horizons82 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 3:34 pm
While I think Manica does nice tenant improvement stuff like this bar, for wholesale building design there’s a lot of other local firms I’d suggest before them.
2 questions open to all:
1. Who are your top 3 local architects for this sort of project?
2. If you were building something in the $50-100million range, who would you select? (Local people otherwise)
If we're talking multifamily, my top local 3 right now would probably be:
1) Helix - A chameleon on design but plenty of urban multifamily experience.
2) HOK*
3) Hufft - They're just starting to get into multifamily, but everything else they do is very well done.
* - Not headquartered here but was once an independent local practice as 360 architects.
I'd have to choose...
1. Helix
2. BNIM
3. El Dorado
And to answer your second question, I would choose BNIM. You could get a nice sized building for $50-$100 Million, but I'd probably settle around $75 Million. That would be a decently sized project depending on materials. Material wise, I'd want to experiment with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT).
Glad to see Manica was left with this space and not B&M. I am hopeful Copaken picks this architect for their next residential project. Smaller KC player with an action packed, high end portfolio.
The rendering of the Mercury Room is confusing to me. It seems like there will be a lot of mirrors in the space. If it's true and if I'm confused now, imagine how confused a drunk person will be.
I do like the space though. I can see it being a popular space despite being small. It will have more of a club atmosphere.
horizons82 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:51 am
Then they can get concessions on that other project, and I’d hope the neighborhood would use this project against them. But this one is already permitted, bid, and past laying foundations. If the rendering set that was posted was truly from the 9th, then (in my experience) the neighborhood likely missed its enforcement window on this specific project.
That said, I’d love to be proven wrong.
As predicted, the walnut pedestrian experience is...what was rendered and subpar. Better luck next time, Crossroads. Always make sure to get those concessions into the construction docs that planning/council approves.
I’m glad they happened! That said, they do show weaknesses in the city’s design standards, be it thru strength of enforcement or lack of standard all together. I look at that as an opportunity for growth rather than some immutable negative.
If it seems I’m too harsh on Reverb compared to Loews, here’s why:
Loews had a far tougher site than Reverb’s to develop and a rarer/more difficult use type. You’re not gonna see convention hotels going up every couple of years. OTOH, Reverb was built on a relatively straightforward site. Given the use type (residential apts) it has a high likelihood of being replicated over and over again throughout the core, xroads especially.
The design remedies to make Reverb go from good to great are not complicated. We just need the city to create/enforce better standards, otherwise you’re going to have to keep fighting on a project by project basis.
Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 9:18 am
Regardless of the pedestrian experience, one of these was an empty field, and the other a surface lot. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
I will continue, because I can. I have previously, because it's had an impact -- including on REVERB.
We're not denying anyone the ability to build shit, so get over yourself. They both received plenty of public incentives.
If we don't demand better urban design -- or require it, through area plans, overlays, and public incentives -- we'll get the cheapest schlock the developer can afford. Think endless parking pedestals and blank walls with no retail or street level activity.
^Exactly, especially projects that involve public incentives. Need to think 30, 50 even 100 years down the road.
Every project that doesn't contribute to a functional urbane flow from one block to next is a lost opportunity for decades ahead. Some are designed that can be altered in future but many make it difficult to adjust. Every downtown project should include some form of sidewalk retail/functional space, the number of sides depending on the location. The space can be used for storage or something internal until market conditions are right whether 2 years or 20+ years. Thoughtful street level design can at least contribute to improving the pedestrian experience immediately even if functionally may not be useful for years.
Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 13, 2020 9:18 am
Regardless of the pedestrian experience, one of these was an empty field, and the other a surface lot. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
I will continue, because I can. I have previously, because it's had an impact -- including on REVERB.
We're not denying anyone the ability to build shit, so get over yourself. They both received plenty of public incentives.
If we don't demand better urban design -- or require it, through area plans, overlays, and public incentives -- we'll get the cheapest schlock the developer can afford. Think endless parking pedestals and blank walls with no retail or street level activity.
I didn’t mean to come off so brash, my apologies. I’m simply insinuating that the fight shouldn’t so much be towards these developers, but more so the city policies that allow it. I understand that you’re definitely one who is all about that fight, which is exactly what we need. Just in my personal opinion we should be supportive of development that is actively in-filling the core is my attitude, even if the ped experience is lackluster.
Red pickup pulled up to the dumpster and a woman got out and climbed into the dumpster. appeared to look around for a while and then hoped back into the truck. A homeless person walked up and they handed him some money. The truck then proceeded to drive around part of the site before they stopped again. Both women proceeded to hop out, ran into the site, and started grabbing metal stuff and putting it into their truck bed.
No markings on the vehicle, no PPE being worn (including gloves), and not really dressed as construction worker would.
There where quite a few others out walking past when I was as well. Either a brazen theft or someone needs to enforce their PPE standards.
Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:53 am
I didn’t mean to come off so brash, my apologies. I’m simply insinuating that the fight shouldn’t so much be towards these developers, but more so the city policies that allow it. I understand that you’re definitely one who is all about that fight, which is exactly what we need. Just in my personal opinion we should be supportive of development that is actively in-filling the core is my attitude, even if the ped experience is lackluster.
The case of Loews is so extreme, though, given (a) the level of incentives and (b) the promises Burke made to the Crossroads early in the process. Clearly he lost leverage over the final product and now we will be stuck with blank beige walls/doors -- and restoration of Baltimore as a four lane road with no parallel parking! -- for decades. Reverb simply does not rise to the same level of expectations (but, again, has far exceeded what Loews has delivered at street level for the Crossroads). Cleary, Reverb is not perfect but it's better than the original proposal.
When projects rise to that level of incentives -- as we saw with W&R -- the politics essentially are immune to design flaws.
