Re: (rshsdepot) Union Station - Chicago, IL - UPDATE

["Paul S. Luchter" <luckyshow_@_mindspring.com>]

How many minutes of sun will a hollow core in an 18 story building give to
the skylight exactly?
- -----Original Message-----
From: Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>
To: RSHS Depot <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>
Date: Friday, February 08, 2002 3:27 PM
Subject: (rshsdepot) Union Station - Chicago, IL - UPDATE


Link to graphic of renovation plans:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-020207unionstation-graphic.graphi
c

Union Station high-rise gets panel endorsement

February 8, 2002

BY DAVID ROEDER BUSINESS REPORTER
Chicago Sun-Times

A city commission Thursday recommended landmark status for Union Station,
Chicago's last train terminal to recall the grandeur of early 20th century
rail travel, and endorsed a plan to add 18 stories to the building.

The Commission on Chicago Landmarks agreed that the proposal from the
station's owner, Amtrak, and development partner Prime Group Realty Trust
would preserve the station's architectural heritage and fulfill the intent
of its original designers, the firm of Daniel Burnham. The square-block
building on the southwest edge of downtown originally was supposed to
include a high-rise, but the railroads that owned it in the 1920s scrapped
that part of the construction.

Amtrak and Prime Group proposed adding the high-rise in the middle of the
eight-story structure while preserving the Great Hall waiting room with its
ornate skylight. The high-rise, although massive in appearance, will have a
hollow core and won't block sunlight to the Great Hall.

The design feature results in each floor being about 40,000 square feet, a
size the developer believes is best suited to today's market. The plan calls
for the tower to hold about 150 luxury condominiums, a 300-room hotel to be
operated by a division of Hilton Hotels Corp., about 480,000 square feet of
office space, and new stores and restaurants.

Commission members and city officials lauded the design for its faithfulness
to Union Station's Neo-classical roots, especially its thick limestone
columns. The masonry addition would be the work of Lucien Lagrange, known
for his Park Tower hotel and condominium skyscraper at 800 N. Michigan and
for historic renovations.

City Planning Commissioner Alicia Berg praised the development team for a
plan that respects the "monumental building'' while bringing it more
commerce. "Union Station must be preserved and protected as a tribute to the
critical role the railroads played in Chicago's development,'' she said.

Still, the project, costing perhaps $200 million, faces enormous financial
hurdles. The market for new hotels downtown is dormant, demand for office
space is sluggish, and lenders are viewing condo projects with suspicions
about an overbuilt market.

Prime Group President Richard Curto said he hopes work at Union Station can
start later this year and that the project will be timed for the next upturn
in the economy. He said financing details must wait until the plan gets
final city approval.

The landmark commission's vote is a recommendation to the City Council,
which has the final say on the project. In addition, the Chicago Plan
Commission must weigh in on the plans.

Curto said the project can be completed faster and cheaper than most
high-rises because no excavation is required. Union Station's foundation and
supports were designed for a high-rise. He said he hopes for completion by
late 2004.

LANDMARKS IN THE LIFE OF UNION STATION

1913-25: Constructed for consortium of railroads.

1969: Train shed and concourse east of station torn down for riverfront
office building.

1989: Developers propose twin 24-story towers atop station. Souring economy
kills plan.

1992: Station rehabbed in two-year, $32 million project.

2002: City agency backs landmark designation and a proposed 18-story
addition for condominiums, offices, hotel rooms and retail space.

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