CHICAGO | General Developments

[the urban politician]

Maybe it's a silent attack on Chinese businesses?

[Via Chicago]

theyre just perceived as downmarket businesses. but i dont see how you legislate that away. if theres demand for higher use, than it will come organically. this whole notion that aldermen can wave a wand and magically all these high end restaurants will fill their ward is clearly misguided. its not a choice between a hipster restaurant and a nail salon. its a choice between a nail salon and a vacancy.

and honestly, if 5 nail salons can co-exist within a few blocks of each other, who am i to say thats not the best use of the space? clearly someone is patronizing them and pumping money into the economy.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by aaron38

...
This is a massive misunderstanding of how the economy works. Residents do have a say. They can frequent the businesses they like, and not patronize those they don't. If there is massive demand for sandwich shops, wine bars and art galleries on South Halsted, then those businesses will open and flourish. If there isn't demand, Halsted will sit empty.

By what mechanism does Ald. Thompson think blocking nail salons will magically bring art galleries into existence?
...

I don't understand it, either. I don't have a huge experience opening up retail businesses, but I have known a few people who opened or tried to open a retail shop on a high street and it just seemed ridiculously difficult to navigate all the rules and inspections and whatnot. I mean, I'm not an anarchist libertarian who believes all regulation is inherently evil, but it has to be practical and the regulations that exist should have clear value, and it should be straightforward to adhere to the regulations. Fire code, for example, has clear value. Food safety regulations have clear value. Either of those can still be overdone, but the basic idea of them is not really in dispute. But excess paperwork, and government agencies that can't inspect and sign off on things in a timely manner to more to kill businesses before they even start than too many nail salons ever did.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by bcp

picking on nail salons....get out of the damn way Thompson - wasn't this the area they were looking to downzone? We want great retail and low density! Good luck with that, unless they just want suburbia

No, that's was on 71st, this is yet another new assault on 100 level economics. Go see how that worked for Venezuela...

[aaron38]

Quick note on 71st street, from the article I referenced yesterday and didn't mention.

Ald. Leslie Hairston (7th) dropped a similar plan last month designed to block new convenience stores, nail shops and beauty supply stores from locating on 71st Street after a raucous ward meeting where residents expressed concerns that the move would block desired businesses and lower property values.

So show up at your local meetings and give 'em hell!

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Another little LG project, probably a six flat, crammed in behind PQM:

Further info to accompany the image posted by ithakas:
Protein Bar Founder’s Limitless Coffee Planning West Loop Flagship Shop

[FrankLloydWrong]

Spotted a soil testing rig in the parking lot on Milwaukee and Carpenter. Anybody have an idea of what it might be for?

Google map location for reference: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8952...2!8i6656?hl=en

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by FrankLloydWrong

Spotted a soil testing rig in the parking lot on Milwaukee and Carpenter. Anybody have an idea of what it might be for?

Google map location for reference: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8952...2!8i6656?hl=en

Can't find anything yet, but the 1 story building next to that parking lot is the offices for Landon Bone Baker architects. I'd be willing to bet if it was some new building, it would probably be some 5-7 story building.

That area is seeing a lot of movement in the last few years with a handful of buildings that have gone up or are going up totalling around 300 new units between Chicago Ave and Morgan. Not to mention the other 300+ around Grand and Milwaukee.

[emathias]

676 N Lasalle

676 N Lasalle project
by me, on Flickr

676 N Lasalle project
by me, on Flickr

[J_M_Tungsten]

710 W Grand
This one is really making an impact

[spyguy]

Elevate Lincoln Park
Elevate residential building under construction by Steven Vance, on Flickr

[harryc]

June 1

[harryc]

June 5


June 8

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Elevate Lincoln Park
Elevate residential building under construction by Steven Vance, on Flickr

I was taking a stroll on Lincoln last weekend and got a glimpse of this thing from Fullerton and Halsted. Holy moly this is so much bigger than I imagined it would be. And that made me very happy. That stretch of Lincoln needs a lot of people. It should be one of the premier bar and nightlife scenes in the city but it's kind of dead right now. I hope Elevate and the former hospital site revitalize this area.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

I was taking a stroll on Lincoln last weekend and got a glimpse of this thing from Fullerton and Halsted. Holy moly this is so much bigger than I imagined it would be. And that made me very happy. That stretch of Lincoln needs a lot of people. It should be one of the premier bar and nightlife scenes in the city but it's kind of dead right now. I hope Elevate and the former hospital site revitalize this area.

Remember that that stretch always feels quieter in the summer with DePaul out for the summer.

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by emathias

Remember that that stretch always feels quieter in the summer with DePaul out for the summer.

And like 4,000 fewer employees, patients, families, and guests of the hospital in the area.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

And like 4,000 fewer employees, patients, families, and guests of the hospital in the area.

Was just going to say the Children's memorial closing was a big blow to customer foot traffic. That's why the replacement should have been allowed way more units than what was approved.

[harryc]

May 26


June 3


June 10

[harryc]

But going nowhere in style !
June 10

[BrandonJXN]

What's going on on Halstead and Broadway?