CHICAGO | General Developments

[spyguy]

^Maybe in the future but right now Madewell is set to take that space.

A few days late but that AMLI lofts project is horrible in every possible way. 11 stories by itself is embarrassing but the site plan...wow.

[simon07]

11 Stories in 2 building is better than a vacant dirt lot with cars parked on it. Lets be realistic here; at least they are building something and not demolishing anything.

[J_M_Tungsten]

I guess my problem is with the cul-de-sacs and how the buildings are set up. 11 stories, in the South Loop, given the state of foreclosures and the overall market, isn't bad. I guess it will depend on the designs, but it's Amli so....

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by simon07

11 Stories in 2 building is better than a vacant dirt lot with cars parked on it. Lets be realistic here; at least they are building something and not demolishing anything.

But with an empty lot at least you have potential. With poorly designed development going up, it's hopeless.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Hayward

But with an empty lot at least you have potential. With poorly designed development going up, it's hopeless.

Additional resident demand in the location can induce additional (hopefully better) development. Empty lots mean nobody lives there, so there's less nearby business, which means it's a less attractive location to try and attract renters or buyers.

And 11 stories is plenty of density if they built to the lot lines. Most of central Paris averages about half that height and yet their density is approximately 6 times that of the average Chicago density and is even 50% higher than the average density of Chicago's Near North Side. I know this is *Skyscraper* Page, but as far as urbanity goes, the design of the building is far more important than the height.

[ardecila]

Oh come on. Nobody's building parking-free midrises full of Parisian efficiency flats in the South Loop.

We're not even dealing with a relatively urban-savvy developer. This is AMLI, and they'll move heaven and earth to bring the suburbs to the heart of the city. They're basically just stacking 3 suburban garden apartment complexes on top of each other and calling it an urban-friendly design. At least AMLI 900 had some cohesion, despite the horrid site plan.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by emathias

Additional resident demand in the location can induce additional (hopefully better) development. Empty lots mean nobody lives there, so there's less nearby business, which means it's a less attractive location to try and attract renters or buyers.

And 11 stories is plenty of density if they built to the lot lines. Most of central Paris averages about half that height and yet their density is approximately 6 times that of the average Chicago density and is even 50% higher than the average density of Chicago's Near North Side. I know this is *Skyscraper* Page, but as far as urbanity goes, the design of the building is far more important than the height.

I'm not sure I follow. That area has attracted far more renters and buyers in the past with much more empty land sitting around. These people are attracted by proximity to the loop and lakefront parks, not the presence of other neighbors.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by emathias

but as far as urbanity goes, the design of the building is far more important than the height.

I don't think anyone is complaining about the height of the structures, just the horrid site relationships and refusal of an urban treatment.

[intrepidDesign]

Jeanne Gang to design Glencoe Writers Theater.

Link

[ardecila]

Interesting. I wonder how a Studio Gang design will go down in Glencoe?

The North Shore has traditionally had the most progressive architecture in the suburbs, probably due to the extremely well-educated residents who accepted modern architecture because they didn't want to appear uncultured.

However, with ugly McMansions going up on Sheridan and a spate of teardowns, I wonder if the North Shore's commitment to architectural excellence is fading. There could be a serious community blowback against anything Jeanne Gang proposes, especially since the building proposed for teardown is a well-composed, stately 1920s Georgian building. On the other hand, a well-done new building could effectively expand the size of Glencoe's business district with new retail space and activated street frontage.

The site is the grassy swath to the left of center. The train station is visible right behind the site, across Green Bay Road.


KGoetzelmann/panoramio

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by ardecila

There could be a serious community blowback against anything Jeanne Gang proposes, especially since the building proposed for teardown is a well-composed, stately 1920s Georgian building.

Just my own opinion, but the few times I've seen the old Writers Theater I've thought it's a really strange looking building.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Hayward

I'm not sure I follow. That area has attracted far more renters and buyers in the past with much more empty land sitting around. These people are attracted by proximity to the loop and lakefront parks, not the presence of other neighbors.

"Over-built" means not enough people want to live there. The South Loop is overbuilt. The reason it's overbuilt isn't that not enough people want to live near the Lake and the Loop, but rather that *most* people need more than just the Lake and a business district to want to live somewhere. I didn't buy in the South Loop because it didn't have sufficient retail presence to be of interest to me. That's why home prices are higher in River North than in Printers Row despite the fact they both are close to the Lake and the Loop - there's still more retail business near River North, and 7-8 years ago the difference between the two was really, really broad. The influx of residents is starting to feed on itself in the South Loop, slowly, but the superblock style development does limit the finer-grained development that many people prefer for city living.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by emathias

"Over-built" means not enough people want to live there. The South Loop is overbuilt. The reason it's overbuilt isn't that not enough people want to live near the Lake and the Loop, but rather that *most* people need more than just the Lake and a business district to want to live somewhere. I didn't buy in the South Loop because it didn't have sufficient retail presence to be of interest to me. That's why home prices are higher in River North than in Printers Row despite the fact they both are close to the Lake and the Loop - there's still more retail business near River North, and 7-8 years ago the difference between the two was really, really broad. The influx of residents is starting to feed on itself in the South Loop, slowly, but the superblock style development does limit the finer-grained development that many people prefer for city living.

So wait, you are against this development then....

I guess what I've been trying to say is the South Loop can and should be a River North. The proposed development is exactly what Parkside Oldtown has become.....These pseudo-suburban, single use enclaves that are highly inappropriate near a downtown area.

I'm not sure what ALMI's intention is here. Maybe preserving view? You can still build a midrise or highrise and surround it with townhomes to maintain sightlines, but the driveways are totally unnecessary. I'm sure there's plenty of luxury vehicle owners living in multi-million dollar condos over here in gold coast and they get by fine just pulling up to the street curb.

And for the record, I'm happy they want to build an 11 story building. The South Loop needs more midrises in my opinion.

[denizen467]

While we're on the subject of the North Shore, albeit in a vein quite opposite from contemporary architecture, here's a several-month old article (I'm not sure what has happened since) about what I feel is a sad demolition threat. (The photo above doesn't do it justice.)

http://triblocal.com/lake-forest/201...-preservation/

Lake Forest City Council agrees to let Old Main building be torn down, despite pleas for preservation
By Donald Liebenson
Nov. 8, 2011

The Lake Forest City Council this week aimed a wrecking ball at the iconic Old Main building on the Barat College property, ending months of debate that had pitted proponents of historic preservation against supporters of a new facility at Woodlands Academy.

The council voted 7-1 to remove Old Main from Historic District protection - the first step in its demolition.

The decision frustrated people such as Cynthia Maloney, who said it elicited “sighs of exasperation and disappointment” among preservationists.

Razing Old Main, located at 700 Westleigh Road, is a condition of anonymous donors who have an option until mid-December to purchase the property. They intend to give it to adjacent Woodlands Academy for educational use. The Barat property has been vacant since 2005.

...

[Rizzo]

^ Absolutely tragic news, but why use it for educational use? Turn it into a cash cow, like this formerly abandoned facility in Traverse City, MI....which is a rather isolated property.

http://vimeo.com/31783064

[simon07]

Originally Posted by Hayward

So wait, you are against this development then....

I guess what I've been trying to say is the South Loop can and should be a River North. The proposed development is exactly what Parkside Oldtown has become.....These pseudo-suburban, single use enclaves that are highly inappropriate near a downtown area.

I'm not sure what ALMI's intention is here. Maybe preserving view? You can still build a midrise or highrise and surround it with townhomes to maintain sightlines, but the driveways are totally unnecessary. I'm sure there's plenty of luxury vehicle owners living in multi-million dollar condos over here in gold coast and they get by fine just pulling up to the street curb.

And for the record, I'm happy they want to build an 11 story building. The South Loop needs more midrises in my opinion.

I completely agree. I would love to see a lot more mid-rise construction in the 10-12 story area in the south loop.

[Via Chicago]

This was on Kamin's blog

A neighborhood gem near Midway Airport is threatened with demolition


http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune....emolition.html


Also, Im not sure if its being discussed elsewhere but has anyone seen the Wrigley bleacher proposal? Why are people so hell bent on ruining this park.

Wrigley's right-field bleachers getting patio

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

This was on Kamin's blog

A neighborhood gem near Midway Airport is threatened with demolition


http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune....emolition.html


Also, Im not sure if its being discussed elsewhere but has anyone seen the Wrigley bleacher proposal? Why are people so hell bent on ruining this park.

Wrigley's right-field bleachers getting patio

There's different runways protection zones and transitional zones defined by the FAA. This can be determined fairly easily whether the building poses any sort of problem. If anyone is interested in crunching the numbers and calculating out the slopes of the zones.

If its gotta go, they should dismantle the facade and relocate it to new site.

[spyguy]

In the latest Bisnow newsletter, Loewenberg says that an announcement regarding the LSE elementary school is forthcoming within the next few weeks. Hopefully it's designed by BKL, Studio Gang, etc. and not Loewenberg for the children's sake.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Hopefully it's designed by whoever it was that did the UNO school out west. I love Gang and BKL, but I'd love to see another architect of that caliber (Ronan? He likes to do schools right?) get the commission.