CHICAGO | General Developments

[BrinChi]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Wow that's pretty cool. Plus they could have organized all the boat tour kiosks, boat and bike rentals and concessions in the ground level of those buildings.

Yeah that looks much much better. Too late at this point?

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

You guys are right, its a beautiful piece of infrastructure. No problem here. Who am I to complain of the aesthetics of a triple decker behemoth built to highway visual standards in the postcard view of the river mouth. Those guys back in the twenties really overthought the original beaux-arts Wacker Drive design, they could have saved alot of money and built it to 1970's standards - no one would know the better.

And quite tasty too:
https://twitter.com/studiogang/statu...rc=twsrc%5Etfw

Speaking of Upper Wacker, have the proposed changes to 111 E Wacker been brought up at all? Pretty major a change from what exists now and how the building meets the ground.

[Arm&Kedzie]

Originally Posted by ithakas

I think the new wave of West Loop office workers will be prime candidates for the TOD projects going up along the blue line. It's just a quick jaunt to these office sites from the Grand blue line. The pedestrian experience going south from Grand down Green Street could be improved though...

We might also see the Ashland corridor from Madison to Grand grow a bit denser with residential.

I would love to see the West Loop push development down the green line, while Logan square and Wicker park push south. Would create a pretty a large swath of thriving neighborhoods extending from 90/94 to 290 and Kimball in the West. If I had spare money I would be buying properties in south Humboldt park and North East Garfield Park right now.

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by spyguy

While Illinois Center certainly could use some Spanish Steps or other renovations to lift it from being a moribund (if elegant) island in a booming area, I think purists might get a jolt from this change. Even if not by Mies, there are certain basic proportions and lines that are essential to the building's and plaza's design. This render introduces a bit of cacaphony; however if it significantly livens up this stretch of riverfront and ties these areas together maybe it should be considered.

[ardecila]

^ I guess that replaces the old Houlihan's space. I can't say I ever wanted to walk down some steps into that bunker to grab a bite to eat...

This new plan produces a far more inviting retail space, certainly, while being reasonably respectful of the original design but, you know, God is in the details... Somehow I doubt the glass enclosure will have any of the elegance of the original.

I've always been fond of the open loggias in Mies' towers, even if they don't make money.

[streetline]

Originally Posted by ithakas

I think the new wave of West Loop office workers will be prime candidates for the TOD projects going up along the blue line. It's just a quick jaunt to these office sites from the Grand blue line. The pedestrian experience going south from Grand down Green Street could be improved though...

Have you walked down Green st in the last month or so? It's just gotten some nice wide new sidewalks and street lights in the gap between Kinzie and the railroad where there were previously none of either. It's much more walkable now.

Plus the old rail freight station is being worked on, and I've heard there are things in the works for the southeast corner of Kinzie and Green as well as Coyne and it's parking lot. Hopefully, those few blocks along Halsted and Green will be a bit less barren in the near future.

[marothisu]

The redevelopment project for the old Henry Horner Homes on Near West side appear to be under way - aka West Haven between Van Buren/I-290, Lake, Damen, Western, and Ashland.

There were 18 permits issued for renovations of 18 buildings just south of Lake between Damen and Maypole (total of 181 units + another permit for a SFH) and south of there another 12 permits issued for 12 buildings and another 75 units between Adams and Van Buren. There were also two new buildings on vacant lots issued for 6 new units at Leavitt & Adams and a new storage building in the general area.

http://www.newcommunities.org/commun...communityID=13

[PKDickman]

Originally Posted by marothisu

The redevelopment project for the old Henry Horner Homes on Near West side appear to be under way - aka West Haven between Van Buren/I-290, Lake, Damen, Western, and Ashland.

There were 17 permits issued for renovations of 17 buildings just south of Lake between Damen and Maypole (total of 171 units + another permit for a SFH) and south of there another 12 permits issued for another 75 units between Adams and Van Buren. There were also two new buildings on vacant lots issued for 6 new units at Leavitt & Adams and a new storage building in the general area.

They were all CHA but are being converted to mixed income.
They are re-configuring them from townhomes to flats to create larger accessible units on the ground floor.

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en...partments.html

[SolarWind]

September 8, 2016

[SolarWind]

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[SolarWind]

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[SolarWind]

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[SolarWind]

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[SolarWind]

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[SolarWind]

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[SolarWind]

September 9, 2016

[SolarWind]

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[SolarWind]

September 12, 2016

[the urban politician]

^ This thing is atrocious

[Mr Downtown]

^In what way? Just because you wish it was a little bit taller? Wish it was a baller? Wish it had a girl so you could call her?

On a random lot in Pilsen or Avondale or North Lawndale you'd say it was good infill, better than a parking lot. Not every parcel—even downtown—needs to have an FAR of 16.