I don't care about the branding, I just want it to open! I had a conversation with some folks today that it would be nice if there was a good connection across the tracks to Elston. I believe this ends at Ashland. But just having that link would provide a continuous thoroughfare for bicyclists to downtown.

Despite Milwaukee Ave's popularity with cyclists, the portion through the heart of Wicker Park really scares me. Very narrow and lots of parked cars with doors just ready to swing out.

The portion west of Ashland is a costly one. You'd need to build an underpass below the Metra tracks to connect with Elston. The rail line extending east across the river is still active, too, but the ultimate plan is to extend it to Clybourn I think. We'll have to wait and see what happens to the Finkl site.

It wouldn't be costly at all - in fact I'd be shocked if they didn't connect it Cortland, which already has bike lanes between Elston and Ashland, and could be connected to either via the fairly wide sidewalk on the east side of Ashland or using the ROW between the Metra tracks and the Kennedy immediately south of Cortland. Alternately you could just make Marshfield shared-lanes for bikes between Bloomingdale and Cortland and extend the Corland bike lanes one block west from Ashland to Marshfield. That'd be even cheaper, although force cyclists to do sort of a small loop to get from the down ramp in that Walsh Park to Marshfield.

I thought plans already call for an on-street connection, and we were talking about the next phase after that?

Bring on the 'Bloomingdale Trail' which I prefer in name, '606' is pretentious.

Shots from this spring, I currently run up there now.

http://imageshack.us/a/img577/2050/73213134.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img600/3603/houseoc.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img23/7969/tracks2f.jpg


Where 'Bloomingdale Trail' crosses Ashland Ave & terminates.

http://imageshack.us/a/img841/5166/y2qc.jpg

Website says in the future it will reach the Chicago river but not cross it

Great pics George

Well, after Finkl closes, the Chicago Terminal Railroad will probably close as well, and their bridge will become available for a river crossing. There's not a lot of demand there anymore.

^Several problems: UP is not going to let cyclists cross their tracks at grade. And the river bridge (an intriguing design, incidentally) is so low (9.5 feet) it has to remain open except when needed for a train.

Seems like the move is happening at a glacial pace. But last I read plans were to develop much of the area as a "green" manufacturing zone and attract some industry that might better sit within context of the surroundings...which is mostly commercial.

Even if it was possible to have use of the swing bridge after rail service is terminated, it would be frequently operating and I doubt Chicago wants to bother with the maintenance.

Anyone know what's going on at the Northwest corner of Wabash and 8th Street? There has been a lot of digging and concrete work.

Someone with a better camera who isn't flying down the expressway at 70 MPH should stop by and take pictures of the cool JGMA building that's under construction along the Kennedy. It's getting really tall (the elevator core looks to be 4 stories, but higher than I thought) and it looks like they are using pigmented, charcoal colored, concrete. This should make an exciting visual addition to the part time race track, part time parking lot that is the Kennedy.

I'm sure some of you have seen that the New Regal Theater in South Shore on 79th was bought recently. Rumor is by a "power couple" that was rumored to be Jay-Z/Beyonce but that's not true. I have heard a good point - what if it is George Lucas and Mellody Hobson?

News yesterday came out that a restauranteur (Claude Jones) is looking to open up a new BBQ place right across the street.
http://chicago.eater.com/archives/20...al-theater.php

I wonder if he knows anything or if it's just something else. Anyway, should be interesting to hear who actually bought it (a company in the John Hancock is on the deal, but there's still that "power couple" angle to it).

I know Claude Jones is part of the deal for a fact. I heard Steve Nash (BB player) might be involved as well as Jones is a personal friend of his. This is all one big project from what I've heard.

That's really interesting if true about Steve Nash. Would have never expected that. Is it true about the "power couple" or is that some random rumor? Any idea of what they plan on doing? i.e. building up the area a little bit, getting semi big or big names to play at the place after some sort of fix up, etc?

I know the company that is part of the deal is concerned with neighborhood blight, so if this is a big project and the area will be revitalized, I'm excited to see what they can do with it (especially if they don't try and make it into a small Lincoln Park or something).

The list of performers who've played at New Regal is really amazing, so if they can somehow return it to that level or near it along with some business around it - would be great for parts of South Shore, Avalon Park, and South Chicago maybe.

Any thoughts on this LouisVanDerWright? Anything you can add?

http://www.wbez.org/blogs/jim-deroga...theater-108505

^^^ I have nothing to add... Yet. Let me put it this way: that lawsuit is the catalyst for what is about to happen with the buildings, but the article also has a lot wrong.

I think the power couple thing might be just the echos of the Jay-Z Beyonce rumor. I don't even know who Nash's wife is, but I've heard his name mentioned more than once in regards to these developments. The plan, from what I hear, is to develop all of the RE around the Regal.

Interesting. Nash is now divorced I think. Can you let us in on how much "all of the RE around the Regal means?" A block, 4 blocks, etc? In any case, this is pretty huge if they succeed. Makes me very excited. Too bad the El doesn't go right by it. J14 does, but too bad it stops running at like 9pm on Saturdays going North and 11pm going South.

Am I the only one who's puzzled by this? The New Regal is in the middle of f'n nowhere.

Any development there will have all the problems of South Works with none of the advantages (lakeshore, LSD access, rail transit).

Anyway, I hope if they do redevelop the theatre, it can make a bid for some award shows. BET, NAACP, Soul Train, etc. Anything to start building up Chicago as a media capital.

For starters, it's a nice theater which shouldn't go to waste at all and the architecture on it is pretty cool. Also, the list of performers who have played there is pretty awesome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Regal_Theater

Personally I like it, but the only way it will work on the LARGE scale for is if they develop the area around it which it looks like they may try and do. I think they may also need to expand service on weekends to later for a line like the Jeffrey Jump if they do this, or something. However, there's many people who live in this area, so I don't see why it couldn't work. The South Side isn't THAT desolate... South Shore has 50K people, Avalon Park and South Chicago together have 40K people, Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing each has 30K people. That's 150k people right there (i.e. the population of Near North Side + Lincoln Park). This is not counting all the other areas that are a short drive away.

This is the type of private investment parts of the South Side need. I do wish it was closer to the Red Line for example, but nothing you can do about it. The place is a landmark and there's ways around this if you want people to use public transit to get there.

It's not out in the middle of nowhere if you are catering to the 1,000,000 or so people who live on the South Side... If that's who you are catering to, then you are nearly dead center at this location. South Shore, just to the East, is a massively dense area and is practically walking distance to this. The other trick is that I've heard they are securing massive amount of parking in one of the enormous vacant lots nearby. They are targeting the buildings across the street for redevelopment as well as the theater and plan to build a mini entertainment district.

The South Side will rise again.