CHICAGO | General Developments

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

This will be fun to watch, it's not every day that Chicago gets a new construction religious building. Also, the Mormons are known for putting buku bucks into their churches, I wouldn't be surprised to see lavish detailing and real traditional materials like stone or Terra cotta here. Think what you want about religion or the Mormons in particular, but I don't think for a moment that seeing a community like this invest in a community anchor downtown will be anything but positive.

I'm also excited about the streetwall being restored on this block. Three independent developments all going to the lot lines (pretty sure the townhomes come up to the Clark sidewalk).

[UrbanLibertine]

Also, Rothschild Liquors at Chicago and Ashland is getting a renovation and more units (I think they're adding another floor)

[SamInTheLoop]

Word is that among the flurry of new schools that CPS now has in the works for the next few years is one in the South Loop on the block between the Colombia media production facility on State and Mariano's as well as the warehouse building that is now being demolished..........don't have any details on it, but what ever it is, if it's a public school between kindergarten and college, it is sorely needed indeed.....

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Word is that among the flurry of new schools that CPS now has in the works for the next few years is one in the South Loop on the block between the Colombia media production facility on State and Mariano's as well as the warehouse building that is now being demolished..........don't have any details on it, but what ever it is, if it's a public school between kindergarten and college, it is sorely needed indeed.....

Again, this whole thing is absurd when National Teachers Academy is below capacity in a brand new, well-equipped building just two blocks away from the planned site.

Racial politics are the only reason why South Loop has a "school capacity problem".

Meanwhile schools elsewhere in the city that are actually overcrowded get nothing...

[UrbanLibertine]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Again, this whole thing is absurd when National Teachers Academy is below capacity in a brand new, well-equipped building just two blocks away from the planned site.

Racial politics are the only reason why South Loop has a "school capacity problem".

Meanwhile schools elsewhere in the city that are actually overcrowded get nothing...

Well said!

[harryc]

North on Wells - across the street from Hooters
5/11

[harryc]

5/26

[MultiModal]

Does anyone know what is going on at 615 N Wabash Ave? Just south of Pizzaria Due. There has been activity on the site for the last 2-3 weeks. Last I saw there was a proposal for a two story restaurant.

[Skyguy_7]

With Power involved, you'd think it would be something bigger than a 2-story restaurant, but I did a quick permit search and that's exactly what it shows.

[Skyguy_7]

http://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2...-gets-serious/

Tower crane coming to Pioneer Court, which will be a sight to behold. Man, this store is going to be so great, not only for bringing people to that side of the riverbank, but to put the Riverwalk, on the opposite side, front and center.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Again, this whole thing is absurd when National Teachers Academy is below capacity in a brand new, well-equipped building just two blocks away from the planned site.

Racial politics are the only reason why South Loop has a "school capacity problem".

Meanwhile schools elsewhere in the city that are actually overcrowded get nothing...

If you want to be even more depressed, try a FOIA request on the contract that CPS signed with AUSL to run NTA Elementary. There's a lot of public money to be diverted if you make sure "turnaround schools" like NTA (and a dozen more like it on the south side) never get any better.

[msu2001la]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Guys, this isn't a TOD location. They are building the parking that is required by zoning, and only what is required.

Even if there was somehow a loophole that allowed them to reduce parking, this is not a great transit location. Almost a mile to the Red Line plus two bus lines that don't go downtown. Maybe if there was a Clybourn bus... but there ain't. Somewhat walkable to Metra, but still not within the TOD radius.

Plus this area SUCKS for walkability. Shitty strip malls on Clybourn are pretty much the only retail, and then a handful of scattershot bars and restaurants with weird hours.

Agreed.
It is interesting to see residential development at this intersection. I can't imagine living there.

That intersection and everything South and West of it absolutely SUCKS for walkability, but walk just a few blocks to the east and it's great.

It's just a 10 min. walk to Webster/Racine. 10 minute walk to Wrightwood Park. 15 minute walk to DePaul Campus, plus the Fullerton bus makes Red Line commuting downtown feasible and as you note, it's just steps from Metra. While living right at that intersection definitely sucks, it's not as challenged for transit as it seems.

There is also a new(ish) 4 story rental apartment building on Fullerton between Ashland and Clybourn, directly across from the gas station. My guess is that this is an attractive option for DePaul students who want to be walking distance from campus.

[VKChaz]

Originally Posted by msu2001la

Agreed.
It is interesting to see residential development at this intersection. I can't imagine living there.

That intersection and everything South and West of it absolutely SUCKS for walkability, but walk just a few blocks to the east and it's great.

It's just a 10 min. walk to Webster/Racine. 10 minute walk to Wrightwood Park. 15 minute walk to DePaul Campus, plus the Fullerton bus makes Red Line commuting downtown feasible and as you note, it's just steps from Metra. While living right at that intersection definitely sucks, it's not as challenged for transit as it seems.

There is also a new(ish) 4 story rental apartment building on Fullerton between Ashland and Clybourn, directly across from the gas station. My guess is that this is an attractive option for DePaul students who want to be walking distance from campus.

I suspect the target market would include those wanting access to the Kennedy

[marothisu]

Apartment conversion on tap above Miller's Pub in Loop

After buying the 12-story office building at 30 E. Adams St. in March, Cedar Street is drawing up plans to convert it into 176 apartments, said Alex Samoylovich, managing partner of the firm. Fans of Miller's Pub needn't worry: The restaurant and bar, which opened there in 1935, is staying put, he said.

Yet Samoylovich is convinced his newest property will be able to differentiate itself from its high-rise competitors by offering lower rents and historic charm.

“It will set us apart from the typical high-rise cookie-cutter construction,” he said. “You really get that authentic feel in adaptive reuse buildings.”

Designed by Alfred Alschuler, the building, also known as the Hartman Building, opened in 1925. It was about 50 percent occupied when Cedar Street bought it, but the office tenants are moving out to make way for the conversion, which Samoylovich aims to begin in about nine months. The project, which will cost about $40 million, will take 12 to 18 months, he said.

Cedar Street can turn the building into apartments under its current zoning, so it doesn't need the blessing of the Chicago City Council.

Apartments in the Loop project will be small, about 500 square feet on average, but not small enough to be considered “microapartments,” Samoylovich said. As a result, Cedar Street will be able to keep its rents down, ranging from $1,600 to $2,200 per month, he said.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...rsion-by-cedar

[Via Chicago]

i wouldnt exactly call 2200/month a steal for whats probably going to be a glorified dorm room

[Mr Downtown]

^Not sure why you think they'll be "glorified dorm rooms." The floor plates are pretty large (13,000 sf), and there's windowline on all four sides (though the north side looks straight into Palmer House sleeping rooms). Even when my office was in the building, I could see it was a natural for residential conversion.

The building has a pretty cool 1950s (I'd actually say final gasp of Deco) lobby, and in the lobby passageway to Miller's, a couple of the original elevator doors from the 20s are preserved. Walk through this week, before it's remuddled or closed to nonresidents.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^Not sure why you think they'll be "glorified dorm rooms." The floor plates are pretty large (13,000 sf), and there's windowline on all four sides (though the north side looks straight into Palmer House sleeping rooms). Even when my office was in the building, I could see it was a natural for residential conversion.

The building has a pretty cool 1950s (I'd actually say final gasp of Deco) lobby, and in the lobby passageway to Miller's, a couple of the original elevator doors from the 20s are preserved. Walk through this week, before it's remuddled or closed to nonresidents.

nm, misread that quote that they WOULD be micro-apartments.

i do think its kind of sad to lose more of these lower rent office spaces though. some of the cooler places ive visited in this city were tucked away on the 10th floor or whatever of some random old-school highrise, and were practically time capsules. it adds diversity to the business mix in the core. but definitely glad theyre being adaptively reused

[marothisu]

The apartments won't be microapartments, and on average 500 sq ft meaning there could be some that are bigger. The low end of the quoted rent was also $1600/mo. $2200 was the higher end, which would be larger units as they aren't micro units. I'm actually liking this - it is a cool building, and the Loop has been adding more residents and also I think needs some more to turn it into more of a 24 hour (or 20 hour) neighborhood with business that stays open later than just 7pm or 8pm.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

nm, misread that quote that they WOULD be micro-apartments.

i do think its kind of sad to lose more of these lower rent office spaces though. some of the cooler places ive visited in this city were tucked away on the 10th floor or whatever of some random old-school highrise, and were practically time capsules. it adds diversity to the business mix in the core. but definitely glad theyre being adaptively reused

It's inevitable that vintage medium and small class c buildings are attractive conversion targets in this market. Just be happy they aren't teardowns.

[MultiModal]

Originally Posted by k1052

It's inevitable that vintage medium and small class c buildings are attractive conversion targets in this market. Just be happy they aren't teardowns.

It's true. The class C office market in the central loop is shrinking significantly due to conversions. That's why rates for class C office's have skyrocketed in the past 2-3 years. Also, I know of one more class C office building that will be converted to apartments that is under contract right now in the loop.