Briefly: New Loop Hotel, New Streeterville Tower, New River North Bar
The London Guarantee and Accident Building
- The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the historic London Guarantee Building (360 North Michigan Avenue) may become a hotel. A similar plan was floated in 2004.
- The same Sun-Times article notes that the hotel planned for 330 North Wabash, formerly known as IBM Plaza, will open next year. WeArchitects who work in the building have told us in no uncertain terms that the hotel project is dead. We’ll see who’s right when 2013 comes around.
- Crain’s Chicago Business reports there will be one fewer surface parking lot in River North soon. Plans are underway to bring a slightly subdued version of Phoenix’s American Junkie bar to 15 West Illinois Street. The version currently operating in Arizona would likely be a little over-the-top for the increasingly residential area of River North. If you can’t quite place the location, it’s the parking lot with the attendant shack that leans at a precarious angle.
- Curbed Chicago notes that Solomon Cordwell Buenz has come up with a new design for a new tower between the AMC Theaters and the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers (301 East North Water Street) in Streeterville. Before the economy went all pear shaped, this was going to be the location of a 107-story tower anchored by a Waldorf=Astoria hotel. The W=A brand will soon be on what is now the Elysian Hotel (11 East Walton Street) in the Gold Coast. The new tower for Streeterville is anticipated to be a mere 50 stories tall.
I honestly couldn’t place the location of the American Junkie property until you mentioned that parking stand/lean-to. Made me laugh!
Also, it sounds like an absolutely disgusting premise. I hope it doesn’t actually happen.
I’m with you on the bar premise. I know there’s a certain group of people who envision Illinois and Hubbard Streets in River North as the next iteration of Viagara Triangle in the 1980′s, but the area is becoming far too residential for that sort of thing. If a bar has to go in, I’d like to see more blues joints, or maybe even a gospel-themed restaurant. Why not showcase Chicago’s home-grown musical talent instead of opening yet another douchebag date rape factory?