CHICAGO | The 78 Site

[BonoboZill4]

Originally Posted by Fvn

I would think any 'deep' hole that close to the river would just fill up with water if they didn't use sheet piles

Especially on reclaimed swamp land

[Busy Bee]

I heard there's Graboids out in that field...

[Mr Downtown]

2022, maybe?

[SIGSEGV]

No picture, but the crane looked farther south today.

[Mr Downtown]

I biked over there yesterday and took a look. They've driven two squares of sheet piling, each about 20x20 feet, about 100 feet apart. Looks like they'd be along the east curbline of Wells-Wentworth. I presume it's so they can excavate storm sewer drop shafts. I think the promise was that this parcel would handle all its own stormwater runoff, so presumably the new shafts will connect to some filtration basin prior to discharge into the South Branch.

[SolarWind]

April 26, 2019

[cozy]

May 4th:

[BonoboZill4]

The Spire hole is contagious! Everybody panic :0

[cozy]

^hahah!

Interested to find out what this is really for, though. Would be cool if it is indeed a storm sewer drop shaft as Mr. Downtown guessed

[Tcmetro]

May be work on the Wells-Wentworth connector project.

[Mr Downtown]

Yes, it's clearly part of Wells-Wentworth construction—but what, exactly? I'm thinking catch basins, maybe larger than usual or with sediment trapping capability.

[BonoboZill4]

Snapped a couple shoddy pictures. A bit more equipment over there than I remembered

[the urban politician]

Crains stating that the U of I system is getting $1.9 billion, and $500 MM is going towards the Discovery Partners Institute. Pritzker had a change of heart?

That article also stated that the DPI has raised $400 MM in private money, although no details were given.

This thing looks like it might actually happen. Related Cos must be happy

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Crains stating that the U of I system is getting $1.9 billion, and $500 MM is going towards the Discovery Partners Institute. Pritzker had a change of heart?

That article also stated that the DPI has raised $400 MM in private money, although no details were given.

This thing looks like it might actually happen. Related Cos must be happy

^I'm certainly happy. Something to get this project going.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Crains stating that the U of I system is getting $1.9 billion, and $500 MM is going towards the Discovery Partners Institute. Pritzker had a change of heart?

That article also stated that the DPI has raised $400 MM in private money, although no details were given.

This thing looks like it might actually happen. Related Cos must be happy

I read that article also, but it sounds like a lot of that money is going to other research facilities in the UI system and not necessarily the DPI.

Either way, given the money involved here I am expecting a top-flight architect and an award-worthy design. Too much to hope for Richard Rogers or SHoP? Maybe Norman Foster as a consolation prize after his excellent O’Hare design was not chosen?

[the urban politician]

^ That article specifically mentions $500 million for the DPI

[Handro]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I read that article also, but it sounds like a lot of that money is going to other research facilities in the UI system and not necessarily the DPI.

Either way, given the money involved here I am expecting a top-flight architect and an award-worthy design. Too much to hope for Richard Rogers or SHoP? Maybe Norman Foster as a consolation prize after his excellent O’Hare design was not chosen?

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ That article specifically mentions $500 million for the DPI

The state budget, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign, allocates about $1.3 billion for spending on new buildings, renovations and other upgrades over multiple years, including re-appropriating $500 million previously directed at a new research network to be centered in Chicago at the yet-to-be-built Discovery Partners Institute... For the Discovery Partners Institute, and the Illinois Innovation Network that connects it to other university outposts, he said the system has raised more than $400 million of private money to be coupled with the $500 million in state funds. While Pritzker had suggested previously that the state funding might only be released once the private funds were raised, Killeen noted today the new budget legislation doesn’t specifically say the state funding must be matched by private dollars.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/educ...illion-funding

[VivaLFuego]

Forgive me for probably missing it somewhere earlier in the thread - are there any reasonably detailed schematics of the planned rail re-alignments, new roadways, etc? Will the Rock Island re-alignment also include any improvements to the level crossing with the SCAL?

[Mr Downtown]

I haven't yet seen anything at an engineering level of detail, but the most detailed site plans I've seen, in the PD, just show new diamonds at a different location. However, Related told me a few months ago that discussions with CN were ongoing, based on CN's subsequent announcement of single-tracking and realigning the SCAL. Because property—or at least easement—swaps are involved, it may be complicated by railroad lawyers.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

I haven't yet seen anything at an engineering level of detail, but the most detailed site plans I've seen, in the PD, just show new diamonds at a different location. However, Related told me a few months ago that discussions with CN were ongoing, based on CN's subsequent announcement of single-tracking and realigning the SCAL. Because property—or at least easement—swaps are involved, it may be complicated by railroad lawyers.

Thanks. A grade separation would be tremendously beneficial, it would address the last major chokepoint on the Rock Island (now that Englewood is done), and this bottleneck will become much more prominent if Metra manages to shift the SWS to LaSalle as per long-term dreams following the 75th street projects to be funded by the new capital bill. Unless, would rebuilding the Grand Crossing connection allow CN to significantly reduce traffic on the SCAL?