Friday, July 15, 2016

Permits Come Through for Streeterville Lighthouse… er… Skyscraper

One Bennett Park, view from the southwest (Courtesy of Related Midwest)

One Bennett Park, view from the southwest (Courtesy of Related Midwest)

After months of foundation work in the mucky Streeterville soil, the City of Chicago has granted permits for full construction to begin on One Bennett Park at 451 East Grand Avenue.

It was back in February when we were the first to tell you that the first crews had arrived on the scene and were getting ready to turn the vacant lot into a stunning art deco-inspired residential tower.  Now the paperwork has come through so that the tower portion of the building can finally take its place in the downtown skyline:

Permit issued for new construction
NEW CONSTRUCTION: FULL BUILDING PERMIT FOR A 68-STORY HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUM AND APARTMENT BUILDING WITH AMENITY FLOORS AND DECK. 348 DWELLING UNITS WITH ACCESS TO EXISING SUBGRADE STRUCTURED PARKING ALL AS PER PLANS. STRUCTURAL PEER REVIEW. 451 EAST GRAND. FOUNDATION UNDER PERMIT 100639176. **GREEN ROOF = 2,327 SF

Though the permit lists One Bennett Park, designed by Robert A.M. Stern, as having 68 stories, that figure doesn’t really give you a full appreciation for the size of this thing.  Two years ago we revealed that the building would climb over 840 feet into the sky — about the height of an 80-story building.  Even though it won’t be right next to Lake Shore Drive, it is expected to have quite an impact on the Chicago skyline, especially when viewed from the water.

It’s close enough that a real estate agent might call it “water adjacent,” and that’s what interests us the most.  Because the top floor is going to be 65 feet tall.  Unfortunately, it won’t be the lair of a superhero.  It will be mechanical space.  But friends-of-the-blog Related Midwest know a marketing opportunity when they see one, and have decided to illuminate the thing like a great big lighthouse on the Lake Michigan shoreline.  They’re so sure it’s going to be a landmark for the city, they’ve even dubbed it “The Lantern.”

One Bennett Park, Beacon at dusk with view to the north (Courtesy of Related Midwest)

“The Lantern.” (Courtesy of Related Midwest)

from Chicago Architecture http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2016/07/15/permits-come-through-for-streeterville-skyscraper/


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