CHICAGO | General Developments

[munchymunch]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

NBC Nightly News just confirmed the Presidential Library is going to Chicago, "near the UofC campus."

Beat me to it......

[nergie]

All:

As a frequent user of the Pedway wanted to know:

1. Why are not all the sections connected?

2. Why is it not growing in size, wonderful opportunity to further integrate downtown.

3. This is a tangible improvement Rahm can effect downtown, maybe he can look to Toronto, Montreal and other cities with larger systems

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

NBC Nightly News just confirmed the Presidential Library is going to Chicago, "near the UofC campus."

Awesome news..

[HowardL]

Originally Posted by nergie

All:

As a frequent user of the Pedway wanted to know:

1. Why are not all the sections connected?

2. Why is it not growing in size, wonderful opportunity to further integrate downtown.

3. This is a tangible improvement Rahm can effect downtown, maybe he can look to Toronto, Montreal and other cities with larger systems

My impression is that the pedway is from an earlier era when the Loop was a little down and out. It was an attempt to soften what was then a rough around the edges core.

Now it is only thought about when the winter temperatures are painful.

As a human, would I rather walk down an animated, lively street full of other humans or through twisting passageways that mildly smell of pee-pee and are populated by the occasional derelict and those weird religious types with their pop-up salvation stands?

[ardecila]

Not exactly, depends where you are. The pedway through Illinois Center is really where all the retail is. The Thompson Center food court is pretty well used too.

The pedway is fairly well-used where it connects to underground rail stations or parking garages, but there's little reason to use it elsewhere. The city should probably focus more on filling the missing links... Clearing out the basement of City-County, for example, so people can walk from the Daley Center to the Thompson Center. An investment in pedways should also be made at Jackson to connect the Red and Blue Lines to the Library station on the Loop, another investment at State/Lake to connect to the Red Line, etc. These would be fare-paid zones, so not part of the general Pedway.

[nergie]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Not exactly, depends where you are. The pedway through Illinois Center is really where all the retail is. The Thompson Center food court is pretty well used too.

The pedway is fairly well-used where it connects to underground rail stations or parking garages, but there's little reason to use it elsewhere. The city should probably focus more on filling the missing links... Clearing out the basement of City-County, for example, so people can walk from the Daley Center to the Thompson Center. An investment in pedways should also be made at Jackson to connect the Red and Blue Lines to the Library station on the Loop, another investment at State/Lake to connect to the Red Line, etc. These would be fare-paid zones, so not part of the general Pedway.

I agree that as a first step the missing links should be filled in. I was recently in Montreal and Toronto and think those are great examples of what the Pedway could become. Why not connect Olgalvie, Union Station, Block 37 and other key pts. How about giving access from the river walk. Just some thoughts.

[Rizzo]

I use the pedway system regularly and it would be nice if the connection was better through the City-County building. Also wish you could still get from the Dunne building to Chase Tower. Apparently they were connected at one time in recent history

[brian_b]

The pedway is generally made up of a bunch of privately built and maintained segments. When a developer builds a new building downtown, they can get project bonuses by adding a new segment of the pedway on their property, assuming it is built and operated according to some standards that make sure that the whole thing acts as a single element.

The reason it isn't growing quickly or in places people would like is really because the land above the pedway needs to be redeveloped to give the property owner an incentive to build each segment.

[wierdaaron]

Pedways are usually nice within the buildings they were built for, it's the connections between them where things fall apart. And "pedway" means different things. Places like IL Center and AON building, pedway means indoor shopping retail plaza. Other parts of town, pedway means place where you're pretty sure you're going to be murdered and nobody will find your body for weeks. The only sense of unification amongst the whole system is the compas-rose official symbol that appears on some signage but not all signage, making the whole thing feel too much like a cave exploration adventure film than it needs to.

I think the city just isn't focused on it right now, and the last time they spent a bunch of money building stuff underground (block 37) it was a huge waste.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by brian_b

The reason it isn't growing quickly or in places people would like is really because the land above the pedway needs to be redeveloped to give the property owner an incentive to build each segment.

Building pedway connections is really only one way to get density bonuses. I believe the planning staff discourages this nowadays, because they suck life off the street, just like they discourage office towers from stepping back on plazas (although some developers still build plazas as an amenity).

The only recent pedway construction has been in Lakeshore East, where Magellan and other developers are required to add certain pedway connections in each of the new towers under the terms of the existing PD. The residents of Lakeshore East are very vocal about the pedway, so they haven't allowed Magellan to wriggle out of their obligations as each new tower gets built.

[trvlr70]

Apparently, the Ritz-Carlton Chicago is dropping its Four Seasons affiliation and joining the actual Ritz Carlton Hotel Group as a full member in August. When the hotel was built in 1975, it licensed the Ritz name before there was a Ritz Carlton chain. But then in 1977, the hotel joined the Four Seasons group. Part of the licensing agreement specified that as long as the hotel kept it's name, no other hotels with the Ritz-Carlton name were allowed to operate in the Chicago metro. Right now, the hotel is known as the "Ritz-Carlton Chicago (a Four Seasons Hotel)". And what makes it even more confusing is that the Four Seasons Chicago hotel is just up the street. Get that?

What makes this deal interesting is that after August, it legally opens up development for Ritz Carlton to operate another hotel in the city. In the same token, Four Seasons, which had successfully operated 2 hotels in the city, is now down to one property. For a city the size of Chicago, it would be reasonable for a luxury brand to operate more than one hotel in the city.

Of course, my fantasy would be that either hotel group would buy the distressed Congress Hotel on Michigan Avenue which has so much potential but is currently an embarrassment to the city. And to a lesser extent, The Drake, which is Chicago's "grand dame" ..... but could really use some love.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Building pedway connections is really only one way to get density bonuses. I believe the planning staff discourages this nowadays, because they suck life off the street, just like they discourage office towers from stepping back on plazas (although some developers still build plazas as an amenity).

The only recent pedway construction has been in Lakeshore East, where Magellan and other developers are required to add certain pedway connections in each of the new towers under the terms of the existing PD. The residents of Lakeshore East are very vocal about the pedway, so they haven't allowed Magellan to wriggle out of their obligations as each new tower gets built.

FYI, Wanda Tower is going to include a very sizable extension of the Pedway (including direct access from the Pedway to LSE park) and also will open up all the towers to the East to the rest of the Pedway system to the West. Many of those buildings already have pedway-like corridors passing through their garages.

[sloop.chi]

Originally Posted by trvlr70

Apparently, the Ritz-Carlton Chicago is dropping its Four Seasons affiliation and joining the actual Ritz Carlton Hotel Group as a full member in August. When the hotel was built in 1975, it licensed the Ritz name before there was a Ritz Carlton chain. But then in 1977, the hotel joined the Four Seasons group. Part of the licensing agreement specified that as long as the hotel kept it's name, no other hotels with the Ritz-Carlton name were allowed to operate in the Chicago metro. Right now, the hotel is known as the "Ritz-Carlton Chicago (a Four Seasons Hotel)". And what makes it even more confusing is that the Four Seasons Chicago hotel is just up the street. Get that?

What makes this deal interesting is that after August, it legally opens up development for Ritz Carlton to operate another hotel in the city. In the same token, Four Seasons, which had successfully operated 2 hotels in the city, is now down to one property. For a city the size of Chicago, it would be reasonable for a luxury brand to operate more than one hotel in the city.

Of course, my fantasy would be that either hotel group would buy the distressed Congress Hotel on Michigan Avenue which has so much potential but is currently an embarrassment to the city. And to a lesser extent, The Drake, which is Chicago's "grand dame" ..... but could really use some love.

Definitely agree on Congress. Am hopeful the owners start investing money since the strike has ended.

[wierdaaron]

Good news re: the ritz. I had a family member who worked at a Ritz Carlton and it was always a bummer that the friends & family benefits didn't include the Chicago location because it was a RINO. I've heard the brand has been suffering lately, though, so who knows if this is desperation or boldness.

Agree too on Congress Hotel. I got to see the inside a while ago when some visitors stayed there, and it was a total cringe-fest. It would need to be completely gutted and rebuilt for luxury, but the location has always been great and can only get better as the park improves and life comes back to the loop.

[tintinex]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Good news re: the ritz. I had a family member who worked at a Ritz Carlton and it was always a bummer that the friends & family benefits didn't include the Chicago location because it was a RINO. I've heard the brand has been suffering lately, though, so who knows if this is desperation or boldness.

Agree too on Congress Hotel. I got to see the inside a while ago when some visitors stayed there, and it was a total cringe-fest. It would need to be completely gutted and rebuilt for luxury, but the location has always been great and can only get better as the park improves and life comes back to the loop.

I have a ton of friends and acquaintances coming and staying at the congress for the International Mr Leather contest this Memorial day weekend which is being held at the congress this year..Many of us locals are cringing at the location since this will be the impression on thousands of visitors from around the world

[the urban politician]

Too bad some of Chicago's top hotels (Four Seasons and Peninsula) look like such crap from the exterior

[marothisu]

Great news regarding the hotels. I hope there's another nice property build or renovated by them. The Congress Hotel would be a great one, though it might be too big for them in Chicago IMO. Probably would go with something smaller.

[Mr Downtown]

I don't see the Congress as a good location for a luxury hotel flag. The folks staying in a Ritz or Four Seasons will want proximity to Mag Mile shopping and trendy restaurants more than they'll want to see Buckingham Fountain or walk to the Shedd Aquarium with the kids.

[marothisu]

Some building permits issued yesterday for 815 S Lawndale and 915 S Lawndale areas for 8 new 2 story residential buildings. 52 total units. Looks like it's adding onto Homan Square (The Shaw Company and Fitzgerald are behind this).

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Agree too on Congress Hotel. I got to see the inside a while ago when some visitors stayed there, and it was a total cringe-fest. It would need to be completely gutted and rebuilt for luxury, but the location has always been great and can only get better as the park improves and life comes back to the loop.

^ The Congress is beautiful, lots of potential.