The high-water marks showing where the last boom broke under the pressure of the Great Recession are still visible in cities all over the country. The Chicago Tribune recently checked on a particularly poignant example in Chicago.
Kim Janssen checks in on the hole in the ground that almost became the Chicago Spire skyscraper, and the second-tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa.
After the Great Recession forced Spire developer Garrett Kelleher to halt construction with only a 76-foot-deep hole that would have been the building's foundation to show, the property has since changed hands and not much else.
Janssen reports, however, that "[w]orkers last week started moving dirt to form a landscaped berm that will block the view of the 110-foot diameter hole from a row of 10 Streeterville row homes on the 400 block of East Water Street." The camouflage effort was followed by a communication from current owners the Related Midwest announcing, in effect, that there's nothing to see, or expect, at the Spire.
FULL STORY: After 2,000-foot dream dashed, Chicago Spire's remains to be hidden behind dirt mound
Two Skyline Changing Apartment Towers Proposed to Rise on the Site of Chicago's Failed Spire
An infamous site has new development life after developers returned to the public with a revised project proposal.
Two Skyscrapers Will Finally Rise Above the Failed Location of the Chicago Spire
Two towers, one reaching 1,100 feet and the other 850 feet, will take their place in the Chicago skyline.
A 2,000-Foot Skyscraper Imagined for the Site of Chicago's Infamous Spire
Global architecture firm Gensler is doing its job to get the ball rolling on the dormant former site of the Spire project designed by Santiago Calatrava.
Planetizen’s Top Planning Books of 2023
The world is changing, and planning with it.
Chicago Red Line Extension Could Transform the South Side
The city’s transit agency is undertaking its biggest expansion ever to finally bring rail to the South Side.
Eugene Ends Parking Minimums
In a move that complies with a state law aimed at reducing transportation emissions, Eugene amended its parking rules to eliminate minimum requirements and set maximum parking lot sizes.
EPA Calls for Eliminating Lead Water Pipes in 10 Years
The mandate doesn’t include additional funding, prompting backlash from utility companies.
Baltimore Considers Public Restroom Project
The city is starting to develop a plan for adding more public restrooms downtown, where available bathrooms are scarce and historic buildings are being damaged by public urination.
Will New York’s Strict Short-Term Rental Rules Work?
Some owners are reluctant to put short-term rental units back on the long-term rental market, but the number of permitted units has dropped dramatically.
City of Kissimmee - Development Services
City of Kissimmee - Development Services
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
