I love the proximity to the Cell.

* posts deleted *


all talk of national politics, including barack obama and the DNC temporarily relocating to chicago should go in a different thread.

all talk about the 2016 olympic bid should go in the 2016 olympic bid thread.

all talk of the potential CME/NYMEX merger should go in the CME/NYMEX merger thread.




this thread is for disucssion of any and all non-highrise urban development anywhere in chicagoland.

What if we want to talk about all three--

wait for it--

IN THE SAME THREAD?

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

The pace of suburban activity has fallen to a near standstill. I've been waiting for the Focus Development TOD project in Palatine to start for a year now. I just called, and they've pushed groundbreaking out again to this fall. If they launch on that date, they'll be 18 months behind their original schedule, which to me sounds like a large hit to a firm's bottom line.

Another delay is better than a cancelation, but I'm starting to worry about the health of this one. Hopefully Focus can ride this out.

Judging by the construction bid postings at chicagorealestatedaily, there is still a stream of suburban projects in the pipeline, but nothing too major. 50 units here, 100 units there, 20000sq ft retail here.... I think I've seen TODs posted for construction in Oak Lawn and Lombard, among others, as well as a few midrise things out by Oak Brook.

A couple very large office/industrial parks under construction though, like up in Antioch.

if that's your desire, then you're on the wrong internet forum.

try this one instead: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=104.

That's okay: I made one within SSP boundaries that should be exempt from the heavy hand.

Stormy, husky, brawling: musings on Chicago

These are installed all along the southern part of the main branch.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...DSC_0043-1.jpg

Jeez, I hope those aren't permanent.

Derr, what's that thing over there by the river where you can walk? Oh, a River...walk? Man, these Chicagoans sure are sophitacated.

wow, it looks something someone put there for a temporary thing like a county fair, it looks terrible right there on those stairs but whatever.

I don't think they are that bad actually. I urge you to see them in person. The signs are inviting and without them, I think maybe people would never even walk down there.

here's some encouraging news with the central station towers, I'm not sure if Grant Park 3 is approved but it looks like the project is still a go!!!!

http://www.suntimes.com/business/roe...tral20.article

Grant Park 3 & 4 were approved--in principle--by Plan Commission yesterday. More specifically, the PD was amended to raise the height limits to 780 and 900 feet respectively. The actual final designs will be approved administratively.

Grant Park 4? But it hasn't even been designed...

^^^ exactly, they just ammended the terms of the planned development as Mr. Downtown said, the design will be approved when the project is reviewed for zoning approval.

Exactly. This puzzled one of the commissioners, too, who asked where the elevation drawings were. The action was simply raising the height limits in the PD, which had been administratively increased (as a minor amendment) from 400 feet to 650 feet and then to 750 feet. So things like Central Station's purchase of the air rights over Indiana Avenue (for the cantilevered part of the tower) weren't even discussed.

^ Alliance, there's your "in" to fight the design without fighting the height: Go complain about the shadows cast on the sidewalk from the cantilever. ;)

Kinsgbury Plaza recently installed a little riverwalk as well. It continues past tthe Eastbank Club and ends at the Kinzie Street bridge.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/...584651cb_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/...cc089586_o.jpg

It really is amazing how alderman don't understand the least bit about zoning, building, or, more generally, planning. And yet, that is their only real power.