Medical Hill - Tower 25

[GRDadof3]

Looks like they are about to add the glass to the pedestrian bridge. They have now begun modifying the second floor of VAI to take the pedestrian bridge, but it was too difficult to get in there and get a good picture of the work they were doing yesterday:

I'll try again in the next few days.

[wayneoh]

GRDad-

Why don't you try on Saturday?

See my post in the VAI Phase II Thread if you don't get my hint...

[Libertarian]

[joeDowntown]

I thought so too at first but look at the truck for a size comparison.

Joe

Does that look extremely narrow to anyone?

[GRDadof3]

GRDad-

Why don't you try on Saturday?

See my post in the VAI Phase II Thread if you don't get my hint...

[andrew.w]

Does that look extremely narrow to anyone?

[tamias6]

It looks to be 8 feet wide. That would mean 3 people side by side could comfortably walk that sky walk.

[wayneoh]

Essentially it will be a "private" skywalk. If you can't get into the VAI now, you won't be able to get into the new skywalk, thus it won't need to be that big. Many VAI employees will be parking in the lot beneath the new tower 25 building.

[Captain_Planet]

1) It appears disproportionately tall to allow the mechanical and electrial systems to pass through - it wouldn't be condusive to pedestrian traffic if pipe and conduit occupied the walking area

2) If you're taking pictures on Saturday, you'll get to watch its installation if you get here early (which also means don't plan on eastbound Michigan Street being open between Ottawa and Bostwick).

[Allison Slater]

UP meetup to watch it get installed? heh

I might show up to watch.

[GRDadof3]

Missed the installation on Saturday, but here it is now in place. I'm not a fan of skywalks, but with the steepness of the hill combined with 25,000 cars a day, I personally wouldn't want to cross Michigan multiple times a day:

Bridge to nowhere (for now):

The VAI tie in:

[GRguy]

I like the way it looks coming up the hill, kind of perspective warping...

[sparky05]

Where is the big skywalk from HDCH going to tie in to the medical buildings across Michigan in relation to this new bridge? A schematic, GRDad?

[sparky05]

Here's my contribution:

[GRguy]

Wow Sparky, nice shot, looks rather anatomical...

[GRDadof3]

Wow Sparky, nice shot, looks rather anatomical...

[Veloise]

We need to fix this detour area.

Every time I go through, there are westbound motorists getting confused and turning around (!!) to go back up the hill. All they can see is ROAD CLOSED DO NOT ENTER. Clearly this is a jumble of signage, broken blinkers, topped cones, and barricades that block the view of oncoming traffic.

Proposed:

Move the southern-most barricade a few feet north, towards the freeway; presently you have to be beyond the left-turn lane to determine if the coast is clear. Also the traffic signal should be demand-actuated. I did not draw in a YIELD or ONCOMING TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP.

Hill-climbing traffic needs some signage too.

[urban Planet: applying logic to the world]

[GRDadof3]

We need to fix this detour area.

Every time I go through, there are westbound motorists getting confused and turning around (!!) to go back up the hill. All they can see is ROAD CLOSED DO NOT ENTER. Clearly this is a jumble of signage, broken blinkers, topped cones, and barricades that block the view of oncoming traffic.

Proposed:

Move the southern-most barricade a few feet north, towards the freeway; presently you have to be beyond the left-turn lane to determine if the coast is clear. Also the traffic signal should be demand-actuated. I did not draw in a YIELD or ONCOMING TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP.

Hill-climbing traffic needs some signage too.

[urban Planet: applying logic to the world]

[Veloise]

I guess the detour is supposed to take Westbound traffic and route them South on Lafayette. They're never supposed to make it this far, but apparently the hospital was afraid people would not find the hospital if they turned at Lafayette. They have a whole bunch of new signs coming I think (seems like I saw a request in the planning commish agenda?)

[blindside]

6/25

[sparky05]

Just out of curiosity, is the reason that the skywalk is going in so early in this project because the parking ramp is ready to open for VAI employees?

[GRCPM]

Leave it to GRGuy.

At your humble service sparky. The Red box is about where the current Towers Bldg sits. The blue box to the left is Tower 25. The other blue box will be the new tower (35 Michigan?). The purple will be the new skywalk.

I believe it will connect directly to the new tower to be built, instead of stopping at an intermediary tower along the way like the one "erected" Saturday. That HDCH ped bridge will be quite the show stopper when it goes up.

Speaking of that area, does anyone remember this parking ramp? That so beautifully matched the Towers Bldg?

[GRCPM]

Regarding your picture of the old towers parking ramp: It's good they tore it down before they had to close it down. I saw a engineering report a few years ago it had some major structural issues.

[GRDadof3]

The connection to VAI from the other angle. Looks like a good fit, considering the completely different architectural styles of the two complexes:

Preparing for curtain wall:

Looks like a two-story entry on this corner:

From Belknap:

[AvtpeasK]

Now is it that i am dumb or is anyone else confused.

I see two buildings under construction now, and the old towers building in between. Is there going to be another TWO buildings to go up as you drive west down michigan street? I see room for another ONE ontop of the new parking garage built there. Somebody help!