A Sneak Peek at the Continental Redo

From time to time, downtown-dwelling Friends of Unfair Park will ask: What's up with the Continental Building? Not much, of late: Forest City, also behind the Merc overhaul, had been hoping to begin work in '09, but last May Jim Truitt, Forest City's vice president of residential development, told us...

By Robert Wilonsky

July 7, 2010

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From time to time, downtown-dwelling Friends of Unfair Park will ask: What's up with the Continental Building? Not much, of late: Forest City, also behind the Merc overhaul, had been hoping to begin work in '09, but last May Jim Truitt, Forest City's vice president of residential development, told us that "when the economy fell apart, it put a stop to all that." At which point the city got involved, approving $17.5 million in tax increment financing to jump-start the extreme makeover, which has to have some low-income housing (20 percent, if I recall correctly -- ask Schutze).

Anyway. Yesterday Forest City took its plans to the Landmark Commission for its okee-doke (it was on the consent agenda, so there was little discussion). Andrea dropped by the Landmark Commission meeting, where she picked up the docs handed out to the commissioners, including photos from inside and outside and on top of the building (that's a swank penthouse) and floor-by-floor plans for the interior and exterior. The scans follow for those wondering exactly where Forest City's planning on putting the yoga studio and juice bar.

Continental Bldg. Presentation

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