Greystar Investment Group and Trammell Crow Co. have both formally submitted apartment proposals to
CIDNA for consideration in its April 7 Land Use Committee meeting, 6pm at Jones Harrison Residence.
Greystar’s drawings were submitted to CIDNA this afternoon and are presented in a PDF here. (Please scroll down the PDF to see all drawings.)
Trammell Crow’s drawings, which seek to address many of CIDNA’s concerns as announced in last week’s Hill & Lake Press, are presented in a PDF here. (Please scroll down the PDF to see all drawings.)
Greystar Project: Greystar is proposing a 90-unit apartment building on the site owned by Lake Limited
Partners at the intersection of West Lake Street and Thomas Avenue South east of the Calhoun Beach Club Apartments. The project would be 8 stories (89 feet) on the Lake Street side stepping down to 3 stories on the Thomas and Greenway sides. The building would shade only part of the Midtown Greenway trail at noon on winter solstice. The structure would be lower than the Calhoun Beach Club Apartments, which are 136 feet high, and the same height as Edgewater on East Calhoun Parkway. Monthly rent would be about $4,500 per month.
CIDNA has been shaping its position and seeking neighborhood input regarding this site since 2005.
Greystar is proposing a building with features similar to the Lander project that was approved by CIDNA in 2006. The approved Lander project was 84 feet high stepping down to 2-1/2 stories on the Midtown Greenway. The 2006 Lander project failed as a result of the 2008 recession. CIDNA has opposed taller and larger structures on this site in the past including the first Lander project of 110 feet in 2005 and the Bigos project of 136 feet in 2012.
Trammell Crow Project: The developer has offered the following design revisions for its project:
• Establish building height within +/-4 feet of the Loop Condos. The structure, nevertheless, would be 6 stories. The official height of the building would be 60 feet excluding 3-foot parapet and a small 15-foot
penthouse and stairway structure structure.
• Eliminate of the “L” adjacent to the Loop Condos to create a completely open side yard facing the Loop Condos.
• Create a more graceful interface with the Midtown Greenway using a single step back. No shading would occur on the Greenway at winter solstice.
• Add attractive architectural features, articulation, and materials to eliminate the monolithic character of the building and produce a more aesthetically pleasing experience for the neighborhood.
• Move the swimming pool away from the Midtown Greenway to the top of the new 1-1/2 story Tryg’s Restaurant on Lake St.
The revised project would be somewhat smaller than proposed on January 6. Trammell Crow had proposed a
project with 177 apartment units. The company is now proposing 155 units with 233,335 gross square feet including 62,206 square feet of parking.
Neighborhood Walkability and Safety: CIDNA has been concerned about walkability and pedestrian safety in the neighborhood long before the recent tragic accident of Caitlan Barton at Market Plaza. A neighborhood task force between West Calhoun and CIDNA has been working on improvements including traffic control, street design, and trail/sidewalk additions. As part of the Trammell Crow project, CIDNA is considering a pedestrian walkway on the south side of the Midtown Greenway between Dean Parkway and Calhoun Village. Similarly, for the Greystar project we are considering a trail connecting the
Thomas Avenue/Lake St area with Lake of the Isles. Cooperation will be sought between the developers, Park Board, City and County to accomplish these trails. We need more safe trails away from one of the city’s busiest intersections.
CIDNA Action: The CIDNA Committee could consider formal resolutions on these projects in its April 7 meeting. Action by the CIDNA Board could take place on April 9. We expect to post draft resolutions in the coming week.
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