CHICAGO | General Developments

[VKChaz]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

October 24, 2016


^ The numbers mark the elevation relative to the Chicago City Datum (CCD).

Interesting. I hope there will be signage explaining this to passersby. Some historical markers to the west explaining the significance of the river branch in Chicago's history also seems in order.

Originally Posted by SolarWind

^ Starting to collect quite a bit of garbage.

Noticed this as well. So also hope there is a plan to have someone cleaning out the nooks and crannies in the latest sections.

[F1 Tommy]

That river walk looks great. The last section may not be so bad after it is completed. I look forward to seeing what small restaurants/bars/bistros they put in over the next few years. Tourists are going to be all over the place next year.

[marothisu]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

63rd Street gets $50 million in loans for revitalization
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...evitalize-63rd

The city of Chicago, three neighborhood groups and a nonprofit hope that $50 million in loans, made over 10 years, will revitalize retail and other economic engines on 63rd Street, from Cottage Grove Avenue to Pulaski Road.

63rd Street was once the city's second-busiest retail corridor, second only to downtown, said Meghan Harte, executive director of LISC Chicago. “If you talk to anyone, regardless of race or where they live, everyone remembers 63rd Street as the place for food, clothing and entertainment,” Harte said, noting that the street, from Halsted Street west, once housed 200 retail businesses.

In Auburn Gresham, the unemployment rate is 27.8 percent and the homeownership rate 39 percent. In Englewood and West Englewood, it's 36.4 percent and 27.1 percent, respectively. In Southwest Chicago, also known as Chicago Lawn, the unemployment rate is 16 percent and homeownership, 58 percent.

Job creation is one big reason to revitalize the street, Harte said.

She said the collaborating parties are forming a vision for the street, which could include a major employer, say a call center, in addition to retail, restaurants and entertainment. She expects planning to take three to six months, then investments will begin. The goal is to have two or three “catalytic” investments started, with financing in place, by 2018.

The national LISC will make $50 million in loans available over the next 10 years, and Community Investment will commit $10 million to housing financing.

[Randomguy34]

Hmm, that's a lot of already on the $100 million the city says they will invest on the South and West sides (Kurt Summers will also try to get double or triple that money in private investing), and of the tens of millions the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund will collect over the next few years. This is really exciting me for a potential neighborhood boom on the South and West sides.

[emathias]

OoooOOOOooooO a CALLLL center ... a position ripe for replacement by AI robo calls within a decade and even now only pays 1/2 the national average salary ...

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by emathias

OoooOOOOooooO a CALLLL center ... a position ripe for replacement by AI robo calls within a decade and even now only pays 1/2 the national average salary ...

Wish I could rep this LOL. A lot of the call centers aren't even in the US anyway. I do have to say though - a lot of people hate those robo menus. Whenever I call one and saying "operator" doesn't work, I just say a bunch of ghibberish to force it to connect me to a real person.

Anyway, hey - 1/2 the national average salary is better than some people are getting as crappy as that sounds.. I think they could do better though, but what I really want to see is more relevant job training down there. They need to fix the crime problem on some of those streets though. Not many people from outside the area are going to hang out on 63rd street in Englewood at night right now.

[mattshoe]

'Teachers Village' Development Proposed For Former Von Humboldt Elementary

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016...lage-rbh-group

[orulz]

That riverwalk looks great.

Please forgive my ignorance and/or forgetfulness: I recall there were going to be some new retail spaces along the riverwalk. Which segments have them? (Which do not?) Have there been any tenants announced?

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by mattshoe

'Teachers Village' Development Proposed For Former Von Humboldt Elementary

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016...lage-rbh-group

Interesting. These guys hired Richard Meier to design their Newark project. Shame they aren't doing the same here in Chicago.

At least the design looks pretty contemporary, and it seems to have the support of community groups. Hopefully they can line up the funding to make this thing work... although it will be strange to put a market and shops on a quiet residential block. I guess that explains the 132-space parking garage.

[the urban politician]

So here is an interesting construction conundrum in gentrifying areas of the city:

A 3 flat we gut rehabbed in Pilsen is done, fully to code (1" gas lines in the building). The first tenants to move in however can't get the furnaces to work. They have cooking gas but not enough gas pressure to run the furnace.

Turns out People's Gas has to install new service from the street. In fact, because of modern building requirements People's Gas may end up having to do this in large swaths of the city, particularly where there have been buildings fully rehabbed, such as in Pilsen. These areas have not seen such investment since the Cubs won their last World Series, and looks like our utility companies will have to pay catch up.

Meanwhile my tenants don't have running furnaces so we had to buy some wall electric heaters until People's Gas finally takes care of this.

What a mess this had been, btw

[LouisVanDerWright]

Yup, that's what they are doing when they tear up the streets to lay that yellow plastic pipe. The low preassure lines are worthless, but I've never heard of preassure so low that appliances won't start. Luckily my building is on a street that's already been upgraded, though I've got another project in Avondale that is not, hope we don't run into that issue there.

I guess if it's going to happen anywhere it's Pilsen, super dense area rapidly being upgraded to newer appliances. This entire city is so fucked up some times.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Interesting. These guys hired Richard Meier to design their Newark project. Shame they aren't doing the same here in Chicago.

At least the design looks pretty contemporary, and it seems to have the support of community groups.

Not Meier but still pretty good of them to bring in international architects for this type of project.

This is what they produced for the Hirsch side (which looks to be passive green space now, which might be a better idea overall) to give you an idea of what things may look like

Can't really complain with something like that, especially out in the neighborhods where we typically get Antunovich or worse

[marothisu]

Checked out the river walk extension today finally. So I have to say that my expectations were different than reality in what I would like. I thought I would hate the part with the weird ramp, be OK about the floating plant area, and like the water feature area the most.

I was right about the plant area but once everything is grown in, it'll probably be better. The water feature area was just OK - maybe because there weren't two columns of water going, just one. I bet it looks cool at night. Now, the ramp part I thought I would hate - and that ramp DOES suck, but I actually liked the part beyond that. There is a big stretch of grass there that looks onto the fork and the three new buildings. It is pretty relaxing and a nice change of pace. Once another one or two towers for WP are there, that area will be even cooler.

[HowardL]

^^ Cool perspective.

I have purposely not walked the new segments yet. I have two former Chicago friends, now in London, who are coming for Thanksgiving. They haven't been back in maybe five years.

I want to surprise them with a walk from Michigan all the way down to Lake. The last three rooms we get to explore together.

I need to check and see if we can still get some booze down there in late November.

[jc5680]

Originally Posted by HowardL

^^ Cool perspective

I need to check and see if we can still get some booze down there in late November.

City winery and tiny hat both looked shut down for the season today

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by jc5680

City winery and tiny hat both looked shut down for the season today

Yeah both were. The place next to Tiny Hatt was open, and O'Brien's was closed too. 100% sure by Thanksgiving week that last one won't be open.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

September 27, 2016

Found Hotel - 60 rooms, restaurant and cafe on the first floor, speakeasy bar in the basement

[VKChaz]

Originally Posted by jc5680

City winery and tiny hat both looked shut down for the season today

Walking through Saturday evening, we saw confused people and had to explain to one group who had made a special trip that the businesses closed for the season. Felt bad for them. There should be prominently displayed advance warning of what the close dates will be. A notice thanking customers for their business and inviting them back next year would also be good form. And would let anyone visiting during the offseason know that there is more to return for and experience beginning in the Spring.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by VKChaz

Walking through Saturday evening, we saw confused people and had to explain to one group who had made a special trip that the businesses closed for the season. Felt bad for them. There should be prominently displayed advance warning of what the close dates will be. A notice thanking customers for their business and inviting them back next year would also be good form. And would let anyone visiting during the offseason know that there is more to return for and experience beginning in the Spring.

I think they had a conspicuous sign up in almost those same words. And it recommended people visit their other location. Maybe it disappeared. I think the warm weekend and celebrations had people thrown off. I was puzzled for a brief moment why Buckingham fountain was off.

[Skyguy_7]

Finally, some action at this 8+ year-old gaping hole on Clark st in Wrigleyville. Shot amongst the commotion on the night of November 2nd, 2016.