University Gives Harper Court Update

I don't think I could improve on George Rumsey's summary of the presentation at Monday night's TIF meeting, so here's what he had to say about the plans of the University and City to develop Harper Court:

 Common elements in the (3) remaining proposals are:
·Opposite the HP bank (53rd St. corner/Hollywood Video space), there will be a building similar in size and scale to the bank.
·As the development moves north, buildings along Lake Park could reach the maximum size of 25 stories.
·The overall development will consist of a mix of retail (stores, entertainment, restaurants) that would cover 90,000 to 150,000 square feet. Possible tenants being considered include fitness clubs, movie theater, restaurants, live entertainment venues.
·There will be office space of 150,000 square feet, which will be rented by the University of Chicago...
·Plans include a boutique hotel of 150+ rooms (this is in addition to the estimation of retail footage above).
·A later phase calls for 200 units of condos.
·Parking will be on-site, but screened or hidden behind buildings. There will be more parking than in the current lot, although there is debate about how much to include.
·The new design calls for a gathering space (open space and/or green streetscaping).
·Overall buildings range in height from a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 25 floors.
 
The University announced they were “slowing down” efforts to develop the theater and adjoining buildings until the Harper Court plans were finalized, so they could “complement” the design.

I think Treasure Island is around 50,00 square feet, so it sounds like there will be more retail space in the new Harper Court than in the old.  But I doubt that it will be a huge increase.  The boutique hotel sounds good.  Ditto the condos.

I really like the size they're talking about.  Sounds massive.  I'd hate for the Hyde Park Bank Building and the new development to create a wind tunnel along 53rd Street, but otherwise I'm very happy about the mass they're discussing.

George Rumsey reminded Ald. Preckwinkle that she'd promised we could see the final three designs and she acknowledged his reminder. FWIW.

Another HPKCC board member noted that Susan Campbell alluded to the University's 53rd Street blog as a place where the community could get information.  Anne Marie Lipinski mentioned that blog when she tried to rebut the Herald's complaints about the lack of University communication regarding the abrupt demolition of Harper Court.  I'll just note that as of right now, the 53rd Street blog has not been updated for 30 days and the word demolition does not appear on it.  It's just human nature for the Herald and community members to filter presentations thru our own prisms.  Seems like it would serve the University well to get their side of the story out first, the way they want to present it. 

Several of us get the feeling that the University will say only as much as Ald. Preckwinkle can force them to say.

Comments

[Art Westland]

You write: "I don't think I could improve on George Rumsey's summary of the presentation at Monday night's TIF meeting"
but you don't provide a link to "George Rumsey's summary"

[withrow]

Right, Art. George just sent me an e-mail about it and then ok'd my using it. I shoulda made that clearer.