CHICAGO | General Developments

[wchicity]

Originally Posted by 10023

Question guys...

Presumably Northwestern owns the entirely undeveloped block bounded by Huron, Erie, McClurg Ct and Fairbanks in Streeterville? Are there any plans for it?

It would be amazing for some friendly billionaire to buy that, donate it to a non-profit and turn it into a park and public square. There are none anywhere near there (at least not decent ones). Chicago desperately needs more neighborhood parks/squares of meaningful size (like 5-10 acres) away from its big lakefront parks. And actual parks, not another stupid baseball diamond. While the immediately surrounding land is medical, there are a lot of residents in that neighborhood these days.

I could be wrong, but I believe they are holding this lot for when the time comes to build a brand new main hospital, to replace the one they have across Fairbanks. Although I'd much rather see it be developed ASAP, its not very often they come across such a large lot needed for a project with the size and scope of a completely brand new hospital.

[moorhosj]

Here's where the real estate market has been hottest in 2018

These are places where three primary signs of a strong market all showed improvement over the same time a year ago: More homes are selling, at higher prices, and faster, on average, than they were in the first quarter of 2017.

Chicago houses:

• Calumet Heights

• Gage Park

• West Ridge

Chicago condos and townhouses:

• Grand Boulevard

• Kenwood

• Lincoln Square

[Jibba]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Wait, you need a zoning change for that?

Not a hard zoning change (like Type 1). Probably a special use.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

Here's where the real estate market has been hottest in 2018



Chicago houses:

• Calumet Heights

• Gage Park

• West Ridge

Chicago condos and townhouses:

• Grand Boulevard

• Kenwood

• Lincoln Square

Nice to see some southside neighborhoods seeing an uptick.

[Baronvonellis]

* 1952 W Lawrence (Lawrence & ~ Damen). Add 4 new floors onto an existing 1 story building for 12 new total units. Near Damen Brown Line stop and Lawrence Metra stop:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/19...!4d-87.6782807

Are they going to preserve the terra cotta facade on this one? It's from a Jewel store from the 1930's, pretty cool I think.

The furniture store there sucks though, I hope something else moves in there. The furniture is ugly Chinese made crap, and they ask a ton of money for it as though it were high end stuff. I don't know how they stayed in business so long, it's always empty and I've never seen anyone go in there to shop.
The stuff is worse than Ikea and way more expensive!

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

.
The furniture store there sucks though, I hope something else moves in there. The furniture is ugly Chinese made crap, and they ask a ton of money for it as though it were high end stuff. I don't know how they stayed in business so long, it's always empty and I've never seen anyone go in there to shop.
The stuff is worse than Ikea and way more expensive!

Just found your inner bigot, have we? What's with your recent stupidly ethnocentric commentary?

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Just found your inner bigot, have we? What's with your recent stupidly ethnocentric commentary?

He should have stated: low quality products made by very low paid people who happen to live in the country of China.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Alright, here is a bigger one that just came in. Basically the area bounded by Ogden, Talman, 13th Street and Washtenaw - Over the next 5-10 years it says to convert it into 384 units of affordable and market rate housing with retail, office, and hotel with 549 total parking spaces. Applicant is the Habitat Company - CHA owns the land. Total development is over 8 acres and 500K - 600K sq ft of space. Architect is SCB - looks like there'd be a 4 or 5 story building, a 3 story multi unit building, some 3 floor townhomes and flats, and also a 3 story office/retail building on Ogden.

Most of the site is vacant land right now, although the area along Ogden is a big parking lot. This is just a little east of Douglas Park. Looks like there could be some future phases on some adjacent sites that are also currently parking and vacant land.

Parking lot area (Streetview): https://www.google.com/maps/place/26...4!4d-87.691236

Vacant land area (Streetview):
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8644...7i13312!8i6656

Holy canoli, that's a big development. I've heard rumors that something was slated for that piece of land. Good riddance!

Its habitat company too so even though it's a large affordable component you know it will be done andanaged right.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Wait, you need a zoning change for that?

If it becomes a performance venue, yes.

[Freefall]

Site of former single story Walgreens, Clark/Belden. 5 stories, 35 units, first floor retail. Design leaves much to be desired.


https://twitter.com/ChicagoDPD/statu...18756131098629

[the urban politician]

^ Huh? That looks really nice

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Huh? That looks really nice

Looks good to me too.

[PKDickman]

Originally Posted by Hayward

If it becomes a performance venue, yes.

That's not true.
PPAs and PAVs are allowed in B1 district (which this is)

And it doesn't apply here.
Although they wanted a PPA as well, the reason for the upzone was to be able to have a free standing bar. In a B1 or a B2 you are pretty much limited to a small service bar.

[Jibba]

I see a lot of expanses of inevitably cheap-looking facade panels. These will look a lot less delicate in real life than in the rendering (especially when viewed obliquely from the sidewalk). Though, it's still miles ahead of the ersatz-historic crap that the north lakefront neighborhoods are inundated with.

[10023]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

There is a park with a running track, tennis courts, fieldhouse, playground, etc. 2 blocks north of this plot of land. And then there is the lakefront path a block east of it and Ohio Street beach just a little beyond that. With the number of hospitals in the area, though, it would be really nice to have a public green space there for the patients and their families.

The park north of this is just baseball fields, not a proper park. I mean something with trees and gardens.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by 10023

The park north of this is just baseball fields, not a proper park. I mean something with trees and gardens.

You obviously are thinking of another park or a previous version of that park. There's no baseball or even softball fields. At one point in time I think there was, but not anymore. The park is mostly a running track with a big parcel of grass in the middle that people hang out at, and sometimes some public events are held there. There are also a few tennis courts, a fieldhouse, and a children's playground. Maybe there could be more trees inside the track, but this is definitely a park that anybody can hang out at and not be interrupting something like a baseball game.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by PKDickman

That's not true.
PPAs and PAVs are allowed in B1 district (which this is)

And it doesn't apply here.
Although they wanted a PPA as well, the reason for the upzone was to be able to have a free standing bar. In a B1 or a B2 you are pretty much limited to a small service bar.

Got that, but I thought occupancy limits were the biggest obstacles justifying a zoning change for PPAs. But since you know the exact reason, that definitely sheds some light. Sorry for the confusion.

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by marothisu

You obviously are thinking of another park or a previous version of that park. There's no baseball or even softball fields. At one point in time I think there was, but not anymore. The park is mostly a running track with a big parcel of grass in the middle that people hang out at, and sometimes some public events are held there. There are also a few tennis courts, a fieldhouse, and a children's playground. Maybe there could be more trees inside the track, but this is definitely a park that anybody can hang out at and not be interrupting something like a baseball game.

It is most definitely a park, complete with trees, gardens, workout equipment, a track, tennis courts, a fieldhouse, and playground. They have summer movies in the park there, too. What more does this park need to be a real park? The large grass area in the middle used to include two heavily used softball fields. The local residents complained of softballs hitting their dogs or children and so the local alderman had the backstops and infields ripped out in the summer of 2017.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by marothisu

You obviously are thinking of another park or a previous version of that park. There's no baseball or even softball fields. At one point in time I think there was, but not anymore. The park is mostly a running track with a big parcel of grass in the middle that people hang out at, and sometimes some public events are held there. There are also a few tennis courts, a fieldhouse, and a children's playground. Maybe there could be more trees inside the track, but this is definitely a park that anybody can hang out at and not be interrupting something like a baseball game.

He's thinking about a park in London where a bunch of lads are playing Cricket, shouting "The bloody Bat-Pad got the fuckin ball, mate!" followed later by a couple of pints of Newcastles at the local pub.

[marothisu]

Mmmm okay now my memory is failing me. I thought that those fields are ripped out way before last summer