted Viaduct looks interesting in that old aerial. It almost looks like a truss bridge. When was the haunch girder design of present day constructed?
^ 1967-68, according to the Trib. Apparently the truss dated back to 1887 and it was severely damaged after the construction of Hubbard's Cave caused ground settlement. Plus, the city wanted to widen it to four lanes. A similar bridge existed at Sangamon two blocks west, and at Grand a few blocks northeast.
In the picture (taken from C&NW's elevated viaduct, now UP-West) you can see the rebar for the Kennedy retaining wall sticking up at far right.
__________________ The joy and stimulus in architecture is the discovery of fresh combinations of old ingredients appropriate to present problems. I’d rather be right than contemporary. - Harry Weese
^ Wow, what a photo. Is that from the Tribune archive? The caption should be "Chicago in the Mesozoic." But it can't be older than the late 1950s if the Kennedy is being constructed?
Also, I came across this video for the East-West University Student Life Center, which features a full 3D model and new angles of the proposed building.
^^^ Someone certainly was busy yesterday... AND you found this awesome video. I love this competition that EW has gotten in with Roosevelt for the best vertical campus; both buildings are nice, but I'm not sure the new EW student center will be as iconic as Roosevelt's building.
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“The test of a great building is in the marketplace. The Marketplace recognizes the value of quality architecture and endorses it in the sales price it is able to achieve.” — Jon Pickard, Principal, Pickard Chilton
Also, I came across this video for the East-West University Student Life Center, which features a full 3D model and new angles of the proposed building.
Personally not a fan of this 3D rendering. The design seems void of life.
^^^
Good news. Hopefully we'll see this one start before the summer's end, though I doubt it.
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“The test of a great building is in the marketplace. The Marketplace recognizes the value of quality architecture and endorses it in the sales price it is able to achieve.” — Jon Pickard, Principal, Pickard Chilton
^^^ They wouldn't have closed the garage and put up fencing unless they had either financing in hand, good reason to assume they were about to get financing, or decided to tear the garage down anyhow for some reason.
Think about it, why would anyone tear down / shut down a valuable asset like an income producing garage unless they had guarantees in place?
Sounds to me like demolition is imminent and construction probably isn't far off.
^ Wow, what a photo. Is that from the Tribune archive? The caption should be "Chicago in the Mesozoic." But it can't be older than the late 1950s if the Kennedy is being constructed?
The photo is from 1959. The damaged bridge was shored up temporarily until the city could build the current one 7-8 years later.
The photo probably comes from some newspaper archive, but I don't know if it's the Trib - it comes from an eBay listing.
__________________ The joy and stimulus in architecture is the discovery of fresh combinations of old ingredients appropriate to present problems. I’d rather be right than contemporary. - Harry Weese
^^^ They wouldn't have closed the garage and put up fencing unless they had either financing in hand, good reason to assume they were about to get financing, or decided to tear the garage down anyhow for some reason.
Think about it, why would anyone tear down / shut down a valuable asset like an income producing garage unless they had guarantees in place?
Sounds to me like demolition is imminent and construction probably isn't far off.
^ Couldn't agree more.
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If you can't beat 'um, join 'um. And if you can't join 'um, beat 'um.
^^^ Good points, though we have all seen plenty of overzealous developers do silly things... It does seem likely to go through though!
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“The test of a great building is in the marketplace. The Marketplace recognizes the value of quality architecture and endorses it in the sales price it is able to achieve.” — Jon Pickard, Principal, Pickard Chilton
^^^ Yes, but those things usually involve attempts to make/save money. A developer will tear down a handsome building that needs repairs in hopes of saving the money on repairs, but he won't tear down an ugly garage that is generating lots of cash unless there is something seriously wrong with it or some money in it for him.
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A similar bridge existed at Sangamon two blocks west, and at Grand a few blocks northeast.
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