CHICAGO | General Developments

[Randomguy34]

Draft slides are up for West Loop's local impact funds. Slide 16 shows that the city is thinking of reducing the traffic lanes on Randolph and building a plaza on the north side of the street.

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/...20Comments.pdf

[WestTowner]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Draft slides are up for West Loop's local impact funds. Slide 16 shows that the city is thinking of reducing the traffic lanes on Randolph and building a plaza on the north side of the street.

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/...20Comments.pdf

The impact on Randolph would be massive. Hoping it goes through. Nice to see some of this thinking.

[rivernorthlurker]

Originally Posted by WestTowner

The impact on Randolph would be massive. Hoping it goes through. Nice to see some of this thinking.

Agreed. Very interesting slides about 'p streets' (pedestrian streets). I don't totally understand the impact of the proposed designations for Madison and Randolph as p streets. Apparently Fulton St was recently designated as such. There's quite a few on the North Side already. I'd like to see Fulton 100% pedestrian or sections of it to the extent it is functionally possible. Or maybe just on weekends or something.

[Briguy]

Originally Posted by rivernorthlurker

Agreed. Very interesting slides about 'p streets' (pedestrian streets). I don't totally understand the impact of the proposed designations for Madison and Randolph as p streets. Apparently Fulton St was recently designated as such. There's quite a few on the North Side already. I'd like to see Fulton 100% pedestrian or sections of it to the extent it is functionally possible. Or maybe just on weekends or something.

Main thing is p streets get 2x the TOD distance, so you can build up to 2500 ft away from Ashland or Morgan station with reduced parking. Normally it’s 1250.

And there’s some more restrictive streetscape rules. I think retail is required?

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Very beige.

This could be pretty elegant with a varied blend of brick like they used on Triangle Square's condo building. Instead it looks like ugly River North concrete, even though they paid a premium for hand-laid brick!

Well a moving train with not-so-clean windows isn't doing it any favors, but yeah...

[gebs]

Spotted at the corner of Van Buren & Jefferson. Is this a soil-testing rig? I'm not familiar with any proposals on this lot.

[ChiPlanner]

Originally Posted by Briguy

Main thing is p streets get 2x the TOD distance, so you can build up to 2500 ft away from Ashland or Morgan station with reduced parking. Normally it’s 1250.

And there’s some more restrictive streetscape rules. I think retail is required?

yep they restrict curb cuts, drive throughs, and blank walls facing the street. Long and short of it, all decent commercial corridors in Chicago should be P-street designations (though unfortunately they're highly concentrated on the N/NW Sides).

[dewbs]

Originally Posted by ChiPlanner

yep they restrict curb cuts, drive throughs, and blank walls facing the street. Long and short of it, all decent commercial corridors in Chicago should be P-street designations (though unfortunately they're highly concentrated on the N/NW Sides).

https://data.cityofchicago.org/Trans...eets/w3m8-5y6d

It's an interesting set of spots. You're right that they're on the north side, but not 100% affluent or even white areas. The stretch of Clark in Rogers Park isn't particularly high income and is pretty diverse with central and south americans, and there's a stretch of Devon. Plus the ones deeper northwest.

I suspect part of the problem is that you only get to be a P street if you *already* are heavily pedestrian oriented.

[marothisu]

New construction building permit was issued for the caissons for 1134 S Wood - a 9 story, 98 foot tall affordable housing development with 76 units. This is from Chicago Lighthouse which does their work with the blind, visually impaired, disabled, and veterans.

This will take over a surface parking lot of theirs which fronts Roosevelt as well:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/11...!4d-87.6724315

Rendering via https://chicagoyimby.com/2021/12/new...od-street.html

[thegoatman]

Originally Posted by marothisu

New construction building permit was issued for the caissons for 1134 S Wood - a 9 story, 98 foot tall affordable housing development with 76 units. This is from Chicago Lighthouse which does their work with the blind, visually impaired, disabled, and veterans.

This will take over a surface parking lot of theirs which fronts Roosevelt as well:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/11...!4d-87.6724315

Rendering via https://chicagoyimby.com/2021/12/new...od-street.html

Appreciate you keeping us updated with these building permits. Glad to see all this infill occuring.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Draft slides are up for West Loop's local impact funds. Slide 16 shows that the city is thinking of reducing the traffic lanes on Randolph and building a plaza on the north side of the street.

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/...20Comments.pdf

That rendering is from an old planning document. It’s not the actual configuration for Randolph streetscape. CDOT started a planning process for Randolph, but then Covid hit and I think it fizzled out.

I don’t know what they can do on Randolph for only $4M but it certainly won’t look like that rendering.

[the urban politician]

At the very minimum, that area needs a lot more traffic signals.

[west-town-brad]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/5/...winkle-housing

5 individual developers working on 11 vacant lots on the same block in tandem

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/5/...winkle-housing

5 individual developers working on 11 vacant lots on the same block in tandem

Granular development replacing vacant lots. Love to see it.

[Randomguy34]

This month's zoning apps are being uploaded earlier than usual. So far several infill development on the West & South Side, here are the most notable ones so far

Austin's Invest South/West development submitted their zoning app, 78 units & 80 ft as expected:
https://chicago.legistar.com/Legisla...vanced&Search=

New 8 unit + retail development planned for 4225 W Madison:
https://chicago.legistar.com/Legisla...vanced&Search=

49 unit building proposed for 5050 S Prairie, right next to 51st St Green Line:
https://chicago.legistar.com/Legisla...vanced&Search=

Block Club Chicago also has an article today about some storefronts next to the 51st St getting redeveloped with a 6 unit addition thanks to a NOF grant:
https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/05...reet-corridor/

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

This month's zoning apps are being uploaded earlier than usual. So far several infill development on the West & South Side, here are the most notable ones so far

Austin's Invest South/West development submitted their zoning app, 78 units & 80 ft as expected:
https://chicago.legistar.com/Legisla...vanced&Search=

New 8 unit + retail development planned for 4225 W Madison:
https://chicago.legistar.com/Legisla...vanced&Search=

49 unit building proposed for 5050 S Prairie, right next to 51st St Green Line:
https://chicago.legistar.com/Legisla...vanced&Search=

Block Club Chicago also has an article today about some storefronts next to the 51st St getting redeveloped with a 6 unit addition thanks to a NOF grant:
https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/05...reet-corridor/

That's way early. I wonder if they have a whole slew of them this time more than usual.

Gotta love to see some of these though. Some of the commercial streets especially in some south and west side areas are pretty depressing especially when you think about what they used to be like once upon a time.

Just have to work on getting more decent jobs there, more and more.

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by marothisu

That's way early. I wonder if they have a whole slew of them this time more than usual.

The city is introducing a new TOD ordinance this month: https://news.wttw.com/2022/05/19/eff...-officials-say

I've heard from a certain someone that there should be some as-of-right density incentives if some of the units are affordable. This way, Lightfoot can say she's addressing aldermanic prerogative. Although, things could have changed...

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

The city is introducing a new TOD ordinance this month: https://news.wttw.com/2022/05/19/eff...-officials-say

I've heard from a certain someone that there should be some as-of-right density incentives if some of the units are affordable. This way, Lightfoot can say she's addressing aldermanic prerogative. Although, things could have changed...

Better than nothing? Some as of right projects with nice density should be good. I hope they're in areas that need the development especially.

[LouisVanDerWright]

So what's under construction at the SW corner of Loomis and 290? The other end of the block that has the new Rush facility on it? There's cassion rigs on site.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

So what's under construction at the SW corner of Loomis and 290? The other end of the block that has the new Rush facility on it? There's cassion rigs on site.

This?

https://chicagoyimby.com/2021/09/pla...-district.html