Showing posts with label Mayor Daley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mayor Daley. Show all posts
6/02/2007
Chicago Trophy most recent project aimed at making Chicago most attractive destination for 2016 Olympics....
Chicago Sun-Times: It's not the Games, but...
The City of Chicago has announced yet another major international project aimed at impressing the world, and particularly the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as it fights for the 2016 Olympic Games. The Chicago Trophy will bring four of Europe's great soccer clubs to the Windy City for a tournament that event organizers hope will become the premier North American tournament for European Club soccer, indisputably the best professional soccer league in the world.
Mayor Richard Daley called the Chicago Trophy tournament "further evidence that Chicago is becoming a great international sports town." He may have added that it is also proof that the city is becoming a great destination for international investment, as the tournament will be organized by Platinum One, and Irish sports management agency, and the lead sponsor is Shelbourne Development, who recently had their revised $2 billion plan for a 150-story Chicago Spire along the lakefront approved by the City Council.
Platinum One chairman Fintan Drury said the Chicago Trophy was inspired by the desire to bring a great summer soccer tournament to North America "to rival the best in Europe and in Asia."
The inaugural Chicago Trophy will feature Sevilla FC of Spain, Club Deportivo Toluca of Mexico, and Wisla Krakow of Poland, as well as a yet to be named Italian club. Each team will play two matches, earning three points for a win, one for a draw and bonus points for goals scored. It will be hosted July 27 & 29 at Soldier Field and tickets are priced at $45, $65 and $80, and one ticket will give fans the ability to watch a double-header.
Mayor Richard Daley called the Chicago Trophy tournament "further evidence that Chicago is becoming a great international sports town." He may have added that it is also proof that the city is becoming a great destination for international investment, as the tournament will be organized by Platinum One, and Irish sports management agency, and the lead sponsor is Shelbourne Development, who recently had their revised $2 billion plan for a 150-story Chicago Spire along the lakefront approved by the City Council.
Platinum One chairman Fintan Drury said the Chicago Trophy was inspired by the desire to bring a great summer soccer tournament to North America "to rival the best in Europe and in Asia."
The inaugural Chicago Trophy will feature Sevilla FC of Spain, Club Deportivo Toluca of Mexico, and Wisla Krakow of Poland, as well as a yet to be named Italian club. Each team will play two matches, earning three points for a win, one for a draw and bonus points for goals scored. It will be hosted July 27 & 29 at Soldier Field and tickets are priced at $45, $65 and $80, and one ticket will give fans the ability to watch a double-header.
Tags:
4/22/2007
City of Chicago finalizes plans for Spire, set to become tallest residential building in the world...
City panel endorses Spire's latest twist | Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Plan Commission has given its final endorsement to the latest design for the long anticipated Spire, designed by Zurich-based Santiago Calatrava, and if it stays true to this design it will be 150-stories, making it the tallest residential skyscraper in the world. As a resident of Chicago, I welcome the awe inspiring design as the new centerpiece of the most beautiful skyline in the world. Such an addition to the awe inspiring Lake front should be an exclamation point on the city's already promising bid to host the 2016 Olympics, and coming on the heels of Donald Trump's first namesake in the Second City it adds to the increasingly modern and sophisticated fabric of America's only major city with unlimited potential for growth.
I am somewhat surprised by the initial complaints of some about the tower's aggressively futuristic aesthetic, though I am entirely sympathetic with those who are voicing concerns about the impact of the building's design on the gridlock that plague's the Loop during the morning and afternoon commutes. According to the City Planners, Calatrava has adjusted his original sketches, which called for a massive parking structure to wrap around the base of the tower, to instead take the private garage beneath ground, using the freed-up space as a river front park. The decision to make all parking private was also applauded generally amongst the public, since that drastically reduces the possibility that the tower could fall victim to a terrorist attack like that suffered in the parking structure of the World Trade Center in 1992.
The city also assigned a developer, Dublin-based Garrett Kelleher, which leaves the only unanswered question, who is going to finance everything? When Trump broke ground at his site just up the river, the cost of construction was already collected an earning interest because he was able to sell-out the entire structure well in advance. Though the cost of development, as well as the cost of individual condos has not yet been revealed, Calatrava insisted during the press conference following the unveiling of the latest design adjustments that demand is already high, and he is confident that this time he has struck the perfect balance between form and finance.
I am somewhat surprised by the initial complaints of some about the tower's aggressively futuristic aesthetic, though I am entirely sympathetic with those who are voicing concerns about the impact of the building's design on the gridlock that plague's the Loop during the morning and afternoon commutes. According to the City Planners, Calatrava has adjusted his original sketches, which called for a massive parking structure to wrap around the base of the tower, to instead take the private garage beneath ground, using the freed-up space as a river front park. The decision to make all parking private was also applauded generally amongst the public, since that drastically reduces the possibility that the tower could fall victim to a terrorist attack like that suffered in the parking structure of the World Trade Center in 1992.
The city also assigned a developer, Dublin-based Garrett Kelleher, which leaves the only unanswered question, who is going to finance everything? When Trump broke ground at his site just up the river, the cost of construction was already collected an earning interest because he was able to sell-out the entire structure well in advance. Though the cost of development, as well as the cost of individual condos has not yet been revealed, Calatrava insisted during the press conference following the unveiling of the latest design adjustments that demand is already high, and he is confident that this time he has struck the perfect balance between form and finance.
Tags:
2/16/2007
Mayor Daley annouces Chicago China Development Corporation based in Shanghai...
Google News Related LinksChicago's Mayor Richard Daley announced on Thursday the creation of the Chicago China Development Corporation, a non-profit economic development agency under the administration of the the Mayor's office and charged with exposing the benefits of Chicago as a location for investment and US-based operations for Chinese companies. Contrived during a 2004 visit to the Chinese mainland, the group will bring much needed and deserved exposure to the Second City as it continues to expand its sphere of influence around the world. With expectations of hosting the Olympics in 2016, Chicago is anticipating a surge in direct investment.
In political terms, China and Chicago share many similar characteristics. Effectively, both have a political structure akin to a publicly-endorsed monarchy, with formal dissent all but silenced. A fair argument could be made that this a common-flaw shared by the two far-left political administrations. In my opinion, as long as a constructive and prosperous partnership can be established between the Chicago and China, political reform can wait...
In political terms, China and Chicago share many similar characteristics. Effectively, both have a political structure akin to a publicly-endorsed monarchy, with formal dissent all but silenced. A fair argument could be made that this a common-flaw shared by the two far-left political administrations. In my opinion, as long as a constructive and prosperous partnership can be established between the Chicago and China, political reform can wait...
1/28/2007
Chicago 2016? Looking good for the Second City...
Chicago was chosen as one of the finalists, along with LA, for the US Olympic Committee's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. To the left is the logo the city has designed and below is a selection from the official planning committee's website describing the symbolism and inspiration for the logo.Underlying its simple, sophisticated style, the Chicago 2016 logo represents many different facets of the Olympic spirit and the values of Chicago. Three distinct visual components reflecting some of our city's most iconic symbols are artfully blended to form the Olympic torch.
The flame, in the shape of Chicago’s skyline, represents the way our enduring city rose from the ashes of the Chicago Fire. The blue base of the torch symbolizes Lake Michigan and its stretching shoreline. Merging into a vibrant green, the body of the torch is a reflection of Chicago's lush parks and our commitment to the environment.
Displaying Chicago’s ambition to host a compact Games with little travel time between venues for athletes, the city skyline, lakefront and parks are fitting symbols for an Olympic stage set in the heart of Chicago.
"We are proud to present this dramatic new symbol that creates a very special link between Chicago and the Olympic Games, "Mayor Richard M. Daley said. "The Olympic Games are a very exciting prospect for Chicago, and I'm pleased that we now have a great new symbol to show the world that we're ready to carry the torch."
The city has also released where it plans to host each event, a list which I have attached below. Based on the cities efforts so far, I think it would be safe to say the Mayor is fairly confident that Chicago is not only the US front-runner, but the international front-runner. I hope that we aren't all getting our hopes up, but seriously, how often does a Daley not get what they want?- Sports Venues
Aquatics - Olympic Aquatics Center (UIC)
Archery - Grant Park
Athletics - Washington Park
Badminton - McCormick Place
Basketball – Preliminaries I & II - Allstate Arena /Chicago State University
Basketball – Finals - United Center
Boxing - UIC Pavilion
Canoe / Kayak - Olympic Whitewater Course at Lincoln Park
Canoe Flat - Lakefront Rowing Course (Monroe Harbor)
Cycling – BMX - Olympic Sports Complex at Northerly Island
Cycling – Road - Cook County
Cycling – Track - Olympic Sports Complex at Northerly Island
Cycling – MTB - Palos Forest Preserve
Equestrian – Dressage - Olympic Equestrian Center (Lake County)
Equestrian – Endurance - Olympic Equestrian Center (Lake County)
Equestrian – Jumping - Olympic Equestrian Center (Lake County)
Fencing - McCormick Place
Football – Preliminaries & Finals - Soldier Field
Football – Preliminaries 1-3 - Ryan Field (Northwestern University), TCF Stadium (University of Minnesota), Husky Stadium (Northern Illinois University)
Gymnastics – Artistic & Trampoline - United Center
Gymnastics – Rhythmic - McCormick Place
Handball - McCormick Place
Hockey - Olympic Hockey Fields at Jackson Park
Judo - McCormick Place
Marathon - City
Modern Pentathlon - McCormick / UIC
Rowing - Lakefront Rowing Course (Monroe Harbor)
Sailing - Olympic Village Harbor
Shooting (In/Out) - Olympic Shooting Complex (Lake County)
Table Tennis - McCormick Place
Tae Kwon Do - McCormick Place
Tennis - Olympic Tennis Center at Lincoln Park
Triathlon - City
Volleyball – Beach - Olympic Sports Complex at Northerly Island
Volleyball – Indoor - McCormick PlaceWeightlifting - McCormick Place
Wrestling - McCormick Place
Non-Sports Venues
Olympic Village - New Lakeside community
International Broadcast Center - McCormick Place
Press Center - McCormick Place
Opening & Closing Ceremonies - Washington Park
(sources for information on logo and venues)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)