CHICAGO | General Developments

[honte]

^ Can we have the Olympics now?

I have a close friend who works in the State Street store, and he claims the situation there is dire... a precipitous drop-off in sales, layoff pending, defection of partner retailers, and very low employee morale. He is looking for another job as quickly as he can.

[budman]

I would have preferred that Macy's retain the Marshall Field's name too, but I don't think it is in anyone's best interest for that Macy's location to fail. Our hope is a rejuvinated loop, and that location needs to thrive in order for that part of the loop to thrive.

[SamInTheLoop]

^ Precisely. The fact is that the Marshall Field's name is NOT coming back, so we have to advocate for what's best for State St. and the loop from this point forward...

[Eventually...Chicago]

I continue to go back and forth on the whole Macy's thing. I think it is good that they are struggling very much in the beginning. I hope that macy's continues to work hard to become "chicago". I ultimately want them to be successful as i do any shopping anywhere in the city, but i will be much more open to wishing them on their merry way when they start to act as a chicago business, not simply another corporate branch. If they enjoyed early success, i think they may have taken us for granted.

I think the best way to start to win people (at least me) over is to go above and beyond the fields traditions. How about donating a striking piece of public art or helping renovate/run a theater or gallery (i.e. MCA & target)? Anyone with half a chicago brain could have told you that there is going to be backlash against something so entrenched in our identity. However, i think our city really appreciates sincere gestures of civic pride. I do like how they have increased their use of local designers and the possibility of frango mints moving back is good but they still need to convince me and apparently, the city, that we have Macy's Chicago. Not Macy's New York in the midwest.

[denizen467]

I say let 'em suffer. Maybe they will finally rethink things a little bit and turn the store into something more unique than just a large Macy's. Maybe call it "Macy's at Marshall Field's Plaza", work the Field's name into products or branding a little bit, and bring back some of the green corporate image - dump all the red and make it all green - even if just for this one store. The Macy's corporate image is crap; all I can think of when I see their logo is a cheap version of JC Penney (both are a meaningless thin Arial-like font, with red). They could turn this into a win-win situation if they felt like being creative and actually paying attention to local culture. For crying out loud the store exits were mis-labelled "Randolph Avenue" or something like that when they first opened. Friggin' Starbucks does a better job of localizing to neighborhoods than they did to their third-largest store in the country. They killed a goose that laid golden eggs and they're seeing that they have to pay the price. It should not be rocket science to engineer a mix of nostalgia & tradition with the need to move forward. It's shocking they didn't appreciate this, so until then, let 'em suffer.

(For the sake of the local employees, I also hope this would happen sooner rather than later.)

[Frankie]

This was the easy part, Mr. Mayor
The election's over -- now it's time to tackle everything from CTA woes to a scandal-plagued City Hall to the 2016 Olympic bid

February 28, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN CITY HALL REPORTER

Now that Mayor Daley has staked his claim to Chicago history -- by winning the sixth term he needs to become the city's longest-serving mayor -- it should be time for a victory lap.

On second thought, never mind.

Daley, 64, doesn't have time to bask in the glow of Tuesday's landslide victory. There's way too much on his plate.
The mayor has to avert a teachers strike, negotiate with union leaders who turned their backs on him and straighten out a CTA plagued by service disruptions and mired in red ink. He also has to nail down a bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games that remains an international long shot, even if Chicago wins the American sweepstakes.

Daley has to navigate all of those political landmines while dodging the biggest one of all: a Hired Truck investigation that has branched out into city hiring and has already resulted in the conviction of the mayor's former patronage chief and three others.

Following is a map of the minefield ahead:

THE CTA

Daley defended CTA President Frank Kruesi after a pair of aldermen called Chicago a world-class city with a "third-world transit system." But the mayor knows better than anybody that the time has come to remove his longest-serving adviser. Kruesi has made so many enemies in Springfield -- including powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan -- state lawmakers won't even think about helping the CTA until he's gone. Look for Kruesi to make the long-rumored move to the O'Hare Modernization Program and Aviation Commissioner Nuria Fernandez to replace Kruesi at CTA, where she got her start. Kruesi's first job at O'Hare would be to persuade major airlines to finance Phase 2 of Daley's massive runway expansion plan.

TEACHERS STRIKE

Maybe it's just saber-rattling tied to an upcoming union election. But the Chicago Teachers Union is talking about a possible strike, the first in 20 years. Teachers are genuinely angry about job cuts and school closings tied to Daley's Renaissance 2010 plan. The last contract raised teacher salaries by 16 percent over four years but reduced health benefits. Now teachers are out to recoup those losses. They also want more control over class size and better job security for non-tenured teachers. While working to avert a strike, the mayor must decide whether to stick with Schools CEO Arne Duncan or make a change after nearly six years. City Hall sources said Duncan fell out of favor for a while last year, but he may have worked his way out of the doghouse.

SCHOOL FUNDING

For nearly 18 years under four different governors, Daley has been pushing for a tax swap that would trade lower property taxes for increased sales or income taxes. The revolutionary change has gone nowhere in the General Assembly. Gov. Blagojevich got elected in 2002 on a promise to hold the line on sales and income taxes and won a second term after a four-year renewal of that promise. With the election out of the way, Daley must find a way to get his warring fellow Democrats in Springfield to confront the issue they love to avoid. Without more help, Chicago Public Schools face another painful round of cuts -- and a teachers strike is even more likely.

LABOR NEGOTIATIONS

Contracts with city unions expire June 30 and a showdown looms. Last time around, the police contract was handed down by an arbitrator, and it took 28 months to nail down an agreement with the building trades that ended up denying retirees back paychecks. This time, the stage is set for even more tension after most major unions denied Daley their endorsements and worked to elect a more independent City Council. Daley also must confront a pension underfunding problem that threatens to saddle future generations with a debt they can't handle. Painful solutions include benefit reductions and increased employee contributions.

OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

OPS Director Tisa Morris was forced out in the wake of the alleged cops-as-burglars scandal in the elite Special Operations Sections. But Daley has yet to name a permanent replacement or do anything else to improve the image of the office, which investigates police wrongdoing and has been a lightning rod for criticism in the black community. The Police Executive Research Forum is conducting a $67,999 national search. But the group has yet to forward a list of candidates to a review panel that includes former Police Supt. Terry Hillard and a pair of longtime police critics: activist-priest Michael Pfleger and attorney Andre Grant. Daley must decide whether to follow Pfleger's recommendation to create a "perception of independence" by replacing the agency with a review board separate from the Police Department.

POLICE SUPERINTENDENT

On or before Police Supt. Phil Cline celebrates his four-year anniversary in October, he is expected to announce his retirement from the pressure-cooker job. That will force the Police Board to conduct its usual nationwide search -- and Daley to choose a replacement, either from the Chicago Police Department's thin bench or from outside Chicago, which he hates to do. Former Deputy Police Supt. Charles Ramsey, a runner-up in past police searches, is available again after a stint as police chief in Washington, D.C. In-house candidates include: Chief of Patrol Charles Williams, Deputy Supt. Hiram Graue, assistant deputy superintendents Eugene Williams and Matt Tobias and Frank Limon, chief of organized crime. Two women are also possibilities: Chief of Detectives Maria Maher and Assistant Deputy Supt. Anne Egan.

CITY HIRING

City Hall is putting the final touches on an out-of-court settlement that would establish a $12 million fund to compensate job applicants passed over in favor of political hires. The fund would be administered by federal hiring monitor Noelle Brennan, who would become a permanent fixture at City Hall, at least for the next two years. Those terms are expected to go over like a lead balloon with Chicago aldermen, who have accused Brennan of invading their turf. Despite that resistance, it's high time for Daley to wrap up negotiations without increasing the 1,200 policy-making jobs exempt from Shakman. The biggest roadblock may be finding a way to overhaul a promotion system used to achieve racial balance in the Police and Fire departments.

OLYMPIC BID

A technical team from the U.S. Olympic Committee is due here March 5-7 to ask questions about Chicago's 458-page bid book and tour proposed sites. Chicago appears to be the frontrunner to advance to the international competition. But it won't happen unless the USOC gets some straight answers during the visit about Chicago's ability to deliver on its zoning and financing promises. Los Angeles has been there and done that. Most of its sporting venues are already in place.

MIDWAY PRIVATIZATION

After privatizing the Chicago Skyway and downtown parking garages for a combined $2.4 billion, Daley hopes to ride an even bigger gravy train by leasing Midway Airport. But there are hurdles. Democrats in Congress are making noises about the potential security risk posed by foreign ownership of airports, knowing most likely bidders are overseas.

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[VivaLFuego]

So Natarus is toast. I am very worried about the new 42nd Ward Alderman, Brendan Reilly. All his mailings suggest he is a NIMBY extraordinaire, from his emphasis on increasing the availability of parking to not-so-veiled disdain for large, high-density construction projects.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Eventually...Chicago

I think the best way to start to win people (at least me) over is to go above and beyond the fields traditions. How about donating a striking piece of public art or helping renovate/run a theater or gallery (i.e. MCA & target)?

Cool idea. Of course, the Field name is plastered throughout the city; the name was more than a store, it was a part of Chicago's fabric. Hopefully Federated/Macy's realize that and follow suit in some meaningful way.

[headcase]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

So Natarus is toast. I am very worried about the new 42nd Ward Alderman, Brendan Reilly. All his mailings suggest he is a NIMBY extraordinaire, from his emphasis on increasing the availability of parking to not-so-veiled disdain for large, high-density construction projects.

When we spoke to him, I really couldn't get a good read on him, I guess that will make him a good politician.

The parking thing he spoke about using the parking in the area more effectively, especially the valet parking, more so than creating more. Again with high desity he spoke more about the bad projects and getting everyone together earlier in the process so it wouldn't be, oppsss you didn't hear about the 500ft tower going up next door?

SSDD

[Marcu]

At the end of the day, Daley still has enough power to strongarm through good projects in the 42nd.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by headcase

When we spoke to him, I really couldn't get a good read on him, I guess that will make him a good politician.

The parking thing he spoke about using the parking in the area more effectively, especially the valet parking, more so than creating more. Again with high desity he spoke more about the bad projects and getting everyone together earlier in the process so it wouldn't be, oppsss you didn't hear about the 500ft tower going up next door?

SSDD

Here's hoping. Some of his campaign mailing had him standing in front of Lakeshore East under construction, looking pissed off. And it wasn't about the architecture.

Is the 1350 Lake Shore Drive parking lot fiasco in the 43rd or 42nd? Maybe with new leadership some justice will prevail on that one....

[honte]

Speaking of the Gold Coast, the existing Victorian rowhouses and mansions in that neighborhood need to be protected. I'm sick of things getting screwed up in what's left of the Gold Coast.

Natarus never could muster the (political) will to get this done.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by honte

Speaking of the Gold Coast, the existing Victorian rowhouses and mansions in that neighborhood need to be protected. I'm sick of things getting screwed up in what's left of the Gold Coast.

Natarus never could muster the (political) will to get this done.

They are fairly effectively protected, the same way the parking lot on lake shore drive is protected.....Natarus caved and downzoned most the area, so in most places nothing taller than 4-6 stories can be built, which removes most of the incentive for potential teardowns. But I agree, some more selective landmarking outside of just Astor street is probably in order.

[honte]

^ Yeah, the real risk there isn't demolition for high-rises, but demolition / bad alterations by stupid owners who either want newer mansions or something with their own "personal touch." A significant house on State was torn down within the last year, and there have been many other insensitive alterations in the area recently that one would think were too "low-class" for the high-end owners around there...

The downzoning thing was a way politically of saying, "These houses are worth saving, but it would be too much work actually protecting them. So, we'll just slow things down and hopefully we'll all be dead before anyone realizes the area's been ruined. And, oh yeah, it will protect your views too."

[bnk]

http://www.siteselection.com/issues/2007/mar/topMetros/

'Freaking Awesome' City
Tops All U.S. Metro Areas



JUST HANGIN' OUT: Kudo Tsunado may be the vice president and general manager of EA Sports' regional headquarters in Chicago, but he's just like everyone else when it comes to enjoying all the amenities that downtown Chicago has to offer. Tsunado said the Windy City's vibrant pace and abundance of young talent led him and the other members of his executive team to select Chicago over such competing locations as Austin, Texas.


by RON STARNER
ron.starner bounce@conway.com



Chicago lures young, high- tech talent on the way to becoming the No. 1 metro in America in 2006.

Ask Kudo Tsunoda to explain why EA Sports selected Chicago for a new regional headquarters, and the executive at the global video game giant speaks in frank business terms: "The city is freaking awesome. It has such a vibe and pace to it."

At Electronic Arts, the world leader in electronic sports games, talk like that is part of everyday life in the business world – and Chicago's economic developers hope to hear a lot more of it.
By landing EA Sports' US$6 million, 200- job regional headquarters at 215 West Ohio in Chicago's River North neighborhood, the Windy City capped a remarkable year that saw the metro area secure 165 corporate facility projects totaling more than $5 billion in capital investment, according to the criteria established by the Conway Data New Plant database.

The Chicago- Naperville- Joliet area (including suburbs in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin) easily outdistanced No. 2 Washington, D.C.- Northern Virginia, which had 110 projects, and No. 3 Atlanta, which had 107.

Chicago's victory made it two years in a row and five of the last six for the MSA with more than 9.5 million residents and a work force of over 4.5 million.

Rounding out the top 10 metros of 2006 were No. 4 Dallas- Fort Worth, followed by the metro areas of Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Nashville.
While Phoenix did not make the top 10 in projects, the Arizona MSA placed second in capital investment, at $3.365 billion. St. Louis came in third with $2.315 billion.
Governor's Cup victor Ohio claimed the most Top Metros in 2006, with nine, followed by Virginia and Florida with eight each; New York, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Texas with seven each; and Indiana with six.



Tsunoda, vice president and general manager of the Chicago office of EA Sports and producer of the new Def Jam: Icon video game, tells Site Selection that his executive team selected Chicago because the city stimulates creative minds and enables EA to effectively recruit top young talent.
"Chicago is filled with cool neighborhoods," says Tsunoda, who grew up in New York City. "There's something for any kind of lifestyle you're looking to live."
Tsunoda says the selection of the seven- story, loft- like headquarters between the freeway and Michigan Avenue was the result of a collaborative process. Tsunoda and his team scoured the central U.S. looking for a vibrant, high- tech city that provides the quality of life EA needs to recruit top- end software designers, game developers, graphic artists and computer engineers.
These are the people who make the popular Madden NFL, NBA Live, Fight Night, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, NCAA March Madness and other sports video games that rank among the top- selling games in the world.



The recently renovated 600 West anchors Chicago's thriving new business hub in River North, located just minutes from traditional business centers in Chicago's downtown and Loop.

EA also owns the licensing rights to make games for NASCAR, the National Hockey League and FIFA, the international governing body for soccer.
"We looked at Austin, Texas, but it is hard to find a city that stacks up with Chicago," Tsunoda says. "I can walk from my office and see something cool just about anywhere I go. Chicago has a really good video game community already here. It is active, thriving and growing."
The new EA complex, which opened in late October 2006, is designed as a "pure game development studio," adds Tsunoda. "Eventually, we will add other publishing functions, marketing and public relations support for getting the games to market. This building will hold around 300 people, so we have plenty of room to grow."
Staubach Realty represented EA, "and they were extremely helpful in finding the locations and working through things with the city and the building," Tsunoda says. "Chicago is cutting- edge and has been very supportive of our relocation from Hoffman Estates. Both the city and the state of Illinois were very helpful in bringing us here. The hope is to make Chicago a long- term home and make it one of the premier studios within the EA world."
Paul O'Connor, executive director of World Business Chicago, calls EA Sports "a critical piece. Chicago historically has been a town of radical economic change. We had been manufacturing based, but the shift in our economy had been toward white- collar jobs and professional business services. The lagging piece was the engagement of the technology sector. To see that piece kicking in strongly, combined with our professional talent pool, means the Chicago economy can play with anybody and adapt in the global economy."
The Chicago building boom won't subside anytime soon, O'Connor says. "This city is really on fire. It is rocking and rolling. Mayor Richard Daley's transformation of the neighborhoods is making these areas a great place to live and raise a family, and that in turn has created the highest- end talent pool that is clustered within three or four miles of downtown."



Corporate Attraction a
Full Contact Sport

Other major projects of the past year include United Airlines and The Big Ten Network. United invested $72 million to establish its new corporate headquarters at 77 West Wacker Drive.
Stating that "it's time to fly," United Airlines Chairman, President and CEO Glenn Tilton in July ended months of speculation by declaring downtown Chicago as the permanent world headquarters of "our hometown airline."
United had been headquartered in Elk Grove Township since 1961, but competing offers had come in from Denver and San Francisco. In the end, United decided to stay home and become part of Chicago's central city renaissance. United will consolidate several of its suburban facilities and create an operations center on its campus in Elk Grove Township. Those who support day- to- day operations now will be together in one location.
"Chicago has everything a world- class corporate headquarters could ever want – the best and the brightest people, the ability to travel virtually anywhere and a great quality of life,"
said Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.
United will receive $5.25 million in tax increment financing from the city of Chicago and $1.35 million in grants from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for infrastructure improvements and job training. Additionally, both the city and the state will propose legislation to cap the jet fuel tax for the next five years.
The chase for The Big Ten Network, ironically, was a preview of the Super Bowl, pitting Chicago against Indianapolis for the right to win a $23.5- million capital investment and 136 jobs.
After intense competition worthy of Roman numerals, the network announced it would locate its studios and offices in a 44,000- sq.- ft. (4,088- sq.- m.) complex at 600 West Chicago, formerly the Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalog House. The site was designated a national landmark in 2000.
"It is fitting that The Big Ten Network, a channel dedicated exclusively to collegiate athletics and university life, will make its home in Chicago, a city that is so passionate about college sports and education," said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delaney.
O'Connor said it didn't hurt that a "very dense population of Ohio State graduates lives right here in Chicago."

Fresh off that sports win, Chicago has its sights set on landing an even bigger prize: hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. By mid- April, the United States Olympic Committee will decide which of two American cities – Chicago or Los Angeles – will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee for the IOC's final decision in 2009.

"You have to guarantee $25 million from local businesses just to cover the cost of bidding to the IOC," says O'Connor. "But if you believe in yourselves and your city, you do it."


Conway Data, Inc. Global Headquarters
6625 The Corners Parkway, Suite 200
Norcross, GA 30092-2901 USA
Tel. 770-446-6996
Fax 770-263-8825





see also

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/...29&newsLang=en

[spyguy]

VUE Flats (3505 N Ashland)
22 units
2500 sq. ft. retail


Kimball Station (4720 N Kimball)
59 units

[honte]

^ Those don't look half-bad. I'm so glad to see modernism go beyond downtown, even if it's pretty timid.

Originally Posted by bnk

Chicago's victory made it two years in a row and five of the last six for the MSA with more than 9.5 million residents and a work force of over 4.5 million.

You know, I have to concur: Freaking Awesome!

[VivaLFuego]

^ I'm liking that Kimball Station...Albany Park is a great, dense hood. Are these projects U/C? Proposed? in sales?

[Tom In Chicago]

I haven't noticed anyone talking about the British School of Chicago which is currently under construction on Halsted Street. . . the steel is getting up there as I drove by it yesterday. . . starting to make an impression on that deserted strip. . .

http://www.britishschoolchicago.org/..._rev050306.pdf

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

I haven't noticed anyone talking about the British School of Chicago which is currently under construction on Halsted Street. . . the steel is getting up there as I drove by it yesterday. . . starting to make an impression on that deserted strip. . .

http://www.britishschoolchicago.org/..._rev050306.pdf

Thats quite an interesting building. I fear a lot of its success will hinge on the material used for that siding. I like the front half better than the balk half though.