CHICAGO | General Developments

[M II A II R II K]

City finds money for abandoned rail to become Bloomingdale Trail


March 12, 2012

By LISA DONOVAN

Read More: http://www.suntimes.com/11228760-417...ale-trail.html

The long-anticipated transformation of an abandoned railway to a linear park on Chicago’s Northwest Side is getting the $9 million needed to begin construction. That means groundbreaking for the 2.7-mile Bloomingdale Trail, which will include bicycling and pedestrian paths, will begin next year and finish in 2014, city officials say.

- While funneling bicyclists and pedestrians toward and out of downtown, planners say the trail will connect six existing and planned parks flanking the railway along with the neighborhoods of Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Wicker Park and Bucktown. “We’re taking this industrial-use site and converting it in to a space for community members,” said David Spielfogel, the city’s chief of policy and strategic planning.

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[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Young & Egotistic

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...t-20-year-high
It's off topic but Chicago ridership is at 20 year high. 531 million rides in one year, its a disappointment for me.

Disappointment for me too.....it needs to be higher.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Disappointment for me too.....it needs to be higher.

With the direction gas prices are heading so far in 2012 I would expect another 3-5% growth bringing the system to 548mm+

ps - this should really be in the Transit thread

[Dan in Chicago]

Photos taken this morning of Earl Shapiro Hall, the new Lab School building facing Jackson Park on the site of the old Doctors Hospital (Stony Island Avenue between 57th and 58th):

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by aic4ever

I'd be interested to know how they proposed to pull this off.

Looks like I was mistaken. Students are producing the designs under Jeanne Gang but I assume construction will be left to the professionals.

The budget overall is $16 million for 4 boathouses, so assuming an even split that leaves $4 million for the Bridgeport site, including any site improvements or required remediation. That seems like enough for the design pictured (roughly 44k SF).

[Mr Downtown]

Steel rose out of the ground yesterday at Jones HS.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Dan in Chicago

Photos taken this morning of Earl Shapiro Hall, the new Lab School building facing Jackson Park on the site of the old Doctors Hospital (Stony Island Avenue between 57th and 58th):

Thanks for the update. I went past about 10 days ago and the site was mostly flat. It moves fast with that precast structure.

[Buckman821]

Not sure, but I thought this rendering might not have been seen here before.

From East Village Association.



http://news.eastvillagechicago.org/2...=Google+Reader

larger image:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sk7OcopWuu...2Btriangle.jpg

[tyler1]

^So great. Now if they'd just get rid of that Wendy's next to the site..

[Rizzo]

What a great development. I agree tyler, we need to continue building that area up. There's alot of great stuff further west. Just imagine that build up of density and commercial activity as you move Eastward toward the plaza.

[ardecila]

Hopefully this can be the foot in the door for a handful of taller buildings in that area. There was a highrise proposal for the superblock to the north, but I don't think it ever got very far.

[Buckman821]

Sara Lee project.

Apologize for the poor photo quality. The sun was overpowering and I was stopped at the light so I shot with my cell phone.





For reference:

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...-sara-lee-home

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Lol, if by "one of the few" you mean one of like a dozen or so companies that have announced major job relocations to downtown in the past few months?

That's only half the story too, I can't tell you the number of mid-sized prospects I know of looking for space in Chicago because they know Rahm will work with them.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Young & Egotistic

Honestly that's good for the downtown Chicago but I'm not enthusiastic about it.

why not? do you want downtown chicago to be more like downtown detroit?

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Young & Egotistic

I want urban sprawl not urban decay , but like I said this is good news for Downtown Chicago. The suburban dream set back 1950s is really fading.

Sounds good.

[Buckman821]

You aren't going to find much news about urban sprawl here so perhaps you are in the wrong place.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by Young & Egotistic

I want urban sprawl not urban decay , but like I said this is good news for Downtown Chicago. The suburban dream set back 1950s is really fading.

Awesome. The "suburban dream" was racist, classist and unsustainable.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by Buckman821

Not sure, but I thought this rendering might not have been seen here before.

From East Village Association.



http://news.eastvillagechicago.org/2...=Google+Reader

larger image:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sk7OcopWuu...2Btriangle.jpg

So dope.

Originally Posted by ardecila

Hopefully this can be the foot in the door for a handful of taller buildings in that area. There was a highrise proposal for the superblock to the north, but I don't think it ever got very far.

This would be such an awesome node for the the West Side. Fingers crossed. BTW, what's that kinda ugly but kinda great high-rise awkwardly situated on the triangular parcel at Division and Milwaukee?

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Young & Egotistic

The suburban dream set back 1950s is really fading.

you say that like it's a bad thing.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Why even bother responding to this guy? He's clearly just here to troll the forum.