CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 1136

denizen467 · #**22701** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 12:18 PM**

^ Another example of a Thompson Center issue (not sure if VE or Jahn design or Jahn materials spec or construction issue) is the deconstructivist columns marching down the site perimeter to the Randolph/Clark corner. All the conceptual facade fragments attached to those columns had to be uninstalled a couple years ago (compare the building's Wikipedia photo with the current Google Street View image). I think somewhere something was falling off, so they removed them all for safety, and declined to reinstall them.

Chi-Sky21 · #**22702** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 1:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

Those new canopies at O'Hare cost over $300M)

300 MILLION!! It drove me insane at how long it took to put those up (flew out of ohare every week for years). Now that I know that they are so insanely expensive i hate them even more!. What a colossal waste of money!

10023 · #**22703** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 2:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Re-election? I thought Mayor of Chicago was like a Supreme Court seat. You resign or you die.

Jokes aside, it could just be part of building national awareness of the city. Or Rahm could be trying to raise his own profile to lay groundwork for a far future presidential run. It's hard to picture him in the oval, but remember he quit his job as Obama's kingmaker and chief of staff to take this job. I always wondered if that brush with presidency made him want it, and he saw Daley stepping down as a way to it.

He has supposedly said point blank that mayor of Chicago is the last political job he wants to have. That doesn't mean it's the case, but it would be a pretty easy attack ad for an opponent.

Not sure if the FT article last week was posted, but that was good as well (subscription required):

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/45e05...44feab7de.html

They titled it "Rahm Emanuel: Mayor America".

SamInTheLoop · #**22704** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 2:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

Most of his local projects are in the public/institutional sectors, because those clients aren't spending their own money. (Those new canopies at O'Hare cost over $300M)

Don't forget that a large part of the property development game - no matter the sector - is to spend somebody - anybody - else's money, shifting risk (dis)proportionately onto anybody but you as the 'developer'.....arguable whether interest allignment is significantly different according to sector of course, but point is 'institutions' hardly have any sort of monopoly on spending 'others' ' money.....

emathias · #**22705** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 2:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

27-unit, 4-story flatiron building w/retail is planned for the corner of Larrabee and Crosby. Architect is Studio Dwell so the quality should be high. Sadly the food&liquor store on the block will remain.

Only 4 stories, eh? It'd be great in my opinion if they just replicated a version of the building at Larrabee and Kingsbury.

Steely Dan · #**22706** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 3:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin_Chicago

Arena is pushing for this parcel in Portage Park to be redeveloped into a four-to-five-story building with residential units on top.

Six Corners Bank of America Building Under Contract

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140...under-contract

this is awesome news if it pans out to be true. there will be the loss of the absolutely gorgeous banking hall inside that BofA, but the exterior has been monkeyed around with over the decades to the point of irrelevance. and those acres of associated surface parking; it sure would be great for the six corners area to see that giant empty neighborhood-killing hole get filled with development.

the urban politician · #**22707** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 4:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

He has supposedly said point blank that mayor of Chicago is the last political job he wants to have. That doesn't mean it's the case, but it would be a pretty easy attack ad for an opponent.

Not sure if the FT article last week was posted, but that was good as well (subscription required):

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/45e05...44feab7de.html

They titled it "Rahm Emanuel: Mayor America".

^ Thanks for sharing this, it was an interesting read. I still don't understand how Rahm can be criticized for closing the schools with the argument that these schools "created jobs for teachers". How can anyone make this argument with a straight face and not realize that this mentality of Govt being a job-creator, in a nutshell, is the whole problem with the city to begin with.

Schools are here to educate children, not to exist as salary & pension generators for teachers. If the schools are sitting half empty, they have to close.

SamInTheLoop · #**22708** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 5:17 PM**

^ I've yet to actually meet these people that think of government's primary function as a job-creator (or as the primary job creator. Further, I don't think that kind of attitude or widespread belief is driving economic problems in the city.

Now, the strength and political influence of public sector unions - that might be another story....but, if you ask me (or even if you don't), I think one of the great problems here is that this is an unfriendly place for small businesses/entrepreneurs/start-ups, etc.....the environment for that important driver of job growth is not too pretty (as opposed to mid-large corporations, for which the city bends over backwards, but from which returns may be somewhat undersized)...

SamInTheLoop · #**22709** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 7:21 PM**

Good news in an article from Crain's today that the Loop's retail vacancy rate is at its lowest in at least a dozen years. (study by brokerage Stone Real Estate, trend is no thanks to their inarguably super shitty performance in leasing of the first two floors of Block 37, duties from which they were thankfully relieved a couple months ago!!)

Also, another report in Crain's that the owner of 1 N. Dearborn has hired MB Real Estate to market to retailers the portion of the Sears store on State that will remain as retail space (total of 33,000 sq ft - 23,000 of which at State/Madison, 10,000 of which at Dearborn/Madison). Selection seems at least at on the surface an odd one, as MB is just about exclusively an office leasing brokerage, not retail. Strange..........at any rate, since the largest space is just 23,000 sq ft, my dreams of having Whole Foods land there may just be squashed (unless they have a smaller dense urban format, of which I'm not aware)..........at any rate, some sort of 23,000 sq ft grocery concept (preferably higher-end), would still be attractive here....

Jibba · #**22710** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 8:49 PM**

Franklin/Chestnut

J_M_Tungsten · #**22711** Posted **Feb 24, 2014, 10:41 PM**

Cool shots.

ardecila · #**22712** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 1:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Don't forget that a large part of the property development game - no matter the sector - is to spend somebody - anybody - else's money, shifting risk (dis)proportionately onto anybody but you as the 'developer'.....arguable whether interest allignment is significantly different according to sector of course, but point is 'institutions' hardly have any sort of monopoly on spending 'others' ' money.....

You know as well as I that the economics are totally different. Privately-owned buildings need to generate revenue to cover their construction costs, so the construction budget is relative to the earning power of the site and its entitlements. On civic buildings, the budget is whatever you can wring out of the taxpayers. Maybe you look at other similar projects to get a ballpark figure... and cost overruns are far more common.

Even if Jahn turned out bargain-basement designs, I'm sure his fees are extremely high because his overhead is high... that penthouse in the Jewelers Building doesn't come cheap. That's fine for Chinese and Arabian businessmen on a power trip or German companies with a taste for good architecture but it doesn't jive with Chicago's private sector. Come to think of it, when was the last time any "global" Chicago firm did anything local? Smith/Gill? SOM?

oshkeoto · #**22713** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 1:50 AM**

TUP, here's an op-ed in Crain's, published today:

"Chicago Zoning Laws Are Just Insane"

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...re-just-insane

ardecila · #**22714** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 3:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oshkeoto

TUP, here's an op-ed in Crain's, published today:

"Chicago Zoning Laws Are Just Insane"

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...re-just-insane

The author seems familiar...

marothisu · #**22715** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 4:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

The author seems familiar...

Uh oh! We know oshkeoto's true identity now! LOL He does make some good points though. I think the black area is not SMALL, and it's certainly not just downtown, but I do agree that it's BS that some of the areas near there can't be zoned for anything larger than a SFH. That's pretty bs to me.

Ch.G, Ch.G · #**22716** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 4:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayward

Yeah we all saw it, now move on to development discussion....

I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a figment of my imagination. Carry on.

marothisu · #**22717** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 4:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

at any rate, some sort of 23,000 sq ft grocery concept (preferably higher-end), would still be attractive here....

Does the Loop have one? I know you can go to Walgreens or Target, or order from Peapod, but is there a legitimate grocer in the non Lakeshore East section of the Loop? I think if the Loop wants to grow as an actual neighborhood, they should put in a Mariano's or Jewel.

orulz · #**22718** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 2:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

since the largest space is just 23,000 sq ft, my dreams of having Whole Foods land there may just be squashed (unless they have a smaller dense urban format, of which I'm not aware)..........at any rate, some sort of 23,000 sq ft grocery concept (preferably higher-end), would still be attractive here....

The Fresh Market is a higher-end grocer that typically fills spaces around 20,000 square feet. Most of their stores are suburban but they have been venturing into more urban locations. They are currently in expansion mode and seem to be actively seeking more locations in northern Illinois. Send them an email!

ardecila · #**22719** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 3:15 PM**

Looks like this has broken ground at Chicago/Larrabee. I love the idea of putting new retail podiums on these towers-in-a-park, even if this particular "park" is beautiful and well-manicured. Let's hope this starts a trend.

marothisu · #**22720** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 3:31 PM**

More Bronzeville news. If you recall before, there were about 3 new buildings receiving building permits around the 43rd St Green Line stop for Legends south. Well, this time it's way more and right around the 47th St Green Line stop for Legends South.

* 4716 S Calumet - 3 stories, 6 units. Vacant lot.
* 4724 S Calumet - 3 stories, 3 units. Vacant lot.
* 4728 S Calumet - 3 stories, 3 units. Vacant lot.
* 4736 S Calumet - 3 stories, 6 units. Vacant lot.
* 4742 S Calumet - 3 stories, 5 units. Vacant lot.
* 4744 S Calumet - 3 stories, 3 units. Vacant lot.
* 4826 S Calumet - 3 stories, 6 units. Vacant lot.
* 4830 S Calumet - 3 stories, 3 units. Vacant lot.

Total: 8 new buildings, 35 new units. Then I believe another 10 or so units up around the 43rd St stop. So far...