CHICAGO | General Developments

[Chicagoguy]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

^Give it another decade or so and I could say new hotel developments in Uptown anchoring a rejuvenated entertainment area. A real what goes around comes around story.

Yeah I would say in 10 years that area will have grown and improved by leaps and bounds...

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Chicagoguy

Also was wondering if there was any news on the restoration of the Uptown Theater? I know it was purchased in 2008 and last I heard they were waiting to get approved for the $40 million loan in which they need to complete the renovations!

I believe it is presently on hold due to the economy. JAM is also going to need a lot of TIF money committed for the restoration before they can get their loans so it will probably be several years before we see any real progress. There was also an impasse between Mary Ann Smith and JAM about what the final configuration of the theater should be.

[Nowhereman1280]

Originally Posted by k1052

I believe it is presently on hold due to the economy. JAM is also going to need a lot of TIF money committed for the restoration before they can get their loans so it will probably be several years before we see any real progress. There was also an impasse between Mary Ann Smith and JAM about what the final configuration of the theater should be.

If the configuration is what's holding it up then the correct configuration is whatever the hell JAM wants it to be and Mary Ann Smith can piss off. This theater needs to be reactivated and fast before nature takes any more of its toll on the terra cotta.

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by bnk

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Ma...ticle=0#artanc

Top 40 Buildings in Chicago

Thanks for posting that.

35 buildings in the city, and 5 in the suburbs (Oak Park, Plano, Lake Forest, Hoffman Estates, and ORD (okay technically in the city but essentially suburban)). Interesting distribution -- I don't know if that reflects more how our metro area has actually been built, or just how we perceive and value what is there. You could argue, say, that the Bahai Temple should be on the list (other churches did make the list) (or Optima Old Orchard, or something prewar out of Evanston, etc.) -- evidencing a skew to a certain way of looking at our architectural culture. Oh well, lists like this are just fun parlor games, not much more or less than that.

[george]

9-13

The creation of a new watering hole, east of EnV.







The demolition of failed public housing, Cabrini Green.









Apple Store at North Clybourn Halsted

[J_M_Tungsten]

Great stuff George! That new bar looks pretty cool

[i_am_hydrogen]

Those Cabrini buildings come down fast. When I passed by last Wednesday, the entire building was standing.

[Nowhereman1280]

^well they're out in the open so they can just go at it without much concern for safety. From what i've seen they just sit and wail away them with a wrecking ball for 8-10 hours a day.

[Baronvonellis]

Is Apple going to renovate the platform level of the North/Cylbourn station as well? The outside looks really good but the platform looks the same.

[Rizzo]

There must have been slightly different construction or a different demo contractor for this particular Cabrini building. It's coming down way faster than the previous.

[photoLith]

I thought all of cabrini green had already been torn down? How many of those terrible public housing buildings are left to demo?

[VivaLFuego]

I think the one remaining occupied high-rise at Cabrini-Green is the last of the massive "family housing" project towers left, other than the senior housing highrises from the same era that have generally been renovated instead of demolition. I'm pretty sure the high-rise portions of Robert Taylor, Stateway Gardens, ABLA, Horner, Rockwell Gardens are all 100% gone.

[Mr Downtown]

Ickes Homes is gone now, too.

[Zerton]

^ finally.

Anyway, I just read that the North/Clybourn station was built in the 1890s! I had no idea that little building was so old.

[Rizzo]

No, it was rebuilt in the 40's, though there are plenty of vintage station houses still standing.

[BWChicago]

http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/north-clyborn.html

it's not...

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

I thought all of cabrini green had already been torn down? How many of those terrible public housing buildings are left to demo?

One of the old "whites" on Halsted is still operational. There are also two "reds" that are operational on Oak Street. Some of the Cabrini rows have been renovated and I was absolutely blown away how nice they looked.

[OhioGuy]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Is Apple going to renovate the platform level of the North/Cylbourn station as well? The outside looks really good but the platform looks the same.

I thought that was part of the deal, but nothing seems to be happening.

(though I'd certainly prefer to see Clark & Division renovated most of all)

[ChicagoHiRiser]

Originally Posted by george

9-13

The demolition of failed public housing, Cabrini Green.

George you should be standing farther away from that smoke. The reason they are hosing the demo down is there is asbestos in that smoke. In fact I read in an article the residents in the last remaining highrise at 1230 N Burling which is much further away were warned to keep their windows closed during the demo of this one because of it. Probably too minimal to matter, but you never know.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

I thought that was part of the deal, but nothing seems to be happening.

(though I'd certainly prefer to see Clark & Division renovated most of all)

That one's coming up next, after Grand/State is finished. They're working their way up the Red Line.

A more substantial renovation of North/Clybourn for ADA compliance will undoubtedly happen eventually, too.