CHICAGO | General Developments

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chic...building,31440

CHA okays demolition of South Side church building
By Adrian G. Uribarri

Chicago Housing Authority officials this morning approved the demolition of a vacant and deteriorating church that the agency purchased in 1993.

The 11,350 square-foot property at 3600 S. Vincennes Ave. is part of what is known as the Madden/Wells Revitalization Area in Chicago's South Side. The former church was built in the 1870s.

Lee Bey

Link to Lee's photo gallery

[wrab]

^ Very sad-making about Sixth Pres.

[spyguy]

http://www.hpherald.com/

U. of C. abruptly begins demo of Harper Ct.

The University of Chicago unceremoniously began demolition of Harper Court last Friday, when the jaws of a piece of heavy construction equipment tore into the back of the space formerly occupied by Dixie Kitchen.

tompin/ twitpic

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http://www.hpherald.com/

Dead or alive: a roundup of developments in Hyde Park and Kenwood
The Shops and Lofts at 47

...City planners and Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) didn't want to let the deal die, so early this year they introduced legislation that would allow the city to buy the land - 15 parcels in all. Their stated goal: to hand it over to Mahogany when the economy improves, so that some version of the original Shops and Lofts plan (probably minus the hard-to-finance condos) can still go forward.

[spyguy]

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...ws.pl?id=35179

City bonds, TIF money possible for Bronzeville project
By Eddie Baeb, Aug. 19, 2009

The Daley administration is upping its efforts to help Capri Capital Partners LLC finance its proposed Metropolis retail development in Bronzeville.

Mayor Richard Daley wants the city to issue up to $28 million in “Enterprise Zone” bonds for the already-downsized $50-million project, which is to be anchored by a Roundy’s grocery store.
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http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...ws.pl?id=35177

2 Gold Coast sites face foreclosure
By Andrew Schroedter, Aug. 19, 2009

...In the larger of the two suits, Anglo Irish Bank Corp. is seeking to collect $33.2 million for the nearly half-acre Esquire site at 58-104 E. Oak St., where Mr. Hunt had once planned to demolish the 1930s-era theater, known for its vertical neon marquee, and build a boutique hotel.

...Separately, Anglo Irish filed to foreclose on the former Cedar Hotel, a mostly empty building that Mr. Hunt owns at 1112-1118 N. State St., seeking to collect nearly $18.7 million. As with the Esquire property, Mr. Hunt wanted to bring a trendy hotel to the site, but a deal with Morgans Hotel Group Co. collapsed late last year amid the deepening the financial crisis.

[ardecila]

Recovering a touch of greatness: Sullivan facades in Loop are now complete
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2009/08/recov...

It's a small dose of Louis Sullivan's dazzling ornament, but architecture buffs will take it all the same.

The handsome restoration of two Sullivan-designed cast-iron facades in the Loop, including one discovered during construction, is finally complete. Developer Joseph Freed and Associates will hold a private reception Wednesday to mark the milestone, which represents a happy exception to a rash of Sullivan debacles.

Meanwhile, the scaffolding along the State and Madison Street sides of Sullivan's former Carson Pirie Scott & Co. store -- one of his masterpieces, with lush cast-iron ornament wrapping the building's base -- is scheduled to come down by late October.

The delicious small storefronts on Wabash are the appetizer to that main course.

Now they just need tenants. Freed says it is in talks with restaurants and retailers.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

I'm not sure if it's been discussed, but what's going on at the site of the Sports Corner bar at Sheffield and Addison? I was driving by last night and noticed they were possibly trying to emulate the old facade in the new building?

[pip]

^yeah i see it everyday. they have done a good job on that building

[emathias]

Originally Posted by denizen467

harryc, do you know this is an antenna, or is it an educated guess, or is it a semi-wild guess? If really an antenna, does anyone know why it would be this shape and size -- is it a broadcast antenna as opposed to just a receiving antenna?

I think it's a transistor, as they transform AON into the world's largest transistor radio.

[k1052]

It would be nice to see the Esquire operate again sans terrible Loews (then AMC) management. Some money would definitely have to be spent getting it into shape again after such a long period of neglect by Loews and then going dark for several years.

[ardecila]

Specialty food shops on menu in West Loop commuter marketplace
By Lorene Yue, Aug. 19, 2009

(Crain’s) — Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine joins a list of specialty food stores set for a late-October debut at the MetraMarket’s French Market.

U.S. Equities Realty, developer of the European-style market taking shape in the Ogilvie Transportation Center concourse in the West Loop, announced Wednesday the names of roughly half the tenants expected for the 15,000-square-foot space.

They include:

* Albano’s Deli, an Italian specialty store.
* Canady Le Chocolatier.
* Chicago Organics grocery store.
* Completely Nuts.
* Flip Crepes.
* Fraternite Notre Dame bakery.
* Sweet Miss Giving’s bakery.
* Vanille Patisserie pastry shop.
* Wisconsin Cheese Mart.

Other MetraMarket tenants include a CVS drugstore and an Expression by Lavazza Italian café.

Retail leases launch Presidential Towers redevelopment
By Eddie Baeb, Aug. 12, 2009



(Crain’s) — A health club and a trendy breakfast restaurant have signed leases to become the first new retail tenants at Presidential Towers in the West Loop, paving the way for a major redevelopment to take place beginning later this year.

Chicago-based Fitness Formula Ltd. has leased 52,043 square feet that will be spread over two levels along Clinton Street, where a glass-enclosed, three-story atrium will be built to replace a loading dock there now.

The restaurant Yolk has leased 4,200 square feet just south of the new gym that will also front Clinton between Madison and Monroe streets.

One deal that didn’t come together for Presidential Towers was a CVS drugstore, Mr. Kaplan says. Sources had said Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Caremark Corp. signed a letter of intent last year.

A gourmet market is now looking at the CVS space, at the northeast corner of Jefferson and Monroe streets, while the complex’s current grocer, Presidential Market, is also in talks about renewing its lease, says Waterton’s Mr. Schwartz.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by spyguy

City planners and Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) didn't want to let the deal die, so early this year they introduced legislation that would allow the city to buy the land - 15 parcels in all. Their stated goal: to hand it over to Mahogany when the economy improves, so that some version of the original Shops and Lofts plan (probably minus the hard-to-finance condos) can still go forward.

^ Oh, boy--we've seen what happens to mixed use developments in Bronzeville when the residential portion is removed. For some reason, developers and the city can only think in two frames of mind--either 1) multilevel building with ground level retail, or 2) completely suburban strip mall.

We'll see if the Alderman and the developer can actually make something worth building out of this, or whether it will join the list of developments that do nothing to make the south side worth paying a visit to.

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

I'm not sure if it's been discussed, but what's going on at the site of the Sports Corner bar at Sheffield and Addison? I was driving by last night and noticed they were possibly trying to emulate the old facade in the new building?

who knows? it looks as thought the new building was built to be a replica of the old.

the old building was torn down because it was falling apart, right? if not, it seems a little odd to tear something down just to rebuilt a new version of the same thing...

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

Can someone explain to me why the CHA bought this, and then proceeded to let it rot for 15 years?

Because the CHA is stupid.

[wrab]

So that they could cite its decrepit state as a public safety hazard in order to get it out of the way?

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Why did the CHA build the Robert Taylor Homes, stuff them with more than two times their capacity of residents, then proceed to allow them to decay into a decrepit state of gang warfare and physical hazards? Maybe because the government sucks at deciding the best use of a piece of real estate?

If CHA wanted to be effective they would simply provide vouchers to their "clients" to subsidize or completely pay for them to live in regular apartments like the rest of us. I feel like not segregating the poor might help to alleviate the segregation of the poor? But that's a whole other story for another thread. Point is I hate the CHA and all their dumb ideas...

[ardecila]

^^ You mean, like, umm, Section 8?

There's evidence that segregation happens even under the supposedly free market of Section 8... search The Atlantic for an article with a good overview of the problem.

[denizen467]

Ok, it is an antenna. (^Good guess with "transistor" though.)

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune....09/08/aon.html

Cityscapes
by Blair Kamin

What's 'that thing' atop the Aon Center? Three guesses: A) an antenna; B) a Homeland Security device; C) one of Mayor Daley's cameras

...

It's a communications antenna. Erected in July, the antenna has three transmitters, one of which is leased to Chicago radio station WDRV, according to Brooke Houghton, a spokeswoman for Jones Lang LaSalle, the tower's property manager.

"It brings additional revenue to the building," Houghton said. "We don't think it takes away from the iconic stature of the building or the aesthetics of the skyline."

...

[the urban politician]

I visited the area around Lawrence and Kedzie for the first time ever (yeah I know, it's sad that I hadn't yet made it out there).

I was really impressed. Does anyone know if efforts are being made to maintain that area's pedestrian character? I saw a few newish strip malls in the area.

I can't find that list of Pedestrian Streets (Zoning Ordinance doesn't seem to be loading up), but I would be surprised of at east some portions of Lawrence in Albany Park isn't designated as such. If not, it seems like it would be worth the effort.

On another note, in 2008 Ald Levar and the city/community came up with a Jefferson Park development plan. For those of you who are concerned about that part of town being underdeveloped, the plan calls for higher densities near the transit node and new development that helps shape the street edge. It's still a draft, but the existence of this plan is good news that at least something is being done to address development in that part of town. The plan is here: http://egov.cityofchicago.org:80/cit...t&context=dept

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I visited the area around Lawrence and Kedzie for the first time ever (yeah I know, it's sad that I hadn't yet made it out there).

I was really impressed. Does anyone know if efforts are being made to maintain that area's pedestrian character? I saw a few newish strip malls in the area.

I can't find that list of Pedestrian Streets (Zoning Ordinance doesn't seem to be loading up), but I would be surprised of at east some portions of Lawrence in Albany Park isn't designated as such. If not, it seems like it would be worth the effort.

^ Well, I found the pedestrian street designations here, it's interesting that Lawrence isn't included.

There are a lot of strips that are very pedestrian friendly that aren't designated pedestrians streets. For example, Devon is only designated a pedestrian street west of Western, yet it remains a seamless street of storefronts for about 3-4 blocks east of Western as well.

Does anybody know why this designation isn't more comprehensive? One becomes curious what the decision making process was when the zoning rewrite was occurring.

[nomarandlee]

http://www.suntimes.com/business/172...plan21.article


City plan would move Lake Shore Drive east
$15.6 BILLION |
More bike, walking paths, W. Loop transit hub
Comments

August 21, 2009

BY DAVID ROEDER droeder@suntimes.com

A guide for downtown growth through 2020 that calls for $15.6 billion in public works was endorsed Thursday by the Chicago Plan Commission.

The Chicago Central Area Action Plan would allocate most of the spending for transportation projects. The most expensive would be a $6 billion West Loop transit hub beneath Clinton Street with a multilevel connection between Metra and CTA service.

Other big-ticket items include $1.5 billion for CTA express train service to the airports and $500 million for a landscaped roof over the Kennedy Expy. from Monroe to Washington, around which new office buildings could be added.

A project budgeted at $377 million would move part of Lake Shore Drive east from Navy Pier to the Oak Street curve, creating space for bike and pedestrian paths. It also could make the road safer for motorists by straightening a sharp curve around Oak Street Beach.

More broadly, the plan sketches how the city should look if forecasts for growth hold true. It assigns importance to green space and waterfront access but emphasizes roadway and transit changes to speed the movement of people.

It recommends four new CTA L stations near downtown and two pedestrian bridges over the Chicago River, one in the West Loop and the other in Streeterville. The plan's text and graphics are posted on the Web site of the city's Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning.

Each project will require its own review, said downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (43rd), who supports the plan. "It helps guide future discussions about downtown development. It doesn't dictate them," he said.

The commission's unanimous vote is the final action and makes the document official city policy. No City Council action is required because no law was made. While the document includes cost estimates and plans for raising the money, it offers no funding guarantee. Individual projects may have to be deferred for years or may never happen.

The plan was aired in front of downtown area civic groups in recent months and drew support. One critic who addressed the Plan Commission, South Loop resident Enrique Perez, criticized it for opening the door to taller buildings in his neighborhood. He said rapid development already has overwhelmed the sewers and utility lines.

The report said the projects are attainable even amid fiscal austerity if the city can raise money from tax-increment financing, which diverts property taxes from regular government expenses, or obtain federal and state aid. It acknowledged that the aid might be tied to a 2016 Summer Olympics but said the projects are possible even if the city's application is rejected.

The authors are principally officials with city planning agencies or consultants working for them. Benet Haller, director of urban design for the city's Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning, said the proposed expenses aren't out of line with recent budgets for capital projects.

..