CHICAGO | General Developments

[ardecila]

The new stair is a huge improvement. Everybody can easily see where it is, and where it leads to. There's a weird disconnect between the well-designed corner/entry area clad in aluminum, and the rest of the building clad in brick.

The park at the top still sucks. I don't think people understand that formal squares like that don't work when they're on top of a podium. They need to be activated by homes or businesses on all four sides. With this, you'll have a slow trickle of people passing along the western edge towards Roosevelt Collection and very few people using the park itself, except as a place for the dog (good thing a dog run was included).

Also, the little playground/pocket park across the street is really wasteful. Better to put the playground atop the school, where kids (and parents) will seek it out. Develop the pocket-park with some apartments and a 7-11.

[the urban politician]

^ I agree. Why not put the soccer field/tennis courts on top of the school and put the actual park where the soccer field, etc are currently located?

[J_M_Tungsten]

Is the building directly behind the Roosevelt collection an actual proposal, or just a rendered filler building? I notice it changes sizes in the 2 renderings.

[LouisVanDerWright]

I just dream of the day when River City is finally integrated into the city fabric and surrounded on all sides by active uses. That will be quite a stunner to come across when this is finally a real neighborhood and not just a patchy industrial wasteland.

[wierdaaron]

The stairway is quite an improvement indeed. It's a bit steep, though. Those stairs might be intimidating when you're standing at the bottom of them.

The fact that they had to be asked for reasonable stair access makes me wonder if they weren't smart enough to see the need for it, or they hoped nobody would notice the original stair design was awful and they wouldn't have to spend the money.

Also, it looks like the classrooms floating above the service drive are gone now. The pathway from the rooftop to the Roosevelt/Icon deck is just a thin bridge.
http://assets.dnainfo.com/generated/chicago_photo/2013/03/revised-british-school-renderings-13625892583530.png/image640x480.jpg vs http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs/5106b0caf92ea1344d03091d/British-School-of-Chicago-South-Loop-proposal-January-2013-003-500x373-1.jpg

The ground-level park change is kind of strange. There's still markings for the full-size soccer field they covered half of. Not much you can do with a half-court other than kicking a ball around. The basketball/tennis courts will be a nice feature for the community, provided the school isn't stingy about providing public access.

Does anyone have some higher-resolution versions of these images, or any of the details that came along with the release?

[Mr Downtown]

I've put the full packet of renderings up here (3.3 MB PDF). (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1938060/British%20School%20revised%20drawings.pdf)

The playfields aren't on top of the school because they're so small. You'd have to have padded fences to keep the kids from running over the sides.

I think the problem with the steps is that both architect and developer think of the rooftop landscaping as a space approached from the shopping center. That's, of course, where they start any site tour. They have at least a subconscious image that shoppers arrive by car or at least from Roosevelt Road. So the original Grand Staircase seemed bizarre to the new owners, and proposing a switchback fire-escape stair, or now a 72-step 9-foot-wide stair, doesn't bother them. After all, there's an elevator hiding somewhere in the bowels of the parking garage. Why would anyone complain?

I had a little huddle with architect, planner, and alderman after Tuesday night's meeting, suggesting that if some of the school's bulk could be transferred to the site north of 9th, a more terraced arrangement could be created. I'll do a drawing later today, but the idea is that a quarter of that green space north of 9th would have a one-story building with steps up two sides and a terrace (perhaps playground) on top. Then steps would lead to an adjacent two-story bulk, which brings pedestrians up to +20. A 30-foot-wide bridge would cross 9th, pretty much at the level of the Metra tracks. There'd be plenty of room for vehicles underneath because the 9th Street underpass will descend to -12. South of Ninth, a portion of the school building would be at +20/two stories, with further terracing up to the +36 rooftop, same level as the Roosevelt Collection shops.

I'm not sure the developer and CDOT will go for it, and I'm starting to wonder if such a compromise is selling out the neighborhood. After all, that part of the South Loop is legally entitled to an actual two-acre ground-level park. But I find myself pondering what parks actually mean these days to people other than dogwalkers and parents of young kids . Perhaps the connectivity is more important in the long run than yet another two-acre patch of grass where you never see anyone except dogwalkers.

[ardecila]

I think public squares can be used properly, but they need to be activated by adjacent use and so far, we've gotten crap. The pocket park concept is overrated, not because of its size but because planners and developers think they can stick it just about anywhere. There's definitely a role for park space, even if it's only to serve as an outdoor spot to sit with coffee and an iPad or a pleasant place to cut through. At a truly public park, neighborhood programming for festivals and events can also add activity.

However, at Roosevelt Collection and Hines at River Point are proposing cul-de-sac parks that have no activating land use and no cut-through pedestrian traffic. Such an arrangement only works for highly programmed park space like athletic fields/courts, dog runs, and playgrounds, not formal green space. The little park at Trio is quite literally on a cul-de-sac and is equally bad.

Mary Bartelme Park in the West Loop might actually turn out well if the adjacent buildings plan for ground-floor retail.

[wierdaaron]

The original floorplan for the school included both a gymnasium and an auditorium:

http://blog.chicagoarchitecture.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/British-School-of-Chicago-South-Loop-proposal-January-2013-007.jpg


The new floorplan just release only has a gymnasium:
http://i.imgur.com/4UF36CZ.png

I guess that's how they were able to reclaim some space to not require the extra classrooms hanging over the side.

[the urban politician]

How can a school not have an auditorium?

[paytonc]

The gym has a stage and doubles as an auditorium. Just like at the Comer Youth Center:
http://www.ccjm.com/2011/03/30/gary-comer-youth-center/

[VivaLFuego]

A bad green space is worse than no green space; at some point the whole thing just needs to be re-thought.

To further ardec's point, the only hope to actually activate any space here is if there is perceptible/visible N-S path continuity between Delano Ct and Financial Pl that allows (invites?) pedestrians to traverse what would otherwise appear impenetrable. These open space plans are so dreadful that I think either (1) the community needs to double down on demanding an actual park or (2) if the inevitability of the British School on this site is accepted, then drop the pretense that anything other than bad park space can possibly be provided (which is, again, worse than no green space).

How about a landscaped promenade down the middle of the site to provide this necessary N-S continuity, with two ~2-story wings of the school on the east and west thirds of the site flanking the promenade and connected by a basement level, with parent drop-off circulation approximately placed as proposed, serving a ground-level entrance under the bridge connecting Roosevelt Collection to said promenade?

As a rough visual template, think of the promenade extending east of Michigan Avenue at Washington leading to the bandshell, but obviously with more pronounced increase in elevation.

It wouldn't be a park in any sense of the word, but it could nonetheless be lined with benches, some grass, trees, etc. and could be a viable and pleasant place to either stop and people-watch, or simply pass through as part of the pedestrian connection between Roosevelt Road and the River City area.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

But I find myself pondering what parks actually mean these days to people other than dogwalkers and parents of young kids . Perhaps the connectivity is more important in the long run than yet another two-acre patch of grass where you never see anyone except dogwalkers.

I think public squares can be used properly, but they need to be activated by adjacent use and so far, we've gotten crap. The pocket park concept is overrated, not because of its size but because planners and developers think they can stick it just about anywhere. There's definitely a role for park space, even if it's only to serve as an outdoor spot to sit with coffee and an iPad or a pleasant place to cut through. At a truly public park, neighborhood programming for festivals and events can also add activity.

However, at Roosevelt Collection and Hines at River Point are proposing cul-de-sac parks that have no activating land use and no cut-through pedestrian traffic. Such an arrangement only works for highly programmed park space like athletic fields/courts, dog runs, and playgrounds, not formal green space. The little park at Trio is quite literally on a cul-de-sac and is equally bad.

I agree with both of you. I mean, green space is important, but I get the sense that the primary function of a lot of these "pocket parks" is to stifle densification, preserve views, or serve as over-sized puppy pads. The result is almost always something less desirable than what a more intensive use of the land would yield.


I had a little huddle with architect, planner, and alderman after Tuesday night's meeting, suggesting that if some of the school's bulk could be transferred to the site north of 9th, a more terraced arrangement could be created. I'll do a drawing later today, but the idea is that a quarter of that green space north of 9th would have a one-story building with steps up two sides and a terrace (perhaps playground) on top. Then steps would lead to an adjacent two-story bulk, which brings pedestrians up to +20. A 30-foot-wide bridge would cross 9th, pretty much at the level of the Metra tracks. There'd be plenty of room for vehicles underneath because the 9th Street underpass will descend to -12. South of Ninth, a portion of the school building would be at +20/two stories, with further terracing up to the +36 rooftop, same level as the Roosevelt Collection shops.

I like this idea a lot a lot a lot. It's the kind of creative solution a site like this demands and the city deserves, and I find it incredibly frustrating that the people behind the development (especially the architects) don't seem to appreciate or even understand how public spaces function.

[ardecila]

As a rough visual template, think of the promenade extending east of Michigan Avenue at Washington leading to the bandshell, but obviously with more pronounced increase in elevation.

Here's a better one.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4012/4676126950_3eb4b4487e.jpg
src (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chilly24/4676126950/sizes/m/in/photostream/)

Go big or go home.

The forced perspective here would actually work well at Roosevelt Collection, as a mirror of what happens at Delano Court. The entire school building could be arrayed around the stairs, with internal hallways looking out over the steps. The problem is, nobody in Chicago has any idea how to work with grade changes because we don't have any.

I like this idea a lot a lot a lot. It's the kind of creative solution a site like this demands and the city deserves, and I find it incredibly frustrating that the people behind the development (especially the architects) don't seem to appreciate or even understand how public spaces function.

Remember that we're dealing with Antunovich... :rolleyes:

[Mr Downtown]

One rather tricky condition is that there's a 30-foot-wide sewer easement down the middle of the park parcel. I'm not clear if that has to be kept open to the sky or just allow 20-foot equipment on top.

From the first meeting we've been trying to get the developer and architect to think about something much more terraced and linear. A long promenade going all the way north to Polk could even be beneficial for the highrises that will go there.

I guess I don't know how optimistic to be about a team that, after weeks of pushback from three community meetings and DHED, merely changes the switchback stair to a linear one.

Earlier, I promised to do a rough sketch illustrating my idea:

http://i.imgur.com/iDe4OPw.jpg

[denizen467]

I hate to interrupt the sloop discussion, just as it was getting exciting (covering from sewer easements to Spanish Steps all within the same half hour), but here is a feel-good piece of news from national-local retail. There is a larger render of the store's design posted at the old structure in Evanston; I think it is their best design yet (sorry, difficult to figure out this article's direct image url).


http://www.suntimes.com/business/18691034-420/evanston-walgreens-store-will-be-countrys-first-net-zero-retailer.html

Evanston Walgreens store will be country’s first net-zero retailer
March 7, 2013

A Walgreens store set to open in south Evanston later this year is aiming to become the nation’s first “net-zero” energy retail store, which company engineers predict will produce energy equal to or greater than what it consumes. ...

The project reads like a “Green Engineers Go Wild” script with wind turbines, geothermal technology that taps energy sources 550 feet into the earth, LED lighting and ultra-high efficiency refrigeration. ...

The store, scheduled to open in November, figures as Walgreens’ second showcase project in the Obama Administration’s Department of Energy Better Buildings Challenge.

...

Once completed, Walgreens plans to seek LEED Platinum status for the store – the most stringent green designation by the U.S. Green Building Council, and plans to enter the store into the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge. ...

[b0soleil]

I've put the full packet of renderings up here (3.3 MB PDF). (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1938060/British%20School%20revised%20drawings.pdf)

The playfields aren't on top of the school because they're so small. You'd have to have padded fences to keep the kids from running over the sides.

I think the problem with the steps is that both architect and developer think of the rooftop landscaping as a space approached from the shopping center. That's, of course, where they start any site tour. They have at least a subconscious image that shoppers arrive by car or at least from Roosevelt Road. So the original Grand Staircase seemed bizarre to the new owners, and proposing a switchback fire-escape stair, or now a 72-step 9-foot-wide stair, doesn't bother them. After all, there's an elevator hiding somewhere in the bowels of the parking garage. Why would anyone complain?

I had a little huddle with architect, planner, and alderman after Tuesday night's meeting, suggesting that if some of the school's bulk could be transferred to the site north of 9th, a more terraced arrangement could be created. I'll do a drawing later today, but the idea is that a quarter of that green space north of 9th would have a one-story building with steps up two sides and a terrace (perhaps playground) on top. Then steps would lead to an adjacent two-story bulk, which brings pedestrians up to +20. A 30-foot-wide bridge would cross 9th, pretty much at the level of the Metra tracks. There'd be plenty of room for vehicles underneath because the 9th Street underpass will descend to -12. South of Ninth, a portion of the school building would be at +20/two stories, with further terracing up to the +36 rooftop, same level as the Roosevelt Collection shops.

I'm not sure the developer and CDOT will go for it, and I'm starting to wonder if such a compromise is selling out the neighborhood. After all, that part of the South Loop is legally entitled to an actual two-acre ground-level park. But I find myself pondering what parks actually mean these days to people other than dogwalkers and parents of young kids . Perhaps the connectivity is more important in the long run than yet another two-acre patch of grass where you never see anyone except dogwalkers.

Mr. Downtown, you are awesome! That's a great idea. Connectivity in that area is probably more important than the acquare square footageof park.

[pilsenarch]

Mr. D., excellent out-of-the-box thinking, especially for a civi... (architect)

someone else suggested here recently that the only reason they can think of that Antunovich (hack hack hack) is getting so much work is they have a lower fee, which is really the only thing that makes sense to me...

it's the architect who should be schooling the client in this case to come up with something extraordinary for such an unique site and excellent program...

the neighborhood should INSIST on the park as promised until they offer something BETTER...

[HomrQT]

So, the Rezko Lot at Clark and Roosevelt is attempting to be rezoned from a "Residential Business Planned Development Ns. 904", to a "M2-3 Light Industry District". What does this mean? Does that mean high rises and Loop esque density are no longer on the plate if "Light Industry" is being requested? Thanks if anyone knows.

[jcchii]

^ hmmm
had not heard that

[LouisVanDerWright]

So, the Rezko Lot at Clark and Roosevelt is attempting to be rezoned from a "Residential Business Planned Development Ns. 904", to a "M2-3 Light Industry District". What does this mean? Does that mean high rises and Loop esque density are no longer on the plate if "Light Industry" is being requested? Thanks if anyone knows.

It usually means big box retail in a place like this which is what I feared when I originally heard the news that they were looking to get M2-3. There are now rumors that ABT Electronics, Kohls, and Lifetime Fitness are all looking to locate there. I really don't want to see big box here for the next 20-30 years, but oh well, it's better than a vacant lot. At least these buildings will be easy to tear down and redevelop when the time comes unlike Dearborn Park or similar abominations.

[BWChicago]

Abt (It's a surname, not an acronym) would be interesting, as they've been committed to being a single-store company for all but 6 years of their history, and even then the earlier location was a storefront. I don't imagine them shutting down the massive Glenview location.

[HomrQT]

It usually means big box retail in a place like this which is what I feared when I originally heard the news that they were looking to get M2-3. There are now rumors that ABT Electronics, Kohls, and Lifetime Fitness are all looking to locate there. I really don't want to see big box here for the next 20-30 years, but oh well, it's better than a vacant lot. At least these buildings will be easy to tear down and redevelop when the time comes unlike Dearborn Park or similar abominations.

So not only retail, but crappy retail? Yuck. What a shame.

[the urban politician]

Big box stores at Roosevelt and Canal? I think it's not a bad thing as long as they aren't surrounded by seas of surface parking. A design more akin to the Target across the street would be more palatable, and I agree that some day in the future could always make way for a larger development

[wierdaaron]

When I think huge lots of prime riverfront real estate, I think Kohls.

Since the Roosevelt Collection park isn't going to be the park anyone hoped it would be, let's put all our hopes into that plot being anything other than a big box retail concrete plaza with some perfunctory park benches and free 2-hour parking.

[ardecila]

Light industry is the underlying zoning. The alderman (Solis) is letting the PD sunset so that the owner can't move forward on some massive project in the future without public review. As far as I know, the owner is still General Mediterranean, who is probably looking to sell it to some mega-developer like Forest City.

Big box stores at Roosevelt and Canal? I think it's not a bad thing as long as they aren't surrounded by seas of surface parking. A design more akin to the Target across the street would be more palatable, and I agree that some day in the future could always make way for a larger development

It won't happen. If retail goes here, it will be suburban format. I question whether that's worth the cost of soil remediation, though.

[the urban politician]

It won't happen. If retail goes here, it will be suburban format. I question whether that's worth the cost of soil remediation, though.

^ Although I wouldn't put things past Chicago's shitty planners (ie allowing suburban style development so close to the core), I kind of figured we have grown up a bit from the days of that massive auto-centric Dominick's at Roosevelt/Canal built several years ago.

I hope South Loopers understand that a giant suburban format big box retail center across the street will only take a shit on their property values. If they push for at least a better & more pedestrian-friendly design, there is a chance that it could be less damaging, or even a bonus, to their neighborhood.

[urbanpln]

^ Although I wouldn't put things past Chicago's shitty planners (ie allowing suburban style development so close to the core), I kind of figured we have grown up a bit from the days of that massive auto-centric Dominick's at Roosevelt/Canal built several years ago.

I hope South Loopers understand that a giant suburban format big box retail center across the street will only take a shit on their property values. If they push for at least a better & more pedestrian-friendly design, there is a chance that it could be less damaging, or even a bonus, to their neighborhood.

Don't blame the planners! We usually push developers very hard to keep new projects walkable and urban. We are limited in what we can do because, money and politics rule in this town and the nation.

[the urban politician]

^ Well, thanks for clarifying that.

I for one think this would be a success if the design is at least similar to the Mariano's planned at 16th and Clark, which at least holds 2 corners while still having surface parking. But if this is a giant suburban behemoth set back from Roosevelt/Canal by acres of surface parking, then it is a colossal, ugly failure at every level and I truly would blame the city for not pushing a bit harder.

[HomrQT]

With the soaring demand for rentals/condos in downtown right now, why aren't larger real estate buildings being built with anchor stores at the base?

[urbanpln]

It's hard to determine what will be built there until developers submit something. It's also hard to imagine a giant mall going there because of the economics. I would guess, when there is a real project ready, it will be a mix of uses that includes retail, commercial, and residential with sufficient density.

[Rizzo]

With the soaring demand for rentals/condos in downtown right now, why aren't larger real estate buildings being built with anchor stores at the base?

Well that answer varies. If it's a department store, specialty or clothing retailer, etc., they want to be clustered toward other similar businesses, as if on a promenade. If they are a major grocer, they'd be willing to venture onto more of the side streets so as long as they have high visibility and easy access for garage parking and truck deliveries. (like on Grand for example.) To me, the south loop and some portions of streeterville feel like giant vertical subdivisions. Sure those residents have needs, but those neighborhoods certainly don't have the level of public exposure that would get along certain avenues downtown.

[Mr Downtown]

Wow, I spend the day in meetings and you guys have ground broken for a Kmart-anchored strip mall at Clark & Roosevelt. That's not what's happening, so far as I know.

The Riverside Park PD included language that it automatically sunsets after six years, which would have been 2010. Solís says he introduced the rezoning to DS (not M3-5) merely to "get the attention of the owner" and try to get something going there. I talked with him last week about doing a river corridor planning study encompassing all the vacant land from Franklin Point to Ping Tom Memorial Park, and he sounded very excited about that at the British School meeting Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Nordstrom Rack was announced today for the Maxwell, on the other side of the river. So that seems a much more likely place for big box retail.

[wierdaaron]

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

[the urban politician]

Wow, I spend the day in meetings and you guys have ground broken for a Kmart-anchored strip mall at Clark & Roosevelt. That's not what's happening, so far as I know.

The Riverside Park PD included language that it automatically sunsets after six years, which would have been 2010. Solís says he introduced the rezoning to DS (not M3-5) merely to "get the attention of the owner" and try to get something going there. I talked with him last week about doing a river corridor planning study encompassing all the vacant land from Franklin Point to Ping Tom Memorial Park, and he sounded very excited about that at the British School meeting Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Nordstrom Rack was announced today for the Maxwell, on the other side of the river. So that seems a much more likely place for big box retail.

^ It's good to have a person like you in the position you are in, Mr. D.

Having said that, we have seen that even with plans in place, developers sometimes still manage to get away with pretty suburban crap in this city. Look at those strip malls being built in North/Clybourn despite the fact that the city came up with a guidelines for the district that discourages such development.

[richb]

Abt (It's a surname, not an acronym) would be interesting, as they've been committed to being a single-store company for all but 6 years of their history, and even then the earlier location was a storefront. I don't imagine them shutting down the massive Glenview location.

Abt has property in southwest suburban Bolingbrook near the Bolingbrook Promenade Mall, so their days as a single store operation are coming to an end.

[denizen467]

^ Do you mean within a block or two of the Promenade or just within a mile or two? If the latter, it could just be a distribution facility; there are scores of businesses with large properties in Bolingbrook but few of them are stores - they are gargantuan warehouses taking advantage of proximity to I-80 and other factors benefiting mass distribution (lower wages compared to Glenview etc.).

[richb]

^ Do you mean within a block or two of the Promenade or just within a mile or two? If the latter, it could just be a distribution facility; there are scores of businesses with large properties in Bolingbrook but few of them are stores - they are gargantuan warehouses taking advantage of proximity to I-80 and other factors benefiting mass distribution (lower wages compared to Glenview etc.).

It would be connected to the Promenade Mall so there would be a store. Haven't heard anything about it lately so it on the back burner or a dead idea.

[ardecila]

Don't blame the planners! We usually push developers very hard to keep new projects walkable and urban. We are limited in what we can do because, money and politics rule in this town and the nation.

IIRC planning staff was responsible for cutting the residential component at the Maxwell, another nearby PD with underlying industrial zoning.

So it's not unreasonable to expect another planning blunder, especially on a massive site with no street grid and few access points. As we've discussed before, a suburban format (even a lifestyle center) minimizes the up-front cost of new infrastructure, so it's alluring to developers.

[urbanpln]

IIRC planning staff was responsible for cutting the residential component at the Maxwell, another nearby PD with underlying industrial zoning.

So it's not unreasonable to expect another planning blunder, especially on a massive site with no street grid and few access points. As we've discussed before, a suburban format (even a lifestyle center) minimizes the up-front cost of new infrastructure, so it's alluring to developers.

I believe UP was talking about the City's planning staff. My point was that the City's staff has always supported density, walkability and good design but, sometimes the powers that be (big developers and politicians) have more influence on the end results. Usually there is give and take on both sides.

[harryc]

Hotel Conversion (according to one worker)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-alh8JqHZDZc/UTvlwzMBo6I/AAAAAAABt8c/PiyGkDL8dEE/s902/P1090809.JPG

[harryc]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DCQNOZq2k8g/UTvmdiYgRRI/AAAAAAABt8k/muww-P1wwtc/s902/P1100480.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uP6-7BYsEsQ/UTvmediXbEI/AAAAAAABt8s/7jNa8wO_Ps4/s902/P1100481.JPG

[harryc]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WOBxU8TF6KM/UTvm8zjFTxI/AAAAAAABt80/Ss_c2yEI5zo/s902/P1100555.JPG

[harryc]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0U_1jg_WiW0/UTvnaIbwqSI/AAAAAAABt88/Vqw0GnnEBFY/s902/P1100549.JPG

Howell and Hood (http://www.howellsandhood.com/)

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uP6-7BYsEsQ/UTvmediXbEI/AAAAAAABt8s/7jNa8wO_Ps4/s902/P1100481.JPG

fugly

[the urban politician]

It's just a bar, people...

[J_M_Tungsten]

Today
Jones Prep
http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt1/JMTUNGSTEN/89442214b36dfd4081cb113f1ff53eda.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt1/JMTUNGSTEN/8f611afe94832f8fa8eb67d10f34ba4d.jpg

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

It's just a bar, people...

Why say "people" when I'm the only one who commented?

Anyway, I didn't realize bars were exempt from scrutiny.

[J_M_Tungsten]

They aren't. I actually think it is looking good now; with all the appropriate fittings. Should be an interesting spot in the summer when all the windows are open at night. Vey Miami-esque.

[J_M_Tungsten]

http://chicago.curbed.com/tags/development-watch
This is going to have great views of the Chase Building and plaza, as well as the Inland Steel Building.

[Rizzo]

It's just a bar, people...

Why do you say that? Haven't you stated your opinion on this website before about certain buildings?

And their other locations are well detailed, why was the ground level botched in Chicago? Obviously from the older renders, they were well on track for a great design. What happened, budget fall short?

[the urban politician]

Why do you say that? Haven't you stated your opinion on this website before about certain buildings?

And their other locations are well detailed, why was the ground level botched in Chicago? Obviously from the older renders, they were well on track for a great design. What happened, budget fall short?

^ I guess, but I've never really gotten worked up over a badly designed bar.

[ardecila]

Can we agree it's better than the empty lot it replaced? Attrition of parking lots makes my heart sing.

[Rizzo]

^ I guess, but I've never really gotten worked up over a badly designed bar.

Nobody was. You made a snarky comment implying that people here really cared that much. We only posted some opinions for the sake of commentary. No one is losing sleep over it.

You've been on this site long enough to know this shouldn't be explained.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

^ I guess, but I've never really gotten worked up over a badly designed bar.

How silly. A bar is just as much a part of the streetscape as any other building. Also: what Hayward said.

[spyguy]

5427 – 5437 N Broadway - 42 apartments + retail
More info here (http://www.edgevillebuzz.com/news/potential-development-coming-to-long-empty-broadway-building)
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/4310/renderingh.jpg

[Mr Downtown]

Crane being delivered this morning to Amli Lofts, Clark & Polk. That seems curious since they haven't yet done any foundation work.

[the urban politician]

Has this one gotten Beyond site prep?

[emathias]

Crane being delivered this morning to Amli Lofts, Clark & Polk. That seems curious since they haven't yet done any foundation work.

New "top-down" construction technique.

[harryc]

New "top-down" construction technique.

That requires much site prep BEFORE the crane arrives - remember the Spire ?
Block 37 ?

[ardecila]

I think it was a joke.

Maybe the crane is coming from another jobsite and it was easier to just bring it to the AMLI site than to return it to the yard.

[Mr Downtown]

Could be. I thought it was impressive that ALL Crane Rental would have eight custom-painted trucks that all showed up the same morning, rather than ferrying the pieces two at a time over a few days.

[emathias]

I think it was a joke.
...

yes

[Joe Zekas]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8548965327_570dce4f22_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8548965327/)
Webster Square (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8548965327/) by YoChicago1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/yochicago1/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8548969139_3e0bc6eb68_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8548969139/)
New Mariano's site, Ashland and Webster (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8548969139/) by YoChicago1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/yochicago1/), on Flickr

Shot earlier today.

[Buckman821]

Since we are apparently on a Marianos kick, I present the Marianos at Lawrence and Ravenswood:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hw8A4CZj7Hs/UT5p-tjixtI/AAAAAAAAANg/jBDfQOUZwaY/s766/Marianos+1.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_C0V-H3zmAM/UT5p_MVD3ZI/AAAAAAAAANw/x6lDF9ox2xg/s766/Marianos+2.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PzLAaKs_hUU/UT5p_swObAI/AAAAAAAAANs/xK7hEEdzJuM/s766/Marianos+3.jpg

Bonus shot of the Metra station getting built across the street. I'll post in transit thread.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-VRf2vXoxrIY/UT5qAAInv5I/AAAAAAAAAN4/e8IXMPjGjko/s766/Ravenswood+Station.jpg

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Very earthy.

[the urban politician]

Wow, lots of construction there.

Is there an actual rendering of the Mariano's on Webster?

[J_M_Tungsten]

It's a Mariano's takeover.

[denizen467]

Is there an actual rendering of the Mariano's on Webster?
I think Joe Zekas is referring to 2, count 'em, different Mariano's stores on Webster. The second photo is from Webster & Ashland where a Mariano's is definitely going. But the first photo, Webster Square, is presumably one of the Webster & Lincoln projects -- I didn't realize a Mariano's was going in there. Joe, can you elaborate or post renders?

I was talking to a senior staff member at a Mariano's not long ago who spent most of his career working for Dominick's. He said Dominick's started to go downhill after the Safeway takeover (not surprising), and now especially with Mariano's booming from downtown out to the outer suburbs (with Mr. Mariano at the helm -- for a long time he had served as the successful hand-picked successor to the DiMatteo family running Dominick's), they expect there are currently a bunch of Dominick's stores that are on the verge of closing, and management has been propping them up just to spite Mariano's and Mr. Mariano. Food fight!

[ardecila]

dp

[ardecila]

I'm glad the oligopoly is ending, though. Jewel and Dom's were both awful before Mariano's started to move in on the middle class market, and really awful before Trader Joe's and Whole Foods moved in on the upper class segment.

Now we've got a panoply of chains, which can only help. I guess the downsizing of one of the big players was inevitable.

Also, spite generally isn't a good business plan.

[Joe Zekas]

Webster Square is not a Mariano's site. It's mostly residential, with retail that has yet to be identified.

Maybe I should have put up the pictures in separate posts. It just never occurred to me that anyone would assume that Webster Square had anything to do with Mariano's.

[wierdaaron]

Mariano's is more middle class than Whole Foods? I've only seen the lakeshore east location, but it seems pretty upmarket.

The number of grocery store projects I've seen here makes me hopeful for the population's return to downtown. I'm curious to see if the CityTarget in the Loop, with its meager (but better than nothing) grocery offering, predicates an upswing in residential growth.

[ardecila]

Yes, Mariano's has been expanding in some very middle-class communities like Palatine and Schaumburg. Probably the western suburbs too, but I'm less familiar with that area.

[denizen467]

Webster Square is not a Mariano's site. It's mostly residential, with retail that has yet to be identified.

Maybe I should have put up the pictures in separate posts. It just never occurred to me that anyone would assume that Webster Square had anything to do with Mariano's.
Joe the heading immediately above the Webster/Lincoln photo said "Webster Square, Mariano's on Webster", so it seemed like there would be something called Mariano's on Webster in Webster Square. Because the photos are so large compared to the text, it was hard to see all the photos and commentary in one screen and then accordingly notice that your heading was for the entirety of the post as opposed to for just the first photo. But more relevantly, that heading used a comma, not a semicolon -- grammar strikes again. :) Not complaining, just giving an example of how little things can lead to a small misunderstanding. Anyway, I think the developer originally did intend to bring in a supermarket here -- but the neighbors said that trucks and loading docks meant the sky was definitely falling.

Mariano's is on a major tear in a big way. And wierdaaron, if you look at their prices, they are definitely shooting to underprice the big legacy chains, at least for now.

-----

Here is a completely unrelated amusing news story of a brazen caper instantly gone horribly wrong for a dumb criminal on the southwest side:
(Thanks to Bus Tracker GPS, CTA buses now also enjoy deterrence against all but the most blockheaded burglars..)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-school-buses-shredded-0311-20130311,0,1965984.story
Owner of scrap yard is charged after remains of stolen buses found
March 11, 2013
... Eight 40-foot-long [school] buses, each capable of seating 75 people, were taken sometime overnight Thursday from the yard of Sunshine Transportation on Chicago's Far South Side, police said. Shards of metal bearing the bus company's name could be seen Friday in the yard at SRV Metal Scrapper and Gonzalez Auto Parts & Dismantling, which is owned by 44-year-old Sergio Quintero, police said. Later that day, Quintero was arrested after a search of his scrap company in Chicago's South Lawndale neighborhood, where he was found hiding in the ceiling of the business' office, police said. ... The buses were equipped with GPS tracking devices, and police were able to track "their entire movement" to the scrap yard ...

[Vlajos]

What is Webster Square?

[emathias]

What is Webster Square?

A square dedicated to an 80s TV show ...

It's the redevelopment of Lincoln Park Hospital on Lincoln at Webster.
http://www.webstersq.com/

[J_M_Tungsten]

^ it kind of reminds me of the first design for 1225 wells. Could we get lucky and hope they still change the design?

[the urban politician]

A square dedicated to an 80s TV show ...


:haha:

You know, that actually wouldn't be a half bad idea. Dedicate the park to the actual show, and have a statue of the little kid who played 'Webster'. After all, the show was set in Chicago, right? While we're at it, lets have a 'Punky Brewster' park as well...

[Vlajos]

A square dedicated to an 80s TV show ...

It's the redevelopment of Lincoln Park Hospital on Lincoln at Webster.
http://www.webstersq.com/

:haha:

Looks like I need to get to Lincoln Park more often. I didn't know this was under construction. I thought the NIMBYs were holding this up.

[Joe Zekas]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8552690056_5f34e5e228_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8552690056/)
New Target on Division Street (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8552690056/) by YoChicago1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/yochicago1/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8552658528_fabe8e2933_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8552658528/)
Iron worker walks the iron (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8552658528/) by YoChicago1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/yochicago1/), on Flickr

Shot earlier today.

[Joe Zekas]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8552781630_832591104d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8552781630/)
Facade restoration at 1225 Old Town (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8552781630/) by YoChicago1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/yochicago1/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8551679793_1c1ae60366_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8551679793/)
Facade restoration at 1225 Old Town (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yochicago1/8551679793/) by YoChicago1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/yochicago1/), on Flickr

The re-installation of the ornate terra cotta facade at 1225 Old Town, the former Grossinger Cadillac / Tower Olds site, began yesterday with the delivery of 200 skids of material. It's estimated to take about 60 days to complete. Algozine Masonry (http://algozinemasonry.com/) is the contractor, with masons from Local 21.

I was up on the scaffolding earlier today shooting video and will be visiting the site periodically. Final cleaning of the terra cotta will take place on site when everything's been installed.

For the record, 1225 Old Town (http://1225oldtown.com) is one of our clients.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Here is a completely unrelated amusing news story of a brazen caper instantly gone horribly wrong for a dumb criminal on the southwest side:
(Thanks to Bus Tracker GPS, CTA buses now also enjoy deterrence against all but the most blockheaded burglars..)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-school-buses-shredded-0311-20130311,0,1965984.story
Owner of scrap yard is charged after remains of stolen buses found
March 11, 2013
... Eight 40-foot-long [school] buses, each capable of seating 75 people, were taken sometime overnight Thursday from the yard of Sunshine Transportation on Chicago's Far South Side, police said. Shards of metal bearing the bus company's name could be seen Friday in the yard at SRV Metal Scrapper and Gonzalez Auto Parts & Dismantling, which is owned by 44-year-old Sergio Quintero, police said. Later that day, Quintero was arrested after a search of his scrap company in Chicago's South Lawndale neighborhood, where he was found hiding in the ceiling of the business' office, police said. ... The buses were equipped with GPS tracking devices, and police were able to track "their entire movement" to the scrap yard ...

Good riddance! There has been a massive rash of illegal architectural scrapping going on in Lawndale, Little Village, and parts of Pilsen. I'm willing to bet this guy is the bastard who has been accepting the clearly stolen materials. Hopefully they will throw the book at him and shut his operation down.

If he was brazen enough to steal school buses, imagine all of the properties they've pillaged? I own a property that got ravaged by scrapers on the SW side, hopefully these were the guys who stole the 130 year old cornice off of my building.

[Notyrview]

Weuw more intellectual property. hawt.

[Via Chicago]

Dont have any pics but looks like construction is underway on a new apt/condo building (?) at the corner of Hermitage and Montrose.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=hermitage+and+montrose,+chicago&ll=41.961684,-87.672422&spn=0.001739,0.005558&sll=41.961541,-87.672413&layer=c&cbp=13,25.89,,0,-4.59&cbll=41.961542,-87.672365&gl=us&hnear=W+Montrose+Ave+%26+N+Hermitage+Ave,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois&t=h&z=17&panoid=qCGF0jE5ZVsjMlgmOOsQ6g

nice to see it get filled in

[ardecila]

The guy's an auto scrapper; I doubt he's accepting architectural elements except maybe copper gutters and downspouts, which you won't find in Pilsen.

Illegal/unethical scrapping is a problem, but this guy isn't responsible for the architectural pillaging.

[Rizzo]

The guy's an auto scrapper; I doubt he's accepting architectural elements except maybe copper gutters and downspouts, which you won't find in Pilsen.

Illegal/unethical scrapping is a problem, but this guy isn't responsible for the architectural pillaging.

Regardless, I tend to find scrapyards questionable places. It's hard to believe much of what comes through the gates is entirely legit.

I've always felt there should be state legislation (at least in Michigan) to ban the recyclable resale of metals. People can continue to discard these items curbside but collection could only be done by municipal services or contracted companies. Materials can be picked up by licensed contractors of active jobs registered and permitted with county they are working in. Certain restrictions (that already exist in Michigan) would make it a felony to transport certain materials across a county or state line. For example transporting firewood across any county line in Michigan is a criminal offense. Also the vehicles transporting scrap metal would have to be registered with the state, just like Illinois has special plates for trucks.

Obviously people would find ways to get around it, but the laws essentially make the transport and sale of these items more difficult. Especially if a scrapyard was only legally allowed to accept items from a person with a particular license.

The law would have to be consistent, so it would also remove the obsolete bottle return deposit in Michigan, which I predict many states will discard within the next decade. Mostly because of cost and.....ironically....the negative environmental impact of driving spent bottles back to stores with alot of energy hogging equipment.

[denizen467]

http://www.suntimes.com/business/18691034-420/evanston-walgreens-store-will-be-countrys-first-net-zero-retailer.html

Evanston Walgreens store will be country’s first net-zero retailer
March 7, 2013

A Walgreens store set to open in south Evanston later this year is aiming to become the nation’s first “net-zero” energy retail store, which company engineers predict will produce energy equal to or greater than what it consumes. ...
I found a render for this project. This image shows they decided against holding the streetwall, but maybe it can be forgiven this time.

http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/03/walgreens-net-zero-537x362.jpg

http://inhabitat.com/walgreens-announces-plans-to-build-the-first-zero-energy-retail-store-in-the-us/
Walgreens Announces Plans to Build the First Zero Energy Retail Store in the US
by Robert Elfinger, 03/11/13

... the store will use 200,000 kilowatt hours per year of electricity while generating 256,000 kilowatt hours per year ...

[Baronvonellis]

Lawrence and Damen is starting to gentrify alot again now. Long vacant storefronts since 06-07 are now all starting to get filled in, in the last few months with bike shops, brewery schools, hair salons, and dog stores. It's like a gentrification cliche now lol. Also, a large vacant lot on damen since 07 is under construction with a 4 story condo with ground floor retail.

[spyguy]

535 North Michigan - updated retail facade and elevated sidewalk over Grand
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/7177/535nmich2.jpg
http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/2538/535nmich1.jpg

[denizen467]

^ So is the decking over of Grand (just for a partial block eastwards) on the back burner and/or dead? I wonder if 535 had been waiting until now to see what happens with that.

Also, do the people who made these renders know something about a new St Clair tower that we don't, or were these just drafted up during the last boom when there was a hotel proposal there?

[ardecila]

Le sigh.

At least we get a cool anti-gravity gallery, and access to Grand.

[denizen467]

^ Hey, I thought I was the only one who complained about unrealistic renders. (Especially when done primarly for aesthetic benefit.)

[pilsenarch]

Is it only me, or does this look significantly schlockier than the existing retail facades?

[LouisVanDerWright]

The guy's an auto scrapper; I doubt he's accepting architectural elements except maybe copper gutters and downspouts, which you won't find in Pilsen.

Illegal/unethical scrapping is a problem, but this guy isn't responsible for the architectural pillaging.

I'm not talking about him stealing terra cotta off of buildings, I'm talking about him stealing just that: copper, aluminum, and steel. The cornice on the building I bought just happened to be copper by the way, probably several thousand dollars worth. Part of the reason why I bought the property was because I was so outraged at what these bums did to it and decided I would fix the mess they left behind.

I'm willing to bet this guy took any metal you brought him regardless of origin. I'm sure he's also responsible for taking literally tons of stolen copper pipes and iron vent stacks as well. If you want to know why this city has such a huge problem with tear-downs, it's got a lot to do with scrapers. As soon as a building goes vacant there is a good chance they will break in and rip all of the wiring, pipes, and any metal architectural elements out of the walls instantly increasing the costs of renovating the building by $20-30/SF. That increase in cost is basically a death sentence for most buildings in the poorer parts of the city.

Finally, there are actually very few crooked scrap yards out there because the penalties for accepting stolen scrap are quite high. However, the few crooked yards that are out there are capable of doing an enormous amount of damage very quickly before they are stopped. I'm willing to bet there will be a marked drop in the amount of large scale scrap theft on the near SW side now that these bums will have to drive a lot further to find someone willing to accept a truckload of bent up copper pipes or an ornate cornice. It's quite obvious when something like that is stolen because no one just throws out an ornate cornice. The demolition contractors (who are the only people who would legitimately be taking down something like that) are careful to save any scrap and squeeze every dollar out of a building they are tearing down. I don't know a lot of demo contractors who drive around in rusty old pickup trucks with a cage made of refrigerator grates and 2x4's attached to the back.

[joeg1985]

:haha:

Looks like I need to get to Lincoln Park more often. I didn't know this was under construction. I thought the NIMBYs were holding this up.

I think you're thinking of the Children's Memorial site. Last I heard that redevelopment is being held up by the NIMBYs.

[Vlajos]

I think you're thinking of the Children's Memorial site. Last I heard that redevelopment is being held up by the NIMBYs.

Yep, my mistake. Glad to see new life being brought to Lincoln Park. It needs some rejuvenation and new blood.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Le sigh.

At least we get a cool anti-gravity gallery, and access to Grand.

What if they actually cantilever the whole walk to open up the lower level sidewalk to more light?

This looks a lot worse than the existing storefronts and entrance which have cool exposed structural columns that are kinda Marina City esque.

[Rizzo]

Boooo! I wanted a plaza. I mean I appreciate the new staircase and all, but this just tells me there's no intention for a remarkable improvement.

[ardecila]

What if they actually cantilever the whole walk to open up the lower level sidewalk to more light?

This looks a lot worse than the existing storefronts and entrance which have cool exposed structural columns that are kinda Marina City esque.

This would be simple on a new construction building, but really disruptive to retrofit into the existing 535 N. Michigan. I'm guessing there will be thin pipe columns and they are left out of the render.

Thanks for the clarification on the scrappers.

[the urban politician]

Okay, so here's a tough question:

I was just driving north on the Kennedy, and just before I passed the sign for 'California Ave', on the right I saw a building under construction. A steel frame was up to what appeared to be the second or third level.

Anybody know what project that could be? It seemed kinda Logan Square-y, although I'm not certain..

Actually, come to think of it Logan Square does not extend east of the Kennedy, does it?