CHICAGO | General Developments

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by ithakas

Agreed. What's the motivation for keeping the garden gated anyway? To keep out homeless people?

It feels like the city is dying for more active public spaces, particularly in downtown neighborhoods – seems like something we should be able to figure out.

Probably yeah. There were the shutdowns and then the riots and then the homeless/migrant crisis and I'm sure they just see public accessible outdoor space as more hassle and liability than it's worth. Just look what pritzker park turned into. even millennium Park is behind metal detectors now. It's a huge shame.

[pullmanman]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

Probablyyeah. There were the shutdowns and then the riots and then the homeless/migrant crisis and I'm sure they just see public accessible outdoor space as more hassle and liability than it's worth. Just look what pritzker park turned into. even millennium Park is behind metal detectors now. It's a huge shame.

I also feel like this incident from earlier this year probably has an impact on the Art Institute gardens being kept closed (if it’s a recent change- I’ve only started working in the loop recently so I’m not sure):

Protesters from SAIC and Columbia College Chicago had set up an encampment in the North Garden of the Art Institute of Chicago, renaming it “Hind’s Garden” in honour of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed along with her family by Israeli forces in Gaza.

[Via Chicago]

I will say I think AIC is one of those institutions that has more money than it probably needs, and as a result is always building these nice little things and then abandoning them, or finding a reason to redo them. Money in search of a problem. Hey it's not my donation, but the whole reason they're in this situation is because they built another ego driven modern wing (not that long ago!) with half of it not even being useable space...oh and with another locked up garden no one has ever been allowed to use either

[pip]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

Probably yeah. There were the shutdowns and then the riots and then the homeless/migrant crisis and I'm sure they just see public accessible outdoor space as more hassle and liability than it's worth. Just look what pritzker park turned into. even millennium Park is behind metal detectors now. It's a huge shame.

I walked by Pritzker Park yesterday and it was completely fenced off with no access. Last time I was down there, in late spring, is was open and a bit out of control.

To get into Millennium Park you have to pass through metal detectors? Just wow and sad. And throw in the massive wide and busy roads bisecting Grant Park and area, this is not an impressive area to me.

[moorhosj1]

Originally Posted by pip

To get into Millennium Park you have to pass through metal detectors?

I didn't have to go through metal detectors when I was there 3 weeks ago. Maybe they are set up for the larger events like Blues Fest and Taste of Chicago?

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by pip

Last time I was down there, in late spring, is was open and a bit out of control..

Out of control? What do you mean?

[west-town-brad]

no metal detectors but they have bag checks - though when I was there a few weeks ago on a weekday with my daughter we just walked by the guys and they didnt check our bags

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by moorhosj1

I didn't have to go through metal detectors when I was there 3 weeks ago. Maybe they are set up for the larger events like Blues Fest and Taste of Chicago?

Exactly. This is set up for the big events. I hate to say it but I'm not against measures like this to prevent anything ridiculous going down. To get into the Taste, for example, took all of 30 seconds. Not exactly a major inconvenience.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by glowrock

Exactly. This is set up for the big events. I hate to say it but I'm not against measures like this to prevent anything ridiculous going down. To get into the Taste, for example, took all of 30 seconds. Not exactly a major inconvenience.

Millennium Park is a city park, though. There's no reason Crown Fountain, the Bean, etc should be behind fencing. If they want to put a fence around Pritzker for concerts I'm fine with that, the park was even designed for that... but the public spaces of the park should be public.

[pip]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Out of control? What do you mean?

More depressing. It was the afternoon - still bright obviously, there was a police car stationed there in the park, I didn't feel threatened or anything like that and it took me half a minute to walk through. It wasn't a pleasant place.

[Tcmetro]

Millennium Park has a security check on the weekends and I believe there are checks for any events taking place at the amphitheatre. The security checks were put into place after a relatively high-profile shooting I believe back in 2022.

Pritzker Park was fenced off about a month before the DNC. I've noticed that they've opened the fence recently so that the park can be used. I assume that the gate is closed at night but I haven't been over there after park hours to see.

[pullmanman]

Zoning application filed for residential conversion proposed at 500 N. Michigan

A zoning application has been filed for the proposed residential conversion of the existing office building at 500 N. Michigan. Planned by Connecticut-based developer Commonwealth Development Partners, the 304-foot-tall, 24-story building along the Mag Mile was originally built in 1968 and houses a series of retail tenants with most of its office space vacant.

Designed by GREC Architects, the building would be converted into 320 residential dwelling units on floors 6-23. Retail would remain on the first two floors with office space retained on the third through fifth floors. Residents would have access to amenity space on the seventh floor as well as a new rooftop amenity space on the 24th floor. This top floor amenity space would be both indoor and outdoor, but would require additional FAR to be obtained through the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund bonus framework while also increasing the building height from 304 feet to 321 feet.

Haven’t seen this posted here. Nice to see a very large residential conversion proposed without millions of subsidies (like the Lasalle Street Reimagined proposals). If this and smaller projects like 116-122 W. Illinois Street get approved, financed, and start construction quickly, that’d be promising for other mostly vacant office buildings that could be targets for residential conversions.

[SolarWind]

September 10, 2024

[SolarWind]

September 10, 2024

[SolarWind]

September 10, 2024

[SolarWind]

September 10, 2024

[SolarWind]

September 12, 2024

[SolarWind]

September 12, 2024

“Curious Bunny”









https://columbiachronicle.com/columb...ther-locations

[BrickellBased]

Hey that actually looks pretty good.

Originally Posted by SolarWind

September 12, 2024

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by pullmanman

Zoning application filed for residential conversion proposed at 500 N. Michigan





Haven’t seen this posted here. Nice to see a very large residential conversion proposed without millions of subsidies (like the Lasalle Street Reimagined proposals). If this and smaller projects like 116-122 W. Illinois Street get approved, financed, and start construction quickly, that’d be promising for other mostly vacant office buildings that could be targets for residential conversions.

A perfect candidate since the slim floorplate allows appropriately sized residential units instead of dark tunnel lofts with half walls. These will likely have a window for every bedroom. I would find it remarkable if the office market rebounded north of the river in non-boutique office buildings. Just not gonna happen in a 30 to 40 year old building, so this makes total sense to convert them when possible.

I bet the large square windows and tall ceilings will bring in a ton of light.