72-Story Legacy Condo Coming to South Loop

The design which shows a thin profile was released for the 72-story Legacy at Millennium Park condominium, a building planned west of Michigan Avenue at Monroe Street in Chicago.

The tower will hold 355 units and will offer one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom condominiums, as well as penthouses. The prices range from the mid-$300,000s for one-bedrooms to more than $5 million for penthouse residences, and the units vary from 875 sq. ft. to 9,301 sq. ft.

The tower will feature expansive windows and gourmet kitchens, most opening onto a terrace or balcony. Residents will have access to sky-garden lounges with panoramic lake and park views from the 60th and 42nd floors, squash courts and related facilities to be owned and operated by the University Club of Chicago, and an extensive fitness center with lap pool and whirlpool

The development also will include parking, retail and, at the base of the property, space for the School of the Art Institute.

The Legacy at Millennium Park is scheduled for completion in spring 2010; the first residential closings will take place in late summer 2009. Chicago-based Solomon Cordwell Buenz is the designer, and Chicago-based Walsh Construction Co. is the general contractor.

A New Beginning for St. Louis Centre Mall

St. Louis-based Pyramid Cos. has announced an agreement to purchase St. Louis Centre, ending years of speculation about the mall.

Plans call for the $75 million transformation of the building into a mix of residential, retail, cultural and office uses.

Preliminary plans call for reconfiguring the building as modern office and first floor retail space, and the potential for up to 120 condominiums with private parking. The existing central atrium will be reconfigured into a football field-sized, open-air common area with large swaths of grass, a swimming pool, walking paths, and a dog run.

The demolition of the Washington Avenue bridge will restore the vistas of the streetscape. It creates the opportunity to improve the experience of downtown conventioneers and visitors, who often use the 6th and Washington MetroLink mass transit stop at the northwest corner of St. Louis Centre.

Eight Residence Halls Planned for U. of I.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has announced a $75 million housing redevelopment project that will include eight residence halls.

The project includes the consolidation of the current dining and residential support spaces into a new Student Dining and Residential Programs Building, as well as the residence halls, to be executed in phases.

The 144,000-sq.-ft. Student Dining and Residential Programs Building, replacing two existing dining facilities, will incorporate dining services with a multi-use student facility. A "marketplace dining" concept, featuring multiple food stations offering varied cuisines and late night dining options, will serve 3,600 students.

In addition, the facility will be a "one-stop" student service location providing an advanced technology and library commons with 24-hour access, space for living and learning communities, group study, student programming and activities, and various student organizations.

A prominent feature of the Residence Hall building is the integration of the existing Beckwith Hall, a facility that provides accessible living spaces for 26 students with severe physical disabilities and their personal assistants. Reflecting student preferences, the new Residence Hall will also feature double occupancy, suite-style rooms, semi-private bathrooms, and air-conditioned living environments.
Chicago-based Booth Hansen is the architect on the project.

New Life for Chicago's Biograph Theater

Chicago's historic Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue may be hidden at the moment, but behind the scaffolds, an $11.3 million renovation.

Victory Gardens Theater, a presenter of new work, will open a 299-seat mainstange in September.

A 299-seat theater is being created in the shell of the Biograph, including interior demolition, under-stage excavation and new plumbing and mechanical.
An interesting discovery behind a false wall was a 5-ft., original plaster carving of a woman's torso anchoring a ceiling corner.

The next stages are forming concrete footings, walls and trap space, framing interior walls and doors, installing drywall and interior brick restoration. The roof will be replaced, a new stage will be fashioned and the marquee will be restored.

The stage will be a semi-thrust type with a modified proscenium, 32 ft. wide, 19 ft. high and 32 ft. deep.

Business Park Starts in Elkhart

Construction has begun on the Tuscany Square Business Park in Elkhart, Ind.

The development consists of eight one-half acre lots that range in price from $120,000 to $150,000. The business park will have the same architectural design, style, materials and spirit as the Parkway Professional Office Building, which currently houses the Madison Center and PayChoice organizations.

Gateway Builders and Properties, the developer, is working to provide a consistent-looking park that will ensure that property values and lease costs will remain competitive while giving each individual lot owner the autonomy of his or her space.

Medical Office to Rise Next to Chicago's Weiss