CHICAGOLAND | Urban Development in the Burbs

[Barrelfish]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

Fascinating. This development is near the new "downtown" of the Region. After the collapse of Gary, the intersection of I-65 and Route 30 had become the de facto downtown for the residents of Lake and Porter counties. For the longest time, Dean White's Southlake Shopping Mall was the big draw, at the southeast corner of that intersection. I had a vision that White Lodging would turn the Radisson and Star Plaza property into a more viable central business district with mid-rise office buildings with first-floor retail and food mixed with hotels and mixed-use developments. Centeir Bank built a good-sized headquarters just south of this plot, although it is a bit of an island in its own parking lot. It's a shame more mid-rise offices haven't added to this area to turn it into a more proper business district. As it is, the area is just lousy with strip malls on an epic scale.

This "Farm" is a very suburban development. I am intrigued by the idea of agri-tourism. Fair Oaks Farms, further south along the Interstate, has done good business with that model. I just wish they decided to do this south of the mall. And asking the state and local governments to cover a third of the cost of the project? That's pathetic and the local municipalities should balk at the idea. But they won't, which is sad.

Having grown up in the Region, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I always hated going to Merrillville because it is the just a massive auto sewer. I'm not sure that this development will change any of that.

Compare to Valparaiso, 20 min east, which has invested a lot in the last ~10 years to build a vibrant, walkable downtown with active public spaces and a thriving restaurant scene.

Maybe I'm biased based on my own experience, but Valpo feels much more like the "destination" downtown when I go back. Merrillville remains a place you go to buy stuff and then leave.

[aaron38]

To be fair, Valpo is a college town, it’s expected to be walkable.
Crown Point looks like a better comparison for urban planning.

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by aaron38

To be fair, Valpo is a college town, it’s expected to be walkable.
Crown Point looks like a better comparison for urban planning.

They are like the same size town. Valpo is trying to become more urban, which is nice. My parents live there. It's enjoyable to go back and visit. The downtown is walkable. There are good restaurants. The new downtown parks have added to the city's charm. The city leaders are trying to expand the downtown area with a new TOD development featuring a distillery and bus stop that goes to and from the Loop for weekday commuters. It's a conservative-ish town with a progressive streak. I find it refreshing.

Crown Point is more or less the same but without the college. There's a county courthouse on the main square, a feature of practically every Indiana county seat. There are several restaurants and shops. I wouldn't describe either Valpo or CP as future bastions of urbanity. Merrillville has an immense amount of traffic and sits at more or less the center of the Region's transportation hub at I-65 and Route 30. Had White Lodging been interested, they could have turned this area into a central business district. But they didn't and don't seem interested in that.

[richb]

White Lodging is a hotel development company, not a general developer. So its not a surprise hotels are the focus of this project. I thought it would be a much smaller version of what it built in Indianapolis or something similar to Burr Ridge town center. It would be pretty much self contained, but could be nicer then most since most of the parking would be below grade. I knew people here wouldn't be too interested in how this project is laid out much, but it is a big project never the less.

On a side note, Dean White never owned Southlake Mall. It was built by Richard Jacobs (the Cleveland Indian's owner).

Downtown Valpo has gotten way better in the last couple of years. When my brother was at the university, there wasn't much to do downtown. Crown Point is coming along too. Someone that was involved with running the Star Plaza has bought the long closed downtown 400 seat theatre and is restoring it. Aims to have shows including music, comedy and other acts. Could be interesting if he can program it well.

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by richb

White Lodging is a hotel development company, not a general developer. So its not a surprise hotels are the focus of this project. I thought it would be a much smaller version of what it built in Indianapolis or something similar to Burr Ridge town center. It would be pretty much self contained, but could be nicer then most since most of the parking would be below grade. I knew people here wouldn't be too interested in how this project is laid out much, but it is a big project never the less.

On a side note, Dean White never owned Southlake Mall. It was built by Richard Jacobs (the Cleveland Indian's owner).

Downtown Valpo has gotten way better in the last couple of years. When my brother was at the university, there wasn't much to do downtown. Crown Point is coming along too. Someone that was involved with running the Star Plaza has bought the long closed downtown 400 seat theatre and is restoring it. Aims to have shows including music, comedy and other acts. Could be interesting if he can program it well.

Thanks for the clarification!

[aaron38]

Elmhurst, 10-26-18

100 N. Addison, now called The Marke. Getting buttoned up before winter.








The Fitness Formula Club just down the street is basically done.

[phanta721]

‘8000 North' - Lucien Lagrange


Design is what you expect from Lagrange, but the density will hold the corner of Oakton/Lincoln really well.



https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/5/10...kie-8000-north

[Steely Dan]

^ yeah, the design is, well, it's LL, so yeah..........

but the size of the project is going to radically alter the scale and feel of downtown skokie. glad to see it's finally U/C.

[LouisVanDerWright]

^^^ It's just good seeing suburbs (particularly transit connected ones) densifying even if the design is meh. Any suburb that fails to adapt to the trends of increasing urbanization will fail to remain relevant.

[sukwoo]

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles...-Unity-Temple/

"Oak Park's next big luxury high-rise apartment building could be constructed on the site of the U.S. Bank branch drive-thru and a parking lot at 835 Lake St. – less than a half-block away from Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple at 875 Lake St."

Supposedly 28 stories, which will be the tallest in Oak Park by a significant margin.

[Busy Bee]

Skokie......yeah I'll take that in a heartbeat. Hopefully I won't be tarred and feathered but the styling isn't that bad for a Lagrange.

[BonoboZill4]

28 floor tall tower plus getting rid of an underutilized lot in downtown OP is pretty huge... Evanston move aside

[harryc]

Originally Posted by sukwoo

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles...-Unity-Temple/

"Oak Park's next big luxury high-rise apartment building could be constructed on the site of the U.S. Bank branch drive-thru and a parking lot at 835 Lake St. – less than a half-block away from Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple at 875 Lake St."

Supposedly 28 stories, which will be the tallest in Oak Park by a significant margin.

Eric Davis Flag Facebook Verified

Posted: November 8th, 2018 8:28 AM

If this is indeed going forward, important caveat, NOW can we have a civic
conversation about how it's in the village's economic interest to buy the
developer a world-class architect, to create another Building Worth Coming
to See, instead of just buying them a parking garage? It's actually much
cheaper and both sides win. We missed the last opportunity to add a "dot" to
the visitors' guide, with the D97 HQ and its recent additions, and Albion is
meh - can this town that makes so much with archi-tourism finally start
investing to grow that unique asset? At some point if we keep adding dots,
tourists will start to say they need to stay overnight to see it all. That would
be huge for our restaurants and too-few hotels.

My old neighbor - knows his sh--t

[bgsrand]

I believe the Lucien Lagrange Oak Brook tower received a 5-0 approval vote from the zoning board Monday night. My boss is an Oak Brook resident who spoke at the hearing in favor of the project.

[harryc]

Oct 20



Oct 23



Oct 31



Nov 6



Nov 14

[harryc]

Oct 17



Oct 20



Oct 23





Nov 10

[BonoboZill4]

Oak Park is officially my favorite suburb I've never visited haha

[OhioGuy]

Per Blair Kamin

28-story tower planned in Oak Park

Solomon Cordwell Buenz last night showed plans for 28-story tower at 835 Lake St. in Oak Park, near Wright's Unity Temple, to neighbors. Village officials say the apartment high-rise, about 300 feet tall, would be suburb's tallest building. Current height cap for site is 45 feet

No renderings available yet, but it would replace a drive through U.S. Bank branch.

[Busy Bee]

Keep em coming

[harryc]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

Per Blair Kamin

28-story tower planned in Oak Park



No renderings available yet, but it would replace a drive through U.S. Bank branch.

Across the street from the library and park - 2 blocks to the El - 1/2 blk to both Unity Temple and the Scoville building.