CHICAGO | General Developments

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Lots of challenges in the modern world for pedestrian underpasses. They need really long slopes to meet ADA guidelines, so they end up dividing the park even more than the roads do. When the tunnels are lengthy, dank, or urine-scented, people don't like to use them. Just think about the ones under North Lake Shore Drive, at Buena or Addison or Roscoe or North Ave.

^ Do ADA guidelines need to be followed if they don't use federal funds?

I mean, crisscrossing the park for a disabled person would simply be achieved by crossing the existing streets. The underpasses are simply "icing on the cake", if you will.

[Kngkyle]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

The Grant Park Framework Plan recommends removing parking lanes from Columbus and standardizing lane widths at 11 feet, but actually expanding the hardscape (with special paving) for festival use.

This is a start, but they should cut a lane in each direction as well. As someone else mentioned - the road is almost always empty. That would reduce the road from 74' to 44'. The East-West roads could use a similar cut.

[Chi-Sky21]

I would get rid of Congress from Michigan to Columbus. Put Columbus on the road diet. And finally cover the tracks from at least Jackson to Balbo.

[Steely Dan]

screw pedestrian tunnels, if our city had the money i think a more ideal solution would be to road diet all streets running through GP and then depress the street intersections a bit and build large cruciform platforms over them that would serve as walkways to cross the intersections. and they would be heavily landscaped such that they would feel more like extensions of the park reaching up and over the intersections, effectively capping them. in between these intersection platforms i also envision intermediate mid-block pedestrian bridges like the BP bridge from millennium over to maggie daley (in concept, not necessarily design) to further connect the outdoor rooms of the park.

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

That plan only shrinks the road by 8'. It should be alot smaller. I never see hardly any traffic on Columbus. Its usually empty when I drive through there, I use it as a cuttoff to get around the LSD traffic and you can fly through there. But that's a terrible use for a park that I'd gladly loose. At most it needs 1 lane in each direction.

I'd agree. I also would be slightly skeptical about doing away with the parking at the park. At least full time. Honestly for those that are in the cars that just want to go spend 10 minutes by the fountain they don't to take the L or take 2 buses just go to visit.

I say reduce the Columbus down to one lane going each way. A turning lane. Either the West or East side have street parking. A bike lane. That's it. Make all a hard scape w/special paving and only allow low speeds for going through.

[rlw777]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

The Grant Park Framework Plan recommends removing parking lanes from Columbus and standardizing lane widths at 11 feet, but actually expanding the hardscape (with special paving) for festival use.

width change would be nice. If there is a need for hardscape festival space they should make it part of capping the Metra tracks not removing greenery. Actually that could be really cool having a long promenade between Balbo and Jackson. Useful space for taste of Chicago etc.

[ChickeNES]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

That's really nice!

I wish we could see more things like this in the West and South Loop: modest projects that are modern interpretations of Chicago's great heritage of industrial architecture. New construction loft projects that look and work like real lofts!

Do we know who the architect is?

Perhaps it is GREC? Reminds me of their proposal for the hotel in Hyde Park:

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Lots of challenges in the modern world for pedestrian underpasses. They need really long slopes to meet ADA guidelines, so they end up dividing the park even more than the roads do. When the tunnels are lengthy, dank, or urine-scented, people don't like to use them. Just think about the ones under North Lake Shore Drive, at Buena or Addison or Roscoe or North Ave.

A simple switchback ramp should satisfy ADA regs so that's a bit of a canard.

[Busy Bee]

Well I'll just reiterate what I said a few days ago. Columbus could be removed completely with little to no traffic impact. Quit fuckin around, get the dozers and rip it up. No one will miss it and will make a huge impact on unifying and predestrianizing Grant.

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Well I'll just reiterate what I said a few days ago. Columbus could be removed completely with little to no traffic impact. Quit fuckin around, get the dozers and rip it up. No one will miss it and will make a huge impact on unifying and predestrianizing Grant.

I'd add Congress east to Columbus, maybe either Jackson or Monroe as well.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by ithakas

Soil testing rig at Milwaukee/Western TOD site today.

Which one? Lol

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by spyguy

845 W Madison looks pretty good (nice find, Sam!). I can't really tell what corner we're looking at in the rendering, but does this building actually cover the entire block? I'm also curious about timing, because it seemed as if they were looking for someone to sublease the current H2O building for a few years.



They're too busy worrying about 111 S Peoria. I hesitate to post a NIMBY website, but it does show the latest design: http://111speoria.com/

There were a number of whiny NIMBY's at plan commission. The project was of course approved.

There were a number of people complaining about the dangers of crossing the street with their children (clasp the pearls). There were others complaining about the height, even though it's been reduced from 170' to about 115' or so feet. Others were talking about the density, even though that's been changed from about 200 rental to like 75 condos.

It was of course, APPROVED.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Columbus could be removed completely

Where would you put the festivals?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Where would you put the festivals?

Put them next to the circus tents, of course

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Where would you put the festivals?

On a pedestrian esplanade built tough enough to handle the wear and tear of hosting a handful of festivals per year. I'd love to see something cobbled or a pulverized crushed granite like the Champ de Mars or the National Mall.

[marothisu]

For something different - Whole Foods just announced that they were going to build a facility (not a store) in Pullman next to the Method facility, with 150 new jobs. Method's facility has 100 jobs, and the CTA announced last week that it was going to be building some of the 800+ new train cars a few miles south of that in Pullman.

Good news - wonder how the real estate/apartment market will go in that area for all the new workers. Great to see.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

On a pedestrian esplanade built tough enough to handle the wear and tear of hosting a handful of festivals per year. I'd love to see something cobbled or a pulverized crushed granite like the Champ de Mars or the National Mall.

Yeah, Columbus would not be removed, just closed to traffic and the pavement replaced with a more suitable hardscape. Please god, not more Unilock.

You could probably leave the segment north of Monroe as a distributor, and because that section of the park has already been totally redesigned around a Columbus Drive canyon.

Interesting that you mention the festivals... the city seems to do just fine every year during Taste of Chicago and Lollapalooza. Ultimately you probably do want to connect Congress to Lake Shore Drive somehow, so maybe you depress LSD at Queen's Landing and build a short tunnel under Buckingham Fountain to link with Congress.

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Which one? Lol

This one!



So stoked to see this lot developed, since I live right up the street. Now every blue line stop up to Logan has its own TOD project going.

[LouisVanDerWright]

^^^ There's actually three TOD projects in the works at Logan Square, two of which haven't been discussed much here. There is a city plan (was originally being pushed by Colon, so who knows now that Rosa is in charge) to redevelop the heinous parking lot behind the bus turnaround into a 5-7 story building. There is also a plan to knock down the old Pierre's bakery at Spaulding where they hold the farmers market in the winter. That would also be a 5 story TOD.

And of course there is the Mega Mall redevelopment which has been discussed thoroughly.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Ultimately you probably do want to connect Congress to Lake Shore Drive somehow...

That connection already exists.

Lower Wacker.