CHICAGO | General Developments

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by ardecila

A) the proof is in the pudding, if West Loop developers are landing office tenants then what's your beef? If they're not landing tenants, then they're not landing financing and not building anything

True, I could always just wait for a few years and see who was more right - Sterling Bay and their like-minded competitors and financial backers, or me..........although I do like to think through and make market calls along the way.......hmmmmm.....

[marothisu]

I think this was mentioned on here a few weeks ago about a development at 47th and Halsted in Canaryville. There was a community meeting with the developer last week. As usual, the NIMBYs were out in full force, though it sounds like some people might have been supportive of the plan. As usual, residents bitched about parking, but the developer said he has it worked out. They were also saying "who would pay these rents next to a Junk Yard!?" - but apparently the developer is in talks to buy that property too.

It calls for 4 buildings, of 56 units total, and 10,000 sq ft of retail space. If the rent quoted is for a 1 bedroom, then it's way too much for the area (I have a feeling it's not just for a 1 bedroom though).

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150918/...t-investors-4-building-development-pitch

“We don’t want ‘em!” Jeff Norris, a 71-year-old longtime Canaryville resident, yelled, as others cursed to themselves. “Take ‘em to the West Loop!”

Ald. Thompson told the audience he has not made a decision on the project. Before he does that, he said it's important to collect input from the community.

The buildings would be constructed at four addresses along South Halsted Street: 4223, 4231, 4351 and 4361. The units would feature one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans. None of the rentals would be subsidized, said Chase, who owns and manages a housing development at 720 W. 47th St. in Canaryville — a property some residents peg with a reputation for attracting seedy tenants. Chase said all potential tenants go through a strict screening process, requiring a rental application, background and criminal checks, copies of drivers licenses, four pay stubs, bank statements and references, including past landlords and friends.

On the ground floor of each of the buildings will be retail shops. The developer’s vision includes a bookstore, coffee shop, art gallery, dress shop, and chain restaurants like Domino’s, Subway or Five Guys. Thompson assured the audience tattoo shops and massage parlors would not be allowed. The goal, Chase said, is to bring life to a “blighted and disinvested strip of real estate” — and make money in a long-term investment. “It’s a mess,” Chase said. “My experience is taking things like that and turning it around.”

Residents said they had enough trouble finding spaces to park their own cars. With 56 new apartments in the neighborhood, it would be nearly impossible to find parking. Thompson assured the crowd a parking plan would be a top priority if the project moves forward. A woman pointed out one of development’s next-door neighbors: a junk yard at 43rd and Halsted. Who would rent an expensive apartment next to a junk yard? Chase said he has been in negotiations with the scrap yard to buy the property.

“I expect to have a contract in a week,” Chase said.

Some residents clapped. Others remained skeptical of the news, saying the development is the wrong project for a close-knit community like Canaryville. Going forward, there could be another community meeting to discuss any revisions made to Chase's pitch, but a date has not been set.

[the urban politician]

^ "We like our forgotten, shithole south side neighborhood just the way it is! Who the — dares build anything here? And damn it, why do they always raise our taxes? And why can't I find any parking?"

I can just imagine the group of grumpy old geezers sitting there at the meeting, arms folded across the chest, making these arbitrary and grumpy comments...

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ "We like our forgotten, shithole south side neighborhood just the way it is! Who the — dares build anything here? And damn it, why do they always raise our taxes? And why can't I find any parking?"

this satire from the onion is nearly 10 years old now, but still entirely relevant regarding chicago's southside:

Shitty Neighborhood Rallies Against Asshole Developer

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

this satire from the onion is nearly 10 years old now, but still entirely relevant regarding chicago's southside:

Oh my god. This is brilliant.

[ChickeNES]

I saw that Blair Kamin was rabblerousing about the Lucas Museum again, this time whining that McCormick Place East should be torn down. Apparently he thinks the city/McPier can just pull money out of their — to both tear down and replace MPE and the Lucas land with a park, and also replace the lost convention space with a new building.

Anyway, he did get me thinking, assuming cost was no object, would it be possible to cover the top of MPE with a park a la Millennium/Maggie Daley Park or the new British School?

[Ryanrule]

is there a thread listing all the neighborhood development meetings that go on so we can go in there and shout down the old people? maybe even force them back to 8pm so they are all asleep.

[the urban politician]

^ Ha! I like that. Either 8 pm or at 5 pm when they're all eating dinner

[sentinel]

Edit.

[Jim in Chicago]

Originally Posted by ChickeNES

I saw that Blair Kamin was rabblerousing about the Lucas Museum again, this time whining that McCormick Place East should be torn down. Apparently he thinks the city/McPier can just pull money out of their — to both tear down and replace MPE and the Lucas land with a park, and also replace the lost convention space with a new building.

Anyway, he did get me thinking, assuming cost was no object, would it be possible to cover the top of MPE with a park a la Millennium/Maggie Daley Park or the new British School?

Are there numbers available about the percent of the time McCormick is fully used? I drive past there twice a day and more often than not there is little sign of activity. Does the space in the East building even need to be replaced? The whole thing seems rather overbuild to me.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Jim in Chicago

Are there numbers available about the percent of the time McCormick is fully used? I drive past there twice a day and more often than not there is little sign of activity. Does the space in the East building even need to be replaced? The whole thing seems rather overbuild to me.

Kamin's article stated that the east building was used 192 days last year, or roughly 53% of the time, so yeah, i'd think that space would have to be replaced.

[MayorOfChicago]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ "We like our forgotten, shithole south side neighborhood just the way it is! Who the — dares build anything here? And damn it, why do they always raise our taxes? And why can't I find any parking?"

I can just imagine the group of grumpy old geezers sitting there at the meeting, arms folded across the chest, making these arbitrary and grumpy comments...

I mean how hard is it to find parking around 4300 Halsted and the surrounding streets? Go look on streetview, there's parking for days on all those streets.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by MayorOfChicago

I mean how hard is it to find parking around 4300 Halsted and the surrounding streets? Go look on streetview, there's parking for days on all those streets.

Yeah I don't know what to think. I'd assume most of the people who live in Canaryville and do street parking, park their cars pretty close to their homes. I have a hard time believing someone living at 42nd and Halsted is going to be parking their car at 43rd and Normal when there's tons of vacant lots with closer by with probably not a lot of cars parked at the vacant land closer by.

[SamInTheLoop]

All I can think of when it comes to this neighborhood is Showtime's Shameless anyway (if you haven't seen, you're missing an absolute riot)........I think this development would somehow 'sully' the show for me, so I'm coming out against it! ..... (j/k...........mostly)

(Incidentally, redevelopment and gentrification featured as one theme for part of last season, and the Gallaghers and Co took matters into their own hands, as would be expected...)

[VKChaz]

fyi reminder:
This is Open House weekend
http://openhousechicago.org/

[emathias]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

All I can think of when it comes to this neighborhood is Showtime's Shameless anyway (if you haven't seen, you're missing an absolute riot)........I think this development would somehow 'sully' the show for me, so I'm coming out against it! ..... (j/k...........mostly)

(Incidentally, redevelopment and gentrification featured as one theme for part of last season, and the Gallaghers and Co took matters into their own hands, as would be expected...)

I like Shameless. I first started watching the British original and was pretty excited that they set the American version in Chicago. It's a little disappointing they don't do 100% of the exterior shooting in Chicago. It's set in Canaryville, but the filming location of the house in the series is in North Lawndale just west of Douglas Park (you can tell since the Pink Line is right there). The Gallagher house is on Homan, and Sheila's house is on Spaulding.

[BWChicago]

Hot Garbage Planned for Six Corners

[BrandonJXN]

Boo! I live down the street from Six Corners. Couldn't they put residential there with ground floor retail on the bottom as opposed to a mall?

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by BrandonJXN

Boo! I live down the street from Six Corners. Couldn't they put residential there with ground floor retail on the bottom as opposed to a mall?

That would make way too much sense. Think of the parking!

[the urban politician]

^ it's not ideal, but at least it's not acres of surface parking. All in all if this is what it takes to help kick start this area then it's not a bad development.