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Old 12-17-2020, 06:41 AM
 
5,068 posts, read 2,144,567 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoHyping View Post
Here is one from a year ago on adding Unbult and Cancelled Chicago tall boys if
Chicago had them built and how Chicago would look. CHICAGO IS ALMOST Unrecognizable....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe2vfku1hdw

U like the previous one I posted with the current planned and approved ones built.
I recognize Chicago in that one at least.

The maker of both videos claimed to have a - Unbuilt NYC one and Unbuilt Dubai one to come.
Just proves what I have been saying on here for months how this city cannot get things done. Its sad. Other places sure get things built
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Old 12-17-2020, 12:11 PM
 
1,803 posts, read 919,480 times
Reputation: 1344
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert9 View Post
Just proves what I have been saying on here for months how this city cannot get things done. Its sad. Other places sure get things built
Give us what cities are doing better? Getting supertalls and keep it North America. If it just goes to NYC. perhaps realizing a ton of such buildings never got built in NYC Also proposed.... in the 80s it includes a Trump Tower supertall that nimbyism played a key-roll killing.

When you learn so many other cities had this.... Houston even had one in the 80s that never was. That was a early 80s recession and with Houston .... Oil was key then. I am sure there were other cities.

At least Chicago can blame the Crash, Recessions by the time construction would have been.... etc. Just a few by the 07 slump and 08 Crash did some in. Most before that HAD RECESSIONS also to blame. Not LOCAL POLITICS short of some nimbyism. and no other city has had that more than SF.... SF should LOOK LIKE HONG KONG TODAY..... think about it. Nimbyism kept the city from becoming as a Peninsula highly seen as desirable like a Island that Manhattan was.....ripe to just keep going upward and was prevented from it by - N I M B Y I S M - alone. Yet there would be little of old SF left perhaps otherwise?

Some jump on the bandwagon as is their mojoe to lessen Chicago and ANYTHING will due. Still a PERFECT STORM must occur to get these babies and most skyscrapers built. FINANCING, CITY APPROVAL and ALL PERMITS, Projecting outward to completion and PROFITS able to be made. Meaning a RECESSION ALONE killed many. Trump also HATED the idea of the Spire rising over his new Tower so soon after his took over #2 in the city and a WAS TO BE THE TALLEST IN EARLY PLANNING. Eventually, 9 11 fears still claimed for a scale-down of even Trump Tower Chicago..... Plenty of old links to learn of these things. I also lived though eras I kept up on Chicago news.

If the crash did not occur... we would have the Spire. Trump had DuetschBank money to ultimately finish Trump Tower as sit was halfway or more up. Trump still had plenty of financial issues with it having to sue DuetschBank to extend payback and plead the Crash was as a Natural Disaster of sorts and plenty other tricks getting hundreds of thousands of dept ultimately forgiven.

Plenty of links to look on up it. This is really NOT a Political forum. Yet all is being blamed on CITY Politics alone for these buildings... THIS IS NOT TRUE FOR MOST. Some perhaps. Nimbyism alone for others. Just keep it not on a ONE HORSE BLAME PONY ... cause it ain't.

Realize that the maker of the video and others we posted..... also said he is doing some on UNBUILT NYC and DUBAI.....
From the maker of the video ..... IN REPLIES...

Lewis Garrison
1 week ago
@J-Meister I have and unbuilt Dubai model in the works! Hoping to make videos on it very soon.

There was this comment on a couple SuperTalls that died...

Joe M
1 year ago
Terrific illustration of Chicago my man! The Great recession stopped the Chicago Spire and the Gulf War delayed the Chicago Skyneedle and unfortunately Lee Miglin being murdered cause it's ultimate cancellation. Leaves me heartbroken because we were so close to having two 2000' footers dominating the skyline. I appreciate your work though!

^ SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS claiming Chicago Dem politics to blame for every issue........

ahh the Miglin perfume and boutique empire. Well the wife's was such. I remember Marilyn Miglin selling here perfume on HSN the Home Shopping Network on TV in it earlier heydays of the 90s. She was old then as I am or older even LOL. This Miglin supertall was to be their legacy to Chicago. Sad he had to be murdered.

I still do not want The THOMPSON to be demolished for ANY SuperTall. Butted up against it maybe.... I think it will get Landmark status anyway to prevent demolishing it. Thought I would throw that in .....

Makes me wonder where the State of IL selling it is currently??? That is another thread and I can surely look it up. Just seems like no news on it minus this pandemic ruling everything. I can see it being a burden and at some point upkeep needs to go forward? Just a sale and keep it more as it is will take a re-purpose that still is profitable for a buyer and the price right with so many restrictions housing the L station below.

Last edited by NoHyping; 12-17-2020 at 01:12 PM..
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Old 12-17-2020, 04:51 PM
 
5,068 posts, read 2,144,567 times
Reputation: 5153
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoHyping View Post
Give us what cities are doing better? Getting supertalls and keep it North America. If it just goes to NYC. perhaps realizing a ton of such buildings never got built in NYC Also proposed.... in the 80s it includes a Trump Tower supertall that nimbyism played a key-roll killing.

When you learn so many other cities had this.... Houston even had one in the 80s that never was. That was a early 80s recession and with Houston .... Oil was key then. I am sure there were other cities.

At least Chicago can blame the Crash, Recessions by the time construction would have been.... etc. Just a few by the 07 slump and 08 Crash did some in. Most before that HAD RECESSIONS also to blame. Not LOCAL POLITICS short of some nimbyism. and no other city has had that more than SF.... SF should LOOK LIKE HONG KONG TODAY..... think about it. Nimbyism kept the city from becoming as a Peninsula highly seen as desirable like a Island that Manhattan was.....ripe to just keep going upward and was prevented from it by - N I M B Y I S M - alone. Yet there would be little of old SF left perhaps otherwise?

Some jump on the bandwagon as is their mojoe to lessen Chicago and ANYTHING will due. Still a PERFECT STORM must occur to get these babies and most skyscrapers built. FINANCING, CITY APPROVAL and ALL PERMITS, Projecting outward to completion and PROFITS able to be made. Meaning a RECESSION ALONE killed many. Trump also HATED the idea of the Spire rising over his new Tower so soon after his took over #2 in the city and a WAS TO BE THE TALLEST IN EARLY PLANNING. Eventually, 9 11 fears still claimed for a scale-down of even Trump Tower Chicago..... Plenty of old links to learn of these things. I also lived though eras I kept up on Chicago news.

If the crash did not occur... we would have the Spire. Trump had DuetschBank money to ultimately finish Trump Tower as sit was halfway or more up. Trump still had plenty of financial issues with it having to sue DuetschBank to extend payback and plead the Crash was as a Natural Disaster of sorts and plenty other tricks getting hundreds of thousands of dept ultimately forgiven.

Plenty of links to look on up it. This is really NOT a Political forum. Yet all is being blamed on CITY Politics alone for these buildings... THIS IS NOT TRUE FOR MOST. Some perhaps. Nimbyism alone for others. Just keep it not on a ONE HORSE BLAME PONY ... cause it ain't.

Realize that the maker of the video and others we posted..... also said he is doing some on UNBUILT NYC and DUBAI.....
From the maker of the video ..... IN REPLIES...

Lewis Garrison
1 week ago
@J-Meister I have and unbuilt Dubai model in the works! Hoping to make videos on it very soon.

There was this comment on a couple SuperTalls that died...

Joe M
1 year ago
Terrific illustration of Chicago my man! The Great recession stopped the Chicago Spire and the Gulf War delayed the Chicago Skyneedle and unfortunately Lee Miglin being murdered cause it's ultimate cancellation. Leaves me heartbroken because we were so close to having two 2000' footers dominating the skyline. I appreciate your work though!

^ SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS claiming Chicago Dem politics to blame for every issue........

ahh the Miglin perfume and boutique empire. Well the wife's was such. I remember Marilyn Miglin selling here perfume on HSN the Home Shopping Network on TV in it earlier heydays of the 90s. She was old then as I am or older even LOL. This Miglin supertall was to be their legacy to Chicago. Sad he had to be murdered.

I still do not want The THOMPSON to be demolished for ANY SuperTall. Butted up against it maybe.... I think it will get Landmark status anyway to prevent demolishing it. Thought I would throw that in .....

Makes me wonder where the State of IL selling it is currently??? That is another thread and I can surely look it up. Just seems like no news on it minus this pandemic ruling everything. I can see it being a burden and at some point upkeep needs to go forward? Just a sale and keep it more as it is will take a re-purpose that still is profitable for a buyer and the price right with so many restrictions housing the L station below.
Its not just recent either as there were tall towers in the 90s as well that never ended up being built. Its sadly a Chicago tradition
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Old 12-17-2020, 06:33 PM
 
548 posts, read 396,026 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoHyping View Post
Now I call them the Alligator skin buildings. It is amazing how many buildings came and went for this sight since the Spire. This one was one I never saw. I think there were 2 others also I believe. I couldn't find renderings for this post except for the Gateway Tower below .... If the current ones by Related do not get built..... I think the sight is cursed....

Plain terracotta does not make or break it for me. It was still rather plain... just maybe more white then metallic-like? Time will tell. Some links still said terracotta accents for the final renderings.... We shall see hopefully. It was not gonna be Wrigley terracotta stock.

Remember this one in 2016 a 150-story one - Gateway Tower for the former Spire sight - pictures in link ...

https://www.dezeen.com/2016/06/07/ge...go-spire-site/

Remember this one for the Old Post Office sight in 2011- a 120-story Tower and 4 other smaller ones ....

https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/...ll-skyscraper/

People forget that .... every city has Towers planned and approved that never got built. Chicago is just another. Even mighty Dubai and NYC ....
Yes, I remember those proposals quite well, Gensler designed the 2,000' Gateway Tower in the first link that you posted.

The post office developer died so that project faded but I guess it was a serious propsoal.

Here is another concept for the Spire site that you were mentioning which made news, they were designed by 'STL Architects.' I like these as well but they were far less creative and progressive than Zaha Hadid or David Childs' designs.



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Old 12-17-2020, 08:05 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IronWright View Post
Yes, I remember those proposals quite well, Gensler designed the 2,000' Gateway Tower in the first link that you posted.

The post office developer died so that project faded but I guess it was a serious propsoal.

Here is another concept for the Spire site that you were mentioning which made news, they were designed by 'STL Architects.' I like these as well but they were far less creative and progressive than Zaha Hadid or David Childs' designs.
Have some names for these past Former Chicago Spire Proposed Towers never build from some posted in this thread..... The one clearly looks like Alligator skin exterior .....

One posted I in a previous post I call the Alligator Skin Towers.
The gator made it up the mighty Mississippi River stopped from.
entering the Lake Michigan and re-purposed for these buildings.

We All Know that the Original Chicago Spire could have been ---- " The Screw Chicago Center" ......
Alligators get stopped from going into Lake Michigan becomes ---- "Alligator Center of Chicago" .....
I am not sure what to call the Gateway megatall, maybe the ----- "Daddy Long Leg of Chicago"......
These The twin Towers you showed us above. I would call -------- "Leaning Towers of Chicago" .....
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Old 12-18-2020, 04:58 PM
 
548 posts, read 396,026 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoHyping View Post
Have some names for these past Former Chicago Spire Proposed Towers never build from some posted in this thread..... The one clearly looks like Alligator skin exterior .....

One posted I in a previous post I call the Alligator Skin Towers.
The gator made it up the mighty Mississippi River stopped from.
entering the Lake Michigan and re-purposed for these buildings.

We All Know that the Original Chicago Spire could have been ---- " The Screw Chicago Center" ......
Alligators get stopped from going into Lake Michigan becomes ---- "Alligator Center of Chicago" .....
I am not sure what to call the Gateway megatall, maybe the ----- "Daddy Long Leg of Chicago"......
These The twin Towers you showed us above. I would call -------- "Leaning Towers of Chicago" .....
You're right, a lot of architects threw their ideas for the site in the ring. It's funny that you said Alligator skin for Zaha Hadid's towers. I always looked at them like oddly distorted corn cobs. Now I see Alligator skin patterns when I look at them. That was a good observation you had, I never would have seen that.


Here is another one that was designed for the site







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Old 12-19-2020, 03:03 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
8,851 posts, read 5,771,705 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IronWright View Post
Chicago hasn't been leading the way in height or design for a very long time now. Chicago firms are still very much in demand around the world however where there is actual innovation and new height thresholds taking place. Developers in Chicago have been demonstrably conservative and risk averse the last decade.

Chicago is stuck in the Miesian past where minimilism is king. Developers and architects are building blue-glass-boxes ad-nauseum which have dominated the city's landscpae the past 10 years. In the few years leading up to the 2008 recession Chicago was still the leader in world class designs and pushing boundaries for height. New York has ran away from Chicago in terms of innovation, materials and height.
Post-COVID, I don’t see any super tall buildings going up, at least for the next 10 years. There’s uncertainties around how downtowns will function, and if they will ever return to “normal.” People want more space. Condo and apartments are hurting. With remote work, and the cost savings they provide, companies can save millions by not renting out expensive office space. That’s not to say that there won’t be some companies, people, tenants, etc that won’t return to normal. But nowhere near enough for developers to spend the billions it will cost for these super-talls for questionable returns. During previous recessions, Atlanta and Miami did a bunch of building a couple years prior and were left with completely empty office buildings for years and developers lost billions. Don’t expect to see any significant buildings go up for the next 10 years.
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Old 12-19-2020, 03:38 PM
 
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Yeah... my few reasons for some of my post were because some blamed Chicago politics for one as a key to cancelled buildings, and some nimbyism still.... disregard how corrupt politicians and businessmen who see $$$ and deals made to get some built. Tax deals and more and Donald Trump clearly know this. We won't mention the corrupt Alderman who was his real estate lawyer who got millions in tax cuts over the years. I am sure he got some deals for his Chicago Tower.

Anyway, to single Chicago as if the only major city that lost supertalls and like I posted. Most after all permits and approvals to build.... still did not from recessions, war delays, investor murdered, the Crash..... on and on and in ALL cities.

Some might think Chicago should be waaaay more special and not prone to markets and price-points of investors limiting Architects from doing the sky is the limit with every extra they can fit in... does not work in a a democracy where for-profit-rules.

Probably, the office tower that will have the Sales Force name at Wolf Point going up.... might be the last for a while. Chicago had years of none in the recent past and most residential/hotel mixed-use. Still a new near 50-story is to go up on Michigan south of Wacker. Construction might have begun. Not like nothing is going up. A slowdown from the past boom... yes sadly and many cities. Even mighty NYC.

Even Toronto for decades had supertalls planned and never got built or maybe scaled back. That city is Canada's boom city for decades straight even. Hopefully the doomsayers lighten up a bit and APPRECIATE what though EVERY HURDLE till it begins construction and still could stop at any time like some did during the crash once started. Including up 20 stories already and stopped. LEARN TO APPRECIATE THOSE THAT CHICAGO DID GET. Like the St Regis (Vista) and even the under-construction One Chicago. Just at the supertall point. All it needs is a under 100ft SPIRE and Viola it counts....

Look at the new World Trade or Freedom Tower that has its Spire count to pass Chicago's Sears..... Yet this Spire is NO SLEEP SPIRE. It looks like a Antenna. The one on Trump Tower Chicago is a pointy but smalish Spire and counts. Sears a Big John's Twin antenna do not count.

I also fear the Tribune East new suppertall to be just shy of Sears.... will be delayed and possibly the Spire replacements that were to begin early next year? Hope not but reality says chances are it might?

Also if you look into cost? Once especially over 40 stories .... the cost starts to skyrocket. Construction needs additional strength etc built in. The St Regis (Vista) is what.... a 1-billion $$$ costing building. I still cannot believe the new base for Big Sears..... cost $500-mil. Just to redo the base with retail and more.... That is investing in Chicago. By a British owner no? But what a era to finish something. Few Office workers even in Sears for all the new additions to cater to.... The New Hyatt Hotel in OLD Cook County Hospital opened this past summer to NO Conventions even..... see how unpredictable a economy can be from start to finish of a project over 2-3 yrs .... along with the Old Post Office redo. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Some who are staunch Conservatives. Should realize none of these developers are in it for just esteem given and because Chicago deserves the grandest building they can build. They are FOR PROFIT and need to MEET PRICE-POINTS and can easily get cold feet if the economy hiccups.....
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Old 12-20-2020, 01:06 PM
 
548 posts, read 396,026 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoHyping View Post
Yeah... my few reasons for some of my post were because some blamed Chicago politics for one as a key to cancelled buildings, and some nimbyism still.... disregard how corrupt politicians and businessmen who see $$$ and deals made to get some built. Tax deals and more and Donald Trump clearly know this. We won't mention the corrupt Alderman who was his real estate lawyer who got millions in tax cuts over the years. I am sure he got some deals for his Chicago Tower.

Anyway, to single Chicago as if the only major city that lost supertalls and like I posted. Most after all permits and approvals to build.... still did not from recessions, war delays, investor murdered, the Crash..... on and on and in ALL cities.
Chicago aldermen and their zoning privilege has absolutely led to canceled plans before they ever had a fair chance to be voted on. NIMBY's in Chicago have become extremely prevelant as well and today you have community guidelines created by resident organizations that have a major say in everything that gets built. Developers have to appease these groups with sometimes dozens of public meetings. In some cases they are fighting over something being built blocks away from their building. An entire neighbnorhood should not be able to come out and stop progress like this for anything being built within its borders.

Even when a project isn't outright rejected for arbitrary reasons they push timelines back years and years by forcing redesigns to address NIMBY concerns. This also leads to changes in the look, function, height and density which scales everything back to more modest plans rather than being what they consider "overwhelming."

Draper and Kramer had an approval for a 400' tower at 61 E. Banks in the Gold Coast. A resident organization fought them to the Illinois Supreme Court where they won a decision to dictate what the developer could build. This set a terrible precedence and the blueprint now is to sue over anything that you don't like.

That Gold Coast associastion was led by a former Alderman that was president of the zoning commission. They had lawyers and architects in their ranks arguing against the project and spent almost a million fighting the developer for 10 years. The city took back its approval and only an 8 story low-rise was built on the site. They argued that a 40 story building "didn't fit the character of the neighborhood" and the historic mansions on Astor St. would be harmed.

Those homes are 3 blocks from the site that they were suing over where there's already a 40 story building next to the one they were suing to stop. All around the site there are high-rises of varying heights from various eras. This helped create a process where aldermen now defer to their donors for "community" input when in reality they are keeping Chicago from ever reaching its true potential.

Alderman Reilly's decision to not allow Related to include a hotel at 400 N.LSD forced a redesign process which took 2 years and by the time it was finally approved a pandemic came along and killed the chances of them being built. The original plan was to begin construction on both towers simultaneously in early 2019. If not for Reilly's pandering to the townhome community on North Water Street over hotel guests and traffic these towers might be almost topped out by now with the original designs in tact.

Symmetry Developers proposed a 725' tower at 740 N. Rush. Reilly said that there is too much traffic at that intersection and moved to have the buildings there landmarked to block any future proposals. That is a dictatorship. He denies the city more residents, increased tax dollars, jobs and desnity by doing this. He killed off a 45 story hotel proposed for the same site in 2014.

740 N. Rush This is only footsteps from One Chicago Square, with this building added that part of the skyline would have added 3 new peaks and the streets would have had so much more pedestrian activity/vibrancy.



1000M was scaled back from being a supertall because the Landmark Commission ruled that it "didn't respect the Michigan Ave. streetwall." So again 2 years passed for a redesign and when it broke ground the pandemeic put a halt to construction. Had it been allowed to move forward with the original design the city would have had an iconic landmark tower fronting Grant Park which would only increase our reputation and skyline. Instead they got in their own way and the years lost to these demands being met means a different market may arise by the time they have finally received approval which could make the project less feasible.

A 425' tower at 1130 N. State was rejected immediately by Alderman Hopkins for being "too tall" and "too dense." The neighbors complained that apartments would bring too many short term young residents to the neighborhood and too many deliveries would ruin traffic. Again the developers now have to spend years meeting demands to address bogus NIMBY concerns.

1130 N. State



Lincoln Yards had the zoning height lowered from 850' to 650'. They had a soccer stadium and entertainment district canceled from the proposal. They made them create more park space and after redesigns the project is much lower density and is only a fraction of the scale without the original amenities.

The Obama Library has been tied up in lawsuits for years. These delays have pushed back much needed stimulation to Woodlawn. The city is losing jobs, education, tourists, homes, tax dollars etc. over NIMBY's having absurd demands and wanting community agreements.

The Old Town Park development lost a 460' tower because the city increased affordable housing requirements so ONNI Development canceled the tallest building in the project and put all the affordable units in a 1970's era lowrise building that they would have demolished for the tower. With the increase it wasn't feasible to build the 4th tower.

The Lucas Museum was of course lost because a parking lot was saved to stop a world class institution from coming to Museum Campus. The lawsuits made George Lucas go to L.A. rather than spend years in court like Obama's Library has.

Polish Triangle in Wicker Park had a proposal for a 12 story building denied and replaced by 4 story apartment development, and a 16 story building at Wicker Park Connection. In both cases the alderman was pressured into denying the proposals over blue-line congestion and too much density.

Six-Corners in Portage Park has had a 10 story senior citizen building denied by the aldermen and he has stopped revitalization there for years.

All of these examples are just a few but there are many more of these insane practices that have become all too common in Chicago. We used to be pro-development but now we force developers to make their buildings blend in with their surroundings and not overshadow their neighbors. Look at all the plataeus created in the skyline from the last decade.

Chicago has a broken system where too many zoning laws and archaic practices have created a city where everyone feels entitled to say what gets built where and how it will look. We have way too much land zoned single-family and in 90% of cases a multi-family building can't be built above 4 stories in our neighborhoods unless it is T.O.D which shouldn't have restrictions but aldermen have the power to restrict whatever, whenever.

So yes, Chicago should be above and beyond all of this given our history of architecture and engineering. We have had the opportunity to have much more investment, density, height and scale than what we have. These practices have kept our city in check like never before. Its not contrcution costs, Chicago's GDP, jobs, violence, weather or whatever excuse is given. Developers have seen much more potential in Chicago than what is reflected. It is our residents and aldermen that have no wish of us ever becoming a hyper-dense global mega-city, i.e. New York 2.0... They want to keep their streets as quaint as possible and are highly organized to do so.

We keep small town values and govern every piece of land under a microscope to scrutinize every detail until it meets these unimposing, non-offesnive standards. Skyscrapers downtown are one thing but where the real loss is at is in not allowing mid and high-rise buildings in our outer neighborhoods. This would not only enhance the streetscapes and scale but it would grow the populations which are all down majorly from their historic highs. A 12 story building in Chicago should not cause pure outrage, lawsuits, redesigns, shortening, delays etc. but this is sadly exactly where we are at. In the right location even a 4 story building causes that same reaction.

Last edited by IronWright; 12-20-2020 at 01:50 PM..
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Old 12-20-2020, 01:50 PM
 
5,068 posts, read 2,144,567 times
Reputation: 5153
Quote:
Originally Posted by IronWright View Post
Chicago aldermen and their zoning privilege has absolutely led to canceled plans before they ever had a fair chance to be voted on. NIMBY's in Chicago have become extremely prevelant as well and today you have community guidelines created by resident organizations that have a major say in everything that gets built. Developers have to appease these groups with sometimes dozens of public meetings. In some cases they are fighting over something being built blocks away from their building. An entire neighbnorhood should not be able to come out and stop progress like this for anything being built within its borders.

Even when a project isn't outright rejected for arbitrary reasons they push timelines back years and years by forcing redesigns to address NIMBY concerns. This also leads to changes in the look, function, height and density which scales everything back to more modest plans rather than being what they consider "overwhelming."

Draper and Kramer had an approval for a 400' tower at 61 E. Banks in the Gold Coast. A resident organization fought them to the Illinois Supreme Court where they won a decision to dictate what the developer could build. This set a terrible precedence and the blueprint now is to sue over anything that you don't like.

That Gold Coast associastion was led by a former Alderman that was president of the zoning commission. They had lawyers and architects in their ranks arguing against the project and spent almost a million fighting the developer for 10 years. The city took back its approval and only an 8 story low-rise was built on the site. They argued that a 40 story building "didn't fit the character of the neighborhood" and the historic mansions on Astor St. would be harmed.

Those homes are 3 blocks from the site that they were suing over where there's already a 40 story building next to the one they were suing to stop. All around the site there are high-rises of varying heights from various eras. This helped create a process where aldermen now defer to their donors for "community" input when in reality they are keeping Chicago from ever reaching its true potential.

Alderman Reilly's decision to not allow Related to include a hotel at 400 N.LSD forced a redesign process which took 2 years and by the time it was finally approved a pandemic came along and killed the chances of them being built. The original plan was to begin construction on both towers simultaneously in early 2019. If not for Reilly's pandering to the townhome community on North Water Street over hotel guests and traffic these towers might be almost topped out by now with the original designs in tact.

Symmetry Developers proposed a 725' tower at 740 N. Rush. Reilly said that there is too much traffic at that intersection and moved to have the buildings there landmarked to block any future proposals. That is a dictatorship. He denies the city more residents, increased tax dollars, jobs and desnity by doing this. He killed off a 45 story hotel proposed for the same site in 2014.

740 N. Rush This is only footsteps from One Chicago Square, with this building added that part of the skyline would have added 3 new peaks and the streets would have had so much more pedestrian activity/vibrancy.



1000M was scaled back from being a supertall because the Landmark Commission ruled that it "didn't respect the Michigan Ave. streetwall." So again 2 years passed for a redesign and when it broke ground the pandemeic put a halt to construction. Had it been allowed to move forward with the original design the city would have had an iconic landmark tower fronting Grant Park which would only increase our reputation and skyline. Instead they got in their own way and the years lost to these demands being met means a different market may arise by the time they have finally received approval which could make the project less feasible.

A 425' tower at 1130 N. State was rejected immediately by Alderman Hopkins for being "too tall" and "too dense." The neighbors complained that apartments would bring too many short term young residents to the neighborhood and too many deliveries would ruin traffic. Again the developers now have to spend years meeting demands to address bogus NIMBY concerns.

1130 N. State



Lincoln Yards had the zoning height lowered from 850' to 650'. They had a soccer stadium and entertainment district canceled from the proposal. They made them create more park space and after redesigns the project is much lower density and is only a fraction of the scale without the original amenities.

The Obama Library has been tied up in lawsuits for years. These delays have pushed back much needed stimulation to Woodlawn. The city is losing jobs, education, tourists, homes, tax dollars etc. over NIMBY's having absurd demands and wanting community agreements.

The Old Town Park development lost a 460' tower because the city increased affordable housing requirements so ONNI Development canceled the tallest building in the project and put all the affordable units in a 1970's era lowrise building that they would have demolished for the tower. With the increase it wasn't feasible to build the 4th tower.

The Lucas Museum was of course lost because a parking lot was saved to stop a world class institution from coming to Museum Campus. The lawsuits made George Lucas go to L.A. rather than spend years in court like Obama's Library has.

Polish Triangle in Wicker Park had a proposal for a 12 story building denied and replaced by 4 story apartment development, and a 16 story building at Wicker Park Connection. In both cases the alderman was pressured into denying the proposals over blue-line congestion and too much density.

Six-Corners in Portage Park has had a 10 story senior citizen building denied by the aldermen and he has stopped revitalization there for years.

All of these examples are just a few but there are many more of these insane practices that have become all too common in Chicago. We used to be pro-development but now we force developers to make their buildings blend in with their surroundings and not overshadow their neighbors. Look at all the plataeus created in the skyline from the last decade.

Chicago has a broken system where too many zoning laws and archaic practices have created a city where everyone feels entitled to say what gets built where and how it will look. We have way too much land zoned single-family and in 90% of cases a multi-family building can't be built above 4 stories in our neighborhoods unless it is T.O.D which shouldn't have restrictions but aldermen have the power to restrict whatever, whenever.

So yes, Chicago should be above and beyond all of this given our history of architecture and engineering. We have had the opportunity to have much more investment, density, height and scale than what we have. These practices have kept our city in check like never before. Its not contrcution costs, Chicago's GDP, jobs, violence, weather or whatever excuse is given. Developers have seen much more potential in Chicago than what is reflected. It is our residents and aldermen that have no wish of us being ever becoming a hyper-dense global leader.

We keep small town values and govern every piece of land under a microscope to scrutinize every detail until it meets these unimposing, non-offesnive standards. Skyscrapers downtown are one thing but where the real loss is at is in not allowing mid and high-rise buildings in our outer neighborhoods. This would not only enhance the streetscapes and scale but it would grow the populations which are all down majorly from their historic highs. A 12 story building in Chicago should not cause pure outrage, lawsuits, redesigns, shortening, delays etc. but thisis sadly exactly where we are at. In the right location even a 4 story building causes that same reaction.
Really sad how this city now has the mentallity of a small town instead of a big city. No wonder a New Yorker recently told me how they look down upon us more than ever and see us as the Mayberry of the American City's! And someone else laughed saying how Chicago used to look down upon others and now we are so tiny comparred to many places who have grown as we fall behind
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