[View from Wolf Point, Photo: Kevin Dickert]
To keep our Wolf Point coverage fresh, we paid a visit to last night's community meeting. After spouting a five-page laundry list of tweaks that have been made to the three-tower project, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) passed the mic to Jack George, attorney for developer Hines Interests, who gave us a quick rundown of each building's stats. The west tower will rise to 525 feet and contain 510 units and 200 parking spaces. The east tower will be 750 feet and also have 200 spaces. And the tallest of the trio, the mixed-use south tower, will stand at 950 feet and house some 885 parking spots. And while 1,285 parking spaces seems like overkill, it works out to a ratio of 0.4 spaces per unit, compared to an average of 0.77 for neighboring buildings.
Up next, Fred Clarke of Pelli Clarke Pelli, the architecture firm responsible for the south and east tower. He reiterated the firm's desire to maximize the distances between the buildings while minimizing their footprint at ground level, and he went into greater detail about the various changes in store for project. Under the new site plan, considerably more greenspace has been added to the riverwalk, which has also been widened by 20 feet. South point, located between the south tower and the river, has been transformed into a dramatic public space that will feature a new cafe, docking for the Chicago Water Taxi, lookouts from above, and a stepped lawn known as the "urban veranda." Among the other design changes, the south tower has been altered so that it gently tapers as it rises and steps in narrowly when it meets the ground. As promised, richly textured materials (read: no mirrored glass) ensure plenty of articulation on the buildings' facades.
The development team concluded the meeting by discussing the various benefits the project will bring, foremost among them a total investment of over $1 billion. No public financing will be sought. In addition to the new construction jobs, some $40 million in new tax revenue will be realized. And the public will have 1,000 linear feet of riverwalk to enjoy. We'll be sure to follow up with updated renderings as soon as they become available. Check back soon!
·Renderings Revealed and More at Wolf Point Meeting [Curbed Chicago]
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