With some different planning, there might have been an opportunity to create a nice, continuous retail/entertainment zone along Illinois (or possibly Grand) stretching to Navy Pier (caveat that Lake Point Tower would be there). Looked for a while like it might head that way (and some bits and pieces are in place) but the dominant feel now is residential.

That's exciting. Has anyone been past the project just south of there - the building with the white eagles? Is that rising now?

It is good to see densities going up.

^ I just walked past that site a few hours ago and they are still drilling. Nothing has come out of the ground yet that I could see.

The gas station that used to occupy the NE corner there has been completely raised as of last week. They look to be moving fast on this thing.

Wow look forward to visiting that intersection in about a year

Not much on April's zoning board meeting, but:

* 1667 N Western (Western & ~Wabansia): 4 stories, 30 units, retail, and 25 parking spaces (indoor):

https://www.google.com/maps/place/16...77c4a2!6m1!1e1

* Agudas Achim North Shore Congregation Synagogue at 5029 N Kenmore in Uptown (near Argyle): Still looking to convert to 40 units.

* 1601 S Dearborn (16th and Dearborn): New construction 4 story elementary school. Current site is pretty industrial. I talked about this a week or so ago.

Western Avenue on the north side, particularly in West Town, is urbanizing fast

That includes the former Pipeworks Brewing building on the corner.
The property allbelongs to the guy with the used car lot across the street and he is developing it.
Theoretically Pipeworks will be putting a brewpub in the retail space, but who knows. They always bullshit about that kind of stuff.

but there's absolutely nothing bullshit about their beer.

holy sweet flying fuck do they ever make some ridiculously delicious beer.

Why millennials are finally starting to settle down and buy homes
http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...407-story.html

yea they kinda came out of nowhere but are going toe to toe with Half Acre these days

Not that surprising really. Any link to the top cities from the lists they're talking about? I'd guess more affordable cities like a Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Houston, etc are higher up on the list than more expensive ones like NYC, San Francisco, Boston, DC, etc.

Word from Curbed is that Uptown Synagogue is going residential conversion

I can't find any news article about this (odd since it's the Mag Mile), but the Red Roof Inn on Ontario at St Clair is surrounded by a chain link fence. It turns out, per the company's site:
Probably a good move, since its Yelp rating was in the basement (though who knows if management will improve). The restaurant had moved out at New Year's, but the stated reason there was a rent increase rather than rebuilding or reconcepting.

Aaaand, they were red last night. But a new kind of red. The lights that are at the halfway point of the antennas look like they're in pairs. Maybe they had just been experimenting with the white, or were using it temporarily while they reinstalled red ones. Or maybe they don't changeover white to red until late in the evening.

Heneghan and friends have been busy lately in various places. The site between the Inn at Lincoln Park and the corner building at Clark & Diversey has had site clearance equipment working lately. A half-mile down the street where a junky Walgreens stood at 2317 Clark is also now cleared, though that could be old news. And almost everything in the space bounded by Cortland, Elston, the river, and the track spur eyed for 606 extension, has been cleared (with Chicago Roof Deck and Garden still standing), as greater Finkl-land regeneration gets into high gear.

You mean like this post before the Curbed article?

I love Curbed, but they read this forum for news tips way more than they should. There's been a few times I on purpose waited a WEEK to break something that was in the public record, and magically the same day as I posted it on here, a week later, they had a story when they could have written the story a week prior. I've done that at least 3 times on purpose just to see if they'll write something earlier.

^ Yeah, there is no reason to read Curbed if you already read this forum, no offense to anybody. Only Shawn's articles are worth it--very in depth and Informative. But I don't know if even writes there any more

I wonder what is up with that Walgreens redevelopment

Ouch! OK, mea culpa.

I wonder if it will remain a Red Roof Inn?

Also, I did stay there before. While cheap, it sure is grimy