CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 2549

marothisu · #**50961** Posted **Jul 28, 2022, 4:45 AM**

Timeline Theatre, at 5035 N Broadway just north of Argyle received a building permit yesterday to build a new 4 story expansion of their theatre partially taking the surface lot next to it (not completely though...). The new theatre there is supposed to open in 2024.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/50...!4d-87.6591483

via https://timelinetheatre.com/its-time/

ardecila · #**50962** Posted **Jul 28, 2022, 6:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klippenstein

The road is being rebuilt on the west and south side of OPO right now. Along Clinton (to the west of OPO), it is a sort of access road (split in half by the highway) that probably used to be loading docks for the post office. The video I posted from twitter is Harrison to the South of OPO. Hopefully that answers your question.

North of Congress, the West Plaza will be a car dropoff zone. It's a little tight for cars to U-turn, it reminds me of Aon's dropoff area on Upper Lake St but without the PoMo trappings. I guess you can't have a big Uber office without an Uber dropoff zone...

I think the West Plaza, south of Congress will go back to being a loading area for OPO. Longer-term, they may use this as an entrance/exit to the south Metra platforms at Union Station or the new Amtrak platforms they will build where USPS unloaded mail trains under OPO. Could also include an entrance to the Clinton St Blue Line stop.

Randomguy34 · #**50963** Posted **Jul 29, 2022, 7:52 PM**

^ It would be great if they made the southern portion an entrance to the southern Metra platforms/reactivated mail platforms. Would also provide a much shorter walk to the Blue Line and LaSalle St Station.

Also, there's finally a full rendering of 1032 W Jackson. Looks like an off-brand version of Aqua

https://www.trulia.com/p/il/chicago/...07--2582809460

Rizzo · #**50964** Posted **Jul 29, 2022, 8:13 PM**

^That street level angle is about as architecturally relevant as a parking deck. The underside of those slabs won’t age well because they will be more difficult to maintain compared to stacked balconies. Look around town and you’ll see badly stained , chipped / cracked cantilevered balconies that are no longer pristine.

thegoatman · #**50965** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 2:13 AM**

^100% agree. The building looks decent, but something needs to be changed street level, awful.

ardecila · #**50966** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 2:32 AM**

That first floor almost looks like cast stone or limestone... some kind of Greektown homage?

The whole thing looks like it was airdropped in from Wynwood in Miami, with a few Chicago touches like brick on the side walls.

F1 Tommy · #**50967** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 3:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegoatman

^100% agree. The building looks decent, but something needs to be changed street level, awful.

Looks better than most of the new stuff in Chicago. Better than the cement walls we normally get.

marothisu · #**50968** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 4:33 PM**

There was a new construction building permit issued last week for 2354 W Polk St a few days ago for a new 5 story, 20 unit + retail building. I believe this is the parcel with a part vacant lot being used for parking and another 2 story building on the corner of Polk & Western in Tri-Taylor:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/23...!4d-87.6855007

marothisu · #**50969** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 4:53 PM**

A bunch of new SFH were recently permitted on vacant lots in North Lawndale near the Kedzie Pink Line stop and Douglas Park. So far 18 in total permitted - 5 of them are north of Ogden but the other 13 are near the pink line stop. This is from Lawndale Christian Development Corporation who wants to build 1000 new homes total in that area.

lakeshoredrive · #**50970** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 5:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

There was a new construction building permit issued last week for 2354 W Polk St a few days ago for a new 5 story, 20 unit + retail building. I believe this is the parcel with a part vacant lot being used for parking and another 2 story building on the corner of Polk & Western in Tri-Taylor:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/23...!4d-87.6855007

I live a block away from it. Nice to see this happening, but annoyed about the retail part. It doesn't need to go there. Most retails along Western by me are empty. Also, across the street south of it, the car auto shop is up for sale so another building could go up here.

marothisu · #**50971** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 6:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakeshoredrive

I live a block away from it. Nice to see this happening, but annoyed about the retail part. It doesn't need to go there. Most retails along Western by me are empty. Also, across the street south of it, the car auto shop is up for sale so another building could go up here.

Why are they empty though? Just because there's vacant retail doesn't mean it's the right space for a business who is looking. And honestly, I'd rather have the space demised for that than all of a sudden see the area get popular with no way to open up business.

thegoatman · #**50972** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 10:06 PM**

Lol Western ave is basically a highway, of course most of the retail there is empty.

ardecila · #**50973** Posted **Jul 30, 2022, 11:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakeshoredrive

I live a block away from it. Nice to see this happening, but annoyed about the retail part. It doesn't need to go there. Most retails along Western by me are empty. Also, across the street south of it, the car auto shop is up for sale so another building could go up here.

As I keep pointing out, sometimes there's just no good option for a ground floor on an arterial street, so developers build retail space knowing it'll be empty.

I assume it's just written off as a loss on their proforma, so if they do end up with a tenant it's basically free money.

Randomguy34 · #**50974** Posted **Jul 31, 2022, 1:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

There was a new construction building permit issued last week for 2354 W Polk St a few days ago for a new 5 story, 20 unit + retail building. I believe this is the parcel with a part vacant lot being used for parking and another 2 story building on the corner of Polk & Western in Tri-Taylor:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/23...!4d-87.6855007

I was trying to figure out how they were building a 20 unit building with equal amounts of parking on that tiny lot. Found permits showing that the three buildings for 749-753 S Western will all being torn down.

Bombardier · #**50975** Posted **Aug 1, 2022, 12:38 AM**

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...home-building/

What would it take to get this kind of reform in Chicago? The permitting process is such a nightmare in this city and it is so unnecessary. If only a law was passed to force the hands of these bureaucrats to actually do their jobs in a timely manner, things would move much more efficiently. The building inspectors could also significantly improve, but one thing at a time.

west-town-brad · #**50976** Posted **Aug 1, 2022, 1:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bombardier

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...home-building/

What would it take to get this kind of reform in Chicago? The permitting process is such a nightmare in this city and it is so unnecessary.

it is? seems to move very quickly unless you really meaning zoning changes versus building permits. we routinely see construction starting the day of the closing.

west-town-brad · #**50977** Posted **Aug 1, 2022, 1:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lakeshoredrive

I live a block away from it. Nice to see this happening, but annoyed about the retail part. It doesn't need to go there. Most retails along Western by me are empty. Also, across the street south of it, the car auto shop is up for sale so another building could go up here.

there is too much retail space in this city, without question.

but the retail on western further north is indeed utilized, but still not fully.

I would love to see any example of any strip of retail in this city that is fully utilized right now. from the high end (mich ave) to the lower end (western ave) its all the same.

SIGSEGV · #**50978** Posted **Aug 1, 2022, 2:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

there is too much retail space in this city, without question.

but the retail on western further north is indeed utilized, but still not fully.

I would love to see any example of any strip of retail in this city that is fully utilized right now. from the high end (mich ave) to the lower end (western ave) its all the same.

Some level of vacancy is probably ideal though, no? (Not saying we're at that level, just that full occupancy is not necessarily desirable).

thegoatman · #**50979** Posted **Aug 1, 2022, 4:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

there is too much retail space in this city, without question.

but the retail on western further north is indeed utilized, but still not fully.

I would love to see any example of any strip of retail in this city that is fully utilized right now. from the high end (mich ave) to the lower end (western ave) its all the same.

Not 100%, but the southport corridor is damn near built out and has made a full recovery.

https://southportcorridorchicago.com...ver-from-2020/

Rizzo · #**50980** Posted **Aug 1, 2022, 5:35 PM**

North side retail enclaves are exceptions. pedestrian shopping areas will always do well. The higher speed thoroughfares are different. They may do fine with fast food, contracting businesses and cheap office space, but aren’t going to command high enough rents to be worth the effort unless it’s close to a rail station. I’m OK with a lot of the stuff going up on Ashland where it’s slightly setback with a raised first floor, abundant landscaping, and fenestration instead of blank walls or vacant retail space.