#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Twilight on Michigan Avenue

(Hat tip:

Soil Boring Test Equipment Appears Outside of 1411 S. Michigan

A reader sent us the following picture and suspects some developer might be sniffing out the property at 1411 S. Michigan (just south of the Chicago Firehouse):

This looks like a soil boring test which probably means someone is curious about this property, right?

Does anyone have any insight on this one?

(Hat tip:  BH!)

Natural Girl Salon Opening at 1507 S. State

A reader writes:

Attached is a photo of a new hair boutique on State St.

This has been added to the business counter!

(Hat tip:  MK!)

Versailes Massage & Bar Coming to 1331 S. Michigan Ave

A reader writes:

My wife snapped this picture 1331 South Michigan Avenue, the sign reads "Versailes Massage & Bar". Certainly an interesting concept.

Ummmm, this is slightly confusing right?  By bar do they mean a drinking bar?  or some other kinda bar?

Thoughts?

Business Counter is updated!

(Hat tip:  JM!)

25-Story Rental Tower Coming to the Sloop; Apparently will Block Hebru Brantley Wabash Arts Corridor Mural

And here comes another new development (via Curbed):

Last week, renderings were released for an upcoming project at 1136-40 South Wabash, a property that sits adjacent to the CTA Roosevelt station. The project was recently revealed to the Greater South Loop Association and marks yet one more residential project for the booming South Loop area. The proposal is being developed by a joint venture of Keith Giles and CA Ventures and will be constructed on a city owned surface parking lot which the development team has a contract to purchase from the city for $4.4 million. The proposal's latest version calls for a 25-story rental apartment building, with residences stacked between floors 5 through 24. The first three levels will be reserved for parking and ground level retail space, while the fourth level will feature the building's amenities. Capping the top of the building would be a 25th floor lounge.

Apparently it's moving forward pretty quickly judging by pictures and this blurb:

Before the recession hit, the site was targeted for developing student housing, but this like another planned dorm tower at Van Buren and Wabash never got off the ground before the economic downturn hit. The site has seen soil testing and some potholing to examine the composition of the site's subterranean geology and the locations of buried foundations from previous buildings. Lend Lease, the general contractor who is currently working on CMK's nearby apartment tower 1333 South Wabash has since been hired to build the 1136-40 project, which is expected to begin fairly soon as no zoning change is needed.

DNAinfo had a story on the project and provided some more details on what type of rental units it would be:

Giles unveiled plans last week for the 24-story, 320-unit apartment tower he wants to build at 1136-40 S. Wabash Ave. And he's hopping on a national trend: Half of those units will be studio "quasi-micro" apartments.  

"We’re trying to meet the demands of younger people that would rather live alone and can only afford under $2,000" rent, Giles said.

The DNAinfo story states that the building will also have a rooftop bar which could be a nice addition to the Sloop (since there aren't a ton).

Our Sloopin Development Tracker is updated with this project.

Finally, if you're looking at the picture above you will probably notice that this lot is next to the sweet Hebru Brantley Wabash Arts Corridor mural.  Looks like that's going bye-bye (unfortunately).

Dual-Branded Hotel Concept Proposed for SE Corner of Congress/Wells

Another day another proposed development for the Sloop.  This one is a dual-hotel concept (via crains):

...Beitler also wants to tee up a dual-branded 400-room hotel project in the South Loop. A Holiday Inn Express would comprise about half the rooms in the $93 million project, with a Staybridge Suites accounting for the rest. Both chains are run by InterContinental.

In the South Loop, Beitler would build a 27-story tower at the southeast corner of Wells Street and Congress Parkway. Owned by the Cacciatore family, the property includes the Hunter Building, an eight-story structure built in 1903 that would be torn down. 

Designed by Chicago architect James DeStefano, the new high-rise would include a rooftop restaurant and bar with views of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, Beitler said. He expects significant demand for rooms from the University of Illinois at Chicago and nearby hospitals like the Rush University Medical Center.

We shall see...

FYI - our Sloopin development tracker is up-to-date.

Roosevelt Road Bike Lane Painting Appears to Be Done

Well it looks like the painting for the new bike lanes on the north side of Roosevelt are done judging by all the pictures and emails we received:

Maybe this will actually cause walkers/runner to stop using this space as an extended sidewalk?  We shall see, but it does seem like it's a step in the right direction to recognize this space for what it was intended to be.  

(Hat tip:  MK, ER, LK!)

Help Fund Darryll Schiff's Wabash Arts Corridor Mural

Mock-up of "Descending to Heaven" mural planning on coming to 710 S. Wabash

A reader writes:

Darryll Schiff is one of the latest artists given the opportunity to show in Chicago's Wabash Arts Corridor. His piece titled "Descending to Heaven" will be made into a 24x56 foot mural and installed at 710 South Wabash in the renowned Wabash Arts Corridor located in Chicago's South Loop.  

This project has been in the works since May and we now are in the final stages of making it happen.

As you might have guessed, there is no funding available for this project but Darryll and I have been donating extraordinary amounts of time and our own resources in order to make it a success! Please consider covering this story to help expand the internationally recognized Wabash Arts Corridor.  

As of Friday, November 13th, they are almost 90% funded with 5 days to go! Your help and corporation is greatly appreciated! Please help us fund this incredible public art project! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1263184913/descending-to-heaven-and-into-the-wabash-arts-corr  

If you are interested and have additional questions on the project, please don't hesitate to ask!

There are some pretty cool "rewards" you can get from funding the project such as signed posters, artist talk, lunch, etc.

Here is a video if you're curious about the artist as well as some more background/perspective on the Wabash Arts Corridor:
(Hat tip:  LI!)

#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Planting Time on Michigan Avenue

(Hat tip:  JH!)

Outdoor Ping Pong Table Installed at 1135 S. Michigan Ave. in Grant Park

As a self proclaimed ping pong aficionado this is interesting (via DNAinfo):

Parks officials hope to court more visitors to Grant Park Skate Park with a ping pong table that doubles as a skateboarding prop.  

The table was installed Monday just south of the new skate park, 1135 S. Michigan Ave. Made by New York-based Henge, the steel-and-concrete table weighs 2,600 pounds, a heavy lift for the crews that put it in place.  

"The park is an amazing achievement already because of skate designs," said Alan Good, CEO of Henge. "Trying to get strangers to meet each other and talk is the goal of the table."  

The table was donated to the Chicago Park District by the Grant Park Conservancy, which also received it for free from Henge. There are similar tables throughout the country, but Bob O'Neill, president of the conservancy, said it was attractive for the park because skaters can also use it.

While we like the idea, we're slightly curious how practical it is.  Outdoor ping-pong + Chicago Wind = not sure how that would work.

(Hat tip:  MK!)

The Sloopin Open House:The Best View from a Kitchen We've Seen

We're in a luxury mood today and figured we would show you a unit in one museum park that has one of the best "kitchen views" we've ever seen:

Views like this ain't cheap!  This one is $1.25 million and includes 3 beds, 3 baths and 2 parking spots.  The address is 1211 S. Prairie Ave. #2506 and if it looks interesting to you head on over tomorrow, 11/14 from 2-4pm.

Oh and there is also this view - not bad:

So About Those Words in the Crosswalk...

We've had a couple people send us emails and pictures about this and honestly it seems pretty bad to us.  When we snapped the picture below, the white type was already dirty.  It seems like it's just a matter of time before it deteriorates and looks bad:

CBS2 actually had a segment on the "puzzling art".  The priceless quote comes at 0:52:

I see flip. Flip.  Watch. Watch.  Hear. Hear. It just looks stupid. Stupid to me.

Soloman Cordwell Buenz Chairman "Bullish on the South Loop"

John Lahey - Chairman & Principal Design at SCB

If real estate and architecture is your thing, we highly highly highly suggest a click over to the Chicago Architecture Blog to read an interview with John Lahey at Soloman Cordwell Buenz (one of the larger architecture firms in Chicago).

While they touch on a wide range of topics locally and nationally, they spend a good amount of space on the Sloop (specifically talking about their designs for 1326 S. Michigan and 1001 S. State).

The most interesting exchange in our opinion is the discussion about Lahey discussing his predictions on which "super tall" proposals in Chicago will actually get built (via Chicago Architecture Blog):

Editor: Chicago has several skyscraper proposals pushing 900 or 1,000 feet. Do you ever end up wishing for just a few more feet and asking a developer for just a little more money to reach a certain height? 

Lahey: Numbers are not important. A tall, slender building is usually a very good looking building. It’s neat to do tall, slender buildings, and the opportunity doesn’t come around all the time. But they’re hard to get built. They’re fun to draw, and they’re really good looking, and in some ways they’re easier to design because you’d really have to blow it to make them not good good. Technically, they’re not simple, but if you know what you’re doing, you can do one. But they’re hard to get built because they’re expensive. And how much of a premium do you pay to live on the 34th floor of that building versus another building? But it costs more to build the tall one. 

Editor: The three biggest towers on the drawing boards these days are Jeanne Gang’s Wanda Vista Tower (1,144 feet), the Raphael Viñoly towers at 113 East Roosevelt Road (829 feet), and Helmut Jahn’s 1000 South Michigan Avenue (1,030 feet). Those are some pretty big names for some big buildings. 

Lahey: One of those three will get built. I don’t know if two will. I would be shocked if all three get built. 

Editor: Because of the economics? 

Lahey: Yes. If I had to handicap it, I’d say that Wanda has a team that’s more experienced, and has a better track record of getting things done; which would be the Magellan group. The others just haven’t pulled it off as many times. But Crescent Heights is a big company, and very successful. They’re good businessmen.

It’s very neat, and it’s very exciting.

So there you have it, maybe those big buildings that have been proposed for the neighborhood won't get built.

Yummy Yummy Donuts in My Tummy - Stan's Donuts Coming to Former Jersey Mike's Space (26 E. Roosevelt)

Mmmmmmmm - donuts:

Well we heard this was going to be a 7-11....but a Stan's Donuts seems like a better option (via Eater Chicago):

Stan's is bringing its uber-popular doughnuts to two more storefronts soon. Fresh off of its opening at Clark and Diversey last month, owner and bread guru Rich Labriola is planning to open two more Stan's Donuts & Coffees: one in the former Jersey Mike's next to the Roosevelt Red Line stop at 28 E. Roosevelt, and another in a former Caribou Coffee in East Lakeview at 3300 N. Broadway. Look for the 20-seat South Loop location to open next month, while the second Lakeview spot, which holds around 40 seats, should open in the spring, Labriola says. Both will have similar menus to the three existing Stan's.

Well this is pretty rad and honestly it's a pretty big upgrade for this stretch of Roosevelt.  While obviously you'll be able to get donuts, coffee and other beverages, it appears that they also have gelato (which will be another nice thing for the neighborhood).

The big question is whether or not this business will thrive in the location.  Our guess is yes, but others may disagree since there tends to be a lot of loitering.  Any thoughts?