CHICAGO | General Developments

[forumly_chgoman]

Originally Posted by Untitled

^^ How sweetly naive of you.

Group dynamics dictate that individual morals are subsumed by the interests of the corporate beasts. It's all a function of a multinational business structure that requires amoral behavior to survive. You have to be pretty damn near brilliant (e.g.: Starbucks) to do business with morals and still make money.

But this is all rather off-topic, so I will also refrain from further comment. Let me just reiterate that I do agree that these developments suck and need to die an awful, terrible death.

Umm.Yes....thank you Eichman

[Untitled]

^^ Nazi reference. I win.

:p

RE: Pilsen development. I was under the impression that Pilsen has a lot more apartments than your typical neighborhood, what with all the artists, and thus there may not be as much of a unified neighborhood community of property owners. Am I wrong? (wouldn't be shocked if that's the case, so please don't call me Hitler)

[honte]

^ Yes and no.

Yes, it is a lot of rentals. They are in that dangerous category - too big for a typical homeowner to purchase, but small enough and old enough (one lot, three stories) that developers buying them will be highly tempted to tear down rather than rehab. What happened to East Village (eg nearly everything was being torn down before the small landmark district was created) as a development pattern is probably what will happen to Pilsen if people don't work against it.

Concerning strong community, I'm thinking you are a bit off. Despite only having rentals, a lot of people have spent considerable time in just that area and feel connected to it. But, I have not lived there and only am hearing this through friends. My friends grew up in that community and feel very attached to it, but unfortunately not in a physical sense. Still, I'd bet that with a core group of people who were motivated to do something, it wouldn't be hard to get people to support smart growth / preservation.

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Yeah, designed by Heinz Guggenshmerz:

This should be a Chicago Landmark.

[Mr Man]

Originally Posted by Untitled

Walgreens has to do what Walgreens thinks will bring in the most money. All other considerations are superfluous.

The question, then, is how does the city make it financially preferable for Walgreens to build more to our liking?

But getting angry at Walgreens or CVS is pointless.

Does Chicago property assessors appraise land values at highest and best use? If that's the case, the 1-storey Walgreens downtown would pay taxes as if it were a multiple storey office building. So it seems like there is already a financial punishment for underutilized lots, but oddly enough 1-storey Walgreens, CVS, and McDonalds are still being built.

[honte]

^ No, it doesn't. No one could afford to live or build here except Buck or Pritzker if they did that. I see where you're going with that idea though.

[VivaLFuego]

^ There would be all sorts of potential for political shenanigans in assessing the value of the "highest and best use" of a piece of land. Maybe instead looking at something like minimum zoning and maximum parking and floor-area ratios, instead of the exact opposite we have now in the zoning code, but most NIMBY groups are so far from that way of thinking that it's basically a pipe dream...

[spyguy]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/507264,CST-NWS-reilly12.article

Everything but lunch on his plate
BY DAVID ROEDER

Lack of park space

Wants post office to consider land swap with the city so its block-size station at 540 N. Dearborn could be torn down for a park.

[spyguy]

One Chicago
111 N Sangamon

[honte]

^ Now, that's interesting. I am really happy to see the facade being retained. Even if it's not the world's greatest piece of architecture, we risk losing the character of city if all of these smaller facades are trashed. Thumbs up!

[budman]

Looks like we may have another prime piece of real estate available for a new tower at the soon-to-be former site of the Lakeshore Athletic Club at 441 N. Wabash - http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=26002

[left of center]

Originally Posted by budman

Looks like we may have another prime piece of real estate available for a new tower at the soon-to-be former site of the Lakeshore Athletic Club at 441 N. Wabash - http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=26002

i smell a new office tower. i know Wrigley was considering possibly moving out due to their need for more space, and turning the Wrigley Building into condos. Hopefully, they will remain in thier namesake tower, and build an office annex for themselves, since its adjacent to the company's current offices. It all works out pretty well this way.

[spyguy]

Although it's in the suburbs, it would be a shame to lose this iconic sculpture for a Walgreens.

http://www.savethespindle.com/

------------------------
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-savethespindle_13aug13,1,3484104.story

Fans mobilize to save Berwyn's car kebab

By Josh Noel
August 13, 2007

For such a maligned piece of art, the Spindle -- Berwyn's iconic eight-car sculpture -- sure has made a lot of fast friends.

In the weeks before its destruction, a broad grass-roots effort has included at least three Web sites advocating its survival, two "Save the Spindle" T-shirt campaigns and a state Senate resolution.

[VivaLFuego]

The exodus of non-service jobs from the city continues:
http://www.suntimes.com/business/508741,CST-FIN-macys14.article
New Macy's distribution center will employ 130 fewer

August 14, 2007
BY SANDRA GUY [email protected]
Macy's will build a new distribution center in southwest suburban Minooka to replace its existing distribution center at 4000 W. Diversey Ave., which will be shuttered in the spring.


Aerial view of current distribution center: http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp...9-2102%2C%20United%20States___&encType=1

Here's hoping whatever replaces it is decent.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Although it's in the suburbs, it would be a shame to lose this iconic sculpture for a Walgreens.

http://www.savethespindle.com/

------------------------
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-savethespindle_13aug13,1,3484104.story

Fans mobilize to save Berwyn's car kebab

By Josh Noel
August 13, 2007

For such a maligned piece of art, the Spindle -- Berwyn's iconic eight-car sculpture -- sure has made a lot of fast friends.

In the weeks before its destruction, a broad grass-roots effort has included at least three Web sites advocating its survival, two "Save the Spindle" T-shirt campaigns and a state Senate resolution.

i live in berwyn, its sort of sad to see it coming down. i know a couple groups are trying to save it, but i just dont see it happening. either way, i have a feeling it would have been coming down soon, walgreens or no walgreens. the cars have rusted so much they're practically dust, and the foundation has sunk significantly. theres so much bird crap they cant even powerwash it off.

it seems like theres always been tensions between the artist and the property owners. the guy who originally built cermak plaza was a big art lover, but he's since died and i dont think the rest of them really care (esp since the artist won't let them use the image of the spindle for commercial purposes).

in the end, its the managements fault for letting everything fall into such bad disrepair (not just the spindle, but all the other works of art and the mall itself).

[honte]

^ Can it at least be donated to a private owner who will restore it? We've been losing a surprising amount of public art lately. Michigan Avenue has had a few surprising "disappearances" that I am trying to track down.

[headcase]

Business moving downtown, not huge, but movement in this direction is a good thing....

Freed to move in to former Carson's store downtown

snip
The commercial development firm will occupy 50,000 square feet and employ 125 workers.
snip
"This is the next logical strategic step in the evolution of our company as a developer of destination urban projects," said Larry Freed, president of the firm.

[Chicago2020]

Art Institute Expansion 08/07/07

[bnk]

http://cbs2chicago.com/video

Aug 14, 2007 6:41 pm US/Central

Diann Burns
Reporting

(CBS) CHICAGO Chicago's green movement has a brand new star. Mayor Richard M. Daley Tuesday morning cut the ribbon on a new green roof 150 feet above the Magnificent Mile.

As CBS 2's Diann Burns reports, the green roof of the Residences at 900 North Michigan is full of native plants, ornamental grasses and flowers that will bloom year-round. But this urban meadow is more than just a pretty face. There's function along with form.

"The advantages of a green roof include reducing storm water runoff, lowering building temperatures, reducing energy requirements of a building,” Daley said Tuesday.

Because the roof is lined with plants instead of tar, the building absorbs less heat and requires less air conditioning. The plants reflect the sun's heat, cooling the air. They release rainwater gradually, reducing the chance of water damage and flooding.

But structurally, putting a green roof on an existing building can be weighty issue. You can even damage or puncture the roof.

So, project manager Douglas Hoerr and his team put sturdy, but lightweight Styrofoam under the surface of the roof at 900 North Michigan.

CBS 2 has followed the progress of this green roof over the last year, all the way from barren to beautiful.

"This has been a wonderful experience from what it was 15 months ago – a running track that felt like the Sahara, to a meadow, Hoerr, of Douglas Hoerr Landscape Architecture, said.

For the mayor, it's just one more example that the private and public sectors can work together to help the environment and beautify Chicago.

"Nature can co-exist with the city. And that's what you're seeing right here,” Daley said.

The City of Chicago has lots of resources to help homeowners and businesses that want to install green roofs.

Just call the Department of Environment at (312) 744-7606.

[dvidler]

^^Great to see. I hope many more downtown building go this route. I know its not feasible for all buildings financially or based on the structure but I believe it truely makes a difference enviromentally and mentally for everyone around. From seeing the rooftop from the surrounding buildings to being in the building itself it is worth the cost.