Height: 1,047 ft
Floor count: 89
Location: North Clark and West Wacker
Neighborhood: Loop
Construction end: 2009
Architect: Teng and Associates
Development firm: Teng and Associates

Website (http://www.waterviewtower.com/)

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8518/waterviewtower054ln.jpg
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/3265/emporiswaterview4yr.jpg
http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/7094/wtrview5xo.png
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/3563/3941833hc.jpg
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/4473/waterviewtower4kv.png
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/7909/waterviewtower035oy.jpg
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/9687/waterviewtower048bl.jpg
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/4893/waterviewtower065wx.jpg
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/7153/waterviewtower078er.jpg
http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/3629/waterviewnightviewlowerres3cg.jpg
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/9696/ba1bk4.jpg
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/329/ba2nx4.jpg
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1849/ba3lv8.jpg
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/4990/ba4ww9.jpg
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3350/ba5es9.jpg

Hey UP, this is going to be one sexy building!

fourth tallest Chicago building, since, this might finish the Trump Tower...

Btw, probably write in the title... site prep/demo stage.

From what I understand Case is scheduled to begin drilling caissons sometime in mid- November.

From what I understand Case is scheduled to begin drilling caissons sometime in mid- November.
:eek2: seriously?

Hasn't Waterview been at 50% sales longer than Trump has been at 70% sales?

Here are some photos of the site that I took on Tuesday. As you may know, they are now doing soil testing on the site. But they aren't only testing the soil, but they also have to core into the bedrock for beween 10 and 15 of the caissons for this building. For the rock ones, the soil testers are going down about 150'. They are testing the stability and hardness of the rock. It takes about 2 days per hole.

http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/1567/p10104754iw.jpg

http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/6391/p10104766eg.jpg

http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/3355/p10104777dk.jpg

http://img446.imageshack.us/img446/2077/p10104781hi.jpg

Ahhh, the dirt, rocks, machines, and loud noise. Good ol' fashioned construction

That is excellent, good pictures too ^^

WATERVIEW TOWER MONTHLY UPDATE 11/04/05

I just called the sales center and things have progressed nicely since the announcement of Shangri-La

-Currenty they are in the lower 60's% when it comes to units sold, and I mean signed contracts. There are others very near to signing. I know that the numbers have increased quite abit since August, but I think that buyers were just holding out to see what company would be running the hotel.

-About 5% of the hotel-condos have been sold in the month since the announcement. So that's roughly 10 of the units.

-I don't know what's happening with the permits.

-We will probably see potholing begin within the next month or month and a half.

I wouldn't worry about anything though. Things are falling into place nicely. These things just take time, and we all have to be patient.

Thanks for the update!

As usual great update... I can't wait...

Nice update

I received my revised purchase/disclosure papers that are required due to the change in use of the lower floors from office to Hotel and ....surprise!! I used to be on 36 and I am now on 40! It's all good. Things are moving in the right direction.

Movin' on up?

For a pie in the sky?

Yep. You can call me Mr. Jefferson! Maybe they'll slip something else in on those lower floors and we'll go even higher!

Yep. You can call me Mr. Jefferson! Maybe they'll slip something else in on those lower floors and we'll go even higher!

^Thanks to the garage you're on 40 instead of 28

Those pics are so cool. Most people would pass by and say WTF is going on there.
The pics document the earliest stage of a buildings life.
It's like the sperm drilling into the egg at this point.
^ was that a weird analogy?

^Weird, yes, but somehow oddly appropriate.

This article is 6 months old, but it's never been posted so.....There's nothing in it you guys don't already know.

http://www.kcchronicle.com/images/header/KCC-Head_02.jpg

Waterview Tower puts city spin on suburban features

SHAW NEWS SERVICE


City life has many allures: being in the midst of all the action; living near theater, restaurants, and shopping; and in Chicago, enjoying the lakefront and of late, the revitalized river.

Equally appealing to many is life in the suburbs: large private backyards, space for pets to run, and manicured gardens. At Waterview Tower, a new downtown highrise, luxury homes combine the best of what the city has to offer with some of the most compelling features appreciated by suburban homebuyers.

"For many of our homebuyers, this will be their urban residence, or else they'll be moving from the suburbs permanently to enjoy a vibrant city lifestyle," said Ivan Dvorak, general manager of Waterview LLC, the building's developer. "But that doesn't mean they will have to sacrifice the creature comforts they're accustomed to in the suburbs. That's why we incorporated many building features specifically for suburban buyers, such as plentiful outdoor space and accommodations for pets.

"Buyers from the suburbs have already been attracted to Waterview Tower because our 2008 move-in date gives them plenty of time to think about downsizing, put their home on the market and plan for a stress-free move into the city," he said.

Located at 111 W. Wacker Drive, Waterview Tower includes 233 luxury residences. Condominium units will occupy floors 26 through 62. Available condominiums are base-priced from $627,000 to $2,055,000 and measure 1,087 to 3,192 square feet. They include 9-foot 5-inch ceilings, one to three bedrooms plus a study; 2 to 31/2 baths; and terraces.

Floors 63 to 85 feature penthouses, including full-floor residences with unobstructed 360-degree city views. Base-priced from about $1.95 million to $6.3 million, the penthouses are 2,815 to 8,070 square feet, with 11-foot ceilings, two to four bedrooms and 2 to 41/2 baths. Deeded indoor parking is $50,500 per space, and a private, two-car garage for penthouse buyers is $150,000.

According to Dvorak, suburban buyers accustomed to a large backyard will be impressed by Waterview Tower's outdoor space, both private and common. Most homes have recessed terraces, offering north, west and east views of the Chicago River and southeast views of Lake Michigan. Full-floor penthouses feature unobstructed 360-degree water and skyline views, and an 8,070-square-foot penthouse with five terraces has a total of 751 square feet of outdoor space.

"It's the breathtaking views in all directions that really set Waterview Tower apart from other downtown residential buildings. Plus, the terraces are a great place for container gardening or dining outdoors with friends, with the city skyline as a backdrop," Dvorak said. "That's not to say that buyers can't enjoy incredible views from inside their homes year-round. With radiant-floor heating, eliminating unsightly baseboard heaters along the windows, homes have true floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize views."

Buyers also can enjoy fresh air and city views from the 25th floor at Waterview Tower, featuring an 8,000-square-foot roof garden with a sundeck. The roof garden will have a wood deck promenade, walking paths, ornamental grasses and trees, benches and sculptures. Plus, there are plans for an outdoor pet recreation area.

"With the influx of suburban empty-nesters, high-rises have become more dog-friendly. Waterview Tower residents can take their dogs for a stroll along the river or lakefront, but on cold days or in the middle of the night, they'll appreciate the convenience of having an area to walk their pets without having to leave the building," Dvorak said.

Other common residential amenities on the 25th floor include a 60-foot lap pool, whirlpool, exercise machines and locker rooms with sauna, steam and massage rooms.

"In the suburbs, many buyers are used to driving to reach a number of amenities, such as a health club or spa," Dvorak said. "In the city, where residents are likely to be less reliant on their car, it's a real bonus to have state-of-the-art fitness and spa facilities onsite."

Penthouse and three-bedroom unit standard features build on those available on lower floors and include 11-foot ceilings, two 27-inch incognito Sub-Zero refrigerators, Miele five-burner cooktop and double stainless steel ovens, Kallista mirrored bathroom cabinet, 18-inch-by-18-inch marble floor and wall tiles in the master bath, and undermount 6-foot whirlpool tub.

All homes on floors 63 and above, as well as three-bedroom-plus-study units, offer next-generation technology that allows residents to control from a single touch screen environmental features such as lighting, heating, cooling, window shades, audio and visual components, security and appliances. Also included is high-speed Internet access; wireless data networking; and voice-over IP capability for the integration of computer, voice and data on one line.

The building will rise at the southwest corner of Clark Street and Wacker Drive. The model and sales center are located on the 35th floor of the LaSalle-Wacker Building at 121 W. Wacker Drive, west of the development site.

For information, call (312) 558-9100 or visit www.waterviewtower.com.

has anyone else seen the two bulldozers sitting in the parking lot? i've seen them there for at least two weeks now.

i hope they start sometime soon.

Still not digging yet?

I really wish this baby would get moving! Behind the Legacy it's my favorite project. I love the how slender it is and the crown is wonderful.

i could just buy the penthouse garage and convert it into living space and live there!
sweet!

WATERVIEW TOWER MONTHLY UPDATE 12/01/05

-Well, there's no new major activity to report on sales. The condominium units are in the lower 60% range of being sold, and the hotel units are about 10% sold. So roughly 20 of the hotel suits have sold.

-When construction will begin I have no idea, and they were pretty tight lipped about it. I was told that there is a moritorium on putting up new barricades on downtown streets until the holidays are over. Whether this is true or not I have no clue.

-That's all that I have for now. I'm not really concerned about whether this building will or won't be constructed, because both of my thumbs have been up on this one for a long time, although I do admit I'm getting impatient. As I've said here before though, we must be patient, because we have no control over this.

Thanks for the update, BVictor! We are getting impatient too. Maybe we could get busy if you give us new info on the Legacy and 1MPW. :)

i thought for sure this would break ground before anything happened at block 37.

=[

anyone here anything more about WV, are they not moving on construction since as victor mentioned no more bloccades downtown til after the holidays, are they waiting maybe for spring and better weather? or is there any real possibilty this project won't be built? I sure as hell hope not. W/ Trump, WV, Lasalle and maybe the tower near NBC towe going up that will sure be an extremely impressive tower row

Could someone add me in the SSP Waterview thread too?... just for fun, I pick

April 19... it seem too fun to pass up on...
for people don't know... http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?postid=1760450#post1760450

Edit: Thanks pottebaum! (The reason I editted this post because, it doesn't feel right to post a new post just to say thanks)

^No problem! ;)

off topic- i was accualy wondering why i cant register on SSP for some reason it wont alow me to become a member.it says that it wont alow my email address or somthing. is it just me? or are they not alowing any new members?

You can't use a free email service to register. I guess to cut down on the amount of robots/spammers.

i walked past the site today and the bulldozers on the site are now gone.

Off the record, I'm hearing that site work will begin after the holidays.

You know we're recording this, right?

Nice to hear though.

Okay, well I walked past the Waterview Tower site today. I spoke with one of the parking attendants and he told me that he's heard January 2nd the lot will close. There is more good news, I noticed green settlement marks painted around the site. That means that construction is not too far off. You always get those marks around sites right before work begins. Maybe Shawn can shed a little more light on what I mean by settlement marks. They're a good sign though...

That is a good sign.

Do you mean Julie Marks (in Chicago, they are called Digger). The color green is the symbol for sanitary sewer. If that's the case, rule of thumb is you have 2 weeks to start work.

Okay, well I walked past the Waterview Tower site today. I spoke with one of the parking attendants and he told me that he's heard January 2nd the lot will close. There is more good news, I noticed green settlement marks painted around the site. That means that construction is not too far off. You always get those marks around sites right before work begins. Maybe Shawn can shed a little more light on what I mean by settlement marks. They're a good sign though...


^ Ahhh....

Okay, well I walked past the Waterview Tower site today. I spoke with one of the parking attendants and he told me that he's heard January 2nd the lot will close. There is more good news, I noticed green settlement marks painted around the site. That means that construction is not too far off. You always get those marks around sites right before work begins. Maybe Shawn can shed a little more light on what I mean by settlement marks. They're a good sign though...

Should we take the words of parking attendants at face value?

Do you mean Julie Marks (in Chicago, they are called Digger). The color green is the symbol for sanitary sewer. If that's the case, rule of thumb is you have 2 weeks to start work.

Well, they will probably begin some kind of work. Caisson work I believe is probably a month off still. THey have to pothole the site for debris and other stuff. I know that there were settlement marks at the One Museum Park site back in September and they didn't begin drilling caissons until about 2 weeks ago. I will just be happy that something is happening at the site. Any type of work is progress.

http://img271.imageshack.us/img271/8259/shang9hd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img271.imageshack.us/img271/8259/shang9hd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
YES!


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

^^:?

Perhaps you didn't see it, but that was announced a while back.

No I knew Shangri-La was coming..... I just like seeing it advertised:)

Great news, if true. Budman is reporting that construction should begin January 3, 2006! :cheers:

I truly hope so....at least it will add a little joy to the negative news of berghoff's closing....it will be cool to have 2 1000fters going up at the same time.....hopefully it will be 3 or 4 w/ Calatrava, and Mandarin

Is it my imagination, or do the ad's give an even more detailed of the bldg's exterior than what has been shown before?

The rendering in the ad looks about on par with the latest renderings that have been floating around here (at least to these tired eyes).

I got this message from a friend....

Butler,

The ceremonial groundbreaking has been pushed back to December 31 at 10am.
As you can imagine, coordinating schedules between different government
officials and corporate executives can result in some last minute schedule
changes. The lot already has fencing up and work will still begin on
Tuesday.

...I've just driven past the site, and green canvas fencing has gone up on the southside of the lot. I will be driving down there tomorrow to see if I can collect any type of information and to snap photos.

So its in less than an hour...

Someone go down there and get some pics, please?

Here are some photos that I took yesterday...

http://images.snapfish.com/345928279%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D3233429686%3C36nu0mrj

Fencing at the main entrance.
http://images.snapfish.com/345928279%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D3233429686%3C37nu0mrj

Fencing along the alley side.
http://images.snapfish.com/345928279%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D3233429686%3C43nu0mrj

Settlement marks in the alley.
http://images.snapfish.com/345928279%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D3233429686%3C49nu0mrj

Happy New Year!

:O at long last! the parking lot will finally be gone!

Nice!! Killing two birds with one stone, the death of another evil parking lot and the birth of a beautiful, very tall scraper!

^^ I agree... plus Waterview will rise up from the ashes of the parking lot!

I saw a picture (in the hotel I am staying in near Midway) of the north loop in the late 80's/early 90's and it is amazing how many vacant lots existed on the east-west section of Wacker. The Wacker Dr streetwall has really come along nicely and relatively recently.

This is the last piece of the puzzle...

^almost. i would realy like to see somthing nice go up at the ex-wolf point location

I'll probably be berated for saying this, but, I wouldn't mind seeing something replace General Growth's building on the west side of N/S Wacker (I think it's at Washington?).

I'll probably be berated for saying this, but, I wouldn't mind seeing something replace General Growth's building on the west side of N/S Wacker (I think it's at Washington?).

Why would you be berated? That building is a piece of shit. It's the Sun-Times Building baby sister. It needs to go. That site is pretty narrow and I can't see them building a skinny office tower on the site. It's a good place for a marrow residential tower.

Death to General Growth's building. With a name like general growth you'd think they'd opt for something taller.

I'll probably be berated for saying this, but, I wouldn't mind seeing something replace General Growth's building on the west side of N/S Wacker (I think it's at Washington?).


^In an article in the Tribune/Sun-Times whatever a few months ago they were asked if there were plans to redevelop their HQ building and they said "no"

Yeah, I remember that article... it made me shudder. Well, if some developer with deep enough pockets wants their land badly enough, General Growth will start singing a different tune.

Yeah that building just sucks and totally screws up that portion of the wacker street scape....it should be condemned by our emperor and torn down and replaced by a 70-80 story tower

Well, I was on my way home and taking Chicago Shawn the the EL about 30 minutes ago and we saw probably one of the most exciting fucking things of our lives. I decided to drive past the Waterview Tower site, you know, for shits and giggles. Low and behold there was some activity. CDOT was blocking off one lane of eastbound Wacker. There were also several Teng officials that we got a chance to chat with. Also, a scaffolding crew was on site beginning the process of erecting overhead barricades. I swear I almost busted one. I took a few shots and I wasn't going to post this until tomorrow, but I couldn't help myself.

http://images.snapfish.com/345957693%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D323343%3C267%3A8%3Bnu0mrj

Scaffolding materials
http://images.snapfish.com/345957693%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D323343%3C267%3A%3A6nu0mrj

Those weren't there yesterday.
http://images.snapfish.com/345957693%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D323343%3C2738%3B7nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345957693%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D323343%3C273928nu0mrj

Beginning to erect the scaffolding.
http://images.snapfish.com/345957693%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D323343%3C27393%3Bnu0mrj

New sign erected by CDOT stating no right turns on Clark. The blur is the CDOT truck pulling away.
http://images.snapfish.com/3459576%3B7%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D323343%3C27878%3Anu0mrj

I'm sure that Shawn will be posting his shots too.

The excitement has only begun!

so the port-o-toillets prove our concerns over the delays were just a bunch of crap?

BVictor -- any idea what their sales figures are right now? Has it changed at all?

BVictor -- any idea what their sales figures are right now? Has it changed at all?

The excitement has only begun!

I'm already to excited... :lol:

Am I alone in thinking that the demo guys are preparing for SSC's tailgate party?
:crazy2:

BVictor -- any idea what their sales figures are right now? Has it changed at all?

I don't know, I will be getting that figure on Friday.

I just passed the site 10 minutes ago, and there are 2 excavators on site. They've already dug a hole. I took a few shots. I will have to post them later. Things are moving forward.

When caisson drilling begins, I will party my ass off

Yesterday...
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C53nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C54nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C55nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C56nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C57nu0mrj
Scaffolding goes up....
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C58nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C59nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C5%3Anu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B7%3C5%3Bnu0mrj

Today...
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B5%3A93nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D32334449%3B5%3A8%3Cnu0mrj
I was so happy that I could just shit when I saw these tinker toys :D

A reminder of whats to come....
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D3232%3C73%3B%3C2926nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2344%3D%3A4%3B%3D6%3A8%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B82%3C%3B3836ot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2344%3D%3A4%3B%3D6%3A8%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B82%3C%3B3837ot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2344%3D%3A4%3B%3D6%3A8%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B82%3C%3B3838ot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2344%3D%3A4%3B%3D6%3A8%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B82%3C%3B3839ot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D3232%3C73%3B%3C292%3Bnu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2344%3D%3A4%3B%3D6%3A8%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B82%3C%3B383%3Bot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2344%3D%3A4%3B%3D6%3A8%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B82%3C%3B3843ot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2344%3D%3A4%3B%3D6%3A8%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B82%3C%3B3844ot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3253%3E95%3A%3E5%3B7%3EWSNRCG%3D3232%3C73%3B%3C2936nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3459674%3C%3A%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2344%3D%3A4%3B%3D6%3A8%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B82%3C%3B3846ot1lsi
^Insert here :D ^

Now, who's excited? I know I am! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Me... :sleepy:

I have forgotten when is construction supposed to be completed?

I believe 2008, probably beat the Trump tower to 1048 feet in the mid 2008.

BVictor -- any idea what their sales figures are right now? Has it changed at all?

The letter I received from the sales office yesterday, with the ceremonial goundbreaking happening on 1/31, stated that the condo sales are at 60% and the hotel condo sales are moving along well (whatever that means). Champaign on the 31st!

Congradulations guys! What an exciting time to be living in Chicago.

This thing is going to be awesome. Such a simple design yet looks elegant and gives you differant looks from all sorts of angles. I dare say I suspect at the end of it all I might like this better then Trump. I can't wait to find out!!

The letter I received from the sales office yesterday, with the ceremonial goundbreaking happening on 1/31, stated that the condo sales are at 60% and the hotel condo sales are moving along well (whatever that means). Champaign on the 31st!


I'm going to damn well be at that groundbreaking.

I just drove past the site and they are majorly working. Clark Street is down to 3 lanes from 5, and the sidewalks are blocked off. I'm so obsessed with this project. I will be walking back over there is an hour.

Here are some shots from yesterday.
http://images.snapfish.com/34596%3C76%3A%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D3233447657%3B84nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34596%3C76%3A%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D3233447657%3B73nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/34596%3C76%3A%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D3233447657%3B87nu0mrj

FINALLY! The long wait is over! They're digging!

:dance:

Wait for the caissons.

This is a bit out of date...
http://www.midwest.construction.com/projects/05_BestOf/start9.asp
From Midwest Construction


Top of 2005
Start 9: Waterview Tower
Cost: $400 million*

The 89-story Waterview Tower at 111 W. Wacker Drive in Chicago was designed so residents will have a view of either Lake Michigan and-or the Chicago River.

The ground break was supposed to occur in the spring but might be delayed to this summer, said Dorrie Freeman, an associate in the sales office.

The 1.2 million-sq.-ft. building will house a hotel at the base and 233 condominiums. The 26th level will be the first residential floor.

The residential floor plan is triangular, with the south wall running diagonally from the northeast to southwest corner. This creates a slender tower rising from the larger base to provide south units with views to the east and northeast up the Chicago River and the lake beyond.

The residential floors also feature curved bay windows that provide multi-directional views.

The building is topped with a band of lower and upper penthouses, and the upper floors are defined by the extension of columns.

The units range in size between 1,087 sq. ft. and 8,070 sq. ft. and range in cost from $627,000 to $6.3 million, Freeman said. In early April, at least 45 percent of the units were sold.

High-end finishes make up the residences, including marble bathroom countertops, floor-to-ceiling windows and solid core doors. Each unit will have a recessed balcony.


Luxury in the Sky

Freeman said the building will be packed with amenities, including a fitness center with swimming pool, dry cleaner, business center, hospitality center and 8,000-sq.-ft. park with dog run on the 25th floor terrace.

The hotel will be below the 25th floor, but the hotel operator has not been released, Freeman said. The building will also have parking for 512 cars and approximately 2,000 sq. ft. of retail space at the base.

An arcade on Wacker Drive will connect to the arcade of the LaSalle-Wacker Building to create a through-block connection to LaSalle Street.

The 30-ft.-high glass lobby will create a dramatic look, and a public winter garden on the Clark Street facade will feature a water wall, trees and sculpture. The residential entrance on Wacker will be discrete.

*Midwest Construction estimate

SO is Waterview still in the site prep or counts as underconstruction?

Prep, but getting closser. Caisson drilling is the official start to construction for our purposes.

Nice! I had my doubts before, but we can't be stopped now!

Awesome! This 'scraper is going to look great... imagine the view from the Mich Ave bridge once this and Trump are done!

This may have been answered previously but has any other city than Chicago.....in the states.....had two ( hopefully 3) 1000ftr's U.C. concurrently......NY perhaps.....I am not sure if ESB and Chrysler overlapped

NY has a bunch right now UC or proposed, but all of them except Freedom Tower have huge spires that make them over 1000 ft.

Images from yesterday 01-05-06

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/426892.jpg

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/426893.jpg

I am so excited I could go rub one off in world record time.... brb

NY has a bunch right now UC or proposed, but all of them except Freedom Tower have huge spires that make them over 1000 ft.

Do you think it's intentional, or did the tower designers think it added to the visual appeal of these towers. If it's just so that they can be called supertalls, I think the CTBUH should rethink the designation of official height.

I never had doubt on this building, not now, not later..
Demo it faster!

Rgolch
I agree ....spires really shouldn't be included in height.....roof or highest occupiable floor.....i am partial to roof but that make too much sense

I have been following the Waterview tower for over a year now and I am estatic that it is finally getting under way. We're so spoiled to be living in a city that has two 1000 footers being built at the same time. I just want to give mad props to BVictor for all his hard work over the years on getting the scoop on this amazing tower.

How long have we been waiting on this one? Almost 4 years? May 2002?

A few final shots for a while. I took these yesterday, yes they were working on a Saturday:)

View from lower Wacker Drive - 2006-1-7
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/427167.jpg

Machinery removing steel and wooden barriers, as well as excavating the site - 2006-1-7
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/427169.jpg

Steel and wooden barriers fronting lower Wacker Drive that need to be removed - 2006-1-7
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/427170.jpg

Emporis.com is now listing Waterview as underconstruction.

Nevermind, they just changed it back to approved.

Nevermind, they just changed it back to approved.
I changed the status to under-construction for about 30 minutes so that I could upload the photos above and a few more previously taken pictures. The tower won't "officially" be under construction until caissons begin. Sorry for any confusion caused.

I couldn't help myself, I swung past the site this morning. I was quite supprised to see a crane cab on site. I spoke with the superintendant for a few minutes and he told me that they would begin driving steel sheeting tomorrow.

A crane cab on site - 2006-1-9
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/427505.jpg

As you can see, they have already broken through to lower Wacker Drive. Most of the construction vehicles will traverse the site VIA lower Wacker.

View of the site as workers assemble a crane - 2006-1-9
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/427508.jpg

Using a sledgehammer to connect sections of a crane boom - 2006-1-9
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/427513.jpg

We were also told that there will be a special concrete pump used for the tower. They will need if the the same reasons that one is being used for Trump Tower, extreme height and difficulty in pumping conctere to that altitude.

It was also mentioned that the goal was for caisson work to begin by the end of January. But that work could possibly not begin until about mid-February.

(Imitating Tattoo): "The crane! The crane!" :banana:

Nice update

They're driving steel sheeting now.

Here are some photos from yesterday.

View of the site from the 10th floor of the Transportation Buildings' parking garage - 2006-1-21
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430509.jpg

A vibro-hammer pounding steel sheeting into the ground - 2006-1-21
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430511.jpg

View to the southwest across the site - 2006-1-21
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430507.jpg

Digging around the steel sheeting in the southeast corner - 2006-1-21
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430503.jpg

A bobcat placing gravel along the outside of the steel sheeting - 2006-1-21
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/01/430517.jpg

Thats freakin amazing to see some pics of progress at the Waterview sight. Nice job getting those pics BVics

for those of you experts who follow these things: what becomes the next empty lot (or building to be torn down) to become THE watch site, now that Waterview is off the list? Where to we rivet our eyes to see the next major tower ground breaking?

for those of you experts who follow these things: what becomes the next empty lot (or building to be torn down) to become THE watch site, now that Waterview is off the list? Where to we rivet our eyes to see the next major tower ground breaking?
The 300 N. LaSalle across the river looks interesting enough to qualify.

for those of you experts who follow these things: what becomes the next empty lot (or building to be torn down) to become THE watch site, now that Waterview is off the list? Where to we rivet our eyes to see the next major tower ground breaking?
I agree w/ Frumie 300 N. Lasalle is a good candidate. also maybe mandarin, or hotel intercontinental

I would agree (or at least hope) that the next would be 300 Lasalle and Hotel Intercontinental. The Mandarin though? I didn't even think there was proper renders of the building out. I would certainly be suprised if that was one of the next to go up but others know much more then I would.

Also 71 E Huron.....its reportedly near 750ft amd has a pretty cool design

Thanks BVictor1, a good update... keep us informed!

The 300 N. LaSalle across the river looks interesting enough to qualify.

that one isn't supposed to be a super tall, I thought. am i right or wrong?

I think 300 N LaSalle is planned for around 750ft or so.....not quite supertalll but tall nonetheless

300 N LaSalle is 775' if I remember seeing it right

I did something similar to this for Trump. This is the best I could do for now, I will further edit this to make it easier understand. And a special thanks to Steely for the shot of the rendering which I used for this. I'll keep it updated.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e99/avanzee/Construction%20Photos/Chicago/Waterview_update1.jpg
If I need to change anything let me know.

I just got some pretty interesting information for a Waterview Tower official.

"Waterview Tower will be built with 299,700,000 pounds of concrete to be
delivered via 8,222 truck loads."

Is this thing officially under construction yet?

Is this thing officially under construction yet?

No. It will be posted here when the building is "Officially" under construction.

"Waterview Tower will be built with 299,700,000 pounds of concrete to be delivered via 8,222 truck loads."

HOLY MACKEREL!!!! :eek2:

That's a lot of concrete.

Unbelievable!

"Waterview Tower will be built with 299,700,000 pounds of concrete to be delivered via 8,222 truck loads."

You would think they could come up with a creative way to add an extra 300,000 pounds of concrete to round the number off. :)

Like maybe add another floor?

Quick update from 1/28/06.

http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/9526/waterview015cc.jpg

http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/8827/waterview027vm.jpg

Tomorrow is the day! :banana::carrot:
From globest.com

Waterview Construction Set to Begin
Monday, January 30, 2006
By Mark Ruda


CHICAGO-In the works for more than three years, construction is about to begin on the 90-story Waterview Tower and Shangri-La Hotel at 111 W. Wacker Dr., one of the last remaining vacant sites Downtown. Teng & Associates, which is designing and developing the 1,050-foot residential and hotel condominium building, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning.

Originally intended as a condominium and office building, the plans changed to incorporate 200 hotel condo units on the 12th through 27th floors. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts will manage the hotel portion of the $200-million project, its first US assignment. Besides Trump International Hotel and Tower across the Chicago River, Waterview Tower will compete against several redevelopments that have employed the hotel-condo concept, including Falor Cos.’ 454-unit 71 E. Wacker Dr.


The 232 condominiums on the 30th through 88th floors will range from 1,087-sf one-bedroom units to 8.070-sf penthouses. It will be the fifth-tallest building in the city.


Two years before development plans gained city approval, the site at the southwest corner of Clark Street and Wacker Drive was sold in 2000 for $10 million. It has been used as a parking lot.

Hallelujah!

High Rise Set to Become Fifth Tallest Building in Chicago

CHICAGO, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Waterview LLC has broken ground at the
site of Waterview Tower & Shangri-La Hotel, Chicago, a 90-story, mixed-use
high rise in downtown Chicago that, when finished, will be the fifth tallest
building in the city at 1,050 feet. The building is scheduled for completion
in 2009.
The high rise will comprise 233 luxury condominium and penthouse
residences, and 200 hotel condominiums at the five-star Shangri-La Hotel,
Chicago.
Construction is expected to take 42 months and will employ 500 workers
during peak construction time. Upon completion, the development will
contribute 225 permanent new jobs to Chicago's economy.
Residential condominiums at Waterview Tower measure 1,087 to 8,070 square
feet including full-floor penthouses with 360-degree views of downtown
Chicago. Base prices range from $726,000 to $7.5 million.
Residential condominium owners have exclusive access to the 29th floor
which offers a hospitality room with gourmet kitchen; an 8,000-square-foot
roof garden with sundeck and dog run; a fitness center with a 60-foot lap
pool; and a business center.
Hotel condominiums at the five-star Shangri-La Hotel, Chicago, measure 488
to 1,780 square feet, and range in price from $562,000 to $2,316,000.
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. Additionally, the hotel will have a 24-hour fitness club in a
windowed 6,000-square-foot fitness room, an indoor pool, a whirlpool, a steam
and a sauna room, a juice bar, and a separate yoga and Pilates area. The hotel
will offer private function rooms and a grand ballroom.
Waterview Tower will be built with 299,700,000 pounds of concrete to be
delivered via 8,222 truck loads; 525,000 square feet of exterior wall made of
glass, granite and aluminum; 8,300 tons of reinforcing steel; 340 miles of
fiber optics; 115 miles of cabling; and 3,500 plumbing fixtures.

Waterview Tower & Shangri-la Hotel, Chicago, are being developed by
Waterview, LLC ( http://www.waterviewtower.com ), one of a group of companies
founded by the nationally recognized, Chicago-based, Teng & Associates, Inc.
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently manages 47 hotels
under the five-star Shangri-La and four-star Traders brands, with a rooms
inventory of over 23,000.

$726,000? hmm.. pocket change

Anyway, this is awesome. I can't wait for it to finish.

$726,000 is for unit number 4605, a 1 BR on the 46th floor. 18 months ago, when I put my deposit down, that unit was almost $200,000 less. Shoulda put money down on it! I don't believe there are any 2 bedrooms under a million listed now. Go Teng!!

^ that's correct, ceremonial gorundbreakings rarely have anything to do with the official start of construction. it's just an opportunity to get all the project leaders and politicos together to take some publicity photos and make some speeches for the local media.

Right on the damn money buddy. I just came from the "cerimonial groundbreaking" and it was exactly as Steely described. I was able to get some nice photos which I will share tomorrow once I edit them. FOX and ABC7 news was there also, so there is a chance you will see something about it on the news later today.

Caisson work is still several weeks away. They are still working on the sheeting. Don't worry, this one is in the bag.

Teng did a heck of the job in keeping the project going for past 5 years.

When Geoffrey Baer (is that correct?) updates his famous riverboat tour in 2010, he will praise and glorify Teng for its remarkable creation. :)

Teng did a heck of the job in keeping the project going for past 5 years.

When Geoffrey Baer (is that correct?) updates his famous riverboat tour in 2010, he will praise and glorify Teng for its remarkable creation. :)

I'm still pissed the son of a bitch didn't mention it in the most recent version made this summer. He mentioned Trump which of course was U/C at the time, but he also mentioned Fordham Spire, which is still a long way off.

So now it's officially UC?
:pepper:
btw, BVictor1, how do you get all the exclusive news, are you part of some architectural firm or some city administration?

So now it's officially UC?
:pepper:
btw, BVictor1, how do you get all the exclusive news, are you part of some architectural firm or some city administration?


I was informed that he is employed by Emporis.

I was informed that he is employed by Emporis.

More than that, he just loves doing what he does which benefits us other scraper nerds. He gets all the exclusives by going out there and simply doing some investigating and befriending those close to the project. Its something we all could do but he has a passion for it. Thats the impression Im under.

Btw, I thought Emporis was run by volunteers as opposed to employees.

More than that, he just loves doing what he does which benefits us other scraper nerds. He gets all the exclusives by going out there and simply doing some investigating and befriending those close to the project. Its something we all could do but he has a passion for it. Thats the impression Im under.

Btw, I thought Emporis was run by volunteers as opposed to employees.


I really have no idea and was just speculating that his ability to say that this information would be for the purpose of Emporis updating its database would entitle him to be privied to "exclusive" information that the rest of us might not gain access to, regardless, my schedule and probably alot of other's is not conducive to attending sales centers and city meetings or photographing construction sites, we are all lucky to have him on this forum.

Volunteer or otherwise, I would still consider him an employee of Emporis on the basis that he renders his services to them, which would constitute him being a worker, employee can be used in other ways than signifying that you are payed a wage. If someone employs your servives you are an employee, not always wage based.

Btw, I thought Emporis was run by volunteers as opposed to employees.

You're right, it is. And BVic is just awesome for this site I might add. Also, everybody else that contributes to this site are just awesome as well. :)

Okay, yesterdays groundbreaking was quite the spectical to behold, at least for me. I able to speak with the developer Ivan Dvorak and the architect Thomas Hoepf.

Alderman Burton Natarus was there and made a cool speach about the stunning and beautiful architecture of the tower. He was promoting Chicago like it's Gods greatest gift. (And lets face it, it is). He also mentioned the face that Manderin Oriental was coming to town:)

Ivan Dvorak, president of Waterview LLC, mentioned the 250 permanent jobs once the building is complete. He said that negotiations began with Shangri-La began back in October of 2004. I was able to speak with him personally later and he said that the building has been in the works for about 4 years. The site has always been seen as an "unobstructed view cooridor", because of the river.
-There will be a high end restaurante on the ground floor, "possibly" something new to the U.S.
-There will be limited retail space

Teng Principal Design Architect Thomas Hoepf said that the glass will give the building visual texture. Chicago's new energy code was a major driving factor for the building glass and granite curtain wall. He also said because a lot of the design and structural work was done "in house", it nade the process much easier.

FEBRUARY 2006 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
-The percentage of sold condominium units is in the Mid 60's
-About 11% of the hotel units have been sold so far

Here are some photos from yesterdays ceremony...

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B6%3Cnu0mrj

The gentlemen in the blue tie is the architect (Tom Hoepf)
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B74nu0mrj

Silver shovels used by Teng officials at Waterview Towers' cerimonial groundbreaking - 2006-1-31
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B75nu0mrj

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/02/433151.jpg

Alderman Natarus with the mike.
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B78nu0mrj

Shangri-La official
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B7%3Cnu0mrj

City, Shangri-La and Teng officials including architect Thomas Hoepf(on the left), at the cerimonial groundbreaking for Waterview Tower - 2006-1-31
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/02/433154.jpg

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B86nu0mrj

Engraving on the spade of the shovel.
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B8%3Bnu0mrj

View across the site to the northeast corner - 2006-1-31
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/02/433160.jpg

One of the project managers.
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B94nu0mrj

View of the site from the 35th floor of the LaSalle-Wacker Building - 2006-1-31
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/02/433168.jpg

2 of the 3 people in the sales center who have been quite helpful to me over the past 2 years.
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B%3A732%3Anu0mrj

The architect (blue tie) standing next to the model of the building he designed.
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B98nu0mrj

View to the southeast across the construction site - 2006-1-31
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/02/433172.jpg


This concludes the lesson for today.:):):)

Wow. Great coverage from all perspectives. I wonder if the Shangri-la people were pissed off that Natarus mentioned Mandarin Oriental during their groundbreaking :) Oh well

Wow. Great coverage from all perspectives. I wonder if the Shangri-la people were pissed off that Natarus mentioned Mandarin Oriental during their groundbreaking :) Oh well

Well it really doesn't matter, because Shangri-La is closest to being under construction while we haven't heard anything on Mandarin in months. Shangri-La has a major head start.

That's true. They really need to get going on that tower soon and have a major ad blitz or something. Hopefully the design is good enough to create a demand for it.

Great coverage, BVictor! Thank you very much.

Thanks... I love the photos... Good for the waterview!

The architect (blue tie) standing next to the model of the building he designed.
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3A7656%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A7%3B8%3A%3B98nu0mrj


What`s his name?

Thomas Hoepf - Principal at Teng

^^
thx :okay:

superb coverage BVictor1. We in the UK don't seem to go in for the whole 'groundbreaking' ceremory malarky, but events such as this are an excellent way for formally commemorating the start of construction. I'll really enjoy watching this one rise. Well done chaps!

IS this tower officially under construction?even after the ceremony emporis still shows this tower as approved with underconstruction photos,are we waiting for the caison drilling to begin for it to be offially under construction or what?

As far as I am concerned, as an invester/owner it's started. Now the 42 month wait begins. I don't need to see the caison drilling to begin to know this one is headed upwards.

BVictor had to change the status on Emporis temp. to upload some pre-construction photos. Until caisson work begins, this is not officially under construction, although I'm not worried that it won't happen anymore.

As far as I am concerned, as an invester/owner it's started. Now the 42 month wait begins. I don't need to see the caison drilling to begin to know this one is headed upwards.

Im with you on that one. Is there a written rule stating that caissons MUST be drilled before it can be deemed "officially under construction"? Doubt it. With this much progress on the tower its safe to say its under construction. I mean you can have caissons drilled on a project and it be put "on hold". The caissons are drilled but techinally its "on hold", no longer under construction. I dont follow the norm on here unless it makes absolute sense but whatever. Waterview Tower, for all purposes, is under construction.

Perhaps there should be another status of "Construction prep work begins"

Anyone else think the project manager looks entirely too much like Matthew Broderick? Anyway... I'm VERY excited that this is finally happening and have never been so releived to be wrong in my life (I denied it would ever be built until about two weeks ago :))

Time for the web cam to get set up...

Well, went by the site today at around 4:00 and there was NOTHING happening; not a worker to be seen. Not sure if this was the case for the entire day, but, stuff like this always makes me nervous!

Well, went by the site today at around 4:00 and there was NOTHING happening; not a worker to be seen. Not sure if this was the case for the entire day, but, stuff like this always makes me nervous!

^No need to get nervous.

I was there at about that time as well, taking a few pictures. It looks like the site has been excavated for the most part down to the level of lower Wacker. What I did fine interesting was the soil drilling truck on site. I know that testing was done back in October. Also, the crane that was on site for the steel sheeting instalation has been dismanteled and removed.

I'm going to see what I can find out.

Great. Now I am nervous.

I was there at about that time as well, taking a few pictures.

Man, I know this is going to sound like a weird question, but were you wearing a red coat? I was passing the site in a cab @ about 4 pm and saw someone in a red coat snapping pics o' of the work zone (camera propped up over the fence)... I immediatly thought "I wonder if that's BVictor????" I knew, at least, it had to be someone who posted here... :)

BTW, as a casual urban enthusiast and recently minted Chicagoan, I truly appreciate your updates here (and at SSP, and at Wired New York... yeah, I lurk at that site too). Nice work man! :cheers:

Man, I know this is going to sound like a weird question, but were you wearing a red coat? I was passing the site in a cab @ about 4 pm and saw someone in a red coat snapping pics o' of the work zone (camera propped up over the fence)... I immediatly thought "I wonder if that's BVictor????" I knew, at least, it had to be someone who posted here... :)

BTW, as a casual urban enthusiast and recently minted Chicagoan, I truly appreciate your updates here (and at SSP, and at Wired New York... yeah, I lurk at that site too). Nice work man! :cheers:

That was me :)

I assume you didn't get your coat at Gap?

Man, I know this is going to sound like a weird question, but were you wearing a red coat? I was passing the site in a cab @ about 4 pm and saw someone in a red coat snapping pics o' of the work zone (camera propped up over the fence)... I immediatly thought "I wonder if that's BVictor????"

^^Stalker! :runaway:

ARCHITECTURE
Waterview Tower: High-rise, low buzz

By Blair Kamin
Tribune architecture critic
Published February 12, 2006

Put the 1,050-foot Waterview Tower in any American city except Chicago or New York and it would be the tallest building in town, a source of endless fascination. People would talk about it at cocktail parties. Newspapers would devote endless column inches to it. Architects would hold symposiums.

In real life, however, hardly anybody is talking about Waterview Tower, even though construction just started on the 82-story skyscraper at the southwest corner of Wacker Drive and Clark Street. The lack of buzz is enough to make you wonder: Is it because the design is good but kind of tame or because Chicagoans have become totally blase about great height? "Ho hum. Another tower taller than New York's Chrysler Building. Who's the next pol to get indicted at City Hall?"

The answer, I suspect, is both, along with the celebrity factor -- well, actually, the lack of it. There's no Donald Trump to attach his name to the project. Nor is there a celebrity architect who has conjured an arresting image, like the drill bit-shaped Fordham Spire proposed by Spanish-born "starchitect" Santiago Calatrava.

Yet while the sexier projects have eclipsed Waterview Tower, it, too, deserves a hard look. And that means evaluating it as a skyline object and for its urban impact on the Chicago River, which is rapidly shaping up as a dense, high-rise corridor lined with office buildings and aeries for the superrich.

Living in style

Living at Waterview Tower, which is scheduled to be completed in 2009, certainly won't come cheap. A condominium will set you back anywhere from $725,000 to $7.5 million, the marquee in front of the construction site advertises. A hotel condominium (a room or suite sold to a buyer, who can place it in a rental pool when he isn't using it) costs from $562,000 to $2.3 million. The slick sales brochure promises an on-call concierge, steam and massage rooms, plus "outdoor exercise areas for your pet." What a difference from the economic modesty of Marina City, which was developed in the 1960s by a union of elevator operators and building janitors to stem middle class flight to the suburbs.

Waterview Tower's design also differs markedly from the bracing innovation of Marina City and its corncob-shaped high-rises.

This is, remarkably, the first real skyscraper designed by architect Tom Hoepf of the Chicago firm Teng & Associates, which also is the building's developer, engineer and construction manager. Hoepf has done some fine work, including the sleek, light-filled "G" concourse at O'Hare International Airport. But he has had no practice buildings to evolve a skyscraper style all of his own. And that helps explain the project's aesthetic conservatism.

Hoepf admires the work of Connecticut-based architect Cesar Pelli, who evoked the romantic skyscrapers of the 1920s in such postmodern office towers as the Wells Fargo Center (originally the Norwest Tower), a Minneapolis project completed in 1988. His debt to Pelli is clearly evident in the design's vigorous setbacks and its pronounced finials. In that sense, his tower is an echo of an echo, not exactly what we expect in a city bent on innovation.

Yet there's an unusual twist in the tower's floor plan, which is designed to put more condos higher in the sky, preserve jaw-dropping views and command higher prices. It raises a big aesthetic question mark.

From ground level to the 28th floor, the concrete-framed tower is essentially a square, fully covering its narrow, hemmed-in site. From the 29th floor upward, however, the tower resembles a right triangle, its hypotenuse slicing along its back. At the point of the triangle facing eastward, the supertall tower is a wafer-thin 32 feet wide. Where's the rest of it? It looks, in the renderings, like the Calista Flockhart of skyscrapers.

Maybe that's too harsh. There's actually a lot to like about this project, beginning with the way it sensitively slips into the wall of buildings along Wacker. Here, its thinness appears to be a plus.

Fits into Wacker lineup

It seems not the least bit domineering, as Trump's much-bulkier tower threatens to be. Instead, Hoepf's design deftly continues the edge formed by the masonry-clad buildings along Wacker. The tower steps up almost naturally from the neighboring R.R. Donnelly Building at 77 W. Wacker, forming a graceful new peak above Wacker's clifflike wall.

Much closer to the ground, a fine public amenity is planned: a tree-filled arcade facing the river and set the equivalent of four floors above the sidewalk. The arcade, which will be open to the public, is likely to contain a bar or cafe. It may be open to the air or glassed in. Whatever its final shape, it offers a platform from which to gaze down on the river's panoply of boats, buildings, water and people. Much like the tiered walkways at the base of Trump Tower, that should help energize the now-moribund riverfront.

Waterview Tower's architecture has additional merits. Hoepf effectively plays the old game of giving the skyscraper a pronounced base, middle and top, much like a classical column. To his credit, he puts a modern spin on that tradition, curtaining his symmetrical facades in metal and glass and composing pairs of slightly curving walls along Wacker. They simultaneously sculpt the skyscraper and help provide the requisite million-dollar views.

Balconies, fortunately, are recessed, ensuring an uninterrupted silhouette. And there are no balconies at all along Wacker -- a good choice because it would be declasse to have Weber grills looming above one of the city's grand boulevards.

The jury is still out, however, on the aesthetic effect produced by Hoepf's unorthodox triangular geometry. Some of the profiles it creates promise a telescoping tower of handsome proportions and materials, not unlike Tribune Tower. But some also appear nervous and unresolved, lacking the mountainlike nobility of the Empire State Building, which climbs into the sky with Olympian calm. The difference will go a long way toward determining whether Waterview Tower turns out to be good or merely interesting.

----------

bkamin@tribune.com

Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0602120053feb12,1,3559292.story?track=rss)

This was in todays Sunday Sun Times Real Estate,similiar to the Trib article above but I thought amounts of materials listed was interesting- 8,000 + cement trucks!, amazing. The Trib article above says 82 floors this says 90?...
_________________________________________________________________

90-story giant

Construction has begun for Waterview Tower, a 90-story, mixed-use high-rise at 111 W. Wacker.

A total of 233 condominiums are planned from floors 30 to 88. The building also will have the Shangri-La Hotel from floors 12 to 27. Parking will be from floors 2 to 11. The high-rise is scheduled to be completed in 2009.

"At 1,050 feet tall, it will be the fifth-tallest building in the city," said Ivan Dvorak, president of Waterview LLC, the developer. "It is certain to become one of the most recognizable and distinguished members of Chicago's illustrious skyline."

Here's what is scheduled for the construction site:


299,700,000 pounds of concrete (to be delivered via 8,222 truckloads).

525,000 square feet of exterior walls -- made of glass, granite and aluminum.

8,300 tons of reinforcing steel.

68,750 sheets of dry wall.

340 miles of fiber optics.

115 miles of cable.

3,500 plumbing fixtures.
During peak building times over the next several years, about 500 construction workers will be toiling on the project.

The height of the building will require the use of both bell caissons and rock caissons. Seventeen bell caissons (20 feet in diameter) will extend 90 feet below Upper Wacker Drive.

Fifteen rock caissons will extend 130 feet below Upper Wacker Drive. Once the caissons are in place, superstructure work will commence this summer.

Base prices for condominiums range from $726,000 to $7.5 million. Sizes range from 1,087 to 8,070 square feet. Full-floor penthouses, on floors 83 to 88, will provide 360-degree views of downtown Chicago.

Shangri-La Hotel condominiums, with 488 to 1,780 square feet, are base-priced from $562,000 to $2,316,000.

Waterview Tower, 111 W. Wacker, Chicago. A sales center is open at 121 W. Wacker, Suite 3500. (312) 558-9100, or www.waterviewtower.com.

Bill Cunniff
Chicago Suntimes
2.12.2006

I wonder why Kamin is so critical of Waterview. The jury is already out; it is magnificent. Maybe his article will add some "buzz" to this low-profile giant.

i love the height but i agree with kamin. it def. doesnt hold the wow factor any of the othe 1000+ footers have in this city . il take it though :)

I like that its conservative. Ultimately, I think it fits in well in its "neighborhood". Man, this tower will offer some of the best views anywhere.

Personally, I prefer the look of Waterview over Trump as it has a beautiful soaring look due to it's slenderness. The fit and finish on the condos is equal to, if not better, than Trump. Floor to ceiling glass,heated floors, Poliform kitchens, granite, marble, etc. I bought in Waterview for all of those reasons, plus I can't live without a balcony... I think Blair is just hedging at this juncture because he really doesn't know Thomas Hoepf from Thomas Edison and doesn't want to say too much until the building is up and contributing to the flavour of the Chicago city fabric. This will be a spectacular building and it will also be interesting to see if Fordham can sell at the $1,000/s.f. that the developer is anticipating, which was refered to in the Tribune over the weekend.

Having Teng as developer/architect on Waterview, in my opinion, has been great. They understand aesthetics and the market quite well. The unit sales have ramped up slowly for sure, but this is one heck of a beautiful project in every aspect in and out and the location is just awesome.

For good measure:
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/554/6324waterview_tower.jpg
http://www.teng.com/teng2k3/images/111%20all%20new.jpg
http://www.teng.com/teng2k3/images/111.jpg
My favorite angle:
http://images.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2004-05/12599190.jpg

I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a CASE caisson crane currently being erected on the site and a few of the flights (drill bits) have been delivered. This one should be OFFICIALLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION sometime next week. There will be only 1 drilling rigg and 1 service crane on site because of confined area. Caisson construction will take several months.

awesome.....thanks for update vic......always on the ball

well there's a welcome spot of good news on a friday afternoon. thanks for the report, victor.

I took these photos the other day. I hope that they show up, I've been having problems linking the images. If they show up as red X's, rt click on the image, copy the address and paste it to your browser, that should work.

http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/02/437002.jpg

http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/02/437024.jpg

http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/02/437029.jpg

^^ It's not you. It's the Apache server rejecting people linking to their server. The browser sends a 'referer' and if it's not blank (typing in address in browser) or from their site, it's rejected.
Why not use one of the many free image hosting services. I posted this on Yafro and it works fine.
http://photos.yafro.com/pics3/i/20060222/10/5/e/c/5ecc3c5b54d959520eb5afb21042ab23200602220_full.jpg

^^ It's not you. It's the Apache server rejecting people linking to their server. The browser sends a 'referer' and if it's not blank (typing in address in browser) or from their site, it's rejected.
Why not use one of the many free image hosting services. I posted this on Yafro and it works fine.
http://photos.yafro.com/pics3/i/20060222/10/5/e/c/5ecc3c5b54d959520eb5afb21042ab23200602220_full.jpg


Because then I'd have to post the images twice. I'd have to upload them to a free server and Emporis. I had been just linking them over from Emporis, but I guess they've stopped that.

I have the distinct pleasure of announcing that "WATERVIEW TOWER IS NOW OFFICIALLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION":cheers:

Amazing, Chicago now officially has 2 - 1,000' foot buildings under construction. I never want to wake up from this dream....

I took this photo not more than 15 minutes ago.
http://images.snapfish.com/346387992%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D3233548387%3A%3B%3Anu0mrj

A great day for the city!

^^ "Because then I'd have to post the images twice"
That sucks. Emporis probably had too many bandwidth thieves, so it's now blocking anyone refering the pics. Contact them and see if they can allow 'skyscrapercity' to refer.

Ha ha, look at the paint job on the truck in the pic.

Here's to another great building. :cheers:

The wait is FINALLY Over!

:applause: :applause:

:applause: :applause:

That applause is for the paint job on the truck, correct?

:hahaha:

We have (2) 1000's. Can we get (3) 1000's plus (1) 2000'?

I'd be in skyscraper heaven.

Nice scraper. Any more renderings of future Chi supertalls?

OG (and other curious lurkers), there is an excellent Chicago boom rundown, created by Steely Dan:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=18467

So, enjoy reading.

Wish Toronto would get something like this--especially at that height. man I hate the CN Tower which dwarfs the TO skyline.

Nice scraper. Any more renderings of future Chi supertalls?
See the STR model thread on the Chicago page.

Here are some photos from yesterday 03/10/06.

http://images.snapfish.com/3465356%3C8%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D323357%3C29%3B5%3A7nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3465356%3C8%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3238%3E868%3E492%3EWSNRCG%3D323357%3C29%3B5%3A4nu0mrj

Wow! Now it's really happening! This brings me back about year or so ago, when the Trump began construction.

Wish Toronto would get something like this--especially at that height. man I hate the CN Tower which dwarfs the TO skyline.

Why hate the CN Tower? Isn't the problem more that the other buildings are too short rather than the CN Tower is too tall? Maybe I read your statement too literally though.

Wish Toronto would get something like this--especially at that height. man I hate the CN Tower which dwarfs the TO skyline.

Isn't Trump Toronto about the same size?

Well, Trump Toronto is about 300 feet smaller than Trump Chicago. Waterview is about the same height as Trump Toronto. Chicago just builds, while Toronto proposes...hell, Trump New Orleans will get off the ground before Trump TO.

Also, the location for Trump Toronto is bad because it is hidden from most angles, and I think it needs to be separate from Toronto's "cluster".

Fortunately for Chicago, it is not competing with so many suburbs for condos, etc like Toronto.

For me, the CN Tower is hideous, and to make it look...okay...it would need to be flanked by a few 1000 foot towers. Seeing it and Toronto's cluster together makes the city's tallest seem so miniscule.

Also, the location for Trump Toronto is bad because it is hidden from most angles, and I think it needs to be separate from Toronto's "cluster".

Not to highjack a Chicago thread but Trump Toronto will be visible from the north, east and west with partial blockage from the lake. Too bad it isn't as good looking as Chicago's Trump (taking the thread back to Chicago).

I just looked at the Waterview site and they have a nice, fairly updated group of construction photos. I wish Trump "officially" did something like this.

http://www.teng.com/waterview/flash_full/Construction/indextest.html

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D3233624973554nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D3233624973555nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/346699%3A%3C8%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3279%3E%3A85%3E266%3EWSNRCG%3D3233624973556nu0mrj

Took a little tour today did we? Thanx for all the pic updates in all these threads.

I spy: somebody who's on the wrong side of the scaffolding :))

From yesterday 4/3/06

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/448499.jpg

Has anyone heard were sales figures stand at for WT? I wonder if the hotel units have picked up steam. I'm really hoping Teng does well with this project, so they stay active in skyscraper construction.

APRIL 2006 WATERVIEW TOWER SALES UPDATE

I just called the sales center, and I was told that about 65% of the condominium units have been sold, and that 25 out of 200 hotel suites have been reserved.

I was also told that within the next few months, a model of one of the hotel units would be constructed.

about 65% of the condominium units have been sold, and that 25 out of 200 hotel suites have been reserved.


^^ That's a good new to hear!

What do you mean? That 60% number is what they've been quoting for quite a few months now. It's a good amount, but it seems like not that many units have been sold lately.

What do you mean? That 60% number is what they've been quoting for quite a few months now. It's a good amount, but it seems like not that many units have been sold lately.

That's true. He said that things were slow over the winter months. But as you see, there has been an improvement on the number of hotel suites sold, and the damn thing us under construction, so what more could we ask for???

What I am saying is that the % of units sold is moving up after the announcement of Shangri-La. Before that, the sales activity was slow. That is why I was happy to hear it was 65% and hope to continue till it is sold out.

The construction site today:

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1591/waterviewsite0404061pw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/423/waterviewsite04040624im.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Shots from 4/14/06

Attaching the crane to raise drilling equipment out of a caisson hole - 2006-4-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/450593.jpg

Raising drilling equipment out of a caisson hole - 2006-4-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/450595.jpg

Precussion hammer dripping pulverized bedrock - 2006-4-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/450600.jpg

Pulverized bedrock falling out of the precussion hammer - 2006-4-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/450602.jpg

Workers removing crushed bedrock with shovels - 2006-4-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/450606.jpg

View to the northeast across the site - 2006-4-14
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/450608.jpg

With that last picture I think the Waterview will look so grand standing above the Marina Towers. Now that will be a psotcard!

Thanks for the updates hydrogen! it's always amazing to see the construction works, especially since here in New York they seal everything. And when I try to take pictures, I feel like a cop is going to take me away. :P
But I remember seeing the Trump Chicago, the whole place was so open, it's almost as if they were trying to intice the public to come and watch.

http://www.midwestconstructionmag.com/news/building/default.asp#1

Building News - April 2006
Waterview Tower Projected to be Fifth-Tallest Chicago Building


Ground was broken for the 90-story Waterview Tower & Shangri-La Hotel that when finished is expected to be the fifth-tallest building in Chicago with a height of 1,050 ft.

The project at 111 W. Wacker Drive will comprise 233 condominiums and penthouses from floors 30 to 88 and 200 hotel condominiums in the five-star Shangri-La Hotel from floors 12 to 27.

The condo units will range from 1,087 to 8,070 sq. ft., and prices range from $726,000 to $7.5 million.

The hotel condominiums will measure 488 to 1,780 sq. ft. and range in price from $562,000 to $2.3 million.

Amenities include hospitality kitchen, 8,000-sq.-ft. roof garden with sundeck and dog run, fitness center and business center.

Shangri-La's spa brand-CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La-will debut in Chicago.
Overall construction is expected to take 42 months and be complete in 2009.

The project is being developed by Waterview LLC, one of a group of companies founded by Chicago-based Teng & Associates Inc. Teng is also serving as the project architect.

The Waterview should of compete with the Trump to finish first...

How long do you predict, the waterview will be finish after the Trump, is it a matter of a couple of months?

A few shots from April 19th

View to the northwest - 2006-4-19
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/452234.jpg

View from the 35th floor of the LaSalle-Wacker Building - 2006-4-19
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/452235.jpg

View to the southeast - 2006-4-19
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/452236.jpg

Just checking in to make sure this thing is still going. I haven't seen much of it at SSP. I'm a big fan of this one. Which tower in Chicago am I NOT a fan of? ;)

That picture from Lasalle-Wacker is amazing. It really shows just how cramped this site is. It still blows my mind that we'll see a 1000+ sitting there in a few short years. She's gonna make Park Tower look short and stout!

A few shots from April 27, 2006

A rebar cage being lowered into a caisson hole - 2006-4-26
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/453891.jpg

Lowering a massive rebar cage into a caisson hole - 2006-4-26
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/453923.jpg

Overview of the site from the 10th floor of the Transportation Building - 2006-4-26
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/453911.jpg

A worker standing on one for the caisson drill bits - 2006-4-26
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/04/453925.jpg

^^^
Lovely update, thanks guys! :cheers:

I'm so incredibly happy that the parking lot is finally gone!

5-6-06

http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/9431/10gy.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/4687/20im.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/5418/32jt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

A few shots from tuesday the 23rd

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/05/460139.jpg

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/05/460124.jpg

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/05/460135.jpg

No updates for nearly a month?

No updates for nearly a month?

^ Clearly you are aware of Emporis, aren't you?

No updates for nearly a month?

A few images from June 13, 2006

Drilling a new caisson hole
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/466604.jpg

Removing clay from a caisson hole
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/466607.jpg

Spinning clay off of a caisson drill bit
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/466611.jpg

Taking measurements
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/466613.jpg

^ Clearly you are aware of Emporis, aren't you?

Of course, but I was looking forward to some homegrown shots posted here.

A few images from June 13, 2006

Drilling a new caisson hole
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/466604.jpg

Removing clay from a caisson hole
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/466607.jpg

Spinning clay off of a caisson drill bit
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/466611.jpg

Taking measurements
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/466613.jpg

Thanks BVictor. You rock.

View to the southeast across the site - 2006-6-27
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/469371.jpg

View to the northeast across the site - 2006-6-27
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/469372.jpg

Removing pieces of rock and clay from a caisson hole
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/469374.jpg

A caisson rock can in the verticle position - 2006-6-27
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/06/469375.jpg

Here are some pictures of the construction site that I took on July 7th. I believe that drilling will be done within the next several weeks, then the excavation will begin.

View to the southeast across the site
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/472487.jpg

Taking measurements as concrete is poured down a caisson hole
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/472499.jpg

https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/472506.jpg

Two caisson holes along the eastern edge of the site
https://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/07/472503.jpg

I believe that drilling will be done within the next several weeks, then the excavation will begin.

Hmm- any guess as to when this one will start to rise? Closer to the end of the year?

Nice updates as usual.

is it better to make buildings mostly of concrete and rebar stuff as they do nowadays,
just seems more exciting and quicker to make skyscrapers out of steel,

though i guess it must be more expensive to make buildings out of steel skeletons like they used to, though it is faster, right? and time is money, right?

It is faster, for the most part, but, it is also exponentially more expensive right now. There are also other factors to consider such as physical requirements of the given building (I remember hearing that Trump would have been too light were it steel-frame and would have required too much reinforcement).

Commercial structures use costly steel because of the large column-free floor plates it affords; residential structures with greatly smaller floor plate requirements opt for concrete. There are always a few exceptions depending on some other factor, for example the MOMO (Joffrey Tower) is using a steel skeleton, while 311 S Wacker was at one time the largest concrete pour in the world. But as a general rule of economic thumb, steel for commercial structures and concrete for residential.

CAISSON WORK IS NOW COMPLETE

The crane was being dismanteled this morning.

Took 'em long enough! You'd have thought they could've sunk the caissons on that tiny site in a week!

Took 'em long enough! You'd have thought they could've sunk the caissons on that tiny site in a week!

Well, the size of the site kind of hindered them. Because of its size, they could only get 1 crane on site, and the majority of the caissons were rock, and those always take longer. It took about 5 months for the caissons.

July 25, 2006 - Driving sheet piling.

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/6103/p7250098rv5.jpg

Thursday, August 3rd at 12.15
Chicago Cultural Center
Millennium Park Room, 5th floor southeast

Waterview Tower & Shangri-La Hotel
Filling the last gap in the wall of buildings along the Chicago River, Waterview Tower & Shangri-La Hotel takes its place in one of the world’s great architectural ensembles. The building’s articulated form and crystalline curtain wall are designed to capture magnificent views of the river, lake, and skyline. Join Design Architect Thomas Hoepf and Project Manager Sean McMahon as they discuss this project, set for completion in spring 2009.

What gives with the old picture? This is well before the caissons were even sunk!

What gives with the old picture? This is well before the caissons were even sunk!
The picture was taken this past Tuesday, July 25 and is a current representation of the site. The caisson work is now complete and covered. They are in the process of driving deeper sheet piling to allow for the remaining excavation work.

My bad. Thought it was pre-foundation.

August 8, 2006 - Excavation is underway.

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/7480/wvt1jy2.jpg

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2308/wvt2vt2.jpg

^^thats a pretty wild suburban there

It's amazing how slender yet so tall this building will be.

August 21, 2006

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/1913/p8210146mj3.jpg

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8315/p8210161sw3.jpg

So they put caisons all around the parameter and the center will be a big concrete pad?

If only they added an 80ft spire then Waterview would be taller than JHC. Well not really because we all know the real height of JHC is 1500'.

September 1, 2006

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/6739/p9010212yj0.jpg

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/7741/closelx5.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/4260/p9010238yv5.jpg

Now I'm starting to see just how slender this tower will be. It's hard to believe that there will be a 1000 footer standing here in less than 3 years!

Waterview's top floors will have full floor penthouses, the largest of which (83rd) floor will have over 8000 sq ft (not including the generous balcony space).

i don't believe that Trump was offering full floor units (could be wrong).

I suspect that Waterview's top units will be the largest high rise spaces in the city, but I can't say that for sure. Does anyone know if that really is the case? thanks.

******

PS...I got such a kick out of the layouts for the top 5 floors, I downloaded them. It is interesting to see how "the other half" live and the thought of 8000 sq ft units within the heart of downtown was mind boggling.

i don't believe that Trump was offering full floor units (could be wrong).



Trump was offering at least one full floor unit, of course it is the one that didn't sell, and he is keeping "himself". Somewhere around 12,000SF if I remember correctly. Price? 23,000,000

SSDD

Actually Headcase I just signed the contract for that one yesterday. Trump is no longer keeping it for himself. I will invite everyone over for a big SSC party when it is complete.

Actually Headcase I just signed the contract for that one yesterday. Trump is no longer keeping it for himself. I will invite everyone over for a big SSC party when it is complete.

that seems like a rather big expense for you to have to handle on your own. Would it help if I brought a couple of bags of pork rinds, some cheese whiz, and a six pack of diet Coke?

I got you one of those cool pictures of the dogs playing poker as a house warming gift. Please direct me to the prime living room wall to put it up after I drop off the pork rinds, cheez whiz, and diet Coke in the kitchen.

PARTY richardsonhomebuyers NEW PLACE!

PARTY richardsonhomebuyers NEW PLACE!

for God's sake, man, wipe off your shoes before entering the condo and don't even think about the possibility of throwing up.