CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 1184

ardecila · #**23661** Posted **Apr 22, 2014, 9:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayward

Sorry if this has been asked, but are there any plans to create a pedestrian connection from the mall level of RC over across the tracks to just south of Amli?

No. The 9th St underpass is the closest thing, but it seems to have stalled.

streetline · #**23662** Posted **Apr 22, 2014, 11:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayward

Sorry if this has been asked, but are there any plans to create a pedestrian connection from the mall level of RC over across the tracks to just south of Amli?

I really wish there were. Turning the deep cul-de-sac into a pedestrian bypass of the intersection seems like an obvious way to tie it more closely to the potential customers to the northeast.

On another topic, it seems like the former Red No 5 club at Halsted and Hubbard (440 N Halsted) is being torn down. Does anyone know what is planned in it's place?

marothisu · #**23663** Posted **Apr 22, 2014, 11:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by streetline

On another topic, it seems like the former Red No 5 club at Halsted and Hubbard (440 N Halsted) is being torn down. Does anyone know what is planned in it's place?

I found the building permit for that - owned by Mokin Development. Also looks like they found asbestos in the building in March. Mokin is under Regency Development Group. Found it on their site - 9 units all for sale and looks like 4 stories. It also looks like ground floor commercial/retail in the rendering? While not super dense, it is denser than what was there before and it's around a blue line stop. Also not too far up the road at about Huron and Milwaukee (but like Huron & Morgan) is where a 12 unit building was given a building permit in late January.

Shitty render. I'm sure it'll look better in real life
http://regencydevelopmentgroup.com/p...ed-chicago-il/

Mr Downtown · #**23664** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 12:39 AM**

I tried to get an overpass of the Rock Island tracks included when Roosevelt Collection was being designed (back then we thought there would be significant retail on the D2 parcel north of Target), but no go. When we were fighting about the British School last year, I tried to get a more terraced approach that would make the shopping more approachable from Printers Row, but you all know how that turned out.

I think the current owners don't even see access from the north as an issue. In their world everyone drives in from Roosevelt Road, or if they're really down and out (or employees) they walk up from the Red Line station at Roosevelt & State.

spyguy · #**23665** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 2:48 AM**

On Larrabee between Oak and Hobbie, there are two smaller developments:
1) 4 story condo project with 8 units, no retail
2) 6 story condo project with 9 units and ground floor retail

And on Sedgwick and Locust, there's a proposal for a 7 story, 40 unit development which would require the demolition of St. Dominic's.

---
Finally found a decent rendering of that project on Halsted and Lake:

Yeah

ardecila · #**23666** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 2:56 AM**

Yes, tear down one of the only buildings with historic character for 1/2 mi in any direction... great move.

spyguy · #**23667** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 3:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

Yes, tear down one of the only buildings with historic character for 1/2 mi in any direction... great move.

I don't know the exact details so I can't say for certain if it's true, but apparently a condition of the sale is that the church be demolished.

streetline · #**23668** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 3:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

I found the building permit for that - owned by Mokin Development. Also looks like they found asbestos in the building in March. Mokin is under Regency Development Group. Found it on their site - 9 units all for sale and looks like 4 stories. It also looks like ground floor commercial/retail in the rendering? While not super dense, it is denser than what was there before and it's around a blue line stop. Also not too far up the road at about Huron and Milwaukee (but like Huron & Morgan) is where a 12 unit building was given a building permit in late January.

Shitty render. I'm sure it'll look better in real life
...

Thanks, and Agreed. It's better than what's there, but given that it's a block from the first blue line station outside the loop, it could stand to be denser.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

On Larrabee between Oak and Hobbie, there are two smaller developments:
1) 4 story condo project with 8 units, no retail
2) 6 story condo project with 9 units and ground floor retail

And on Sedgwick and Locust, there's a proposal for a 7 story, 40 unit development which would require the demolition of St. Dominic's.

---
Finally found a decent rendering of that project on Halsted and Lake:
...
Yeah

Well, at least #1&2 are good news.
Not reusing that church is a real waste. I wish they'd just convert it and keep the rectory while building taller on the lot to the south. Does character and charm count for nothing in marketing a development?

...Oh, it's a condition of the sale... why would someone do that?

Rizzo · #**23669** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 4:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

I don't know the exact details so I can't say for certain if it's true, but apparently a condition of the sale is that the church be demolished.

That's very unfortunate if true. I walked by there yesterday. The church is a great building and would make a great residential conversion.

ardecila · #**23670** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 1:18 PM**

Or a restaurant, club, etc... It's not a masterpiece like St Boniface so I don't mind if they alter it heavily. It's also a touchstone to the neighborhood's Sicilian past, in the pre-Cabrini era (CHA named the rowhouses after Cabrini because she was Italian and did social work nearby).

HomrQT · #**23671** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 1:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

Yes, tear down one of the only buildings with historic character for 1/2 mi in any direction... great move.

Seriously, do people not want to live in remodeled older buildings anymore??

Kenmore · #**23672** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

some photos of Motorola's new space

http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...-global-hq.php

not too shabby

they've come a long way since the Harvard campus...looks cool.

Skyguy_7 · #**23673** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 2:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

I don't know the exact details so I can't say for certain if it's true, but apparently a condition of the sale is that the church be demolished.

Speaking of bad news for old churches; last week, I noticed the red "X" posted at St Boniface Church nearby. (Nobel and Chestnut)

An article about failed efforts to save it

Chi-Sky21 · #**23674** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 2:39 PM**

I always thought St Boniface would be perfect for the Polish Museum of America (2 blocks north) to take over and move into. It would be a shame to lose this building.

LouisVanDerWright · #**23675** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 3:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

Speaking of bad news for old churches; last week, I noticed the red "X" posted at St Boniface Church nearby. (Nobel and Chestnut)

The red X's don't mean anything other than "this building is vacant, do not enter in the event of a fire". They are there to warn firefighters that the building is vacant and secure and that they should not enter it to search for victims if the property is ablaze. Source: I have buildings that have the red X on them, the city is not tearing them down unless I start neglecting them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomrQT

Seriously, do people not want to live in remodeled older buildings anymore??

That has nothing to do with it. For some reason the seller is requiring it be torn down as a condition of sale. Even if that were not the case, it is incredibly expensive to try to slice and dice special use buildings like churches into new uses. It's not impossible, but it is often not economically feasible. Old factories, old residential buildings, old office buildings etc are all easy to repurpose because they were not built for a special use. Old Churches are inherently hard to use because they were so purpose built to be a large open space with no divisions. Pretty hard to divide a space purposely designed to not have partitions.

SamInTheLoop · #**23676** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 3:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

I think the current owners don't even see access from the north as an issue. In their world everyone drives in from Roosevelt Road, or if they're really down and out (or employees) they walk up from the Red Line station at Roosevelt & State.

What morons, if this is truly what they think (and all observational evidence suggests this and backs you up here that they in fact likely do think this way). In fact (I have no data at hand to back up, but this is my theory), I actually believe that you have a decidedly more affluent demographic on average that would be walking to RC (or at least part of time walking to RC) than those who only arrive by auto. Walking to RC - coming from any direction, with the N/NE being a major source....obviously for many, walking does mean the quickest route is in fact the Roosevelt entrance, but for an also sizeable proportion it does not.
Now, this is just the 'business' perspective here - my point is that I think the center is attracting sizeable numbers of lower/lower-middle income south and west siders, for the simple reason that there is very little in the way of proximate comparable (more or less 'urban lifestyle center/entertainment' retail) options for a very large population covering an also very large geographic area. And, arrival for this demographic I believe - despite numerous transit options - is likely largely by auto.

Again, this is just the 'smart' business perspective - but, on the other hand, if it were the case that the frequent/sometimes overall 'walk-to center' demographic - and just to the N/NE in particular - were not a 'target demographic', ie lower/lower-middle income profile, they should still have great pedestrian access north from RC - because, well, that's just how good cities work, and it's the right thing to do. The city should (should have) mandated that this was the case if the developer/current owner seemed disinclined to ensure this on their own (actually it should have been mandated, period - sometimes it is actually nothing that nudges one in the desired direction than a good 'ole mandate)....

At any rate, time and time again we come back to a core recurring theme: Dan 'McHackeffery' and little Clayton are not your sharpest real estate tools in this town........but, perhaps they'll do better at US Steel? (jk, of course!).....

And, before someone else mentions it, yes, as reported in Crain's this morning RC has landed Container Store, Banana Republic and Lululemon - and, no, this does not in any way vindicate 'McHackeffery' for its exceptionally awful overall observable performance at the center since buying it (but it is certainly good news nonetheless).....

Skyguy_7 · #**23677** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 4:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

The red X's don't mean anything other than "this building is vacant, do not enter in the event of a fire". They are there to warn firefighters that the building is vacant and secure and that they should not enter it to search for victims if the property is ablaze. Source: I have buildings that have the red X on them, the city is not tearing them down unless I start neglecting them.

Makes sense. I've been conditioned to believe X means demo because every time I've caught a teardown in progress, there was an X on the building. Ha.

Did anyone catch the fire along the Kennedy yesterday, at 955 W Grand? It was once the old "Gospel League Home," which has been for sale for quite some time. ..Enter vacant lot stage..

Loopy · #**23678** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 4:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

No. The 9th St underpass is the closest thing, but it seems to have stalled.

Do you know for sure whether the underpass had a sidewalk component?

Chi-Sky21 · #**23679** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 4:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

Did anyone catch the fire along the Kennedy yesterday, at 955 W Grand? It was once the old "Gospel League Home," which has been for sale for quite some time. ..Enter vacant lot stage..

I liked that building. Mighty convenient for it to have a fire i would say though.

LouisVanDerWright · #**23680** Posted **Apr 23, 2014, 4:32 PM**

^^^ Don't worry that was fake. See below. The building is actually in the process of being landmarked right now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

Did anyone catch the fire along the Kennedy yesterday, at 955 W Grand? It was once the old "Gospel League Home," which has been for sale for quite some time. ..Enter vacant lot stage..

Actually there was no fire there. I thought the same thing when I first saw that, but it turns out that was actually just an elaborate scene being filmed for Chicago Fire. They must be doing their jobs if they fooled so many people into thinking it was real. They had smoke machines and fire engines spraying the building and everything.