CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 1119

wierdaaron · #**22361** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 9:12 PM**

They're staying open while pile driving?

marothisu · #**22362** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 9:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Cabrini Green redevelopment first plans unveiled:

http://www.thecha.org/filebin/CG_Dra...an_Booklet.pdf

They need more high density stuff IMO. Actually, I see none on there. It's all mid and low rises, which is not terrible, but being in/around downtown I think it needs to be denser.

Quoting because it's going to get buried. Very interesting..

the urban politician · #**22363** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 9:28 PM**

^ Mario is back for more celebrating, as a judge just tossed the NIMBY lawsuit against the Vue53 project into the junkheap where it belongs!

marothisu · #**22364** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 9:29 PM**

^ Awesome news for Hyde Park

LouisVanDerWright · #**22365** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 9:39 PM**

Good news all around today. Good to see that they are planning on restoring the street grid at Cabrini. Good to see drill rig on site at Clark and Belmont. Good to see that lawsuit get tossed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

They're staying open while pile driving?

That's not a pile driver, that's a test rig testing the soil conditions.

Jibba · #**22366** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 9:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

They're staying open while pile driving?

Soil testing, it looked like.

LouisVanDerWright · #**22367** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 9:41 PM**

Major droolage today over at Curbed:

http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...completion.php

I am seriously salivating over the impending start of the 12 floor high school side of this building. Should become a feature of the Riverboat tours. I think these buildings are turning out to be GEMS in more ways than one!

wierdaaron · #**22368** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 10:27 PM**

Yeah, it's a shame the phase 1 building probably won't be seen by many due to the isolated nature of LSE. Phase 2 should get a lot more attention being right on the river. I'm interested to see how the skybridge will connect the two.

marothisu · #**22369** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 12:46 AM**

Question: In what circumstances are deconversions of units in a building a good thing? For example, I know it lessens the density, but it also means that people are making more money. I noticed today there is a permit for a nice old building near Van Buren and California (2721 W Gladys) to go from 2 units to a SFH. It looks boarded up on Google Street View but it's a real nice building that kind of has the style of an old row home, but the space between it and the next building is like 2 feet.

I guess my question is - in not so great areas like this, are you guys OK with this type of unit deconversion personally?

Justin_Chicago · #**22370** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 12:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Cabrini Green redevelopment first plans unveiled:

http://www.thecha.org/filebin/CG_Dra...an_Booklet.pdf

They need more high density stuff IMO. Actually, I see none on there. It's all mid and low rises, which is not terrible, but being in/around downtown I think it needs to be denser.

I am disappointed by this. High rises in that area (20+ floors) would offer amazing views of downtown.

jc5680 · #**22371** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 1:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Yeah, it's a shame the phase 1 building probably won't be seen by many due to the isolated nature of LSE. Phase 2 should get a lot more attention being right on the river. I'm interested to see how the skybridge will connect the two.

IIRC the connection is underground, not a skybridge

the urban politician · #**22372** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 1:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Question: In what circumstances are deconversions of units in a building a good thing? For example, I know it lessens the density, but it also means that people are making more money. I noticed today there is a permit for a nice old building near Van Buren and California (2721 W Gladys) to go from 2 units to a SFH. It looks boarded up on Google Street View but it's a real nice building that kind of has the style of an old row home, but the space between it and the next building is like 2 feet.

I guess my question is - in not so great areas like this, are you guys OK with this type of unit deconversion personally?

^ When it's a boarded up or empty building, I'm totally okay with it. Anything to bring older housing stock back to life is fine by me.

BVictor1 · #**22373** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 5:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Major droolage today over at Curbed:

http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...completion.php

I am seriously salivating over the impending start of the 12 floor high school side of this building. Should become a feature of the Riverboat tours. I think these buildings are turning out to be GEMS in more ways than one!

It's not Brininstool and Lynch, it's bKL Architecture.

2 separate firms.

LouisVanDerWright · #**22374** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 2:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Question: In what circumstances are deconversions of units in a building a good thing? For example, I know it lessens the density, but it also means that people are making more money. I noticed today there is a permit for a nice old building near Van Buren and California (2721 W Gladys) to go from 2 units to a SFH. It looks boarded up on Google Street View but it's a real nice building that kind of has the style of an old row home, but the space between it and the next building is like 2 feet.

I guess my question is - in not so great areas like this, are you guys OK with this type of unit deconversion personally?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

It's not Brininstool and Lynch, it's bKL Architecture.

2 separate firms.

Not really, bKl is just BL plus a third partner. They only had a two year partnership agreement and decided Kerwin was a doofus asshole (my words not theirs) so they "kicked him out" which technically meant forming an entirely new entity, but all the brains and employees were more or less unchanged. Brininstool is a real nice guy and an awesome architect. Him and Lynch were the only real brains behind bKL anyhow.

As a reminder this is what we have to look forward to on the Wacker side of this project:

chicago.curbed.com

marothisu · #**22375** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 3:36 PM**

2 new random infill things. Not really big news or anything but I like it. 10 unit building + ground floor commercial issued a permit at 918 S Western in Tri Taylor (Western & Taylor). Currently a vacant lot. Architect is Vari.

Another 6 unit + ground floor commercial retail issued a permit at 816 N Marshfield + ground floor retail. That's just north of Chicago Ave and just west of Ashland. Another vacant lot. Architect is Hanna

i_am_hydrogen · #**22376** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 3:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Not really, bKl is just BL plus a third partner. They only had a two year partnership agreement and decided Kerwin was a doofus asshole (my words not theirs) so they "kicked him out" which technically meant forming an entirely new entity, but all the brains and employees were more or less unchanged. Brininstool is a real nice guy and an awesome architect. Him and Lynch were the only real brains behind bKL anyhow.

bKL Architecture = Thomas Kerwin and Jim Loewenberg
Brininstool & Lynch = David Brininstool and Brad Lynch

LouisVanDerWright · #**22377** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 4:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

bKL Architecture = Thomas Kerwin and Jim Loewenberg
Brininstool & Lynch = David Brininstool and Brad Lynch

Ugh, so confusing. I wish the architects would just pick better names than mashing their initials together. I thought Brininstool was involved in this one?

marothisu · #**22378** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 6:49 PM**

Looks like another parking lot in River North will be biting the dust. This time the parking lot next to El Hefe on Hubbard, 17 W Hubbard, has been bought by El Hefe's parent company to build a building there which will be something called Whiskey Row (or, Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row - gross). There is one in Scottsdale. Not to happy about what business is going in there, but at least if it doesn't last, we can say another parking lot bit the dust. If they are smart, they'll build out for more space than just their restaurant/bar, but I doubt that will happen. It will just be another repeat of American Junkie where they are the only people in the building.

Skyguy_7 · #**22379** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 7:44 PM**

^ Dierks is the man! I don't see a problem with the place.

http://dierkswhiskeyrow.com/photos/#prettyPhoto[pp_52f3e458c6bb0]/58/[/URL]
http://dierkswhiskeyrow.com/photos/#prettyPhoto[pp_52f3e558017c2]/6/[/URL]

Plus, Bub City, downtown's only other country bar, could use some healthy competition. It's always elbow-to-elbow in there.

marothisu · #**22380** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 7:48 PM**

I'll admit, the place doesn't look that bad and I even see a charcuterie plate. I guess I'd like to see more nice non southern place as there's still too many "loud" places in that area, but whatever. For the record, the place has 3/5 on Yelp, which means it'll get about a 1.5 in Chicago.