CHICAGO | 108 North State (Block 37)

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Has Freed or Crain's mentioned anything about the leasing at Sullivan Center? All I know about are FlatTop and Billabong.

They haven't confirmed any tenants in a long time. Flat Top recently opened and Billabong said they might consider B37 but they already have a new store in Water Tower Place. Freed's website also shows Jazziz Bistro taking a spot on Wabash and Monroe. I assume it's related to the actual magazine, but I don't know since I've never been. That would be another dining + entertainment spot.

[jjk1103]

.......it seems that Wabash is leasing out better than State St. ! ....all the Wabash improvements seem to be making a difference.........

[jjk1103]

.....in looking at the building "72% leased out"..............I see that the Randolph side is designated as: "Footprint for future hotel/condo".........does that mean that the Randolph side of the building is going to be dead space (with no retail on that side?) ??

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by jjk1103

"Footprint for future hotel/condo".........does that mean that the Randolph side of the building is going to be dead space (with no retail on that side?)

Zara is taking the first two floors along Randolph, and Puma is taking two floors at the corner of State and Randolph.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Block.37.train.2.1239587.html

Hole Lotta Waste Sitting Beneath Chicago's Loop
Mike Parker

Some critics call the $250 million dollar city project "outrageous" and a bad investment. It's the giant unfinished CTA "superstation" in the Block 37 development across from Daley Plaza.

You've helped pay for it, but you've never seen it.

Larger video tour:
http://cbs2chicago.com/video/[email protected]

[The Pimp]

Spyguy....thanks for the posting. This waste of our money just pisses me off!!!

[ardecila]

Wow. $250 million? What the hell?

Then again, that video showed a far more complete station than I was expecting - it looks like all the walls are in place and floor slabs are poured. What remains are the cost of laying tracks and installing basic electrical, fire suppression, and fare collection systems. Anything beyond that is fluff and should be eliminated. Then again, they built this thing for a service that doesn't exist.

CTA should at least lay the tracks and use it as a service connection.

I know this is the wrong thread, but is it possible that CTA could use the tunnel to run new, non-express services? I know the Forest Park branch gets far more service than it requires ever since the Pink Line was created. Maybe they could do Midway-Forest Park and O'Hare-IMD, or Midway-O'Hare and Forest Park-Clark/Lake?

[emathias]

Originally Posted by ardecila

...
I know this is the wrong thread, but is it possible that CTA could use the tunnel to run new, non-express services? ...

Personally, I'd love to see them open that west-facing portal where the Blue LIne subway angles north off of Lake, and then run the Green Line through the subway, although that would take at least another $250 million. Maybe they can budget that as part of a West Loop Transportation center. I think airport express service from Block 37 isn't a best use anyway - it should run out of the west loop, imo, but being able to connect the Lake Street Branch in addition to the O'Hare branch to south side branches could come in quite handy. I just wish they'd made it an X connection instead of just a NW/SE connection.

[VivaLFuego]

^ Or, a single track spur connected to both Blue Line tracks, to serve as a short-turn stub for Airport Express service to O'Hare out of the Loop Transportation Center (203 N. LaSalle), opened in 1985 for the purposes of being a downtown multi-modal remote terminal of O'Hare, with flight check-in, baggage tagging and check, and car rental, all located conveniently at the most significant locus of the CTA rail system

(implied question: whoever asked for express service to Midway?)

[emathias]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

^ Or, a single track spur connected to both Blue Line tracks, to serve as a short-turn stub for Airport Express service to O'Hare out of the Loop Transportation Center (203 N. LaSalle), opened in 1985 for the purposes of being a downtown multi-modal remote terminal of O'Hare, with flight check-in, baggage tagging and check, and car rental, all located conveniently at the most significant locus of the CTA rail system
...

Does this exist, but is unused, or was it (yet another) unimplemented proposal?

[ardecila]

^^ It's a possibility for what could be done in the Block 37 tunnel.

The Loop Transportation Center does exist, obviously. You know it as Clark/Lake. They even have departure boards for O'Hare on the Blue Line platform. No baggage tagging or flight check-in, though.

[Via Chicago]

Burlesque troupe close to Block 37 deal
October 12, 2009 8:20 AM | No Comments
Crain's reports: Block 37 is close to a deal with two new tenants, one of them a dinner theater troupe that combines burlesque and R-rated acrobatics.

Teatro ZinZanni, which has run for most of the decade in Seattle and San Francisco, is in advanced talks to take part of a top-floor space in the new four-story shopping mall on State Street in the Loop, sources tell Crain's.

Cosmetics retailer Sephora also is wrapping up a deal with Block 37 developer Joseph Freed & Associates LLC.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/10/burlesque-troupe-close-to-block-37-deal.html

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by emathias

Does this exist, but is unused, or was it (yet another) unimplemented proposal?

The Loop Transportation Center exists as 203 N. LaSalle. You can go to the lovely marble-clad lobby off right next to the CTA entrance, currently ringed by retail spaces that were supposed to be the check-in and ticketing counters for the many airlines. The car rental facilities were built and are presently operating in a portion of the garage, but the rest is just a standard self-park, leaving an awkward office building that's half parking and has a direct rapid transit connection. I don't remember the details, but I think, as with Block 37, the LTC was a private development with some significant public funding kicked in for these features (since, as with B37, no private developer in their right mind would spend their own money on a remote airport terminal and costly modifications/tie-ins to the CTA rail system).

Of course, in the early 80s, Block 37 had buildings on it, so a stub track to aid in actually operating an O'Hare Express service didn't appear feasible. But for reasons unknown (to me), the new Airport Express just had to serve both airports and it had to be Express service... so 203 N. LaSalle wasn't even considered by the 2000s. Despite Orange Line trains serving Clark/Lake, too. And the proposed Midway express service saving like 5 minutes off of a 25-minute local service travel time.

I doubt we'll ever know the real reasons, but we can surmise that various people had various bad ideas at the same time that other various people needed work and various funding sources were available.

[cbotnyse]

interesting tenant.

[spyguy]

http://www.suntimes.com/business/1821447,CST-FIN-block13.article

Block 37 close to deal with dinner-theater troupe
BY DAVID ROEDER

...Live theater also is expected to get space on the floor. Thompson declined to name prospects, but sources said talks have been held with Redmoon Theater and the Broadway in Chicago operation, which is examining a smaller space to supplement its Loop theaters.

Teatro is "a very cool, unique entertainment property," said Kelly Leonard, executive vice president of the Second City comedy club. Leonard said Second City briefly considered a role in a tourist-themed attraction at Block 37 but is not pursuing it. "The economics of a small space downtown are tough," he said.

[jdcpamba]

Crains reporting that a foreclosure suit has been filed on Block 37. As a person that lives two blocks from this development, the problems with this property are getting old. Simply amazing that the bank would file for foreclosre when certain stores about to open. It is almost like everyone wants this thing to be a hollow shell. Story follows:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=35854

[Nowhereman1280]

Lol

[emathias]

Originally Posted by jdcpamba

Crains reporting that a foreclosure suit has been filed on Block 37. As a person that lives two blocks from this development, the problems with this property are getting old. Simply amazing that the bank would file for foreclosre when certain stores about to open. It is almost like everyone wants this thing to be a hollow shell. Story follows:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=35854

Anyone have any idea what the impetus for this action is?

[the urban politician]

The curse lives on.

What Chicago's leadership should be saying to themselves in perpetuity:

"Note to self--NEVER demolish a block of active real estate downtown again!"

[VivaLFuego]

I can only assume that news of the discovery of a large cache of Native American bones discovered during excavation was suppressed.

"What is this, a cruel hoax? This is a five-spiral crash, boys."
- President George W. Bush (speaking about either the McCain candidacy or Block 37, I don't remember exactly)

[trvlr70]

I predict that Block 37 will ulitmately be a failure with about half of the retail leased to discount chains. It's inevitable.