CHICAGO | General Developments

[Nowhereman1280]

Wasn't there already a plan to replace the L with a subway back in the 1970's? I don't think it included maintaining the L in situ though

Yes, part of the reason it failed was that the public balked at the idea of losing our historic and precious El. For as much as Chicago loves to bitch about the CTA, we are completely enamored with the fact that we have an elevated train and that, unlike other elevated trains, it rides on ancient trusses impossibly suspended over our city streets. Its a strange dynamic. You'd think there would be more of a hatred of the noise and its apparent ugly appearance, but its just one of those things that makes Chicago Chicago. I can't imagine Chicago without it, when your eardrums are ruptured by the earsplitting thunder of a heavy rail subway train shooting over your head on 130 year old iron/steel trusses at 55 mph you know you are in Chicago.


I'd be okay with that in general, especially if the focus was more on providing a "bike highway" and less on providing a pedestrian path, since I think removing pedestrians from the street is bad for commerce and bad for the "feel" of the city. Bikes, on the other hand, often both threaten pedestrians and interfere with vehicle traffic. It would be pretty cool, though, either way.

Yeah, the idea would be to make it accessible to both, but bike centric. I don't think a lot of people would use it for walking anyhow because it would act as more of a get away from the street and less as a walk way. Though, in a hypothetical situation where Chicago's downtown population dramatically densifies and increases, it could be used to create an interesting environment where the first two floors of all the buildings are used as retail (assuming additional demand) and are connected to the L-Way by ramps or full scale plazas where new buildings are built. It would be very futuristic, applying the principles pioneered by Netsch at UIC to a full scale city.

[lawfin]

Yes, part of the reason it failed was that the public balked at the idea of losing our historic and precious El. For as much as Chicago loves to bitch about the CTA, we are completely enamored with the fact that we have an elevated train and that, unlike other elevated trains, it rides on ancient trusses impossibly suspended over our city streets. Its a strange dynamic. You'd think there would be more of a hatred of the noise and its apparent ugly appearance, but its just one of those things that makes Chicago Chicago. I can't imagine Chicago without it, when your eardrums are ruptured by the earsplitting thunder of a heavy rail subway train shooting over your head on 130 year old iron/steel trusses at 55 mph you know you are in Chicago.



Yeah, the idea would be to make it accessible to both, but bike centric. I don't think a lot of people would use it for walking anyhow because it would act as more of a get away from the street and less as a walk way. Though, in a hypothetical situation where Chicago's downtown population dramatically densifies and increases, it could be used to create an interesting environment where the first two floors of all the buildings are used as retail (assuming additional demand) and are connected to the L-Way by ramps or full scale plazas where new buildings are built. It would be very futuristic, applying the principles pioneered by Netsch at UIC to a full scale city.

I would by kind of neat if a sort of mezzanine level retail developed....I think this would be unique in the world.....though not sure of that.

[Nowhereman1280]

I would by kind of neat if a sort of mezzanine level retail developed....I think this would be unique in the world.....though not sure of that.

Exactly. I mean as it is right now the L really is a unique structure. Yeah a few other cities used them, but they are not as old as Chicago's and they are not as extensive and they don't occupy a bunch of urban canyons like the loop does.

As much as I love the roar of the L and the views of trains crossing the river, I think at some point Chicago needs to face the writing on the wall and realize that elevated trains are just more expensive in the long run. I mean the train cars and elevated structure get salted all winter long by spray and require maintenance. The structure itself needs a complete rebuild far more often than a subway which can last hundreds of years. Its just something we need to prepare ourselves for in this city. At some point we need to be ready to give up our antique means of PT and hopefully be ready at that point to turn it into another, even more irreplaceable, treasure.

Plus how awesome would it be to have a big elevated circle of green encircling your business district?

[djlx2v2]

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[djlx2v2]

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[emathias]

also: awesome link. what do we do to make that happen now?

I'm not sure it's politically possible, but if you want to at least keep the idea out there you could always submit a proposal (http://www.chicago2011.org/proposals/) to Rahm's transition committee, send a suggestion to the CTA (http://www.transitchicago.com/contact/default.aspx), and send an email to your alderman (http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/alderman/find.html).

You could also get involved with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/shared-path-2030/participation) and/or the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce's Transportation Infrastructure Committee (http://www.chicagolandchamber.org/wdk_cc/your_chamber/committees_pages/transportation_infrastructure_committee.jsp).

[Rizzo]

New UNO Elementary School, Back of the Yards

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5269/5580831738_e7a191424c_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5580246125_9f68a2c0b5_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5580832654_0fbf1ecbe0_b.jpg

Photos by me

[Godwindaniel]

I strongly think that its use and design is totally unnecessary and inappropriate.

[J_M_Tungsten]

^^^ for the school?

[i_am_hydrogen]

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u291/kdickert/OgdenSchool.jpg

[ardecila]

Gross. I dislike orange brick even more than I dislike purple brick. Can't we just stick with white, black, cream, and red?

[i_am_hydrogen]

It's not just the color that's awful. The entire building is butt-ugly.

[ardecila]

I don't think the design is unattractive, it's just inappropriate.

If CPS was really planning properly, they could have consolidated into a 4-story school, leaving the east half of the block to be leased later for high-rise development. The future proceeds from the lease would more than cover the added construction cost of the taller building.

CPS' land policies in general are astoundingly stupid. They occupy bloated plots in some of the city's most desirable neighborhoods, and yet every year they complain about how they don't have enough money to provide decent education to kids. Then, when they need more land to build new schools, they carve chunks of land out of public parks, paying nothing since it's just a transfer from CPD.

[VivaLFuego]

^ It's a much broader issue than just CPS's real estate practice (or lack thereof). It ties into the fundamental distortions of (1) institutions having tax exempt land, gifting us with stuff like private parking lots in high-demand areas with little economic incentive to do otherwise; and (2) the basic incompatibility of normal real estate transactions and the government procurement/ethics process.

In re: disposition of excess land, unlike China (where land sales are the fundamental revenue source for government), it's just a very controversial and time consuming process here, all the moreso when the land is ever more valuable and ends up being steered toward ever more connected private interests (remember the Wilson Yard fiasco). The sale can't occur via a normal market transaction with offers, counteroffers, and the like; rather, it has to go through essentially a reverse procurement process, and all that entails vis-a-vis financial disclosure (which itself deters a lot of potential buyer interest), bidder qualification, and nebulous/subjective "public goals" that may be specified in the RFP due to political pressure. In fact, it can take so long that the owner basically misses a market cycle, and that a potential developer can't adequately manage his risk or make it profitable within the restrictions set by the seller, so at the end of the day it's pretty easy for both sides to deem it not worth the trouble.

[spyguy]

http://www.suntimes.com/photos/galleries/4631176-418/pilgrim-baptist-church-to-be-reborn-from-ashes-of-2006-fire.html

Pilgrim Baptist Church to be reborn from ashes of 2006 fire
BY LISA DONOVAN

Fittingly occurring during the Christian season of Lent, leaders of Bronzeville’s historic Pilgrim Baptist Church on Saturday unveiled plans for the resurrection of the architectural masterpiece that went up in flames five years ago.

Under newly minted architectural plans, by September 2012, the burned-out shell of the church widely revered as the birthplace of gospel music, will have a brand new roof and reinforced walls.
http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/9919/42187236.jpg

[Segun]

I was walking near Irving Pk and Lincoln yesterday and noticed a few blocks with new white streetlights. I've noticed them in other scattered areas across the city. Does anyone know whats going on with this? Chicago without the orange glow will be a brave new world.

[Rizzo]

Saw them. Coincidentally, I was at Irving Park and Lincoln for a party last night. The street was well lit

[ardecila]

^ It's a much broader issue than just CPS's real estate practice (or lack thereof). It ties into the fundamental distortions of (1) institutions having tax exempt land, gifting us with stuff like private parking lots in high-demand areas with little economic incentive to do otherwise; and (2) the basic incompatibility of normal real estate transactions and the government procurement/ethics process.

In re: disposition of excess land, unlike China (where land sales are the fundamental revenue source for government), it's just a very controversial and time consuming process here, all the moreso when the land is ever more valuable and ends up being steered toward ever more connected private interests (remember the Wilson Yard fiasco). The sale can't occur via a normal market transaction with offers, counteroffers, and the like; rather, it has to go through essentially a reverse procurement process, and all that entails vis-a-vis financial disclosure (which itself deters a lot of potential buyer interest), bidder qualification, and nebulous/subjective "public goals" that may be specified in the RFP due to political pressure. In fact, it can take so long that the owner basically misses a market cycle, and that a potential developer can't adequately manage his risk or make it profitable within the restrictions set by the seller, so at the end of the day it's pretty easy for both sides to deem it not worth the trouble.

Yeah, I figured there were some regulatory roadblocks. If I ran CPS, this would be one of the first things I would change.

I don't think it necessarily matters if land goes to politically-connected developers; the point is to get money for education. Any actual development that occurs is just a pleasant side effect.

So long as the sale price is reasonably commensurate with the sale prices of nearby properties, then the specific owner of the land isn't the City's concern. It might be smart to restrict the process to 99-year leases instead of fee-simple sales, though... and you could appoint an independent appraiser to manage the process, a la Inspector General.

Not to make it too complex but if a potential buyer makes a bid below what the independent appraiser deems to be fair market value, then you could require the buyer to build a certain percentage of affordable housing... making it, in the end, less profitable for them to bid low.

[the urban politician]

It was reported at SSC that construction on this project has begun:

1611 N Damen
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/6093/xy6e9d21294d284b37bbb37.jpg

:tup::tup:

[the urban politician]

^ Well, I had some free time to look into it and it turns out that the project will only consist of single story storefronts--no parking above:

http://images.loopnet.com/xnet/mainsite/attachments/viewImage.aspx?FileGuid=A0A409DC-AF2E-4E43-A533-3149A00C883A&Extension=jpg&Width=631&Height=421

Source1 (http://chicago.everyblock.com/building-permits/mar03-permit-issued-new-construction-3843108/)

Source2 (http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16455781/1611-1617-North-Damen-Avenue-Chicago-IL/)

[Segun]

Saw them. Coincidentally, I was at Irving Park and Lincoln for a party last night. The street was well lit

Yeah, guess who was texting you about it!!

[VivaLFuego]

^ re: Bucktown retail project,

Still a major improvement over a surface parking lot, and over some previous designs that I seem to recall involved demolishing the building to the north.

[the urban politician]

^ could...not...agree...more

More infill of this sort, please. It sure beats the hell out of parking lots and strip malls.

[denizen467]

I was walking near Irving Pk and Lincoln yesterday and noticed a few blocks with new white streetlights. I've noticed them in other scattered areas across the city. Does anyone know whats going on with this? Chicago without the orange glow will be a brave new world.
I posted about this in the Transit thread the other day because I saw a lot of LSD (Oak-Hollywood) has been switched over to these. Guess they have set out full force to do a switchover, though I don't have any specific or official information. I agree it will be quite a huge makeover, both from the street view as well as the macro view from the air. The new lights are crisp and may save energy, but there is something warm and also so urban about those sodium vapors.

[the urban politician]

Two very different philosophies toward development from the 2 guys running for Alderman of the 45th ward. Garrido apparently has led the polls (unfortunately), but I'm hoping Portage Park gets a guy like Arena:

Development debate sparks race in Chicago’s 45th Ward (http://www.suntimes.com/news/4644859-418/development-debate-sparks-race-in-chicagos-45th-ward.html)

By Abdon M. Pallasch Political Reporter apallasch@suntimes.com Apr 4, 2011 2:06AM

Voters in the Northwest Side 45th Ward have a clear choice in Tuesday’s aldermanic runoff.

John Arena, 44, who owns a graphic design company, has been active in the Portage Park Neighborhood Association for more than a decade, trying to steer what he thinks is the right kind of pedestrian-friendly development to the Six Corners business district. Arena is a Democrat running with strong support from unions.

John Garrido, 43, a police lieutenant and lawyer, says he would be far less picky about development in the ward, green-lighting just about any business that wants to come in. A Republican, Garrido is endorsed by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

“For the past 10 years, we have been recruiting businesses to the ward — Six Corners is a model for where we need to go. It is in a process of transition. A new restaurant is opening just behind the Klee Building,” Arena said at a forum Thursday at the Copernicus Center.

“Well, I don’t know if I would use Six Corners as a model for the ward — we’ve got a 40 percent vacancy rate, Garrido said. “They wanted to put a curb cut in there so you could actually get to parking from Milwaukee Avenue. That was blocked by my opponent. That caused businesses like Chipotle, FedEx and Caribou Coffee to pull out of there and now those storefronts still sit vacant.”

Nothing the neighborhood group did scared any business away, Arena said. And he has been involved in recruiting businesses to Six Corners for 10 years, while Garrido has not been involved. While Garrido talks about bringing a Starbucks to the ward, Arena said he has actually been talking to Starbucks for 10 years. Arena said city transportation officials rejected the curb cut because it would have created a traffic jam.

“Six corners is a pedestrian-friendly model, people first and cars second,” Arena said. “Putting parking lots in the middle of that intersection [would not work as well as] perimeter parking. What the community was advocating for was to maintain the plan.”

When CVS proposed to tear down a historic abandoned building at Milwaukee and Montrose to open a store, Arena’s group collected 600 signatures to oppose that plan and instead steer CVS to Milwaukee and Lawrence. When CVS proposed a “generic” storefront there, Arena said his group succeeded in pressuring them to use a more aesthetically pleasing design.

“You never start a negotiation by saying, ‘What’s your first offer?’ and then say ‘Yes’ to it,” Arena said. “John has consistently shown himself to not have any understanding of these issues.”

[J_M_Tungsten]

I was walking near Irving Pk and Lincoln yesterday and noticed a few blocks with new white streetlights. I've noticed them in other scattered areas across the city. Does anyone know whats going on with this? Chicago without the orange glow will be a brave new world.

Not too sure, but I really hope it goes city wide. Light pollution in Chicago is a huge problem IMO.

[the urban politician]

Looking south on Broadway from the same intersection (Devon/Sheridan).
http://i56.tinypic.com/scrjax.jpg

^ Pulled from SSC (thanks to Mr. Downtown). This old pic gets me wondering--the building on the right was torn down for what is now a defunct drive through business. Does anybody know who currently owns that lot? I have long felt that that site would be ideal for a mixed use development (residential above, retail below) that makes better use of a rather prominent and busy intersection.

I would hope that Loyola would see the value of such real estate, especially since they have developed so many sites to the east and north of this one.

[Nowhereman1280]

Two very different philosophies toward development from the 2 guys running for Alderman of the 45th ward. Garrido apparently has led the polls (unfortunately), but I'm hoping Portage Park gets a guy like Arena:

I was living in this ward up until recently and have gotten to know John. He is very straightforward and more of the "SOAR" NIMBY and less of the "WLCO" NIMBY. I really hope he wins, but I have a hard time seeing how 6 Corners will ever recover because of its lack of transit connections. They really should have continued the Blue Line as a subway under Milwaukee instead of down the middle of the Kennedy...

^ Pulled from SSC (thanks to Mr. Downtown). This old pic gets me wondering--the building on the right was torn down for what is now a defunct drive through business. Does anybody know who currently owns that lot? I have long felt that that site would be ideal for a mixed use development (residential above, retail below) that makes better use of a rather prominent and busy intersection.

I would hope that Loyola would see the value of such real estate, especially since they have developed so many sites to the east and north of this one.

I believe Loyola actually owns most of that block and is waiting to complete the Loyola Station redevelopment that has been on hold since the recession hit before moving on that block.

The business in that drive through is no longer defunct and has been replaced by a fairly decent hot dog stand. Its a shame that old building was leveled, I had no idea what was previously there and always just figured it was probably something much better than the hot dog stand.

In related news, Loyola has had some success in leasing the retail at the Morgan and now has all spaces leased out except one small ~2,000 SF space. They also have managed to be able to attract a series of businesses that more resemble the retail makeup of Lincoln Park than that of Rogers Park. They have also opened a small, student run, boutique hotel with 10-12 rooms in what was originally supposed to be a condo building that Loyola constructed adjacent to the parking garage. I have a feeling the Loyola El stop district is going to be a very different place in about 10 years.

[ChiTownCity]

I was living in this ward up until recently and have gotten to know John. He is very straightforward and more of the "SOAR" NIMBY and less of the "WLCO" NIMBY. I really hope he wins,


What does SOAR and WLCO stand for? and what are their differences?

[Nowhereman1280]

SOAR is Streeterville Organization of Active Residents or something and WLCO is West Loop Community Organization. Both are "NIBMY" groups that seek to alter development in their respective neighborhoods. They are, however, or vastly different ends of the spectrum.

SOAR generally accepts and even welcomes dense, urban, developments. Where they make complaints it almost always over things that are bad urban design. They complain about stuff like parking podiums and curb cuts instead of "oh noes my views!" or "we need more parking since we have a god given right to unlimited quantities of free parking spaces".

WLCO is the exact opposite. All they complain about is "thats too tall" or "there are too many units there" or "oh no, not enough precious parking".

So essentially SOAR is a very positive force for good design and planning while WLCO goes around and tries to make every development as anti-urban as possible.

[SamInTheLoop]

I don't think the design is unattractive, it's just inappropriate.

If CPS was really planning properly, they could have consolidated into a 4-story school, leaving the east half of the block to be leased later for high-rise development. The future proceeds from the lease would more than cover the added construction cost of the taller building.

CPS' land policies in general are astoundingly stupid. They occupy bloated plots in some of the city's most desirable neighborhoods, and yet every year they complain about how they don't have enough money to provide decent education to kids. Then, when they need more land to build new schools, they carve chunks of land out of public parks, paying nothing since it's just a transfer from CPD.



I agree about the issues being raised aobut the overall land use and CPS policy. However, I'm going to have to take issues with the design here. I agree with I Am Hydrogen. This is far from the worst design we've seen on these pages recently, and it's not hideous, but still it's a disappointment, especially considering some of the other design work going on right now for schools (CPS and other) around the city. NHDKMP (why don't they just add 2 or 3 other name partners while they're at it) came up short with the design of the new Ogden School. I've even looked through the recent and current CPS prototype school designs, and I would say virtually all are superior to Ogden. It's just too staid, too conservative, and it doesn't say anything to me. I think it especially looks lacking when you can see the elegant 30 W. Oak tower (is this the Gold Coast's best new highrise - along with the Sofitel of course - in a long time or what? - in the background). The project deserved better......NHDKMP isn't a bad firm - I like some of their work, but this was played so ultra-safe that the end-result is disappointing to me...

[SamInTheLoop]

Have we seen a rendering of the UNO school that's under construction? This isn't the very nice design we saw floating around a couple months back is it? (I have a feeling that is a separate proposal - a UNO high school if I remember correctly)...

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Someone above suggested it is indeed that very sleek Hadid-esque proposal from a while back.

[BWChicago]

Not too sure, but I really hope it goes city wide. Light pollution in Chicago is a huge problem IMO.

Some of those new lights on Irving are way too intense, though, the glare and eyestrain work against the illumination. It seems like you can have a bright, effective light or an attractive, faux historic light, but not both. Maybe a hybrid approach would be better - high modern full-cutoff streetlighting and low 'historic' sidewalk lighting.

*rant*

This trend of decorative street lighting is resulting in some grating anachronisms. A great example is Dempster through Morton Grove. They've taken out all the concrete poles with cobra heads, probably original to the 50s and 60s development in the corridor. They've put in ornate cast fixtures, and a half-mile down there's a totally differently designed, but equally anachronistic pole. And the concrete ones looked nicer, frankly, because they look neutral but still have some texture. There really should be some regional coordination and thought put into how these things fit in their context rather than being something a city staffer picks from the shopping center catalog because they look nice. It makes a major impact on the streetscape. Chicago's done pretty well lately with the 90-degree full cutoff modern poles on side streets and the standard streetscape design that actually resembles some of the ones that used to be there.

[jdcpamba]

They have started digging up the parking lot that will become the new Jones College Prep High School at the corner of State and Polk.

[ardecila]

NHDKMP (why don't they just add 2 or 3 other name partners while they're at it)

I believe they are going by Nagle Hartray now... everyone called them that anyway.

I've even looked through the recent and current CPS prototype school designs, and I would say virtually all are superior to Ogden. It's just too staid, too conservative, and it doesn't say anything to me.

I agree... the architecture is not spectacular, but it's not horrid either. It's just not terrible enough to fight over.

I would personally have preferred something like Skinner in the West Loop. Pretty much all the new schools by SMNG-A are really good.

[ardecila]

They really should have continued the Blue Line as a subway under Milwaukee instead of down the middle of the Kennedy...

I've always thought Irving Park was perfect for a light-rail line like the ones they're building in LA or Toronto. Going from Harlem-Irving to the lakefront, it would have transfers to Red, Brown, Blue, Metra UP-NW, Metra MD-N (also possible Amtrak). You'd have a subway east of Western to the lakefront, and a short subway at Six Corners. Maybe a flyover at Harlem.

The street is certainly wide enough to accommodate transit in the median.

You could get it done for about $1.5 billion, based on the cost of LA's Gold Line Eastside project. Ridership would be through the roof, especially if the alignment diverged from Irving Park to pass Wrigley.

[djlx2]

I've always thought Irving Park was perfect for a light-rail line like the ones they're building in LA or Toronto. Going from Harlem-Irving to the lakefront, it would have transfers to Red, Brown, Blue, Metra UP-NW, Metra MD-N (also possible Amtrak). You'd have a subway east of Western to the lakefront, and a short subway at Six Corners. Maybe a flyover at Harlem.

The street is certainly wide enough to accommodate transit in the median.

You could get it done for about $1.5 billion, based on the cost of LA's Gold Line Eastside project. Ridership would be through the roof, especially if the alignment diverged from Irving Park to pass Wrigley.

Irving's a good place to start. How would construction get started? I wonder if it would make more sense for them to start by working with it from the overall visual angle of Irving, or checking into the metra tracks.

[Rizzo]

I believe they are going by Nagle Hartray now... everyone called them that anyway.



I agree... the architecture is not spectacular, but it's not horrid either. It's just not terrible enough to fight over.

I would personally have preferred something like Skinner in the West Loop. Pretty much all the new schools by SMNG-A are really good.

I will say the Ogden School looks pretty good from above at least. My living room window looks onto it, and I'm looking forward to seeing the green roof. Currently the roof is just barren concrete. The red color does add some much needed saturation to all the damn beige/grey concrete around me....though I would have found some colored glass to be the ultimate solution. There's actually not all that much curtainwall glass around here. On that note, I definitely see a few potential towers that could use a good reclad.

[denizen467]

They have started digging up the parking lot that will become the new Jones College Prep High School at the corner of State and Polk.
:banana:


>filler for 10 characters<

[denizen467]

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/blogs?blogID=greg-hinz

Alderman Reilly lays down a marker
Posted by Greg H. at 4/4/2011 1:49 PM CDT

Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd) has laid down a new marker, of sorts, on the future of Northwestern's old Prentice Hospital. The 50th Ward aldermanic race gets wilder. And Congressman Dan Lipinski asks for southwest rail money.

In an email to constituents over the weekend, Mr. Reilly rather clearly underlined the point that he wants to preserve the old Prentice Women's Hospital that Northwestern University wants to demolish.

The alderman "persuaded" the university to delay demolition for 60 days, long enough to present a report on reuse options, he says. The site "will be redeveloped for continued institutional use moving forward."

But this could be a stiffer fight than the alderman faced in getting Northwestern to keep the Lakeshore Club a couple of years ago. By all indications, the old hospital is in poor shape, Northwestern needs more space than the existing structure could accommodate and some suggest Marina City would make a far better landmark candidate if the work of architect Bertrand Goldberg is to be preserved.

[the urban politician]

Daley has been remarkably mum since his return from his taxpayer-funded 2 week trek across China.

I wonder what he has to show for the trip? Any deals? Meetings and speeches are fine, but where's the loot? Looks like he wasn't all too successful.

[aic4ever]

Daley has been remarkably mum since his return from his taxpayer-funded 2 week trek across China.

I wonder what he has to show for the trip? Any deals? Meetings and speeches are fine, but where's the loot? Looks like he wasn't all too successful.

Sure he was. He went and had a good time on our dime without having to do anything real. He was successful in pursuing his own enjoyment. :slob:

[SamInTheLoop]

I noticed on their website that demolition work began a month or two ago for the expansion at the Lab School at U of C. I love the design by VDT, and although I don't get down to Hyde Park as much as I'd like, I'm looking forward to this addition and it will be just another reason to make it down and check out the campus and surrounding areas....

[i_am_hydrogen]

Reilly gets Northwestern to hold off on its old Prentice demolition push; and why that matters

April 04, 2011

When there's time--and when there's a civic debate--there's always hope for saving a building from the wrecker's ball. The successful battle to ward off the demolition of old Cook County Hospital attests to that.

That's why there could be real significance--and not just political posturing--in the news that Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) has forced Northwestern University to put off applying for a demolition permit for old Prentice Hospital for 60 days.

In case you missed it, Reilly sent out an email to constituents on Saturday in which he revealed that he met with Northwestern officials last week and they "informed me of their plans to immedidately apply for a demolition permit to take down" old Prentice.

In turn, Reilly added in the email, he persuaded university officials to suspend their permit application plans for 60 days.

[Mr Downtown]

He went and had a good time on our dime without having to do anything real. He was successful in pursuing his own enjoyment.

What do you mean by "our dime?" Daley's foreign trips are always funded by business groups.

[lawfin]

I was living in this ward up until recently and have gotten to know John. He is very straightforward and more of the "SOAR" NIMBY and less of the "WLCO" NIMBY. I really hope he wins, but I have a hard time seeing how 6 Corners will ever recover because of its lack of transit connections. They really should have continued the Blue Line as a subway under Milwaukee instead of down the middle of the Kennedy...


I agree with that. I think it has become apparent from both the blue line and the red line that putting essentially a subway in a Highway median is a fantastic way to assure transit underutilization. I know some of those stations actually have pretty good ridership numbers but I just can't help thinking that if the blue line for instance continued along milwaukee to perhaps higgins or devon before turning to Ohare that the business development paradigm along Milw on the NW side would be much better.

Similiarly the redline if if was subway under state or perhaps halsted.....though it wouldn't have fostered enhanced development along that corridor since that corridor has been so messed up for the past 50 years....at least moving forward it might help what appears to be nascent improvement along at least parts of the south main.

[lawfin]

^ Pulled from SSC (thanks to Mr. Downtown). This old pic gets me wondering--the building on the right was torn down for what is now a defunct drive through business. Does anybody know who currently owns that lot? I have long felt that that site would be ideal for a mixed use development (residential above, retail below) that makes better use of a rather prominent and busy intersection.

I would hope that Loyola would see the value of such real estate, especially since they have developed so many sites to the east and north of this one.

That building was really pretty cool. Though when it was torn down in the early 1990's I have to admit it was really dilapidated.It used to have a King FU studionon the third floor. There was a reggae club I think if I remember correctly along broadway south of Devon....I forget its name.

Which John ...Garrido or Arena

[ardecila]

South Works Velodrome

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9830/20694419616871708821715.jpg

[Alliance]

^^^ I mean its fine, but its a little generic. Could be built in a lot of cities, both in the US and globally.

[OrdoSeclorum]

What do you mean by "our dime?" Daley's foreign trips are always funded by business groups.

No kidding. And even if they weren't, it's hard to imagine a better use of $100,000 than promoting Chicago's brand and benefits abroad. Good marketing and face-to-face meetings usually pay for themselves.

[tintinex]

South Works Velodrome



Nice concept but I'm afraid this will become a white elephant shortly after it opens

[aic4ever]

No kidding. And even if they weren't, it's hard to imagine a better use of $100,000 than promoting Chicago's brand and benefits abroad. Good marketing and face-to-face meetings usually pay for themselves.

Tell that to the Olympic Committee...I can't think of a worse representative abroad for this city than someone who can barely speak English well enough to be understood at home.

[patriotizzy]

South Works Velodrome

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9830/20694419616871708821715.jpg

I like it. They could have done something a little more badass, but this is not bad looking.

[sentinel]

The Logan Arts Center (tower) @ U of C has topped out
http://webcams.uchicago.edu/logan/displayimage.php?x=1302058906126

[Rizzo]

Wow, that one shot up quick.

On an completely Off Topic post...Shouldn't the Chicago Spire site be secured or something? I've passed by there from time to time on the bridge to take photos of the river, and I noticed people cutting through the site or looking down into the hole.

[ardecila]

Seems like the best place to discuss the runoff... Ald. Stone is out, finally. I'm glad he's gone, but all the colorful people in Chicago politics seem to be disappearing.

Arena won in in the 45th! It's very, very close (he won by only 29 votes) so the results could flip after a recount. Still, a great sign for future TOD at what should be a big nexus of transit and development in Jefferson Park, and around the Montrose Blue Line station.

Unfortunately, Phelan lost in the 46th, but even Cappleman should be a huge improvement over Schiller.

Michele Smith is leading the 43rd - another close election, and not all votes have been counted - but she opposes the Webster Square project. Is it possible for her to kill it at this point if she is elected?

[djlx2]

Wow, that one shot up quick.

On an completely Off Topic post...Shouldn't the Chicago Spire site be secured or something? I've passed by there from time to time on the bridge to take photos of the river, and I noticed people cutting through the site or looking down into the hole.

I'm wondering about the Chicago spire site also...did they get off-track with construction on the last major activity? Is the more positive work being done on their creating a blueprint people can check in on?

[Loopy]

...

[Beta_Magellan]

What about pulling what Moscow did after construction stalled on their gargantuan Palace of the Soviets—turning the foundations into a giant swimming pool ;):

[UNCREDITED IMAGES REMOVED]

[Rizzo]

[UNCREDITED IMAGES REMOVED]


Chicago would totally build something like that downtown. It would be made of precast, fiberglas, and foam

[Loopy]

...

[wrab]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5594521976_80b98e5bee_z.jpg

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ When that site is cleared I will go and dance on its grave. Completing the destruction of the last highrise project is a major positive event in the history of the city.

I just was talking with someone last night who was trying to give me the whole "but the residents had a sense of community" line about Cabrini and RTH. She was legitimately trying to convince me that the projects were somehow a good thing and that it was wrong to destroy them. She even went as far as to suggest that there was very little or no homelessness in Chicago before their destruction. I am just outright amazed by the fact that anyone (except some of the residents who I can understand don't like being displaced) can lament the loss of these inhumane atrocities.

[tintinex]

^^^ When that site is cleared I will go and dance on its grave.

you better hurry before Target comes in and paves the whole area for a huge parking lot :hell:

[VivaLFuego]

I am just outright amazed by the fact that anyone (except some of the residents who I can understand don't like being displaced) can lament the loss of these inhumane atrocities.

If you lived in a formerly stable middle class neighborhood that became the new home to gang turf wars and drivebys, you might feel differently. You can demolish the buildings, but it's not like the social problems disappeared in any meaningful sense, they just got shifted elsewhere.

[aic4ever]

[UNCREDITED IMAGES REMOVED]


Chicago would totally build something like that downtown. It would be made of precast, fiberglas, and foam

We can't be having uncredited images floating about the intertubes, after all. :rolleyes:

[Rizzo]

^^^ When that site is cleared I will go and dance on its grave. Completing the destruction of the last highrise project is a major positive event in the history of the city.

I just was talking with someone last night who was trying to give me the whole "but the residents had a sense of community" line about Cabrini and RTH. She was legitimately trying to convince me that the projects were somehow a good thing and that it was wrong to destroy them. She even went as far as to suggest that there was very little or no homelessness in Chicago before their destruction. I am just outright amazed by the fact that anyone (except some of the residents who I can understand don't like being displaced) can lament the loss of these inhumane atrocities.

She obviously heard the squeaky wheel. With the exception of a few residents, most were ready and willing to pick and move somewhere better. What is wrong is the fact that there is a history of the poor being pushed around and relocated to what is believed to be a better solution....then the forces at work let conditions go to hell. Whether dispersing CHA residents to new digs throughout the city is a good idea is yet to be determined decades down the road.

[Beta_Magellan]

We can't be having uncredited images floating about the intertubes, after all. :rolleyes:

My fault: drowsy posting=forgetting to cite images (which are likely in the public domain but who knows)—we were referring to the never-completed Palace of the Soviets (from muar.ru (http://www.muar.ru/ve/2003/moscow/03e.htm), drawn by Boris Iofan desperately hoping Stalin would appreciate it):

http://www.muar.ru/ve/2003/moscow/images/03.jpg

^Well, weirdly, after Gropius, Le Corbusier and Mendelsohn proposed timely designs, the Comintern chose this Neo-Classical concept.

Perhaps, the new Bankster Land Barons will choose a Neo-classical design for the Chicago Spire site after rejecting Calatravas design as counter-revolutionary. I recommend Daniel P. Coffey or Antunovich for this important task.

The official line was actually that the Communists were liberating past historical styles from their oppressive contexts, just as they had liberated the masses from their oppressive social conditions. :worship: (Of course, the real reason is that radical politics ≠ radical style, and even if it did the likes of Stalin were pretty regressive anyway).

It is really weird how they anticipated postmodernism—never thought of socialist realism that way before…

[djlx2]

What about pulling what Moscow did after construction stalled on their gargantuan Palace of the Soviets—turning the foundations into a giant swimming pool ;):

[UNCREDITED IMAGES REMOVED]

a swimming pool sounds way more fun than the original design of the palace of soviets, how do we do that

[Remy_Bork]

The swimming pool sounds like more fun that the church, too.

[ChicagoHiRiser]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5594521976_80b98e5bee_z.jpg

Looks like this one is coming down at breakneck speed:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielxmichael/5598228671/

I wonder why the others took so much longer?

Credit to GXM for capturing the linked photo.

[ChiPsy]

Quote: I wonder why the others took so much longer?

If it follows the pattern of the other ones, they'll sit on it at this half-demolished stage for 5 or 6 weeks, leisurely sifting through piles of detritus for recyclables, then maybe eventually get around to closing the street to the north before wrapping up the final freestanding piece around, I don't know, maybe June or July?

I wonder how many people looking forward to dancing on the grave of this thing when they started demo's 10 (?) years ago will have gone to their own graves before the CHA finally wraps it up? ~1/5th of the adult population dies within any 10 year-period, after all!

[i_am_hydrogen]

Jones Prep is now under construction

http://www.sloopin.com/2011/04/construction-begins-for-new-jones.html

[ardecila]

Awesome. The most conspicuous lot on State Street bites the dust.

[J_M_Tungsten]

That will really change the Balbo/State street intersection, in a really good way. We just need some of the other parking lots to start filling up as well now.

[BWChicago]

It comes in around 160 ft if I remember...down from around 190 via nimbys. I think this is it.

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/3870/grossingerredev.jpg

New renderings:
http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2011/04/08/new-glassy-rendering-of-old-town-highrise-released.php

The high-rises are arguably better but the streetwall is absolutely worse.

[Baronvonellis]

I think the new hi-rise looks pretty ugly too. The brick part looks just like Wilson Yard. Really really lame and unimaginative design. It would be better if it was all glass. At least the base looked pretty good in the old design. Now all of it looks bad.

[VivaLFuego]

^ I dunno... it looks worse in the rendering, but from experience in places like Vancouver (where 1-story retail street frontage, with towers set well back from the street is the norm), it could actually still work out well at street level depending on the choice of retail tenants and so on. A 2-3 story streetwall would be a mixed blessing: it would provide more visual continuity with other parts of Wells Street, but those floors would undoubtedly be filled with parking stalls anyway, and this design means no parking is visible from the street. When was the last time we could say that about a large residential project?

[emathias]

New renderings:
http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2011/04/08/new-glassy-rendering-of-old-town-highrise-released.php

The high-rises are arguably better but the streetwall is absolutely worse.

I tend to agree. I'd actually prefer a better streetfront over a better tower, since the pedestrian experience is very important to Wells already, and will likely only become more important over the coming decade or two.

[J_M_Tungsten]

^^^ why do you say that?

[george]

I agree, the old street wall plan is much more contextual, with varying two-story buildings. The new street wall design resembles an afterthought strip mall.

[ardecila]

^ I dunno... it looks worse in the rendering, but from experience in places like Vancouver (where 1-story retail street frontage, with towers set well back from the street is the norm), it could actually still work out well at street level depending on the choice of retail tenants and so on. A 2-3 story streetwall would be a mixed blessing: it would provide more visual continuity with other parts of Wells Street, but those floors would undoubtedly be filled with parking stalls anyway, and this design means no parking is visible from the street. When was the last time we could say that about a large residential project?

I dunno, I think some of those second-story areas would have been honest-to-god retail space. They don't seem have a uniform floor height, which can be faked, but if you're gonna put parking up there, it's usually not worth the effort.

[BWChicago]

And even if it was just parking on the upper floors, that parking still goes somewhere. Plus more for the added floors on the condo buildings.

[ChiTownCity]

New renderings:
http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2011/04/08/new-glassy-rendering-of-old-town-highrise-released.php

The high-rises are arguably better but the streetwall is absolutely worse.

The Old design was far better than this new crap. At least with old one, if they used the right sized and textured bricks (they were going to use real bricks right?), the tower portion wouldn't really be offensive. The streetwall at the bottom had a nice variety which I would bet would of came out nice also. This new crap I'm sure would look just as cheap and crappy as the garbage like the roosevelt collections and ugly carrot orange brick crap they're calling rowhomes on the old cabrini sites. And that 1-story, as someone else mentioned, strip mall after thought they're fronting this crap with :no:

brick always looks bad in a rendering and glass always looks nice, but that is absolutely no reason to change the design....

[ardecila]

Huh? I like Roosevelt Collection and the Cabrini infill (ParkSide). I mean, it's not groundbreaking architecture, but it's not offensive at all.

[J_M_Tungsten]

http://chicagoist.com/2011/04/07/video_shows_growth_of_downtown_from.php

The video is excellent.

[ardecila]

Cool. I love the string-quartet version of Kanye.

[george]

http://chicagoist.com/2011/04/07/video_shows_growth_of_downtown_from.php

The video is excellent.

Thanks for the video, JMT. Great then & now, love it.

[harryc]

March 30

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaHa_dqYQ9I/AAAAAAABkKY/QUgeRSMXEzc/s912/P1880392.JPG
Well Grounded.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaHbBeSpafI/AAAAAAABkKg/5l-6icQGMtw/s800/P1880399.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaHbDEsavsI/AAAAAAABkKo/PxXlzUYQreg/s800/P1880403.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaHbEtb0MJI/AAAAAAABkKw/_AMZgS9wUMM/s720/P1880405.JPG

[harryc]

Jan 13
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaH8tPtmOuI/AAAAAAABkOI/PTByNv2bjTg/s912/P1860304.JPG

Feb 10
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaH-X_qa2cI/AAAAAAABkOY/nPTKb1qso34/s912/P1860912.JPG

March 15
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaH8nEzNvII/AAAAAAABkNo/0dTTp9dvOqI/s912/P1870627.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaH8oNU2AFI/AAAAAAABkNw/1WPCMql-Ls8/s912/P1870629.JPG

March 30
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaH8pkmYn2I/AAAAAAABkN4/J9-m_lcyWpA/s912/P1880380.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8TC_VUmf9Fw/TaH8q55OetI/AAAAAAABkOA/z0a_tuX2gJ4/s912/P1880381.JPG

[SamInTheLoop]

The Old design was far better than this new crap. At least with old one, if they used the right sized and textured bricks (they were going to use real bricks right?), the tower portion wouldn't really be offensive. The streetwall at the bottom had a nice variety which I would bet would of came out nice also. This new crap I'm sure would look just as cheap and crappy as the garbage like the roosevelt collections and ugly carrot orange brick crap they're calling rowhomes on the old cabrini sites. And that 1-story, as someone else mentioned, strip mall after thought they're fronting this crap with :no:

brick always looks bad in a rendering and glass always looks nice, but that is absolutely no reason to change the design....


No, no, no, no, and no. While I agree that at street-level the old design did a better job, the tower (while still overall it appears to be mostly so-so - although as someone pointed out if some type of metal cladding is used instead of painted flat concrete it may turn out much nicer), is much better than the first design. The former design was pure suburban town center redevelopment material, like some junk you'd expect to see in Des Plaines or Wheaton or pick your suburb. The fetish for bad postmodernism and/or traditionalism (or even mediocre of either) needs to stop.......there's a connection here to the conversation over on the highrise thread regarding what's wrong with the average infill design in Chicago, and why on some levels it does appear inferior to the avg in a city like Milwaukee.........always remember - Robert AM Stern is only 'good' in the sense that he's better than Lucien Lagrange (although with that being said, I do think the new Comcast tower in Philadelphia is pretty good - although not the best curtain wall ever, for sure.....anyway, I digress big time).......otherwise he's pretty much absolutely irrelevant to our time in the state of the art of architecture, folks.......

Seriously, Chicago deserves so much better than the likes of the old design (and all of the other Lagrange garbage and the old Loewenberg River North garbage and 80% of all the small-scale stuff that's gone up in the neighborhoods).....this city's design scene used to be about boldly turning the next page, not about trying to mimic yesterday or poorly 'blend-in' with neighborhood fabrics or appease the hordes of NIMBYs with pedestrian (or worse) taste in design........

Not to pick on you in particular, Chitown - yet you do have suspect taste in architecture, and unfortunately you're far from alone in that regard in this city...

[ardecila]

Robert AM Stern is only 'good' in the sense that he's better than Lucien Lagrange

Actually, I think Stern has an eye for proportion and materiality that make his buildings very harmonious and attractive, despite the fact that he chooses to work within the bounds of traditional styles.

Of course, his skyscrapers aren't terribly good (with the exceptions of Comcast and 15 CPW) so I concede that point. But his smaller-scaled buildings are excellent. And a lot of the problems with the skyscrapers are due to modern zoning codes that dictate point towers on a podium, which is the exact opposite of the massive apartment blocks that were historically the tallest form of housing.

[pip]

what is going up at Illinois and State?

[i_am_hydrogen]

^Cantina Laredo restaurant:
http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/restaurant1229.htm

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Actually, I think Stern has an eye for proportion and materiality that make his buildings very harmonious and attractive, despite the fact that he chooses to work within the bounds of traditional styles.

Of course, his skyscrapers aren't terribly good (with the exceptions of Comcast and 15 CPW) so I concede that point. But his smaller-scaled buildings are excellent. And a lot of the problems with the skyscrapers are due to modern zoning codes that dictate point towers on a podium, which is the exact opposite of the massive apartment blocks that were historically the tallest form of housing.

Agreed. And he's not just better than Lucien Lagrange-- he's in a completely different league.

[SamInTheLoop]

^ Still in the minor leagues though (perhaps AAA to Lagrange, who's always been thoroughly grounded in the single-A's). AM Stern's reputation has always far exceeded his actual work, abilities, and clearly the level and sophistication of his taste in design, and I've always been perplexed to the great degree to which that is true. Just went and re-familiarized myself a bit with his design work at 15 Central Park West, and I will admit that while it's clearly superior to a classic Lagrange, it's also just so far short of world-class architecture. So.......far. I'll never understand the praise that his followers bestow on him, and particularly that building - it just doesn't cut it...

Anyway, sorry for getting too off-topic...

[ardecila]

Well, Stern may not have any buildings in Chicago, but he DID design the bus shelters for the CTA.

[denizen467]

^ Still in the minor leagues though (perhaps AAA to Lagrange, who's always been thoroughly ground in the single-A's). AM Stern's reputation has always far exceeded his actual work and abilities, and I've always been perplexed to the great degree to which that is true. Just went and re-familiarized myself a bit with his design work at 15 Central Park West, and I will admit that it's clearly superior to a classic Lagrange, it's just so far short of world-class architecture. So far. I'll never understand the praise that his followers bestow on him, and particularly that building - it just doesn't cut it...
I thought it was very strange just 1 or 2 weeks ago that Chicago Tonight's occasional contributor Geoffrey Baer went off and did a rare documentary on a single architect, and did it on R AM Stern. At first, I thought, why are Chicago's WTTW donors paying for this guy to jet across to NYC and galavant with this architect and his projects? On one hand, it's okay that local reporters travel the country to report back to donation-paying Chicagoans (and other viewers to whom WTTW shows are syndicated) what all is out there in the world. On the other hand, beelining for one location to talk about one guy who has virtually zero nexus with Chicago seems like it might be like kind of an egregious indulgence in his own personal curiosities. One thing is for sure; R AM Stern sure seemed like he was keen throughout his career to be in the spotlight of attention, hosting his own weekly (or was it monthly) TV show, etc.

[trvlr70]

Cool. I love the string-quartet version of Kanye.

I agree but it was weird as hell.