Quote:
Originally Posted by Hayward
Could DePaul use some of the Finkl buildings for athletic facilities? You'd be surprised how well old steelworks buildings clean up. I think adpative reuse of some of the old foundry buildings is good theory. It's better than a complete tear down, generic residential replacement.
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I doubt they could do that. From what I understand that parcel is heavily contaminated and will require fairly major soil remediation. Also, these kinds of "metal shed" industrial buildings are not worth converting into anything else. They essentially hold no heat in the winter (because they don't have to since so much heat is generated in industrial applications) and tend to have major long term maintenance issues.
Personally, I'd rather see this go the way I hear it's going to provide a more intensive use and make this a functioning part of the city again. Also, I'm a big proponent of the highest and best use which, in this case, is a moderately dense mix of retail and residential. After all, this is just across the bridge from a Metra stop. I don't really want another non-profit taking a huge swath of the city off the tax rolls. Additionally, this is a huge complex and wayyyyy more than DePaul could ever use, much bigger than it looks from Cortland.