Chicago's third tallest building is getting it's own observatory.
Monday evening, New York based Developer, The 601W Companies, unveiled its long rumored plans for the $185 million Aon Center Observatory at the 42nd Ward community meeting hosted by Ald. Brendan Reilly.
The Aon Center plans call for a two story observation deck on the buildings 82nd and 83rd floors, double-decker elevators and a hanging thrill ride that would lift visitors over the building's ledge for 30 to 40 seconds.
According to Curbed, "The observatory will be accessed via a new entrance pavilion at the office building’s southeast corner. Designed by architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz, the addition is angular to evoke the tower’s chevron shaped vertical columns. From here, guests would move below street level, clear security, and travel diagonally across the site to its northwest corner to board a pair of double-decker elevators enclosed in a glass shaft attached to the stone tower’s exterior."
The Aon Center Observatory website makes note that the glass external elevator system, will be the "tallest and fastest in the country". The new elevator’s mechanical overrun will extend beyond Aon’s roof, bumping overall height from 1,117 to 1,136 feet.
The two story “Sky Street” would allow visitors to take in views from every side as well as interact with touchscreens embedded in the remaining vertical pylons. Also included within the plans, a “Sky Cafe,” a cocktail lounge, a partially enclosed deck, and “Ultra Flight” simulation that allows customers to pilot a virtual drone around a 3D model of downtown Chicago.
The new observation deck will provide panoramic views of Millennium Park, Lake Michigan and Chicago’s Loop. Plans call for some exterior steel columns and the granite cladding above the building’s 82nd floor to be removed to create uninterrupted views from the observatory.
Probably the most exciting feature of the redevelopment is the new thrill ride built into the southern edge of Aon’s rooftop. Known as “Sky Summit,” the gondola like compartment with windows and see through floor takes visitors over the edge of the Aon Center’s roof and right over Millennium Park.
Streetscape upgrades are also in the plans, including wider sidewalks and traffic calming measures on Upper Columbus Drive.
According to Bisnow, "601W Managing Partner Mark Karasick is betting the observation deck will make Aon Center a tourist attraction, and told attendees at Monday night's meeting the deck would generate 2 million visitors, an estimated $220 million in new tax revenue and $915 million in economic impact over a 20 year period."
Aon Centers plan will involve more public meetings. The proposal must also be approved by Chicago's Plan Commission and City Council. 601W hopes to complete the project by 2020.
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Check out the Community Presentation Here