CHICAGO | General Developments

[Jim in Chicago]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I have this great old book from the 50's that's basically a tutorial guide to the "modernization" of farm houses where all the plans and renderings show these hideous thoughtless ranch dwellings grafted onto the side of a 1880's/1900 farmhouse. The mindset that brought us those misguided botched modifications were the same ones that "improved" historic facades like this one with sheet metal and bricked up 16 foot windows. It's hard to understand what people were thinking back then, but I'm sure in fifty years many will say similar things about the current times and some of the current trends.

Yeah. Part of the mystery in this case is how it wound up with four hideous facades stacked on top of each other. I believe one of the middle sections was house-grade aluminum siding.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

More good news for Uptown’s brewing entertainment district:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/enter...221-story.html

as a timeline theater subscriber for the past 8 years, i'm very excited about this news. they're a fantastic theater company and they've been LONG overdue for a new and proper home.

and now i'll have even more reasons to patronize those wonderful argyle street restaurants!!!

and i love that they're reusing/re-purposing a 100 year old warehouse for the new theater; that dovetails so perfectly with timeline's overall philosophy/mission.

i hope all of this new uptown entertainment district interest will finally raise land values enough to bulldoze those god-awful strip malls along broadway in that area.

[Kngkyle]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

With more live entertainment coming to Uptown, and the city’s desire to make it an epicenter for entertainment/performing arts on the north side, would it ever make sense for Second City to consider relocating from southern Lincoln Park/Old Town to Uptown?

Not really. I don't see what benefit this would bring for SecondCity. They certainly aren't short on space where they are and everything is basically brand new. I'm sure a large percentage of their patrons are tourists staying in downtown hotels. Their location is basically perfect for what they need.

[west-town-brad]

Congress + Vacant Lot next door got approved too. This is great. As a neighbor I reached out to the alderman personally to voice my support.

Also, Some old white lady keeps showing up to the "community meetings" regarding new developments along Milwaukee Ave and claims the city promissed to build a park on vacant land during the 1990/2000s and never followed through. God bless her for being consistent.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Arm&Kedzie

I live down the block from this site. They boarded up the back of the building a couple weeks ago and everyone has moved out. I thought it was going to be included with the project adjacent to the west of this parcel, but the unit count makes it look like their will be two new buildings on this stretch of North Ave. I'm hoping with these new developments the city will look at street improvements for North Ave. along Humboldt Park. Adding a boulevard of trees would be very do-able and would go a long way to make crossing the street less dangerous and help North feel less like an auto sewer.

Pretty sure it'll be 2 different buildings (though I think as someone pointed out, owned by the same developer). It would be nice to see North Avenue spruced up a bit. I'm sure they'll think more and more about it.

[marothisu]

That planned 4 story, 39 unit + ground floor retail building at the corner of Lawrence & Ashland was issued a new construction building permit yesterday.

Curbed article with a rendering back from February:
https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/2/6/...hland-lawrence

It will replace an auto repair shop:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/47...!4d-87.6689349

[harryc]

Dec 7



Dec 17

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

Not really. I don't see what benefit this would bring for SecondCity. They certainly aren't short on space where they are and everything is basically brand new. I'm sure a large percentage of their patrons are tourists staying in downtown hotels. Their location is basically perfect for what they need.

I agree. It's walkable for some hotels, a short, cheap taxi/Uber/Lyft ride from Most of downtown, and a quick Brown Line trip from the Loop for visitors who love transit. Uptown is 2-3 times as expensive via car, or twice as long via transit, for most tourists. Locals also probably prefer, so far, going out in Old Town than in Uptown. The locals equation might change over the next two decades, but the tourists won't.

[the urban politician]

People will foray to the Uptown Theatre for major acts.

All the more reason I'm against the Lincoln Yards events center.

[harryc]

Dec 9

Southport and Belmont


SW lot


NW lot



Now that the track work is done .... Belmont sta.


Belmont/Clark

[LouisVanDerWright]

Exciting news for the Western Ave auto sewer. Both the Pizza Hut at North and Western and the nasty mobile station at Bloomingdale have construction fencing up and are about to bite it for new developments!

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Exciting news for the Western Ave auto sewer. Both the Pizza Hut at North and Western and the nasty mobile station at Bloomingdale have construction fencing up and are about to bite it for new developments!

via Imgflip Meme Generator

[the urban politician]

Anyone got renderings?

[Randomguy34]

Block Club Chicago has renderings for both

Bloomingdale & Western:

Source: https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/09...ey-city-panel/

North & Western (Pizza Hut):

Source: https://medium.com/block-club-chicag...d-1b8a092fdd92

[BonoboZill4]

Saw this on 18th and State(as the advert would imply) and I hadn't noticed it before, but I could have just looked past it in the past. Anyone know if this is recent or an old development that's just waiting to start/stalled out

[the urban politician]

^ I'd love to tell ya, but the website is completely in Chinese

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

North & Western (Pizza Hut):

Source: https://medium.com/block-club-chicag...d-1b8a092fdd92

Source: Curbed (https://chicago.curbed.com/2017/10/2...ut-development)

Did this replace the much nicer design from this rendering then?

Also, it looks like this might be a first look at the plans for the parking garage on the NE corner of Randolph/Wabash (currently a Qdoba/T Mobile):


Source: Baum Realty/Instagram

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Block Club Chicago has renderings for both

Bloomingdale & Western:

Source: https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/09...ey-city-panel/

This one should be pretty cool as it will create trail level retail and I believe public restrooms as well as another access point for the trail. I will be curious to see how successful the retail is, but hopefully it leads to a trend in trail facing developments. Would be a totally different experience to have active commercial spaces tied into grade separated recreational trails. Like an entire pedestrian world totally void of cars and other hazards. Would be even more interesting tied into a Metra station and the Lincoln Yards Development.

[maru2501]

randolph/wabash looks like a little more than just a parking garage

[west-town-brad]

North and Western Pizza Hut did have a much nicer design but after the height got cut back by one floor the design died along with the density. That 5th floor really scared people

https://chicago.curbed.com/2017/10/2...ut-development

Old design was so much better... now it just looks like lakeview infill.