CHICAGO | General Developments

[msu2001la]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

Are you fucking kidding me

http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/4/29/...-wrecking-ball

Wow, terrible.

That is a great building that should be re-purposed, not torn down (for no apparent reason).

I don't understand how our city allows this to happen.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Ameya Pawar just might be my favorite aldreman in the city

To Keep Small-Town Feel, Lincoln Square Needs To Get Bigger, Alderman Says

Source: https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016...eds-get-bigger

Ald Pewar gets it and have proven himself multiple times to be a defender of pedestrian friendly and urban principles.

Other enlightened alderman include Joe Moreno (1st), Pat Dowell (3rd) and John Arena (45th). If only the rest of the city council would lead instead of cower to obstructionism while ignoring larger trends that Pewar so eloquently laid out. Lincoln Square in particular is in the midst of a major demographic shift and the now widespread conversion trend of two and three flats into single family homes is eviscerating affordable apartments in this neighborhood and in others nearby while contributing to a continuing cycle of population decline.

[Via Chicago]

i love how we never hear about this stuff until theres literally a hole in the wall. of course thats the entire point.

how in the world is this building not rated or subject to a demo hold?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

i love how we never hear about this stuff until theres literally a hole in the wall. of course thats the entire point.

how in the world is this building not rated or subject to a demo hold?

Someone on this forum actually posted about it a week or so ago as the permit was issued back then for it.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Someone on this forum actually posted about it a week or so ago as the permit was issued back then for it.

right, because 7 days is enough time for any sort of viable public response to be mounted, outside of a post on a niche development forum

[harryc]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

Are you fucking kidding me

http://chicago.curbed.com/2016/4/29/...-wrecking-ball

[Via Chicago]

its just crazy to me looking at these demo pics....like how easily could this have been turned into lofts/open floorplan offices...

[UrbanLibertine]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Someone on this forum actually posted about it a week or so ago as the permit was issued back then for it.

Ah ha, somebody here actually does read my posts (aside from the guys on Curbed)

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

right, because 7 days is enough time for any sort of viable public response to be mounted, outside of a post on a niche development forum

You missed my point. My point was about someone telling how people on this forum don't find out about things until after they've happened. In this case, while it was just a week, it was still posted about a week or so ago for us.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

its just crazy to me looking at these demo pics....like how easily could this have been turned into lofts/open floorplan offices...

But that would cost a shit ton of money, and thus the rents would have to be high to make it all work. That would be horrible and immoral.

It's better to demolish and keep property values in the area low, to keep the neighborhood affordable.

In the spirit of preserving affordability, I'm in favor of demolition!

.....but anyhow, in all seriousness, we discussed this last week and already had our chance to lament its loss. I'm surprised it wasn't orange rated and thus triggered the demolition hold

[Chicago Shawn]

^Yep, not Orange rated. As dumb as it may sound, my guess is the glass block windows knocked it further down the historic survey list because the windows were an alteration. The building is pretty much intact otherwise.

[Ned.B]

^I posted about this issue back when the Presbyterian Hospital started demolition. The historic survey of the city really needs to be updated and revisited, as many more buildings are now eligible, and some may have been misclassified. For instance there is a largely intact George Maher house in Lakeview that is only rated yellow as well. Only reason I can figure is that the porch has been glassed in and the second floor cladding may not be original. But nothing that could not be reversed and yet the building can be torn down at anytime.

Similar thing almost happened on Burton Place, and now that house in on it's way to being part of a Landmark District.

[the urban politician]

^ The only consolation is that, in this part of town, this lot won't remain vacant for long. Almost certainly a developer is going to build something here

[PKDickman]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

^Yep, not Orange rated. As dumb as it may sound, my guess is the glass block windows knocked it further down the historic survey list because the windows were an alteration. The building is pretty much intact otherwise.

Actually, these big bank buildings are under-represented in the CHRS.

There are only about 50 listed and a third of those are downtown.
Who knows what kind of political sh!t went on when they did the survey.

[Ned.B]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ The only consolation is that, in this part of town, this lot won't remain vacant for long. Almost certainly a developer is going to build something here

I have a suspicion that this will be used only to expand the already enormous parking lot next door that serves the Plumbers Union.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by Ned.B

I have a suspicion that this will be used only to expand the already enormous parking lot next door that serves the Plumbers Union.

yea id like to be optimistic but lets be real here. this is the same city that knocked down the Stock Exchange only to have it sit as a rubble strewn lot in the middle of the loop for the past 15 years. all it takes is one real estate pullback (which is going to happen sooner or later) and we're stuck with another self inflicted gaping wound in our urban fabric.

[prelude91]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

yea id like to be optimistic but lets be real here. this is the same city that knocked down the Stock Exchange only to have it sit as a rubble strewn lot in the middle of the loop for the past 15 years. all it takes is one real estate pullback (which is going to happen sooner or later) and we're stuck with another self inflicted gaping wound in our urban fabric.

Outside a handful of neighborhoods, people just don't care about preservation in this city. There is also the issue of how expensive it is to rehab old buildings, Chicago just doesn't have the demand to make saving these buildings feasible.

I really hate so many aspects of this city...

[LaSalle.St.Station]

If only we had some city department that could coordinate new development and it's integration into the existing building stock and when needed preservation of that building stock.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by prelude91

Chicago just doesn't have the demand to make saving these buildings feasible.

thats simply not true. the renaissance in Fulton Market, River North, River West along Milwaukee Ave, and all sorts of other places bears this out. i dont get the impression the owners of this building had any interest whatsoever in preservation regardless of the building's potential. it dosent take demand, it takes a will and someone who gives a sh*t...something sorely lacking in this city as of late.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by prelude91

Outside a handful of neighborhoods, people just don't care about preservation in this city. There is also the issue of how expensive it is to rehab old buildings, Chicago just doesn't have the demand to make saving these buildings feasible.

I really hate so many aspects of this city...

Friggin A, with the hyperbole.

There will be demolitions, guys. Get over it.

But at lease in the parts of town not dependent on public subsidies, a lot--a fucking lot--of properties are being renovated and seeing a new light. You guys are just fixating on bad news.

The south and west sides are a different story (at least in certain sizable chunks of those areas)