CHICAGO | General Developments

[left of center]

Originally Posted by marothisu

The former Agudas Achim synagogue in Uptown at 5029 N Kenmore (Kenmore & Argyle) was issued a permit yesterday to finally convert it to 40 dwelling units.

This will be a conversion and not a demolition, right?

If a conversion, what kind of changes are we talking about with the exterior?

[bnk]

A look inside the four-tower ‘urban campus’ planned for 700 W. Chicago

A new animation provides the best look yet at the seven-acre redevelopment
by Jay Koziarz Dec 4, 2017, 11:57am CST

• Video Link


While the $700 million redevelopment of the Chicago Tribune’s riverfront real estate may still be some ways off, a new video provides our best look yet at the four-tower complex planned for 700 W. Chicago Avenue. The two-minute animation, ...


Known officially as 700 at The River District, the River West proposal is a joint venture between Tribune Media and Riverside Investment & Development. The plan by architect Goettsch Partners currently calls for three loft-style office towers, a 300-unit residential high-rise, and a 4.5-acre waterfront park with a publicly-accessible riverwalk.

The project is being marketed as a “Connected Campus.” The term not only suggests it will be tailor made to suit technology-oriented tenants but also an allusion to the parcel’s proximity to multiple modes of transportation including CTA lines and the Chicago Water Taxi. A planned access road connecting the site to Chicago’s commuter rail hubs also makes a reappearance in the video.
A zoning application for the four-tower development was filed in early September on the heels of a sweeping City Council....
The 700 at The River District plan is just one component of a much larger master plan for Tribune-owned real estate along the Chicago river. Combined with a 30-acre parcel south of Chicago Avenue which is currently home to the Freedom Center printing plant, the greater River District complex could someday support dozens of mixed-use high-rises.

...

[left of center]

^ Interesting. The proposed private busway/access road has a more direct shot towards the train stations now. Previous proposals shows it making an awkward jog to DesPlaines via Grand then turn back on Kinzie:


Source: Curbed Chicago

The vid shows the most seamless way to do this, which would be to follow the old Chicago & Northwestern spur to Clinton, and head south from there. They could also connect Jefferson to Grand, and then get to Clinton via Kinzie. The latter would probably be easier to implement, but increase the trip time for the shuttle bus.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by left of center

^ Interesting. The proposed private busway/access road has a more direct shot towards the train stations now. Previous proposals shows it making an awkward jog to DesPlaines via Grand then turn back on Kinzie:


Source: Curbed Chicago

The vid shows the most seamless way to do this, which would be to follow the old Chicago & Northwestern spur to Clinton, and head south from there. They could also connect Jefferson to Grand, and then get to Clinton via Kinzie. The latter would probably be easier to implement, but increase the trip time for the shuttle bus.

I think all of this is highly conceptual. I wouldn't read too much into these diagrams.

For speed and convenience, I would also prefer a more direct route but:

The spur, as it were, is only one track wide and is severely squeezed between the UP viaduct and the wall of Kinzie Park. Not to mention the intersection of Kinzie/Clinton itself, which is a forest of columns that would utterly block a bus coming from the north from accessing Clinton. Buses could get to Canal fairly easily, but then they'd have to cut back west to Clinton at Fulton. I'm sure there's an engineering solution somehow, but would it be safe and/or cost-effective?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by left of center

This will be a conversion and not a demolition, right?

If a conversion, what kind of changes are we talking about with the exterior?

It's a conversion. I went here a few years ago for Open House and you could tell at one time it was probably a decent temple, but it was pretty neglected. It's a shame that it became that way. Hopefully the conversion keeps more about its roots than merely the exterior.

Here's a rendering from Curbed:

[Randomguy34]

I had a quick look at the ACS 2016 survey data, and it looks like the city's population is 2,704,965 people. That's only about 1,000 new people from last year, so we still have really overall growth. The last ACS survey showed that this is because of high central area growth and large population loss on the South Side. I recall the West Side's population loss is starting to level off, and the population for South Lakefront neighborhoods increasing a bit.

Marothisu, when should we expect your detailed analysis of the population change from a neighborhood level?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

I had a quick look at the ACS 2016 survey data, and it looks like the city's population is 2,704,965 people. That's only about 1,000 new people from last year, so we still have really overall growth. The last ACS survey showed that this is because of high central area growth and large population loss on the South Side. I recall the West Side's population loss is starting to level off, and the population for South Lakefront neighborhoods increasing a bit.

Marothisu, when should we expect your detailed analysis of the population change from a neighborhood level?

First thing to note is that what you are seeing as a population of 2,704,965 is the 1 year ACS estimates which have been out for a few months. In reality, the 5 year estimates which were released just over 8 hours ago is 2,714,017. In the case of the ACS, I believe 1 year ACS is more accurate for larger populations because it represents a single point in time. The 5 year ACS is more of an average over 5 years of something. Unfortunately, the census tract level is only available at the 5 year ACS.

Second thing to note is that according to a presentation I saw, you aren't supposed to compare overlapping years of the 5 year ACS. The 2016 5 year ACS is 2012-2016, so you shouldn't compare 2011-2015 apparently - according to the Census themselves. You should only compare say 2007-2011 (2011 ACS) or 2006-2010 (2010) to 2012-2016 ACS. According to them too, and this is something I've said multiple times here, you should only compare ACS to ACS and you should only compare say the 1 year to the 1 year and 5 year to the 5 year. Also I understand that the 1 year ACS is better than the 5 year ACS at analyzing larger populations. A lot of people compare the 2010 decennial census to the ACS which according to the Census, you aren't supposed to do. A lot of media, publications, etc flat out still haven't done their homework on this.

They also don't adjust their estimates based on the actual Census. So if the 2010 ACS (population estimated as of January 1st, as I understand) states that the population of something is 50,000, but then the decennial Census says it's 60,000 - the next year ACS wouldn't update their info to take 60K as the population. It would just go on with the previous 50K estimate. In that sense, the 2010 estimate of the Loop was 19,993 people and the 2016 estimate was 35,010 people - a growth of 15,017 people. However, the 2010 Census stated the population was 29,283 - so is the actual population of the Loop now close to 45,000 people instead of 35,000 people?


So anyway, here are a few community areas and what I calculated as their 2016 populations. I think there will be some adjustment from areas like Logan Square and West Town because for example, there's a very small section of West Town within a tract that's mostly for Logan Square.

According to what I calculated.. Near West, Near South, Near North, and the Loop have grown by a combined 43,225 people since 2010 (versus the ACS, not versus the actual Census). At this time last year, I would have put this number at +39,444. It looks like the Census has updated their estimates so it's increased nearly 4000 people in the last year.

* Lakeview: 99,876 people | +2686 people compared to 2010 ACS
* Near North Side: 86,343 people | +10,124 people
* West Town: 84,458 people | +1877 people
* Logan Square: 74,606 people | -846 people
* West Ridge: 73,723 people | +1654 people
* Lincoln Park: 67,260 people | +2825 people
* Near West Side: 62,560 people | +12,772 people
* Rogers Park: 55,500 people | +494 people
* Edgewater: 55,430 people | -1175 people
* Irving Park: 55,417 people | +564 people
* Albany Park: 51,575 people | -101 people
* Lincoln Square: 41,483 people | +3066 people
* Avondale: 38,191 people | -1798 people
* Loop: 35,010 people | +15,017 people
* North Center: 34,942 people | +1548 people
* Lower West Side: 32,998 people | -2510 people
* Hyde Park: 26,573 people | +695 people
* Near South Side: 23,190 people | +5312 people

[Randomguy34]

Findings from searching around the internet this morning:

Apparently the 6 story building proposed for the SW lot of 31st & Indiana already broke ground on October 26th. It will contain 54 units and retail Ald Dowell's newsletter says that full construction should begin before the end of the year, and it will start climbing in the spring. (Source: http://www.dowellforthirdward.com/wp...Newsletter.pdf)

Image: Chicago Curbed


The city also wants to build an affordable mixed use development at the NE and SE corners of 5th Ave and Kedzie, as a part of the city's new goals for sustainable development. In addition, the city is looking for a developer to rehab two of the Stockyard buildings on Pershing Rd (Source: https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017...-garfield-park)

[harryc]

Dec 5

[denizen467]

2701 W. Armitage is a quarter-block hole now, surrounded by construction fencing, where the longtime commercial brick structure (shown partially in the linked Curbed article) had stood until rather recently, probably as late as October.

[denizen467]

It's not like we have any right to complain about this one ... but it kinda ruins the West Loop a little, no?

New McDonald’s Headquarters To Get McDonalds On Ground Level

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by denizen467

It's not like we have any right to complain about this one ... but it kinda ruins the West Loop a little, no?

New McDonald’s Headquarters To Get McDonalds On Ground Level

It's a McDonald's but how does that "ruin" the West Loop? I'm guessing it will be a really nice one, being at the base of the global HQ.

I kinda wish they would demolish the Rock n Roll McD's and make this a showcase.

[denizen467]

^ Well it would ruin Fulton Market, and it would ruin the first few blocks of Randolph. It may be tolerable way out by Aberdeen.

The whole thesis of Fulton Market is that it's host to best-of-breed dining, food, and other services. Everyone working there (look at the face photo collage on Halsted at Fulton) is an artist striving at the top of the game; it's kind of an artist colony where the ideal is the pursuit of quality and innovation, over flashiness and repetition and efficiency. Are people going to flock to a Soho House or a Nobu Hotel if there are KFCs littered across the neighborhood?

McDonald's, in contrast, is a dinner-of-last-resort type of place, the pinnacle of profitmaking and the culinary equivalent of VE'ing.

And the last thing we need is suburbanites GPSing themselves off the Kennedy or out of the Loop to the nearest McDonald's for a bite. I think it would be fine if the McDonald's over by Ogden continued to serve that purpose.

[marothisu]

Via newest Census ACS for 2016..Combined population of Near North, Near South, Near West, and the Loop is 207,103 people. This is up 43,225 people since the 2010 ACS , or +26.38% growth. If you compare it against the 2010 Decennial Census, which you aren't supposed to do but we'll do anyway then it would be +21,065 people or +10.17%. So no matter which way you look at it, it's great growth for downtown - and technically the 26.38% is the more correct one according to the Census Dept

BTW there's someone on Facebook claiming their friend who works at McDonald's says this restaurant will have a full international menu or something. If true then perhaps they were reading this forum

[denizen467]

^ Creating a real global flagship, and presenting it as such, always serving items otherwise sold only in Asia or other places, would redeem this if executed well (and not dumbed down after three years into a generic McDonald's). If the store staff always rotated through international attendees at Hamburger University, that would be interesting too.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by denizen467

The whole thesis of Fulton Market is that it's host to best-of-breed dining

Um, office workers sometimes just want a $6 lunch.

And this is going to be McDonald's headquarters. They like to have a functioning restaurant downstairs to think about new concepts would work in service. At the one on 22nd St. in Oak Brook, I don't think they ever did any notable menu-item test marketing, but there are sometimes logistical issues (like grill space for all-day breakfast) that are best thought-through in a functioning restaurant.

[ardecila]

Yeah, I'm not offended by this McDonalds if it's done tastefully. It's not like "suburbanites getting off the highway" will find much, this will be mainly a walk-up location. And it's in their HQ, for cryin' out loud, what did you expect?

[k1052]

Sometimes I just want a sausage egg McMuffin and a coffee not a $10 bespoke breakfast sandwich. Not to say I don't love the latter.

It will not "ruin" Fulton Market/West Loop. That's hyperbolic. Since it's in their HQ it will probably be a really nice buildout.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Stockerzzz

Thanks! So are the south and west sides still bleeding population?

Yes, but at least if you compare 2015 to 2016 then Englewood, Austin, Auburn Gresham, and a few others didn't lose that much population. Issue is that they'd already lost a lot in the previous years, so even if one of them lost only 30 people, it's not helping matters. West Englewood however did lose the 3rd most population out of any community area. Avondale and Lower West Side were top 2 biggest losers. Out of the gainers on the south side it was, in order, West Lawn, West Elsdon, Ashburn, Riverdale, Mount Greenwood, Douglas, Clearing, Hegewisch, South Lawndale, Pullman, Greater Grand Crossing, New City, Brighton Park, Avalon Park, and Beverly.

Also interesting is Humboldt Park having the 4th highest gain of the 77 community areas.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by denizen467

^ Well it would ruin Fulton Market, and it would ruin the first few blocks of Randolph. It may be tolerable way out by Aberdeen.

The whole thesis of Fulton Market is that it's host to best-of-breed dining, food, and other services. Everyone working there (look at the face photo collage on Halsted at Fulton) is an artist striving at the top of the game; it's kind of an artist colony where the ideal is the pursuit of quality and innovation, over flashiness and repetition and efficiency. Are people going to flock to a Soho House or a Nobu Hotel if there are KFCs littered across the neighborhood?

McDonald's, in contrast, is a dinner-of-last-resort type of place, the pinnacle of profitmaking and the culinary equivalent of VE'ing.

And the last thing we need is suburbanites GPSing themselves off the Kennedy or out of the Loop to the nearest McDonald's for a bite. I think it would be fine if the McDonald's over by Ogden continued to serve that purpose.

..................ok You really think a McD’s will poach diners from fine restaurants?