CHICAGO | 108 North State Street (Block 37) Development News

[ilovechicago91]

108 North State Street, also known as Block 37, is a star-crossed tract of long-vacant land in the heart of Chicago's Loop. It is bounded by State on the East, Dearborn on the West, Randolph to the North, and Washington to the South. The ambitious mixed-used project includes an already-topped out CBS2 Broadcast Center (17 floors), a retail center, a condo tower, a hotel, and an underground CTA station providing express service to O'Hare Airport.

What Block 37 looked like before demolition in 1989 (corner of State and Randolph):
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2292/blk3791789yl1.jpg

Renderings have been cryptic and scarce, and it is still unknown exactly what the hotel and condo will look like:
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/1037/b371fp6.jpg
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/8738/b372wl3.jpg
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/7030/b373uj8.jpg
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/9829/b37subwayso9.jpg

The CBS2 Broadcast Center, which will have a street-level television studio:
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/668/cbs22ossh5.jpg
http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/CAI/Images/TheLoop/WBBMStudio-A00.jpg

Construction photos:
CBS2 Broadcast Center (all by Retrograde):
http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/3792/block37yx8.jpg
http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/2429/dsc0002copyvt1.jpg
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4114/dsc0234copyyo0.jpg

All By ambient:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1272/1186423214_f36db41b7a_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1263/1195783750_44572eee0f_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1072/1223809163_63d540fe06_o.jpg

[Insane alex]

Shouldn't this be in the highrise section?

[Xelebes]

Renderings? Details?

[i_am_hydrogen]

Since the person who started this thread put no information in the opening post except a dead link, I edited it to include some background info, photos, and renderings.

[theworldshallcry]

Something smells a bit fishy here -- this is a huge project halfway through construction, and the homepage got pulled down. They must be changing a few plans.

[Lord_Bertrum]

maybe so, hopefully someone can get to the bottom of it.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Update by ambient as SSP (9/12/07):

A core--for god knows what--is rising:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1162/1366784793_7250838565_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1208/1367684770_5a605a68bd_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1361/1367688578_a1defeef1f_b.jpg

[theworldshallcry]

A core--for god knows what--is rising
I doubt even God would know. I walk past this site every day, and cannot hazard any better of a guess. Hopefully the airport express trains are still in the works; I would consider buying a unit there if that's the case.

[Outventure]

pretty nice add for such a place in the city.

[Northsider]

Something smells a bit fishy here -- this is a huge project halfway through construction, and the homepage got pulled down. They must be changing a few plans.

They original developers went into cost overruns before they even started the project...I think they have switched developers or something...dont quote me on that!

[xXFallenXx]

how is there a huge project being built in the middle of a city and nobody knows what the hell it is?
That seems very weird.
Does anyone know hight or floors or anything? :?

[Northsider]

I have no idea. I have seen everything from 21 stories to 49 stories.

[xXFallenXx]

how crazy.
hmm........

[i_am_hydrogen]

Hopefully the airport express trains are still in the works; I would consider buying a unit there if that's the case.

The CTA station connecting the Red and Blue Lines is a go; it's been under construction for a while now. By the way, in the opening post, I erroneously stated there would be an express connection to Midway. There won't be.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Two recent news items:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?article_id=28595

Apple eyes roost on State Street
IPod maker among retailers in Block 37 talks

By Eddie Baeb

Apple Inc. aims to put down roots on State Street as part of the Block 37 project.

Joseph Freed & Associates LLC, the Palatine-based developer of the retail and residential portion of the project, is in talks with Apple, as well as a host of other higher-end retailers including Coach, Puma, J. Crew and Zara, sources familiar with the plans say.


www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed_block37oct31,0,1546449.story

Theater a coming attraction at Block 37
By Sandra M. Jones

Tribune staff reporter

October 31, 2007

A luxury movie house is headed for the Loop.

Muvico Entertainment LLC signed a letter of intent to open an 800-seat, seven-screen movie complex at 108 N. State St., also known as Block 37, Michael Whalen, president and chief executive of the Ft. Lauderdale-based company, told the Tribune on Tuesday...

[Northsider]

^^ Do we really need another theater in that area? Granted it's a movie theater, not a stage theater, but still. Sounds way too expensive..I'd never go, but I guess there's a market for it. I'd rather go to Three Penny. :-]

[theworldshallcry]

A movie theater in Block 37, in addition to a direct link to O'Hare downstairs? I'm so moving there.

[Second City]

I would move there is I had the money.... :lol:

[theworldshallcry]

I would move there is I had the money.... :lol:
It can't be that bad, can it? I'd assume it's vastly cheaper than some of the ridiculous stuff going up, such as CS.

[bnk]

Post

You know what!

I was looking for the renders of the [ final ] finished product and you supplied them well.

Thank you.

bnk

[Second City]

It can't be that bad, can it? I'd assume it's vastly cheaper than some of the ridiculous stuff going up, such as CS.

True but still, it doesn't help when you are in college and don't have a job. Maybe in about 10 - 15 I might be able to. :nuts::nuts:

[theworldshallcry]

This project is symbolic of Chicago corruption. No website, no public contacts, no anything... yet leases are being signed.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Looks like a re-design is afoot. Let's pray it turns out interesting, though I doubt it will:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/art/chi-1111_movies_kaminnov11,0,1679827.story

Movies back in the Loop
Will the show start on the sidewalk?

By Blair Kamin
November 11, 2007

...
Certainly, it does not inspire confidence that the current developers of the retail base, Palatine-based Joseph Freed and Associates, initially refused to release the most recent renderings of the project. Their architects, the Chicago office of Gensler, are scrambling to redesign the exterior even as construction cranes are lifting the final pieces of Block 37's steel superstructure into place.

"We're just starting the design studies" to accommodate the movie theaters, says Gensler principal Grant Uhlir.

[wrabbit]

It's been awhile since an update. 22 March:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/Untitled_Panorama1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/L1040506.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/L1040516.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/L1040523.jpg

[Second City]

Are they still going to build those towers on top of it?

[wrabbit]

Daley Plaza is feeling like an outdoor room again. 4/24:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/chipan4-24-082.jpg

[i_am_hydrogen]

Update by SolarWind

April 29, 2008

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/926/dsc0146nt5.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/2568/dsc0077lv7.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5070/dsc0076ft8.jpg

[i_am_hydrogen]

Update by SolarWind

April 29, 2008

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/926/dsc0146nt5.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/2568/dsc0077lv7.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5070/dsc0076ft8.jpg

[CMack]

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5070/dsc0076ft8.jpg

^^
Looks suspiciously like an Apple store to me... but I could just be hallucinating.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Thine eyes deceiveth thee not. There will be an Apple Store.

[i_am_hydrogen]

^I'll have to qualify my above statement. Negotiations with Apple are still ongoing, so as yet there's no guarantee it will be a tenant.

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=29596

Puma plans store at Block 37; Apple closer to lease
By Eddie Baeb, May 28, 2008

...Puma, the world’s third-largest sporting goods company, has leased a two-level space along State Street that’s almost 8,500 square feet, according to sources familiar with the matter.

...Sources say Freed is making progress in talks with iPod maker Apple to take a one-level store at Block 37 that could be as large as 6,000 square feet. Meanwhile Zara, which is part of Europe’s largest fashion retailer, Inditex S.A., is close to a deal for a two-level store at Block 37 that would be about 10,000 square feet. Zara has already signed leases to open larger stores at 700 N. Michigan Ave. and one at the Old Orchard mall in Skokie, which is to open this fall.

[CMack]

^^ great, thanks for the link

[i_am_hydrogen]

Taken today:
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/5319/b37723zj1.jpg

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/2638/b377232aa2.jpg

[wrabbit]

Saturday 7/26:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080726_3541d1.jpg

[wrabbit]

Sunday 7/27:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/wjcordier/20080727_3677-1.jpg