http://www.shangri-la.com/chicago/shangri-la/en/index.aspx

That's some very very exciting Shit. What an incredible incredible incredible addition to the city. How this managed to fly under the radar is beyond me. The addition of one of the world's tallest buildings, and the first Shangri-La in the USA...unfucking believable.

Major improvement.

Kick ass.

This is gonna be going up almost directly across from the 300 N. La Salle highrise.

So, TUP, and all the other out-of-towners, you'll be able to walk east along Wacker Drive and see 300 N. Lasalle, Waterview, Trump, in just a few blocks. Then cut over a few blocks and check out Lakeshore East. Swing on over and check out the Legacy. Then cap it all off with a visit to the Museum Park constructions.

Unbelievable.

^Unbelievable is an understatement. This just made my day.

Oh, and that walk that you described is going to be absolutely breathtaking. Too bad I'll still have to wait 4 years for it. And, crossing my fingers, lets also imagine Fordham Spire being visible on the walk.

Downtown Chicago's preeminence as one of the world's greatest places will be set in stone when all of this is said and done

If we can get the river walk going the pedestrian traffic along wacker, the river, et al will increase dramatically. Assuming Mandarin is built as well, along w/ Elysian we are talking some serious luxury hotel / condo clientele....all in all a great addition to Chicago and America.....Chicago is showing the world that it can still flex its muscles with the world's best.

1050 great, that is taller than the Chrysler building....I already love that Wacker walk along the river. I just walked it last fri from adams / desplaines to ontario / michigan over the next few years it will very interesting the buildings going up.....they should be done by the time i finish law school


I am jumping up and down w/ glee....2 1000fters, now if we can just get the Calatrava.

Is it me or does Chicago seem to have a certain energy right now.....now at the risk of sounding ecstatic over our recent architectural coup's ......it seems Chicago has thrown off the doldrums that plagued it throuhj the 70's and 80's, post urban-renewal fiasco's etc.

It just seems so dynamic once again w/ civic and architectural marvels taking pplace at a pace few place in the world can match. I have heard many people argue that Chicago has lost it glory, that it is a fading metropolis struggling to keep up w/ the break neck pace of the 21st century. Now Chicago isn't perfect.....if it was it would be boring......but I think we can say with out a doubt that it remains an unquestuioned gem among the cities of the world.

What does it mean that Shangri-La, Mandarin, and ELysian have chosen Chicago as a city to invest a hotel in? These developers are professionals if Chicago were the fading metro some naysayers say it is would these premier hotels even glance at us let alone build 600 - 1100 ft buildings?

Wow.... my favorite city on this Earth keeps getting more impressive everyday! This is amazing news.

I'm probably going to come off like a crazy-person but I wanted to share how I feel about all these developments happening in Chicago right now.

Let me start off by saying that I'm not an outwardly emotional person..... I don't cry at sad movies or even funerals for that matter. I've always been fascinated, even as a little kid, at buildings and bridges and how we as humans make our surroundings work for us- how we mold our environment to suit our needs. I've always seen big cities, and more specifically skylines, as the culmination of what humanity can do. I saw pictures of ancient Egypt w/the pyramids and the temples of Angkor Wat and would think how incredible it would be to stand there in the middle of it all at its prime and see the best that people can do when they put their mind and soul to it. Visiting these kind of places, I know, would be one of the few things that could actually make me pause and very likely cry. I see the beauty in it all. I appreciate the thought and work that's required to pull something that successful off. I feel the same way right now about Chicago..... especially the area along the river. I can imagine standing somewhere along the river near Trump in the future gazing at the amazing towers surrounding me. That would make me emotional. Chicago, for me, is the culmination of what we currently can build.

1,050 ft? They snuck 20 more feet while we were alseep?!

Cool! :cucumber:

They could have just rounded the number up to the nearest 50/100, but I'm hoping not. 1,050 would be cool, we'd have 5 buildings with rooftops higher than the spire of the Chrysler Building.

Looks like I was right :)

Amazing news, as always. And if they added 20 feet, even better.

I left the Chicago area 12 years ago and nothing was going on. Now I wish I was there with all the excitement. I'd even go back to working as a civil engineer if Fordham needed an instrument man. I'd probably work for free just for the privilege.
I don't know what went on there to support all this, but was it Daley's doing?
Or is this just another continuing cycle of growth the city goes through every 30-40 years.

I think both. Every city has its cycles, but Daley really prevented Chicago from rusting.

But STR, why did they also change the number of floors? I think this is actually 1050 feet and 90 floors. :cheers:

I'm probably going to come off like a crazy-person but I wanted to share how I feel about all these developments happening in Chicago right now.

Let me start off by saying that I'm not an outwardly emotional person..... I don't cry at sad movies or even funerals for that matter. I've always been fascinated, even as a little kid, at buildings and bridges and how we as humans make our surroundings work for us- how we mold our environment to suit our needs. I've always seen big cities, and more specifically skylines, as the culmination of what humanity can do. I saw pictures of ancient Egypt w/the pyramids and the temples of Angkor Wat and would think how incredible it would be to stand there in the middle of it all at its prime and see the best that people can do when they put their mind and soul to it. Visiting these kind of places, I know, would be one of the few things that could actually make me pause and very likely cry. I see the beauty in it all. I appreciate the thought and work that's required to pull something that successful off. I feel the same way right now about Chicago..... especially the area along the river. I can imagine standing somewhere along the river near Trump in the future gazing at the amazing towers surrounding me. That would make me emotional. Chicago, for me, is the culmination of what we currently can build.

^Wow, very moving. Many of us share your love for the built environment. Thanks for sharing

Is it the "spire" that got extended to 1050 or added more floors?

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4785/hotelunits092905v1copy0lc.png


http://img327.imageshack.us/img327/5640/p10103386eu.jpg

Yes!! Oh happy day!!

This thing is happening!

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Yay... 2005 is a def. a great time for Chicago. Its not like every year that 2 buildings over 1000 feet starts, UC or Prep.

Prestigious hotel planned for Wacker & Clark

October 5, 2005

BY DAVID ROEDER Business Reporter

Since at least 2000, a Chicago engineering firm has harbored plans to build a skyscraper at Wacker and Clark. Tuesday, it said a prestigious hotel operator has agreed to join the venture and that the deal assures construction can begin.

The 90-story building at 111 W. Wacker will contain a Shangri-La hotel. The 200-room operation would be the first in the United States for Shangri-La, whose operations are mostly in the Far East.

The hotel, whose rooms will be for sale as condominiums, will join 233 regular residential units in what will be called Waterview Tower. At 1,050 feet, the building is to be the fifth tallest in Chicago.

The developer is a partnership headed by Teng & Associates Inc. Shangri-La International Hotels Inc. has a contract with the partnership to operate the hotel.

http://images.suntimes.com/includes/FIN/images/hotelmap05b.jpg

Teng President Ivan Dvorak said he expects to begin construction at the site, which is currently a parking lot, within a couple of months or as soon as city permits come through. An opening is expected in early 2009.

The project has faced several delays and redesigns, with real estate brokers citing slow sales of the high-priced condos. But Dvorak attributed the delays to a long search for the right hotel operator.

"We wanted to do this perfectly,'' he said. "We knew we needed a topnotch hotel. We thought we'd be done by March, but it took a little longer.''

Dvorak said sales contracts have been signed for 55 percent of the residential condos and that the hotel units will be marketed immediately. Buyers in the hotel plan can use the units part of the time and otherwise share revenue from a rental pool.

Shangri-La hotels and resorts aspire to high service levels and generally charge the loftiest rates in their overseas markets. In Chicago, it plans to compete in the so-called "five-star'' rating category with the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Peninsula hotels, which strive for average room rates exceeding $500 a night.

More high-end hotels are in the works downtown, including a five-star Mandarin Oriental proposed for the northwest corner of Lake and Stetson near Millennium Park.

"We are aware of Mandarin Oriental's plans, and to us it just represents what this [Chicago] market has become,'' said Stephen Darling, Shangri-La's regional vice president. He said Chicago is changing from a hotel market dependent on conventions to one with more leisure and business travelers who spend freely for the best accommodations.

Other luxury brands landing in Chicago include a new operation, called Elysian, at Rush and Walton, and developer Donald Trump's own hotel in his 92-story building going up at 401 N. Wabash. The Trump team aims for a 2007 completion, and the building, just three blocks east of the Shangri-La site, figures to be a head-to-head competitor.

But Dvorak sniffed that neither the Elysian nor Trump will meet Shangri-La's standards.

Prices of the Shangri-La hotel units are quoted at $434,000 to $1.7 million. For the residential units, the partnership is quoting from $726,000 to $7.5 million for penthouses.

Darling said the hotel's relatively small size will ensure that high standards of service and decorations can be maintained over time. He said that in keeping with American tastes, standard rooms will be larger than what travelers overseas usually encounter.

Shangri-La is based in Hong Kong and manages 48 hotels. It also has more than 30 development projects under way, including confirmed plans to build in Miami. The chain took its name from the mythical land of serenity in the James Hilton novel Lost Horizon.

Executives said they are scouting sites in other "gateway'' American cities such as New York and San Francisco.

Darling said the company both owns and operates 72 percent of its properties. But for the U.S. expansion, the emphasis will be on properties managed under contract, he said.

The Teng partnership bought the Wacker and Clark site in 2000 for about $12 million. Original plans called for the engineering firm to use some of the building for its own offices, but Dvorak said that idea has been scrapped.

Shangri-La to open Wacker Drive hotel
Luxury chain sets 1st U.S. facility in planned new tower

By John Schmeltzer
Tribune staff reporter
Published October 5, 2005

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, a Hong Kong-based luxury hotel chain, will open its first U.S. hotel in a 90-story tower to be built at Wacker Drive and Clark Street on land now occupied by a parking lot.

The 200-room hotel, to be located on the 12th through 27th floors of the Waterview Tower, is expected to open in early 2009. The hotel will be owned by Waterview LLC, which is developing the tower, and will be managed by Shangri-La.

The tower, which will also contain 233 residential condominiums, was designed by architect Thomas Hoepf, of Teng & Associates.

At 1,050-feet, the mixed-use development will be the third-tallest residential building in Chicago. It will be topped by only the Hancock Building and the Trump International Hotel and Tower under construction at 401 N. Wabash Ave.

"Our top three markets in the U.S. were Chicago, New York and Los Angeles," said Martin Waechter, chief marketing officer for the hotel chain, who said negotiations for the Chicago site have proceeded more rapidly than the talks in New York and Los Angeles.

Shangri-La, which has 48 hotels around the world, has focused most of its attention on developments in Asia until the past couple of years. It now has about 30 hotels under development, including properties in London and Vancouver, Canada.

The new hotel will be far from the cluster of five-star hotels located on North Michigan Avenue.

Waechter said he did not believe that would be a disadvantage.

"I think this location will work for us. We will be the only high-end luxury hotel in that area," he said.

Shangri-La’s First US Foray is Waterview Tower
By Mark Ruda
Last updated: October 4, 2005 03:14pm
http://www.globest.com/newspics/chi_shangrilahotel.jpg
Shangri-La Hotel


CHICAGO-The 200-room condominium-hotel being built within the 90-story Waterview Tower at 111 W. Wacker Dr. will be managed by Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, its first US assignment. The hotel rooms are being sold by developer Waterview LLC to buyers who can use them and rent them out.

“Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is regarded as Asia's finest luxury hotel group,” says Waterview LLC chief executive officer Ivan Dvorak, whose company’s 1,050-foot tower will include 233 condominiums on the upper 59 floors. “It will play a significant role in putting Waterview Tower on the international map as well as making it the ultimate address in Chicago.” Adds Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts chief executive officer Giovanni Angelini, “We took great care to find the very best location for our American debut, and we believe the Waterview Tower is the ideal launching pad for our brand within the US.”

Much the same claims have been made on the other side of the river, where Donald Trump is building a $650-million condominium tower with 227 hotel units on the site of the former Sun-Times building at 401 N. Wabash Ave. However, both Trump and Waterview LLC will be late arrivals to the hotel-condominium party, having been beaten to the punch by the prolific Falor Cos. With a penchant for buying older Downtown buildings and converting them to hotel condominiums, the Falor Cos.’ most recent acquisition is Hotel 71, formerly known as the Executive House. At 71 E. Wacker Dr., the 454-unit hotel also has views of the river and lake, and eventually, Trump International Hotel and Tower and Waterview Tower.

Waterview Tower, expected to be completed in 2009, is being built on a parking lot, the only undeveloped site on West Wacker Drive. The site at Wacker Drive and Clark Street has remained undeveloped for more than 30 years despite a location offering views of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. The one-, two- and three-bedroom residential condominiums are on the market at $446,500 to more than $2.1 million.

Don't know if this has been posted yet...

Courtesy of Emporis.com

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/3265/emporiswaterview4yr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Don't know, but I've seen it. Doesn't matter. That's the best rendering I've seen and it's worth a second post anyway. Hope no one asks "why is it so thin on top?"

^^Yea its been posted before. It's pretty old actually, but a great rendering none-the-less.

well here's 2 pics I made yesterday of the guys installing the billboards
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b387/tom2km/2005_1004Image0005.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b387/tom2km/2005_1004Image0006.jpg

I feel really sorry for all those people sitting down at that restaurant, thier butts must be getting sore by now after all that sitting, and I am sure they are sick of that food. And what about that poor guy standing up he must be tired by now

^ Yeah, but something has caught his attention for quite some time.

He looks pretty bored to me.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/4473/waterviewtower4kv.png

^^ Is the tower in that picture 1030 feet or 1050(but it doesn't make a huge difference)?

it just hit me now..ouch j/k. the triangle shape of the building was prob. intentionaly designed like that to alow for the building next to it to still be able to be seen and so that that whole side of that building is not compleatly covered and out of sight both for street veiwers and tennants who want to be able to look outside and not have a huge obstruction in their faces.

^^ Is the tower in that picture 1030 feet or 1050(but it doesn't make a huge difference)?

My guess is that it's a model and it's probably no more than 5-7 feet. :)

^^ everyones a comedian haha

Dammit. Too bad I don't have an account at Bid Clerks. Maybe Victor does?

Here's something at least:

Chicago, IL : Multi-Residential, Hotel / Motel, Parking Garage : Reported Date: 10/05/2005 Aerial Photograph AvailableJobsite Map Available

Site work and new construction for a mixed-use development in Chicago. Working drawings call for a 90-story condominium / hotel building. The building will contain 233 luxury condominium units, a 200-room hotel on floors 12 through 27 and a parking...

So I think someone can change the height to 1050 feet and 90 story.

Moderators: please change the title to 90 story, 1047 feet

Thanks

Also, the word is excavation will begin next month.

Thanks! :okay:

Hotel Online Special Report

Shangri-La Hotels Selected as Operator for 200-room Condominium
Hotel Within the 90-story Waterview Tower Development in Chicago

http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2005_4th/WaterTowerRenderingShangriLa.jpeg

Chicago, October 4, 2005 - Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, announced today its first hotel in the United States, the Shangri-La Hotel, Chicago. The group signed a management contract with Waterview LLC, the project's developer, to operate the luxury hotel, which will open in early 2009 in the new Waterview Tower located along the Chicago River at the corner of West Wacker Drive and Clark Street.

The 200-room hotel will be situated on floors 12 through 27 of the 90-story Waterview Tower, which will be within walking distance of the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, Lake Michigan, the city's central business district and world-class theaters and museums. The tower, which will also feature 233 elite residential condominiums, was designed by renowned architect Thomas Hoepf, AIA, of the nationally recognized design firm Teng & Associates. At 1,050-feet (320-meters), the mixed-use development will be the fifth tallest building in Chicago.

"We took great care to find the very best location for our American debut, and we believe the Waterview Tower is the ideal launching pad for our brand within the U.S.," said Giovanni Angelini, Shangri-La's chief executive officer and managing director. "Our reputation has been built over three decades in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and we are excited that our signature warm and gracious style of Asian hospitality will be introduced to America in Chicago."

The Shangri-La Hotel, Chicago will bring new standards of luxury to the city with sweeping views of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, exquisite exterior and interior design, spacious guestrooms and suites, round-the-clock butler service, a signature spa, restaurants and meeting space.

"We are extremely delighted and honored that Shangri-La has selected Waterview Tower and Chicago as their entry into the United States," said Ivan Dvorak, chief executive officer of Waterview LLC. "Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is regarded as Asia's finest luxury hotel group, and the deluxe Shangri-La Hotel, Chicago will be a perfect complement to our beautifully appointed residential condominiums. It will play a significant role in putting Waterview Tower on the international map as well as making it the ultimate address in Chicago."

The hotel's restaurant options will include the street-level Wintergarden Lounge, serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, pre-theater supper and light evening meals, and the Sunset Promenade, overlooking the Chicago River and offering light lunches, afternoon refreshments plus evening cocktails. The hotel's Asian feature restaurant will specialize in creative seasonal cuisine presented in a chic environment reflective of the nearby theater district.

Shangri-La's spa brand - CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La - will also debut in Chicago, offering treatments based on ancient Chinese and Himalayan healing therapies. Designed to create a sanctuary of tranquility inspired by the legend of "Shangri-La," CHI will feature seven spacious private suites that will provide a "spa within a spa" atmosphere. In addition, the hotel will have a 24-hour fitness club in a windowed 6,000-square-foot (557-square-meter) space offering the latest fitness equipment, indoor pool, whirlpool, steam and sauna room, a juice bar, plus a separate yoga and Pilates area.

Designed to be a popular social and meeting destination, the hotel will offer private function rooms and a grand ballroom accommodating up to 250 guests for cocktail receptions and 180 guests for dinner. The hotel's business center will provide private work stations, a boardroom and a "green room" for VIPs.

The 200 hotel condominium units will be offered for sale to individuals by Waterview LLC. Hotel condominium unit owners will be entitled to personal use as well as participation in the hotel-managed program.

Shangri-La Hotel, Chicago
Fact Sheet

Developer: Waterview LLC, Chicago

Architect: Thomas Hoepf, AIA, Teng & Associates, Chicago

Opening Early 2009

Location

* Along the Chicago River at 111 West Wacker Drive
* In Chicago's Central Loop within walking distance of the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, Lake Michigan and world-class theaters and museums
* 30-minute drive and 45-minute train ride from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport

Building

* 1.3 million square-foot (120,000 square-meter) mixed-use Waterview Tower development with hotel and residences
* Hotel will occupy floors 12 through 27 of the 90-story tower
* Floors 30 through 88 will consist of 233 elite residential condominiums
* Hotel and residences have separate entrances and amenities
* At 1,050-feet (320-meters), the mixed-use development will be Chicago's fifth tallest building

Accommodations

* 200 units total
* 154 guestrooms averaging 540 square feet (50 square meters)
* 44 suites averaging 1,140 square feet (106 square meters)
* 2 presidential suites, each 1,780 square feet (165 square meters)

Guestroom Features

* Spectacular views of the Chicago River, Lake Michigan, and/or the cityscape
* Exclusive "Shangri-La Bed" featuring patented body-contouring technology
* Separate oversized shower and deep-soaking bathtub
* 24-hour butler service
* Plasma televisions
* Comprehensive range of business and communications features

Restaurants and Bars

* Wintergarden Lobby Lounge
* Sunset Promenade
* Asian feature restaurant
* Juice bar at the Spa

Recreation Facilities

* CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, will feature seven private and spacious spa suites offering a "spa within a spa" atmosphere. Each suite will include a private whirlpool, shower, changing and vanity facilities. One exclusive suite for two will be equipped with parallel treatment beds, a plunge pool and steam shower.
* Fully equipped 6,000-square-foot (557-square meter) fitness center with separate Pilates and yoga studio
* Indoor swimming pool, whirlpool, steam and sauna

Meetings and Banquets

* Ballroom seating 250, divisible into four function rooms; separate board room and VIP/bride's lounge
* Equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment
* Built-in beverage service stations in each room and pre-function foyer

Services and Facilities

* Business center offering comprehensive secretarial services and private work stations

Hotel Condominium Unit Ownership

* The 200 hotel condominium units will be offered for sale to individuals by Waterview LLC.

Hotel condominium unit owners will be entitled to personal use as well as participation in the hotel-managed program

.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is in advanced negotiations to open properties in other strategic North American gateway cities.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently manages 48 hotels under the five-star Shangri-La and four-star Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of over 21,000. The group has over 30 projects under development in Canada, mainland China, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.


.
Contact:

Judy Reeves
Public Relations Manager, North America
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
1501 Broadway, Suite 502
New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 382-3155
Fax: (212) 382-3329
E-Mail: judy.reeves@shangri-la.com
Website: www.shangri-la.com

WATERVIEW TOWER
Dorrie Freiman
Director of Sales and Marketing
Waterview, LLC
121 West Wacker Drive, 35th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Tel: (312) 558-9100
Fax: (312) 558-9101
Email: FreimanD@teng.com
www.waterviewtower.com