CHICAGO | General Developments

[ardecila]

Agree with the sentiments above about 730 W Randolph. The city should figure out how to incentivize this approach to development as favorable to knocking down the neighbors and going big.

Separately, I've been looking at homes in Bronzeville. The lowest models from the Parade of Homes are build by Inishfree Builders. Curious if anyone is familiar or knows how I could find out more about their track record. I'm super nervous to buy a POS new construction.

They sound like one of the hundreds of small Irish builders. Most of those guys focus on construction and rely on realty teams to do all the marketing and branding, so you probably won’t find much under the name Innisfree.

Quality for these guys can be all over the map, and even a master builder GC can sometimes be sunk by poor quality subs.

Know your rights though, as a new home buyer in Illinois you are covered by an Implied Warranty of Habitability addressing major and minor defects. Many builders will ask you to waive the “implied warranty” as written in state law and substitute a warranty with terms written by the builder, but it still has to provide a certain level of protection to you by law.

I did quality control for a builder for 3 years, many if not most builders are cooperative with warranty claims as long as you document them carefully and submit them in one or two batches.

[k1052]

Let’s see when it’s more than a rendering.

But this is the argument for midrise development. Real materials, nice narrow street frontage, no curb cuts or parking, and the second floor is actually used rather than a blank concrete wall.

I would fill the rest of the city up with these before ever having another highrise built, if it meant no more parking podiums would ever be built either. For the urban fabric at street level, it would be vastly better. Narrow some street widths and deviate from the grid here and there, and we’re really in business.

Fortunately this lot is inside the Fulton-Randolph landmark district so they have to pretty much conform. Not a whole lot of shortcuts to take.

We'll see what it looks like when done but I'm optimistic.

[jjk113]

......I really like the cobble stone intersections that the city is installing along Fulton Street

[Busy Bee]

^Agreed. They look pretty fantastic.

[Via Chicago]

They look like they'll be hell for cyclists tho

[Busy Bee]

If the Tour can go over cobblestone roads at 40mph, I think local cyclists can handle this.

[harryc]

They look like they'll be hell for cyclists tho

fact

[LouisVanDerWright]

Whatever it's like 30' of stone, lift your ass up and coast. Like 50% of paved roads in Chicago are this bad or worse anyhow.

Let's focus on how it will discourage motorists from driving like jagoffs and killing peds and cyclists.

[F1 Tommy]

fact

But as I am sure you agree the look is worth it. Bikers have to deal with this in a lot of cities in Europe and even in NYC.

[jc5680]

Whatever it's like 30' of stone, lift your ass up and coast. Like 50% of paved roads in Chicago are this bad or worse anyhow.

Let's focus on how it will discourage motorists from driving like jagoffs and killing peds and cyclists.

One of the intersections in particular was installed pretty rough though (the Sangamon intersection, I think) They were still doing work on the joints in all the intersections and brick inlays in the sidewalks last week, so maybe they will come back to fix it? But that one is really bad. Hard to walk across, let alone bike.

[ardecila]

One of the intersections in particular was installed pretty rough though (the Sangamon intersection, I think) They were still doing work on the joints in all the intersections and brick inlays in the sidewalks last week, so maybe they will come back to fix it? But that one is really bad. Hard to walk across, let alone bike.

Green St is the worst one IMO. The other ones seem better, but it’s hard to tell because all the private construction in the area has put a few layers of mud and sand over the cobbles.

[Rizzo]

It doesn’t seem all that bad biking over the cobbles. It’s the least of my problems biking.

[spyguy]

150 N Clinton (aka building with the most interesting entrance) - they may be erecting an office addition on the parking lot next door
https://i.postimg.cc/mkZjzW9J/Screen-Shot-2018-11-24-at-10-02-29-AM.jpg

1220 W Van Buren - The Oxxford (https://www.theoxxford.com/) - rooftop addition to this office conversion
https://i.postimg.cc/SQX7PdrW/c1dt-3.jpg

[BonoboZill4]

Oh my god SpyGuy, the word play :haha:

[BorisMolotov]

Just looked up the building and I must say, it's um... unique

[ChickeNES]

Someone on Reddit was asking about the lot on Michigan where the YWCA building used to be, and in the comments someone else claims to have seen plans for the lot. Anyone heard anything about this?

[harryc]

Nov 21

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4918/31094530637_42af6f6f91_h.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4831/44217689630_db45daa7db_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/45983676692_7c6831cc20_h.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4855/44217687500_f1f969fddd_h.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4883/31094528847_77123251da_h.jpg

[BonoboZill4]

Someone on Reddit was asking about the lot on Michigan where the YWCA building used to be, and in the comments someone else claims to have seen plans for the lot. Anyone heard anything about this?

I'm guessing they are just remembering that glass, skinny tower that had been proposed before the recession. If not, then that's exciting, but I'm doubtful

[spyguy]

Beef 'n Brandy no more. Looks like the current hideous building on State Street will be restored into a small Sonder "hotel" and retail.
https://i.postimg.cc/jjqpWVZf/Screen-Shot-2018-11-24-at-10-14-22-AM.jpg
There's some other buildings on State that I would like to see get the same type of treatment.

[ardecila]

We’ve definitely seen that rendering before. The new news then is Sonder’s involvement?

TBH it’s probably a good model for lodging moving forward. Erect a small apartment building, maybe with some modest facilities for housekeeping etc, then get the entire building operating as a limited service “hotel” under the category of vacation rentals which are allowed in all B/C zoning. That way you avoid pissing off permanent residents in existing residential buildings while sidestepping questions of taking housing stock off the market.

[PKDickman]

TBH it’s probably a good model for lodging moving forward. Erect a small apartment building, maybe with some modest facilities for housekeeping etc, then get the entire building operating as a limited service “hotel” under the category of vacation rentals which are allowed in all B/C zoning. That way you avoid pissing off permanent residents in existing residential buildings while sidestepping questions of taking housing stock off the market.

It would have to be real small. Vac rentals are limited to 6 units or 25% of the total units (whichever is less) Although you might be able to organize them as 6 sleeping room suites. but you would still need 75% normal units.

[marothisu]

We’ve definitely seen that rendering before. The new news then is Sonder’s involvement?

TBH it’s probably a good model for lodging moving forward. Erect a small apartment building, maybe with some modest facilities for housekeeping etc, then get the entire building operating as a limited service “hotel” under the category of vacation rentals which are allowed in all B/C zoning. That way you avoid pissing off permanent residents in existing residential buildings while sidestepping questions of taking housing stock off the market.

I stayed at something like that in Rome once. Pretty sure most of the building actually was a hotel, but then on one floor they were operating a small, cheap type of hotel thing with maybe 10 to 15 total rooms. They were small, but each had its own bathroom and it wasn't a hostel or anything technically. It wasn't that bad - if you don't want to spend a lot of money it's not bad but nowadays I probably wouldn't do it again unless necessary.

[Rizzo]

It would have to be real small. Vac rentals are limited to 6 units or 25% of the total units (whichever is less) Although you might be able to organize them as 6 sleeping room suites. but you would still need 75% normal units.

When the ordinance says something like “six rentals” it pretty much means “six reservations”

[PKDickman]

When the ordinance says something like “six rentals” it pretty much means “six reservations”

(10) if the dwelling unit is located in a building containing five or more dwelling units, an attestation that: (i) no more than six dwelling units in the building, or one quarter of the total dwelling units in the building, whichever is less, are or will be used as vacation rentals or shared housing units, in any combination; and (ii) if the dwelling unit identified in the license application is licensed as a vacation rental, such dwelling unit will not exceed the limit set forth in item (i) of this subsection (b)(10);

[marothisu]

Apparently the $50M house in Lincoln Park is off the market now. Not sure if they actually sold it or just gave up. My guess is they just gave up, but you never know...

[Rizzo]

(10) if the dwelling unit is located in a building containing five or more dwelling units, an attestation that: (i) no more than six dwelling units in the building, or one quarter of the total dwelling units in the building, whichever is less, are or will be used as vacation rentals or shared housing units, in any combination; and (ii) if the dwelling unit identified in the license application is licensed as a vacation rental, such dwelling unit will not exceed the limit set forth in item (i) of this subsection (b)(10);

Right, but “rental” should not be construed as to mean more than one reservation. You suggested separate bedrooms in a suite, as if the suite counted as a single dwelling unit per the zoning ordinance which could in essence contain as many bedrooms as building codes allow under separate reservations. I don’t think that would fly. That’s pretty much like some hostels on the northside where apartments are converted into subdivided areas for sleeping, each bed a separate reservation.

[PKDickman]

Right, but “rental” should not be construed as to mean more than one reservation. You suggested separate bedrooms in a suite, as if the suite counted as a single dwelling unit per the zoning ordinance which could in essence contain as many bedrooms as building codes allow under separate reservations. I don’t think that would fly. That’s pretty much like some hostels on the northside where apartments are converted into subdivided areas for sleeping, each bed a separate reservation.

No, these are licensing regulations.
You do not apply for a new license each time some jamoke rents a room.

A maximum of six units in a building can be licensed as Vacation Rentals.

Because the definition says:
“Vacation rental” means a dwelling unit that contains 6 or fewer sleeping rooms that are available for rent or for hire for transient occupancy by guests,
if you had a building with at least 24 dwelling units, you could make 6 of them 6 bedroom suites and get 36 reservations at a time under the loosest interpretation of the ordinance. However the remaining 18 dwelling units could not be vacation rentals or shared housing.

To go beyond that number, you need a hotel license, in which case thee upper limit to the number of rooms is not defined.

[chicubs111]

Beef 'n Brandy no more. Looks like the current hideous building on State Street will be restored into a small Sonder "hotel" and retail.
https://i.postimg.cc/jjqpWVZf/Screen-Shot-2018-11-24-at-10-14-22-AM.jpg
There's some other buildings on State that I would like to see get the same type of treatment.

San Francisco-based company bringing hotels to three historic Loop buildings

Sonder will open 39 rooms in the Jewelers Building, 19 S. Wabash Ave., and 41 rooms in the Waterman Building, 127 S. State St., she said. Sonder plans to add more locations in and around the Loop, Schulz said.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ct-biz-sonder-chicago-loop-hotels-ryan-ori-20181120-story.html

[10023]

Beef 'n Brandy no more. Looks like the current hideous building on State Street will be restored into a small Sonder "hotel" and retail.
https://i.postimg.cc/jjqpWVZf/Screen-Shot-2018-11-24-at-10-14-22-AM.jpg
There's some other buildings on State that I would like to see get the same type of treatment.

When do they tear down that thing to the right?

[Skyguy_7]

San Francisco-based company bringing hotels to three historic Loop buildings

https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ct-biz-sonder-chicago-loop-hotels-ryan-ori-20181120-story.html

That is great news, especially considering the high number of locations for a brand that's so new to the area. Thanks for sharing.

[Ned.B]

When do they tear down that thing to the right?

That thing to the right was a bit of an International Style gem called Chandler's Shoes (later Bakers) and designed in 1948 by Holabird and Root before it's two story recessed curved glass entrance was destroyed 7 years ago.

[Busy Bee]

^^^

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L1PCF0QpJ9I/UFjt1c3ePHI/AAAAAAAAUDE/BjPFbMx5IIM/s1600/StateStreet1959.jpg
___ (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L1PCF0QpJ9I/UFjt1c3ePHI/AAAAAAAAUDE/BjPFbMx5IIM/s1600/StateStreet1959.jpg)


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2c/8d/02/2c8d024fbed6a8980514b023ef21a15d.jpg
___ (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2c/8d/02/2c8d024fbed6a8980514b023ef21a15d.jpg)

[Via Chicago]

yea its criminal what they did to it

https://chuckmanchicagonostalgia.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/photo-chicago-state-street-chandlers-shoes-people-walking-de-mets-on-right-1950s.jpg

[marothisu]

^ Yeah. Sometimes I don't understand why these people insist on doing stuff like this and make perfectly good things mediocre or worse.

[Busy Bee]

^It's just business. Thoughtless opportunistic business, but nonetheless business. They figured by butchering the original recessed storefront they could ink out an additional 300 square feet or so of floor space. Hopefully one of these days the original design can be restored.

[Via Chicago]

my recollection of the argument at the time was that modern retailers want maximum window frontage, and an entrance in a recessed area set back from the sidewalk dosent do a good job of drawing people in. and they may have a point but that space could have been activated in a creative way while still honoring the architectural merits of the original design. once the original design is compromised its almost impossible to ever restore its former integrity. esp in this situation where as evidenced by the posts calling for it to be torn down, the damage has already been done and the appreciation for what it once was has already been lost in the butchering.

[Zerton]

Honestly those recessed entry storefronts aren't as nice as they seem at first. There are still a few old examples left around the city.
The low entry ceilings create a smushed feeling upon entry and they're generally kind of dark.
It's kind of like being under a mini bridge.
Plus they create perfect little nooks for homeless people to hang out all night (nothing against the homeless, but that's what happens).

[Via Chicago]

theres an example on Chicago Ave, which is now epic spices. they sort of added an additional door that leads in to the vestibule, but essentially the same concept. its a really beautiful old storefront with a ton of character. not a great photo but you get the idea. the glass plays all sorts of fun little tricks with reflections and the original trim really completes the package. you can also see how they used the little trick of the leading lines of both the terrazzo and windows of drawing you in...its literally all pointing inward and has a slight funhouse effect

https://assets.dnainfo.com/generated/chicago_photo/2013/10/entry-epic-spices-13812401015655.jpg/extralarge.jpg

https://search.chow.com/thumbnail/800/0/www.chowstatic.com/blog-media/2018/02/chicago-epic-spices-chowhound-670x446.jpg

Ten Cat Tavern, which at one time was a storefront, is another one

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3712/12847726955_2b7b7e3086_b.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8JGVywa_YU6-Ut-_JD2oTTnfErEMl_NZsL7WVoHEO2HBpnxQE0Q


i personally love the design and find them very elegant entryways. in comparison to these smaller scale example, Chandlers was the obvious reigning king of this vestibule type and again, i find its wanton destruction quite sad. the glass they tore out was also all original/antique and had that certain quality you simply dont find in modern examples

[Baronvonellis]

In alot of German cities there's shopping centers that look just like that Chandlers shoes entryway, except the vestibule would cut through the whole block like that. Then there would be several small shops all the way to the other side of the block. In person those shopping centers are kind of dark and not very nice in person, but they seem to do ok in Germany. Although even the downtown of a midsize German city has the same foot traffic as the loop.

I love those smaller examples in the neighborhoods. I think they are very elegant and nicer than just a flat window along the street, it seems more inviting and draws you into the shop. I wish more retail was built like that now.

[Via Chicago]

or budapest

https://i1.wp.com/digitalcosmonaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Passage-des-Panoramas-Paris-by-Remi-Juan.jpg?resize=436%2C600
https://i1.wp.com/digitalcosmonaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Passage-des-Panoramas-Paris-by-Remi-Juan.jpg?resize=436%2C600

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8323/8105425215_1cfc39129f_b.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8323/8105425215_1cfc39129f_b.jpg

[emathias]

I think most old cities have at least one example of things like that.

[LouisVanDerWright]

or budapest

https://i1.wp.com/digitalcosmonaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Passage-des-Panoramas-Paris-by-Remi-Juan.jpg?resize=436%2C600
https://i1.wp.com/digitalcosmonaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Passage-des-Panoramas-Paris-by-Remi-Juan.jpg?resize=436%2C600

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8323/8105425215_1cfc39129f_b.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8323/8105425215_1cfc39129f_b.jpg



We do have spaces like this, they are called lobbies and and there are a shit ton of them. We just aren't insane leaving the end open to be a wind tunnel when we could just heat the space and cool it in the summer...

This is no different than city hall or the rookery, it just is left open to the elements.

[Busy Bee]

Just for the hell of it, one of my favorite storefronts of all time, the former Robinson store in Philadelphia:

https://hiddencityphila.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Robinson-department-store-PhillyHistory.org_.jpg
____ (https://hiddencityphila.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Robinson-department-store-PhillyHistory.org_.jpg;;;;http://www.preservationalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/robinsons_hist.jpg)

http://www.preservationalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/robinsons_hist.jpg
____ (https://hiddencityphila.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Robinson-department-store-PhillyHistory.org_.jpg;;;;http://www.preservationalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/robinsons_hist.jpg)

[simon07]

Is echelon at K station being repainted from that dark yellow color to a light grey? Looks like half the building is light grey and the corners are still yellow. Great choice if that is the case; that building stood out like a sore thumb in the city skyline.

[Zerton]

We're not really talking about that type of open-air retail arcade in Budapest.

Here's another example of a recessed storefront (this one is from St. Louis):

https://i.imgur.com/6pWbLle.jpg

Source. (http://vanishingstl.blogspot.com/2013/11/downtown-st-louis-loses-significant-art.html)


They were very popular in the 1930s. Imo they only work well if they're brightly lit, in high traffic areas, and have been well maintained.

They still make sense for theaters where you expect lines to form at the ticket booth that you don't want backed up onto the sidewalk. Almost all old theaters have them.

[Busy Bee]

The one downside to many of those Deco era storefront modernizations is that they can feel cramped. Like someone else said and that photo shows, the scale is rarely grand, with the tall glazing of the previous architectural fashion replaced with space for large signage and low vestibule ceilings as a result.

[PittsburghPA]

Is echelon at K station being repainted from that dark yellow color to a light grey? Looks like half the building is light grey and the corners are still yellow. Great choice if that is the case; that building stood out like a sore thumb in the city skyline.

Yea they started in the summer but much of the summer the painters were on strike. My guess is that is why it is not complete yet and might have to wait until spring.

[BWChicago]

Even the Chandler Shoes storefront was a modernization of an earlier and itself handsome facade, which had also been modernized.

http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/mqc/id/38202/rec/6
https://images.chicagohistory.org/detail/en/9147/1/EN9147-baskin-building.htm

[r18tdi]

Is echelon at K station being repainted from that dark yellow color to a light grey? Looks like half the building is light grey and the corners are still yellow. Great choice if that is the case; that building stood out like a sore thumb in the city skyline. I noticed that too. The new color is fine, but I kinda liked the yellow as well.
It had a sort of Sim City 2000 look to it.

[jc5680]

I noticed that too. The new color is fine, but I kinda liked the yellow as well.
It had a sort of Sim City 2000 look to it.

Yeah, the yellow was fine and at least had the benefit of differentiating the building from the twins on Kinzie and K2. Now when viewed from the west and north west it reads as a flat homogenous blob. It is a similar, if smaller in scale, to the beige groupings of of buildings in river north. Looks blah.

[Ned.B]

Even the Chandler Shoes storefront was a modernization of an earlier and itself handsome facade, which had also been modernized.

http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/mqc/id/38202/rec/6
https://images.chicagohistory.org/detail/en/9147/1/EN9147-baskin-building.htm

Thanks for that interesting bit of history. Interesting that the prior version was also carried out by Holabird and Roche. The difference of course being that the modernization of the lower floors there still made for a handsome building.

[Baronvonellis]

Interesting, I like the original design the best. It was really classy. The 30's deco is kind of fun though too. The later 50's design I'm guessing didn't age as well.
It shows how deco blended in with classical by using the same proportions, but in a fun hip style. Then in the 50's they threw classical proportions out the window to be modern. Classical proportions were around since the ancient Greeks, and are generally what humans relate to as being balanced.

[Suburban Shadow]

$9,000,000 permit issued 11/29 for 7 STORY, I-B, 89 DU Apartment Building

Is this the Sammy's Red Hots location?

Anybody know of a render? This one seems to have flown under the radar

[the urban politician]

$9,000,000 permit issued 11/29 for 7 STORY, I-B, 89 DU Apartment Building

Is this the Sammy's Red Hots location?

Anybody know of a render? This one seems to have flown under the radar

Nothin says lovin like a project that flew in under the radar....

[west-town-brad]

$9,000,000 permit issued 11/29 for 7 STORY, I-B, 89 DU Apartment Building

Is this the Sammy's Red Hots location?

Anybody know of a render? This one seems to have flown under the radar

red. hot.

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17739352/300-W-Division-St-Chicago-IL/

[the urban politician]

^ Loopnet describes it as a "perfect place for a drive-thru franchise". Bunch of suburban minded dipwads. Luckily the owners are doing something far more fitting for the site.

[SDJackson]

$9,000,000 permit issued 11/29 for 7 STORY, I-B, 89 DU Apartment Building

Is this the Sammy's Red Hots location?

Anybody know of a render? This one seems to have flown under the radar

Maybe I don't know how the $ are accounted for on the building permit, but at $101K per unit, that's a cheap building..even without land costs!

[the urban politician]

^ Dollar values listed on permits do not equate with actual construction costs.

[Barrelfish]

^ Loopnet describes it as a "perfect place for a drive-thru franchise". Bunch of suburban minded dipwads. Luckily the owners are doing something far more fitting for the site.

Maybe their descriptions assumes no major demolition/construction? But yes, agree that it will be good to see this developed. As long as the gyros place a couple blocks down division is still there to provide 2am cheeseburgers.

[Barrelfish]

City is proposing to end some TIFs early (https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dcd/provdrs/tif/news/2018/november/proposals-would-terminate-five-tif-districts.html). Any thoughts from this group? Some are noted as having finished their goals early, but others seemed to have failed or died out. The 5 are:

Read Dunning
Ravenswood
Calumet/Cermak
Weed/Fremont
Drexel Boulevard



(Mods, sorry if this is the wrong thread - feel free to move)

[marothisu]

Nothin says lovin like a project that flew in under the radar....

I posted about it this summer or early fall. The Real Deal had a story on it. :) For some reason, the address is 300 but it's actually 236-238

It's nice to see things like this though starting because most people had no idea it was coming.

[Rizzo]

^ Loopnet describes it as a "perfect place for a drive-thru franchise". Bunch of suburban minded dipwads. Luckily the owners are doing something far more fitting for the site.

Over the last couple years I’ve seen that driveway and lot with less cabs. Wonder if the owner was jacking up rent on the restaurant and the business stopped making sense. Seemed like a lot customer traffic was cabbies and it wasnt like I was seeing Uber’s and Lyfts parked around the place

[tjp]

Exciting news! Double Door is reopening in Uptown at Broadway and Wilson:

https://www.uptownupdate.com/2018/12/double-door-coming-to-uptown-at-1050-w.html?fbclid=IwAR19AS6YDsx3_jEgYlFZWiXHrml5omgSrjP7n1bX0HCh7m-iwJoInhXsLQY

[marothisu]

Exciting news! Double Door is reopening in Uptown at Broadway and Wilson:

https://www.uptownupdate.com/2018/12/double-door-coming-to-uptown-at-1050-w.html?fbclid=IwAR19AS6YDsx3_jEgYlFZWiXHrml5omgSrjP7n1bX0HCh7m-iwJoInhXsLQY

That's awesome news for both the city and Uptown. Uptown entertainment will be even better with this and then the upcoming Uptown Theatre renovation and re-opening.

[the urban politician]

Damn! There was a fairly cheap 6 flat for sale in Uptown a few months ago and I passed it up

[ardecila]

City is proposing to end some TIFs early (https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dcd/provdrs/tif/news/2018/november/proposals-would-terminate-five-tif-districts.html). Any thoughts from this group? Some are noted as having finished their goals early, but others seemed to have failed or died out. The 5 are:

Read Dunning
Ravenswood
Calumet/Cermak
Weed/Fremont
Drexel Boulevard


(Mods, sorry if this is the wrong thread - feel free to move)

This is pretty development-related, I'd argue it should stay.

Especially because it seems like a sacrificial lamb that Rahm is offering up to appease TIF critics, in order to get his desired new TIFs at Lincoln Yards, The 78 and Michael Reese site.

Of course, it will please nobody since it will return less than $20M to the general funds of CPS, City of Chicago, Park District, MWRD etc. A drop in the bucket for any of those agencies.

[jc5680]

Questionable brick painting update: they appear to be doing a two tone treatment that gives the appearance of lighter gray grout lines. Still paint, but the effect is nicer.

http://www.j-carlson.com/ancilary/rngray_dec1.jpg

[SolarWind]

November 29, 2018

https://imgur.com/XHG26fR.jpg

https://imgur.com/Cx6sRww.jpg

[SolarWind]

November 29, 2018

https://imgur.com/eMMn2Uo.jpg

[BobbyChicago]

Here's a funny NIMBY story:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/12/03/humboldt-neighbors-fought-to-save-their-apartment-building-near-the-606-and-it-may-have-backfired/

Quick Summary:


Developer bought an apartment building near the 606. Wanted to build addition to building to create 4 more units.
Local community voted against proposal because they thought it would raise rents in existing units.
Developer was actually going to keep current units and rents the same.
Developer is now selling the building and people buying the building want to gut rehab the place.
After gut rehab, rents in existing units will go up. And community won't have a say in it because it doesn't require a zoning change.

[west-town-brad]

Here's a funny NIMBY story:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/12/03/humboldt-neighbors-fought-to-save-their-apartment-building-near-the-606-and-it-may-have-backfired/

Quick Summary:


Developer bought an apartment building near the 606. Wanted to build addition to building to create 4 more units.
Local community voted against proposal because they thought it would raise rents in existing units.
Developer was actually going to keep current units and rents the same.
Developer is now selling the building and people buying the building want to gut rehab the place.
After gut rehab, rents in existing units will go up. And community won't have a say in it because it doesn't require a zoning change.


I love this story. Honestly why did the alderman defer to the "local community" in the first place? It's on him for turning his ward into luxury single family home land.

[LouisVanDerWright]

^^^ Good, there's too much new construction right now, I was concerned my rents might start to fall. Glad that these idiots are out there preventing rents from dropping. Meanwhile I'll keep buying existing buildings that require no zoning change and adding high end gut rehabbed units...


They are well underway constructing that 17 unit luxury condo building in Avondale that was seeking zoning change to allow lower MLA (not even asking for more FAR) so they could build 33 units, 30 market rate and 3 affordable. This is the one that switched back to 17 enormous luxury condos when the ARO was expanded meaning they would need 5 affordable and 28 market rate. So we are getting 17 luxury condos starting at 500k instead of 33 apartments to compete with my rents... That ARO expansion really increased the amount of affordable housing!

[k1052]

Here's a funny NIMBY story:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/12/03/humboldt-neighbors-fought-to-save-their-apartment-building-near-the-606-and-it-may-have-backfired/

Quick Summary:


Developer bought an apartment building near the 606. Wanted to build addition to building to create 4 more units.
Local community voted against proposal because they thought it would raise rents in existing units.
Developer was actually going to keep current units and rents the same.
Developer is now selling the building and people buying the building want to gut rehab the place.
After gut rehab, rents in existing units will go up. And community won't have a say in it because it doesn't require a zoning change.


I read this earlier and literally facepalmed.

[harryc]

Nov 26

Along LSD - between Odgen slip and the river.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4805/45255435465_fe70d5c3b6_h.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4879/45255439335_e6d3321f82_h.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/32296430668_a5b4ce5d06_h.jpg

[harryc]

Nov 29

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4882/46117521252_4eb9ae6fa9_h.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4871/46168486881_58ae19b769_h.jpg

[left of center]

Here's a funny NIMBY story:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/12/03/humboldt-neighbors-fought-to-save-their-apartment-building-near-the-606-and-it-may-have-backfired/

Quick Summary:


Developer bought an apartment building near the 606. Wanted to build addition to building to create 4 more units.
Local community voted against proposal because they thought it would raise rents in existing units.
Developer was actually going to keep current units and rents the same.
Developer is now selling the building and people buying the building want to gut rehab the place.
After gut rehab, rents in existing units will go up. And community won't have a say in it because it doesn't require a zoning change.


Just goes to show you how short sighted and uninformed these anti-gentrification policies are. They simply hasten the process these groups are attempting to stymie.

[SolarWind]

December 3, 2018

https://imgur.com/tt7Ziwf.jpg

https://imgur.com/Ek599Ce.jpg

[ChickeNES]

Nov 29

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4882/46117521252_4eb9ae6fa9_h.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4871/46168486881_58ae19b769_h.jpg

I'll say it again, this looks like the Walmart brand version of Gang's North Campus

[sentinel]

^Whatever, to each their own - I think it looks nice and is a welcome change from the pedestrian brutalism of my alma mater...I say 'pedestrian' because there are a LOT of beautiful brutalist buildings, even in Chicago...but the UIC campus doesn't include any.

Also, love the glazing on the new Columbia College Student Center - thanks SolarWind!

[Steely Dan]

there are a LOT of beautiful brutalist buildings, even in Chicago...but the UIC campus doesn't include any.


totally disagree.

university hall and the science & engineering offices are two of the finest works of brutalism to be found anywhere in chicago, IMO.

[Jim in Chicago]

totally disagree.

university hall and the science & engineering offices are two of the finest works of brutalism to be found anywhere in chicago, IMO.

The problem from the beginning was that the State approved construction of a high-maintenance campus in an environment was ongoing upkeep is not properly budgeted. I was there for 5 years in the early years, and the campus was already falling to pieces.

I agree that it looks like someone handed the architect a picture of the Gang residence saying "this is really cool, but do it on the cheap."

[sentinel]

totally disagree.

university hall and the science & engineering offices are two of the finest works of brutalism to be found anywhere in chicago, IMO.

Gag - UH is one of the ugliest buildings in Chicago; very much NOT a prime example of Brutalism in Chicago. The Regenstein Library is to me personally the finest example of Netsch's hardlined designs in the City.

[LouisVanDerWright]

How on Earth can you hate UH? It's beautiful, both as brutalism and structural expressionism. The way the columns drop off with the load. The way it subtly steps out as it rises...

:koko:

[Steely Dan]

UH is one of the ugliest buildings in Chicago; very much NOT a prime example of Brutalism in Chicago.

i would EASILY place UH on any top 5 list of brutalism in chicago.

structural expression at its best.

1 billion percent chicago.

[marothisu]

There were 2 new construction building permits issued yesterday for 2 buildings, 4 stories each and 42 units each (84 total units) with first floor retail at 4424-4434 S Cottage Grove Ave (Cottage Grove between 44th St and 45th St). AKA 4400 Grove. It's supposed to have a public plaza element too. 21 units will be for CHA, 34 will be affordable housing, and the remaining 29 units will be market rate.

I believe this is the first of 2 phases which should deliver 164 units total to that big vacant lot.

Renderings courtesy of Brinshore (http://brinshore.com/dev/45th-cottage-grove/)
http://brinshore.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/45th-Cottage.jpg

http://brinshore.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/45th-Cottage-2.jpg

[intrepidDesign]

Can any explain in detail why the flyover is taking so long? Is it a bureaucracy thing? Engineering? Site specific challenges? Funding? All of, none of? I feel like we've seen $300 million dollar high rises go up in the time it's taken this to get to where it is. I'm neither an architect nor an engineer, but I'm sort of blown away by how long this is taking to complete. Can someone shed light onto the process and the challenges?

[harryc]

totally disagree.

university hall and the science & engineering offices are two of the finest works of brutalism to be found anywhere in chicago, IMO.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4907/46168490231_5366777d6d_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2dkKzEg)UICC - SEO (https://flic.kr/p/2dkKzEg) by Harry Carmichael (https://www.flickr.com/photos/harryrcarmichael/), on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4813/46168494101_b6f00c0b9e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2dkKANZ)UICC - University Hall (https://flic.kr/p/2dkKANZ) by Harry Carmichael (https://www.flickr.com/photos/harryrcarmichael/), on Flickr

click on link for larger version

[woodrow]

^^Basically 2 reasons. The funds had to be parceled out over a couple years (something with the Federal monies), and then according to Rahm, state mismanagement of their part. 2. Repair to 1938 LSD Bridge, which is delaying that portion.

I read that the completed portions may open before 2019 or 1st Qtr 2019.

[gebs]

Can any explain in detail why the flyover is taking so long? Is it a bureaucracy thing? Engineering? Site specific challenges? Funding? All of, none of? I feel like we've seen $300 million dollar high rises go up in the time it's taken this to get to where it is. I'm neither an architect nor an engineer, but I'm sort of blown away by how long this is taking to complete. Can someone shed light onto the process and the challenges?

I feel like this question has been understandably asked once every six months or so. From what I can remember, the long duration is due to all of the above. It's a complicated path that runs alongside a very busy highway, traverses over two active waterways and two main roads, skirts a luxury building, and runs over a former industrial site that was recently found to have radioactive materials.

That, plus the state likely distributing the cost of the project across several years, and boom, you have a project that slogs interminably.

[sentinel]

i would EASILY place UH on any top 5 list of brutalism in chicago.

structural expression at its best.

1 billion percent chicago.

Wha? How? Explain.

Chicago architecture is many things, many designs, multiple icons. It isn't just defined by one style or icon...and UH is most certainly the last thing that I would use to define it as 'Chicago.' I have many fond memories of my undergrad years at UIC, but the dated, thoughtless architecture of the campus (ESPECIALLY the A&A building *shudder*) is not part of any of those memories. Blame the state government at that time; blame the architect; blame whomever you chose, the fact of the matter remains, all of the old Water Netsch buildings should be razed. They are reliquary of a bygone time when perceived confinement in state higher education in order to suppress any thought that was outside the status quo was considered elan. Oppressive, confusing, dark, foreboding - this what comes to mind when I think of the UH, BSB, the Physical Sciences classrooms. *more shudders*.

Walter Netsch was a visionary architect - I met him and his wife once when I was 16, and thought he was one of the most amazing men I'd ever encountered. But even visionaries can sometimes have problems executing their designs, especially when their clients are cheapskate idiot government entities.

Even in Brutalism, there can be grace, refinement, attention to detail and the ability to create special and beautiful spaces that stand the test of time. The original UIC campus design is the antithesis of Brutalism done right.

[Steely Dan]

Wha? How? Explain.


uhhhh, the entire tower is nothing but structural expression.

https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8395/8669063922_53c9308340_b.jpg
source: https://hiveminer.com/Tags/brutalism%2Cuic


how can you not see that?




in any event it's one of my favorite towers anywhere in the world.

i think we're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one.

[Baronvonellis]

Sorry, but those things look like prisons and ugly! I wouldn't care if they are torn down.

[the urban politician]

I for one understand why people may not like them, but they are a UNIQUE style from a particular period that I frankly think will never get built again, and thus they deserve to be kept around for historic interest.

[chrisvfr800i]

Sorry, but those things look like prisons and ugly! I wouldn't care if they are torn down.

Shouldn't any building or facility that calls itself "Architecture" be successful in it's intent? I remember almost the entirety of the UIC campus to be a dank, miserable place, especially, UH, BSB, and SE/SES. It always felt like a place where its intended function was forced to conform to its lousy design.

Just my opinion...don't care if anyone agrees or disagrees.


Harrison Hall, on the other hand, is at least inoffensive, and looks like it will serve its purposes as well as any institutional learning facility jammed up against an eight lane expressway and railroad tracks can be.

[harryc]

Shouldn't any building or facility that calls itself "Architecture" be successful in it's intent? I remember almost the entirety of the UIC campus to be a dank, miserable place, especially, UH, BSB, and SE/SES. It always felt like a place where its intended function was forced to conform to its lousy design.

Just my opinion...don't care if anyone agrees or disagrees.


Harrison Hall, on the other hand, is at least inoffensive, and looks like it will serve its purposes as well as any institutional learning facility jammed up against an eight lane expressway and railroad tracks can be.

It was VE'd to death - if the walkways had been covered (original design ) the environment would have been quite different.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Uh guys, look closer. The colmns per floor drop off with the reduced structural load. The building also gets wider as it rises and needs to carry less load. It's literally one of the most structurally expressive buildings in they city along with Hancock and Onterie Center. I suppose you think the JHC is an ugly oil Derrick too.

[marothisu]

Sorry, but those things look like prisons and ugly! I wouldn't care if they are torn down.

Agreed. Most brutalism doesn't do it for me at all - only seen a handful of buildings that I thought were cool examples of it.

[left of center]

I've always had a love/hate relationship with the UIC campus. I absolutely love UH and BSB (the crazy stairwells, while unfortunately horribly inefficient in between periods when students jammed their way through to the next class, always looked so visually pleasing to me), but then other buildings came off as very gloomy and dark, like the A&A building as well as the smaller halls, such as Douglas, Lincoln, Grant halls, etc. (although a lot of these are thankfully getting/have gotten remodeled). If there was one thing I could change about the design of the campus, it would be to remove the "arrow slit" windows that literally every building has. The glass is an ugly beige color, and coupled with the narrow opening leads to very little sunlight getting into the classrooms, making class time feel even duller and almost prison like. I think they should do away with them on all buildings (including UH) and replace them with larger untinted glass windows.

My $0.02

[lakeshoredrive]

I've always had a love/hate relationship with the UIC campus. I absolutely love UH and BSB (the crazy stairwells, while unfortunately horribly inefficient in between periods when students jammed their way through to the next class, always looked so visually pleasing to me), but then other buildings came off as very gloomy and dark, like the A&A building as well as the smaller halls, such as Douglas, Lincoln, Grant halls, etc. (although a lot of these are thankfully getting/have gotten remodeled). If there was one thing I could change about the design of the campus, it would be to remove the "arrow slit" windows that literally every building has. The glass is an ugly beige color, and coupled with the narrow opening leads to very little sunlight getting into the classrooms, making class time feel even duller and almost prison like. I think they should do away with them on all buildings (including UH) and replace them with larger untinted glass windows.

My $0.02

Have you read the UIC's 2018 master plan? It was just recently updated after getting feedback from community meeting. The UIC campus will look so nice in 10 years if all goes according to plan!

[petey2428]

Uh guys, look closer. The colmns per floor drop off with the reduced structural load. The building also gets wider as it rises and needs to carry less load. It's literally one of the most structurally expressive buildings in they city along with Hancock and Onterie Center. I suppose you think the JHC is an ugly oil Derrick too.

I like that building, but that is absolutely not how structural engineering works. Those intermediate columns are strictly architectural. The load on a slab doesn't increase as it goes up/down the building as long as the floor usage is the same. It's awfully inefficient to add more columns instead of increasing the column size. If those columns are only used for the lateral system, I find it strange that they would be on the long side of the building but not on the short side of the building.

But at the same time, I could be wrong and have no idea what I"m talking about.