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Chicagoist leapt for joy a while back when we heard that superstar architect Santiago Calatrava was working on Lake Shore Drive residential highrises - but we had no idea just how high those rises would be. The Fordham Company, the developer of high-end residential real estate properties that is pushing this project forward, is expected to announce today a proposed $500 million building that would be the country's tallest, nearing 1,500 feet at its habitable top and topping out at 2,000 (with spire). The "Fordham Spire" would be a mixed-use structure (not unlike Bill Rancic's baby across Michigan Avenue), housing a twenty-story hotel and more than 200 residential units above.
Like so many record-breaking highrise proposals before it, this project is just that: a proposal. While Calatrava denies setting out to design the country's tallest building (claiming he was just trying for sumpin' special and "ideal proportions"), the Spire is already raising eyebrows and concerns from neighborhood groups, City Hall and... Donald Trump, who basked in the glory of his own lost Chicago ambitions by questioning the logic of a new record-breaking tower for our town. The influential and notoriously bitchy Streeterville Organization of Active Residents is likely to have a mixed reaction to its towering new neighbor, though - as of now - Alderman Burton Natarus seems okay with the project (praising its slender shape and the relatively small shadow it will cast over the surrounding La La Land). At this point, the city remains mum and says they'll "consider" it.
Financially speaking, if the project comes to fruition, only time will tell if people have gotten over post-9/11 acrophobia enough to shell out hella dough to live in a very tall, very vulnerable landmark buiding. And we mean hella dough: condiminium residences in the tower are expected to cost between $6.5 and 7.5 million. If things move forward as planned, residential marketing will begin in September and construction will commence once 40 percent of units are under contract. This would put the Spire's completion date somewhere around 2009.
So, back to the building's appearance: Developers have compared it to a drill bit, a twisting tree or a blade of grass, but Chicagoist sees just one thing when it gazes at the rendering: soft serve ice cream. Mr. Calatrava must be just as excited as we are about Southport's new Dairy Queen location, and after spending the past five years in a city with nary a Butterfinger Blizzard in sight, we're totally feelin' him. Santiago, your next Peanut Buster Parfait is on us.
Image courtesy of the Chicago Tribune
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Dudes. So VERY excited about the Dairy Queen. When I noticed, after moving here and unpacking and all that shit, that there was NO DAIRY QUEEN in the area, I almost cried.
How else would I get my chocolate cones with peanut butter crunchcoat??
Secret Dairy Queen! Ok I do not know if it is still there but last time i checked (2004) there was a dairy Queen in the basement of the cook county building.
well, i guess one man's twisting tree or drill bit is another woman's ribbed sex toy...
hee.
This will never happen.
I like the base of it, though. Something "Hanging Gardens of Babylon" going on there.
/Of course, that could be a parking garage.
//Which means it would suck.
To be fair, Calatrava's parking garage at the Art Museum up in Milwaukee is the nicest, airiest parking garage I have ever been in.
But yeah, I'll eat my hat if this is built.
I just love how this project would steal Trump's thunder and how he's all worked up over it.
It's an interesting design. Unique, yet not quite so out there as the cube thing Calatrava designed for NYC.
Wait, WHERE is this new Dairy Queen?!?!
Oh, and the secret DQ in the Cook County building isn't a full-service DQ--they don't have all the different treats and sundaes and whatnot. But it does have delicious soft serve, so don't get me wrong, it's good.
the DQ is on southport, somewhere north of irving (i think). you can't miss it... the sign they put up is ENORMOUS!
Actually, the new DQ is about a block south of Irving Park.
There's a full service DQ on Howard Street, between Chicago and Evanston, about two blocks East of Western.
Had a blizzard and chicken fingers there two weeks ago. Burned my tongue and got brain freeze within ten minutes. Nice.
Despite its visual similarity to soft serve and a drill bit, I think it looks like it could be a pretty beautiful building, and further distinguish our skyline as one of the most beautiful. I hope it gets built!
Sleepy Key, amen to that! Everyone loves bitching...and I don't care what the rich and powerful in Streatorville think. It would be another beautiful addition to an already breathtaking skyline.
It looks like a really interesting building - it would be a great addition to the skyline.
I can't believe anyone is asking Trump what he thinks, this building will obviously compete with his, and anything he says is just an attempt to use 9/11 fears as a business tool. Does he think that anyone building a 5-sided building today is insane? The WTC and Pentagon were attacked for what they represented, not because of their height or architecture.
Residents of Streeterville should get behind this project, unless they raise money to buy the land and turn it into a private park something is going to be built on it - and this slender building (that would become an instant landmark) is a million times better than any 40 story generic brick of condos that would most likely be built.
mmmmmm...Blizzard....
The idea of a slender, draping building like this is wonderful. I like Trump's building, but this design is on a completely different level. It's what Trump could have had if his ambition were matched by good taste.
As far as worrying about terrorism, it's worth noting that this would be finished no sooner than 2008, probably much later. Also, it's a far narrower profile than the WTC--not so easy to hit with a plane. Having said that, the clear answer is Mayor Daley's proposed no-fly zone over downtown. Enact that and don't let trucks pull up beside the building, and it should be good to go.
Let's hope this is built. This and the 2016 Olympics and Chicago will be *the* international city in the U.S.
I'm firmly in the drill-bit camp! Skyscrapers are getting ridiculous nowadays. I vote for a nice park on that site. Or perhaps--a fancy new DQ!
As far as collapsing high-rise buildings are concerned. Don't build them with open web joists, poorly installed fireproofing and rigid outer tube construction and you will be okay.
This building will be reinforced concrete by a world renown engineer known for thoughly backing up his impressive designs. Plus, this building will be subject to local codes, unlike the original WTC.
Did we learn nothing from London? The best way to beat terrorism is simply to not be scared. Man I wish I had $5M for a top floor apartment in the sky-hi-hi!
IF this building ever gets built, which it will probably not, it will look different than how it appears now. This is a trial balloon, designed to be just barely taller than Sears, to generate publicity. Last night the slobbering Calatrava-ass-kissing architects on Chicago tonight made me want to gag. They reminded me of actors talking about on a movie's DVD extra about the director. One of them literally acted like he wanted to marry Calatrava. I think a building similar to this (it'd definitely be shorter because they'll never finance such a monster) would be beautiful. I am getting tired of these "taller than Sears" non-stories that the media jumps all over every two years or so.
I love Calatrava! And all his proyects are amazing so this one won´t be different. But yeah it looks like a huge ice cream hoho
Como todo lo que hace Calatrava es algo fuera de lo comun y parece que esta vez no es la excepción. este arquitecto es uno de los mejores que existen en el planeta. Ojalá que este proyecto se logre realizar
terrorism scarerism. blah blah... Build this baby! it's fantastic!
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=238581
great images of it in the skyline... I hope it gets built.. there could be three super-talls getting built at the same time if this new one goes through too! (trump, waterview, and this one)
Personally it makes me imagine a gigantic unicorn burried under Chicago.
The architecture is a masterpiece of art. The building will add great magnificence to the Chicago Skyline and Culture. " Chicagoans love there skyscrapers ". what is all this terrorist talk, no one is scared here baby!!