Getting Ready For Another Loop Skyscraper
It was just a few weeks ago that ground was broken for two of the final four skyscrapers destined to rise in Lakeshore East. Now there are promising signs that a third tower will sprout soon. Pre-construction work for Building O (Courtesy of Loop Spy Jody) Loop Spy Jody dropped some pictures in our tip line after spotting a geotechnical crew doing soil sampling at 193 North Columbus Drive — the space between Aqua and 300 East...
Groundbreaking Leaves Lakeshore East With Just Two Skyscrapers to Go
With skyscraper nerds across the Midwest still giddy from yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Cirrus and Cascade towers in Lakeshore East, it’s worth tallying what’s left to build there. The answer is: not much. There are just two more large buildings left to build at the complex that started its journey from wharf-side rail yard to model urban community over half a century ago. August 2018 rendering...
Here They Grow Again: Lakeshore East Breaks Ground on Two New Skyscrapers
Hands will be shaken, smiles will be flashed, and ground will be broken today on Cirrus and Cascade, the latest skyscrapers to rise at Lakeshore East. They’re the newest towers to go up at the lake-adjacent former rail yard that Magellan Development has been turning into a rather nice residential community over the last couple of decades. This time, Aussie Lendlease is lending a hand. So to speak. Rendering of Cirrus...
GEMS School in Lakeshore East Will Be Less Colorful
Remember when the GEMS Chicago Lower School went up on the edge of Lakeshore East Park, and everyone gave it a big round of applause in part because of its colorful facade that was a tip of the hat to the foliage, buildings, and other elements of the surrounding environment? That was pretty awesome. Then remember when the GEMS Chicago Upper School was announced and it, too, was going to be an interesting compilation of hues meant to...
This is What a 95-Story Skyscraper Does to Chicago’s Skyline
Chicago has one of the world’s great skylines. And some of the things that make it great are the supertall buildings that punctuate it like the paper tape from a politician’s lie detector test. You’ve known for years that the construction of Magellan Development’s Vista Tower would be a skyline-changing event. Now just in time to impress your downstate relatives coming to visit for Christmas, we can really...
Aon Center Elevator Attraction Looks Like A Go
Late this week the Chicago Plan Commission is expected to vote on whether to allow the new owners of the Aon Center to clamp a glass elevator to the northwest corner of the city’s third-tallest building and put a thrill ride on the roof. If you’re not into that whole “waiting for stuff to happen” thing, here are some tea leaves for you to read: It’s gonna happen. How can we prognosticate in such an...
Every Web Page About the Aon Center is About to Become Wrong
If you’re a fan of Wikipedia, the wannabe encyclopedia that’s the equivalent of asking a bunch of strangers at a bus stop to do your homework, it will soon need to be updated. Along with the 8,643 other web sites that catalog skyscraper heights. Right now, the Aon Center’s “architectural height” is 1,136 feet. That means to the top of the mechanical room that hides all of the HVAC equipment. That space...
Does Magellan Development’s Vista Tower Deliver on Views? See For Yourself!
If Magellan Development names a new building “Vista,” it should probably have some decent views. And if that building is located on the Chicago River, those views should be somewhat above average. And if the building is 95 stories tall, the views really almost certainly should be singularly spectacular, right? We’re happy to report: Correct on all counts. Joe Zekas, of YoChicago!, went up to the 70-somethingth...
Vista Tower Scrapes Sky In Lakeshore East, Windows Going In
If you’ve been wondering about Magellan Development’s Vista Tower lately — and we know you have — word on the street is that things are progressing nicely. The Studio Gang-designed residential and hotel tower, which will absolutely positively not look anything at all like three adjacent stacks of Chinese take-out boxes, is already tall enough to look down on former Lakeshore East belle of the ball, Aqua. Aqua was designed...
You Get a Skyscraper! And You Get a Skyscraper!
In its most Oprah-riffic maneuver since the great Skyscraper-palooza of 2014, the Chicago Plan Commission approved a slew of new skyscrapers for the Windy City. In a series of votes today, the commission approved plans for 18 new towers for downtown Chicago. To put that into a completely inaccurate and meaningless comparison, it’s like Chicago just got Indianapolis added to its skyscraper menagerie. 700 at the River The Plan...
Recent From Proposals
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Newberry Library Getting a 34-Story Bookend October 7, 2019 -
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