CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 405

spyguy · #**8081** Posted **Sep 12, 2009, 7:45 PM**

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-b...rticleId=32362

City Hall peddles $40-mil. bike path
By: Paul Merrion September 14, 2009

The Daley administration is reviving plans to build an elevated pathway to keep bicyclists and pedestrians off the streets near Navy Pier, roughly doubling the original cost to $40 million by extending and revamping the route across the Chicago River to fix the biggest choke point in the 18-mile lakefront trail.

The only question is how to pay for the expansion of the 10-year-old plan. Funding will probably come from a big chunk of federal money and a mix of state, local and private dollars.

ardecila · #**8082** Posted **Sep 12, 2009, 7:57 PM**

Not sure I like the plan to cut a hole through the FDR Bridge towers. Can it be done tastefully without compromising the design? Also, will it require the removal of the bridge stairs?

spyguy · #**8083** Posted **Sep 12, 2009, 8:48 PM**

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/r...91209.article#

New plan would save St. Boniface towers
September 12, 2009

An agreement has been reached to save historic St. Boniface -- or, at least, significant parts of the vacant West Town church -- from the wrecking ball, officials said Friday.

Under the deal, four signature church towers would be saved, and the building would be converted into a "senior living" complex.

..."The entire front of the church with the two towers looking toward [a park], that sort of front-entrance look will remain in tact as well the two towers that flank that -- so four towers total," McHugh said.

the urban politician · #**8084** Posted **Sep 12, 2009, 9:06 PM**

^ Excellent news!

ardecila · #**8085** Posted **Sep 12, 2009, 9:23 PM**

^^ The Archdiocese demolished St. Boniface School in 2003, but they placed the facade into storage. Hopefully, the new senior home will use that facade as well.

Depending on the resulting design for the senior home, this may be a very good outcome.

sammyg · #**8086** Posted **Sep 13, 2009, 7:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-b...rticleId=32362

City Hall peddles $40-mil. bike path
By: Paul Merrion September 14, 2009

The Daley administration is reviving plans to build an elevated pathway to keep bicyclists and pedestrians off the streets near Navy Pier, roughly doubling the original cost to $40 million by extending and revamping the route across the Chicago River to fix the biggest choke point in the 18-mile lakefront trail.

The only question is how to pay for the expansion of the 10-year-old plan. Funding will probably come from a big chunk of federal money and a mix of state, local and private dollars.

If only they'd use some TIF money for a project this great.

denizen467 · #**8087** Posted **Sep 13, 2009, 7:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

Not sure I like the plan to cut a hole through the FDR Bridge towers. Can it be done tastefully without compromising the design?

Also, although they would be short, the resulting "tunnels" could invite occasional graffiti, filth, and maybe an opportunity for late night muggers. Why go with a design like that if a different configuration is possible? How about cantilevering off the east side of the bridge - if the width is kept limited somewhat then maybe it would be structurally possible?

ardecila · #**8088** Posted **Sep 13, 2009, 6:43 PM**

They already are cantilevering off the east side of the bridge. But there's a choke point between the bridge truss and the towers. Sending the path to the outside of the towers would probably be even more damaging to the original look of the bridge, and might require the destruction of the beautiful Art Deco stairs.

The best solution would be to split directions on the bike path, so that southbound bikers and joggers take the west sidewalk and northbound on the east. But that would require a more complex structure, and a crosswalk at Wacker for the southbound.

Busy Bee · #**8089** Posted **Sep 13, 2009, 7:01 PM**

How about a bike/ped tunnel UNDER the river, with a glass/acrylic ceiling and LED lighting, depending on how deep the river is thru that section, light from daytime could stream thru a glass or acrylic celing. Hey, it doesn't sound that crazy to me.

Busy Bee · #**8090** Posted **Sep 14, 2009, 4:14 AM**

Here's a link to a Lynn Becker article from 2003 about the city/archdioscece deisgn competition at St. Boniface. Not sure I'd ever seen these before. Of course none of these will actually be happening.

http://www.lynnbecker.com/repeat/boniface/boniface.htm

Via Chicago · #**8091** Posted **Sep 14, 2009, 3:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyg

If only they'd use some TIF money for a project this great.

Oh, you mean the magical piggy bank in the sky.

Via Chicago · #**8092** Posted **Sep 14, 2009, 3:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

How about a bike/ped tunnel UNDER the river, with a glass/acrylic ceiling and LED lighting, depending on how deep the river is thru that section, light from daytime could stream thru a glass or acrylic celing. Hey, it doesn't sound that crazy to me.

This city has a 1/2 billion dollar budget shortfall. It sounds crazy to me.

BWChicago · #**8093** Posted **Sep 14, 2009, 3:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

Oh, you mean the magical piggy bank in the sky.

TIF is supposed to be for infrastructure improvements that increase property values, not just dole to developers... it would be pretty novel to actually use it that way... but I think he was being facetious about the bike habitrail.

Via Chicago · #**8094** Posted **Sep 14, 2009, 6:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWChicago

TIF is supposed to be for infrastructure improvements that increase property values, not just dole to developers... it would be pretty novel to actually use it that way... but I think he was being facetious about the bike habitrail.

Im well aware of what TIF is "supposed" to be used for. And you are incorrect. TIFs were intended to be established for development improvements in blighted neighborhoods. Explain to me how the Navy Pier/Streeterville area, one of the richest and most development intensive areas in the city, if not the country, qualifies to meet that criteria.

If the OP was being facetious I apologize, although it dosent read that way. But my point remains that this is not the type of project TIF should be financing. Much less should a TIF even exist for that neighborhood.

BWChicago · #**8095** Posted **Sep 15, 2009, 3:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

Im well aware of what TIF is "supposed" to be used for. And you are incorrect. TIFs were intended to be established for development improvements in blighted neighborhoods. Explain to me how the Navy Pier/Streeterville area, one of the richest and most development intensive areas in the city, if not the country, qualifies to meet that criteria.

If the OP was being facetious I apologize, although it dosent read that way. But my point remains that this is not the type of project TIF should be financing. Much less should a TIF even exist for that neighborhood.

Of course I know that. And of course you know how blight is defined in Chicago. My position on TIFs is that they're deeply flawed, but if you have them you may as well use them reasonably instead of stuffing developers' pockets.

whyhuhwhy · #**8096** Posted **Sep 15, 2009, 7:12 PM**

Does anyone know what is going on along the lakefront from about Diversey all the way to Belmont? There has been a fence and construction materials behind this stretch of lakefront, making the shore completely inaccessible, for what seems to be at least 3 years now. I can't find ANYTHING about this project online after an exhaustive search.

harryc · #**8097** Posted **Sep 15, 2009, 7:36 PM**

A spectacle never seen before in downtown Chicago is heading this way, thanks to Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC).

Stand at the corner of State and Lake on Sunday October 25, 2009 and look upward.

Participants will be rappelling 27 stories (278 feet) down the exterior façade of theWit Hotel’s signature lightning bolt to promote lung health and help to raise more than $100,000 for lung disease research and education. Don't worry, no rappel experience is necessary. On site training will be provided on event day.

For more information visit Skyline Plunge! Chicago headquarters.

VivaLFuego · #**8098** Posted **Sep 15, 2009, 8:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whyhuhwhy

Does anyone know what is going on along the lakefront from about Diversey all the way to Belmont? There has been a fence and construction materials behind this stretch of lakefront, making the shore completely inaccessible, for what seems to be at least 3 years now. I can't find ANYTHING about this project online after an exhaustive search.

Shoreline revetment reconstruction.

Here's a city link that mostly deals in generalities: http://www.ci.chi.il.us/city/webport...o&context=dept

Obviously, this shoreline reconstruction has been a big bucks multi-year program. When all is said and done and the shoreline totally rebuilt, I'm thinking it will have been about a 20 year project with total burdened cost pushing $1 bn in year-of-expenditure dollars.

Of course, efforts on the south side graced the city with the idiotic "Save the Point" campaign, which briefly was in one Sen. Obama's to-do list before he moved on to slightly more important crap.

http://www.hydepark.org/parks/point.html

Buried in those links, and rarely reported, was how much improvement this project has brought to south lakefront, particularly between McCormick Place and 47th Street. End result was a major expansion of usable, landscaped lakefront parkland.

Taft · #**8099** Posted **Sep 15, 2009, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

...

Of course, efforts on the south side graced the city with the idiotic "Save the Point" campaign, which briefly was in one Sen. Obama's to-do list before he moved on to slightly more important crap.

http://www.hydepark.org/parks/point.html

Buried in those links, and rarely reported, was how much improvement this project has brought to south lakefront, particularly between McCormick Place and 47th Street. End result was a major expansion of usable, landscaped lakefront parkland.

There were absolutely benefits to this reconstruction project. However, to call opposition to it "idiotic" is quite harsh, IMO.

Given the design and the materials used, I think a person has a very legitimate reason to oppose the project as executed. From my perspective, this project has turned the shoreline proper into a gigantic landing pad and has sapped almost all of the charm from the shoreline experience. Any and all organic flow between the parkland and the water has been obliterated and we are left with immense and barren concrete stairs to nowhere.

To be honest, from an aesthetic perspective, I have a hard time understanding why anyone would support the project as executed. I was recently in Spain and visited A Coruna where they redid a significant portion of their seafront. Similar to Chicago, they had replaced the older cut-stone shoreline with a more walkable and modern solution. Unlike Chicago, their implementation actually had a bit of class: they lined the walkable portions with either stones or pavers, put in a nice handrail, added access points along the way so people could still interact with the sea, put in nicely styled lighting and put in a tram system along side the entire walk. Now, some of this is obviously not practical in Chicago, but I couldn't help but think of what a missed opportunity the entire project was.

Bland, sterile and uninviting is what I think of when I take in the view at the lake now. It's really too bad.

J_M_Tungsten · #**8100** Posted **Sep 15, 2009, 9:58 PM**

It appears that they are building a CVS on the southwest corner of Racine and Roosevelt. No idea when it will start but I hope this is leading to a trend in building on the seemingly endless vacant lots in this area.