CHICAGO | General Developments

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by munchymunch

This, amalgamated bank building, and Pritzker. This area should be booming soon...

Any news yet on the Macerich parcel on Wabash? It's been a while...

Even if this one isn't likely to be redeveloped, there's also the former Old Navy/Gap building up for sale. And the four city-owned buildings at State/Adams for sale (I think the middle two would be ripe for redevelopment, as much as I loved walking past Roberto's suits display windows growing up before it closed).

Anyone hear of Georgetown's plans to build a tower on the Gap site yet, beyond what we heard in November?

[munchymunch]

Originally Posted by ithakas

Anyone hear of Georgetown's plans to build a tower on the Gap site yet, beyond what we heard in November?

No, probably nothing for awhile...

I found out that Georgetown's Principal, is also a board member for the Howard Hughes Company. Owner of the General Growth Building.

Thought that was interesting.

[harryc]

2011


2015

[wierdaaron]

That's cool, that empty storefront on the corner was pretty gross, but the curve of the building is pretty nice.

I wonder what happened to that apartment proposal across the street from there. Haven't heard anything about it in a year.

[george]

Cal's was a classic dive bar & supplied much liquor to Board of Trade

[Skyguy_7]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Does Thermal Chicago (whatever they're called now) not need that facility anymore? I assumed it was a strategic location since they supply chilled water to a lot of downtown buildings.

It is definitely still needed. The new Maggie Daley Park pulls chilled water from there.

I don't have the address, but does anyone know the story with this block on the west side of south State? Looks like everything is vacant.

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

It is definitely still needed. The new Maggie Daley Park pulls chilled water from there.

I don't have the address, but does anyone know the story with this block on the west side of south State? Looks like everything is vacant.

That's the cluster of four buildings being sold by the city – I haven't heard anything since they announced they intended to sell them.

[Mr Downtown]

^That's all owned by GSA (not the city), which has a general plan for redevelopment as federal office space. After 9/11, they became very concerned about adjacent buildings not under federal control that had direct sightlines only 50 feet into the Dirksen Building. Preservationists have encouraged them to keep the Consumers and Century Buildings at Quincy and at Adams, respectively, but those have different floor heights so it will be tricky to incorporate them into a new structure. GSA issued a Request for Information last July, but I've heard nothing since.

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^That's all owned by GSA (not the city), which has a general plan for redevelopment as federal office space. After 9/11, they became very concerned about adjacent buildings not under federal control that had direct sightlines only 50 feet into the Dirksen Building. Preservationists have encouraged them to keep the Consumers and Century Buildings at Quincy and at Adams, respectively, but those have different floor heights so it will be tricky to incorporate them into a new structure.

Ah, thanks. That's the article I'd read on it, and I had indeed remembered incorrectly about the city.

[marothisu]

That 6 story, 20 unit building at 4027 N Broadway got its building permit. If you remember, it was replacing an old 1 story Ace Hardware. Looks like, according to the permit versus the old rendering, that it has gained another floor?

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140...rings-released

[Skyguy_7]

^^Thanks for the info. At least there's some activity going on. The sidewalk sheds you see are definitely new. Let's just hope that's not a permanent "solution".

[Ned.B]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^That's all owned by GSA (not the city), which has a general plan for redevelopment as federal office space. After 9/11, they became very concerned about adjacent buildings not under federal control that had direct sightlines only 50 feet into the Dirksen Building. Preservationists have encouraged them to keep the Consumers and Century Buildings at Quincy and at Adams, respectively, but those have different floor heights so it will be tricky to incorporate them into a new structure. GSA issued a Request for Information last July, but I've heard nothing since.

I'll add that at the time of purchase (roughly a decade ago?), the GSA planned to save the Century Building at Adams (which is Holabird and Root designed), demolish the other 3 and building a new office building on their site. The Century Building wasn't necessary in danger, but I feel like it becomes more so each year as it's facade continues to deteriorate. I think there was a recent proposal to make a hotel there if I recall correctly.

[PKDickman]

B'dale trail entry park at Milw & Leavitt.
They have pulled down the construction fence, so I grabbed a shot.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^That's all owned by GSA (not the city), which has a general plan for redevelopment as federal office space. After 9/11, they became very concerned about adjacent buildings not under federal control that had direct sightlines only 50 feet into the Dirksen Building. Preservationists have encouraged them to keep the Consumers and Century Buildings at Quincy and at Adams, respectively, but those have different floor heights so it will be tricky to incorporate them into a new structure. GSA issued a Request for Information last July, but I've heard nothing since.

It wouldn't be too challenging, just like how the DePaul Center is linked over the alley with the adjacent Lewis building. They too have different floor heights. The 10th floor of DC is the 13th floor of Lewis. If there's a new structure, they'd only have to link on certain floors, not all of them.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by george

Cal's was a classic dive bar & supplied much liquor to Board of Trade

I wonder what became of that great neon sign?

[jcchii]

^ I didn't even know it closed. It used to have a dive dive dive bar way in back

[the urban politician]

My 2 favorite dive bars downtown:

Snickers and Pippen's Tavern.

Of the two, I prefer Snickers because they always have busty female bartenders, but otherwise the scene is about as dive bar as it gets.

[Ryanrule]

I work right near this corner now.
The view will change soo much when those lots on the river get developed.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I wonder what became of that great neon sign?

It was for sale when they were selling all the fixtures. An old trader probably bought it.

RIP Cals.

[wierdaaron]

I was talking to a friend who lives in River North about all of the new apartment buildings headed to the area and he brought up a point I hadn't ever considered.

There is a ton of new housing inventory coming to the west side of River North (RiNo; make it happen), like west of Clark, and there are currently no grocery stores in that area.



The only exception is the new Walmart Express at Franklin and Chicago, which has some groceries according to their signage, but I'm sure most River North types would rather eat their own designer dogs than buy foodstuffs from a Walmart. From what I've been hearing, people end up getting way too much of their staples at the overpriced mini-marts built into their buildings, or they wait until they're completely out of food and then get an uber/zipcar/taxi for a huge Whole Foods trip to stock up.

A Mariano's would probably do killer business if it replaced the Binny's or Office Depot, both of which have out-of-context parking lots. Hopefully the smart people in the grocery industry have realized this already and are making moves to fix this problem.