CHICAGO | General Developments

[aaron38]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

For anything other than a smattering of small, boutique office space, West of the expressway makes as little planning sense as ever for office. And certainly for any concentration of dense office usage - it makes no sense.

But, ya know, planning....Chicago....don’t usually belong in the same sentence....

From the Ogilvie train platforms to Franklin and Jackson is a 14 minute walk.
If I head straight west on Randolph, 14 minutes gets me to Aberdeen, two blocks past Morgan.

Or look at it this way: I'd say the West Loop around Morgan is more easily accessible by a larger population than the Northwestern medical campus in Streeterville is.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Jibba

Good god, that design is straight outta 2000: Gargantuan expanses of tan 'masonry', faux quoining, recessed retail entrances (which will otherwise function as urinals, trash receptacles), grossly over-scaled everything -- yuck.

Yeah, the aesthetics leave a lot to be desired, but it's an improvement over the mish mash of hardy board and metal panels they first proposed. Also, the rendering sucks and this could end up pretty decent if the developer bucks up for above average masonry details.

The retail doors really aren't a choice, city code forces you to recess them like that which I agree is stupid.

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ We need more people like you in neighborhood zoning committees.

Better, yet, we need you to run for Alderman.

LVDW for Alderman! (just promise me you won't shake me down since I own property in your ward )

Absolutely not, the last thing I want is to be dealing with the horrendous local politics of Chicago on a full time basis, lol. I'm just trying to do my part to keep my neighborhood from devolving into shrieking groups of NIMBY harpys shouting down literally everything that comes their way. We've been pretty successful so far.

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

Has anyone seen the New McD's at 2315 W Ogden?

It looks brand new and is 2 stories - right around the IMD area. I was driving through the other day and surprised by the design and density given it's surrounded by a sea of vacant land.

I realize it's fast food...

Yeah, it was such a bizarre take on a MCD that I thought it was going to be a drive thru Starbucks until they applied the logos. There is actually a lot of new development going on in Tri Taylor. There's a whole block of new SFH's that just sold out on Grenshaw West of Campbell and they are breaking ground on another half block of them just to the North of that even adding a whole new street like some tract housing development in the suburbs to service them. The street isn't even being worked on yet and they are already digging foundations with the trucks driving in through the mud.

They are even wrapping up another SFH home on a vacant lot at the end of the famed Claremont Cottages. Too bad there's a handful of those cottages that might not make it unless someone rehabs them like NOW. So concerned about this one that I might even try to buy it myself and flip it (or maybe even hold it for myself if I can get the lot next door).

[aaron38]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Forgot to mention it, but foundation equipment is on site for the huge Ace Hardware lot at Elston and Belmont. Going to really transform that corner.

Good to see that area fill in. We used to go to Kuma's there all the time.
Did you happen to see a rendering of the other side of the corner? The Elston side? Are those small buildings along Elston remaining (Bucket O Blood Books and Records, etc)?

Also across the street, is there an active proposal for the Elson/California intersection? That's a big lot too. As is the lot Burger King is squatting on. They should give that up now that it's walled off to the north and west.

[aaron38]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago...operty-listing

A legislative measure intended to greatly limit what Stillman and company can build “as of right” without having to approach the community or alderman for approvals was introduced by Mell. The proposed ordinance would downzone 3148-3162 N. Elston from B3-1 Community Shopping District to RS-1 Residential Single-Unit (Detached House) District—essentially restricting the site to single family homes or two-flats.

Is this still the latest on Elston and California? Single family homes at a major intersection out of spite? Crap like this is what Lightfoot needs to deal with.

Edit: Ha ha, it gets better. Mell lost in April by 13 votes! Maybe if she hadn’t spent her career blocking housing there would have been enough new residents in her district happy to have new housing to re-elect her.
Oh well, so sad.

[Handro]

Originally Posted by aaron38

https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago...operty-listing


Is this still the latest on Elston and California? Single family homes at a major intersection out of spite? Crap like this is what Lightfoot needs to deal with.

Edit: Ha ha, it gets better. Mell lost in April by 13 votes! Maybe if she hadn’t spent her career blocking housing there would have been enough new residents in her district happy to have new housing to re-elect her.
Oh well, so sad.

According to the city zoning map, yep. The site is surrounded on all sides by B3-1 zoning.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by aaron38

https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago...operty-listing


Is this still the latest on Elston and California? Single family homes at a major intersection out of spite? Crap like this is what Lightfoot needs to deal with.

Edit: Ha ha, it gets better. Mell lost in April by 13 votes! Maybe if she hadn’t spent her career blocking housing there would have been enough new residents in her district happy to have new housing to re-elect her.
Oh well, so sad.

Yup Mell downzoned them for listing it with a remdering and everything saying "this project is approved by the alderman and neighborhood groups" when in reality he hadn't approached anyone.

Normally I think downzoning is stupid, but this assclown has demonstrated that they are a total skeezeball willing to defraud buyers and probably also willing to build something awful there as of right. The downzoning was actually not just to punish him, but to prevent him from slapping up more auto oriented retail on a corner where a nice residential building is perfect. In other words, the community is not against something higher than the original B3-1 there, but the owner is so slimey that they were afraid he would do something awful like build a drive thru bank while everyone was looking the other way. We would love for someone reputable to come to us with a plan. I don't think that will happen until the Ace site is done and dully leased, unfortunately even East Avondale is something of the "wild west" for institutional grade apartment construction.

[sammyg]

Originally Posted by aaron38

https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago...operty-listing

Edit: Ha ha, it gets better. Mell lost in April by 13 votes! Maybe if she hadn’t spent her career blocking housing there would have been enough new residents in her district happy to have new housing to re-elect her.
Oh well, so sad.

Wait until you find out what Rodriguez-Sanchez thinks about new housing.

[nomarandlee]

Wow, this is big. I didn't even know this was seriously discussed......

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg...ngfield-sprint

GREG HINZ ON POLITICS
May 29, 2019 01:13 PM UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
McCormick Place revamp picks up steam in end-of-session Springfield sprint
The outmoded convention center would get a $600 million new building with funding from an expanded restaurant and bar tax. People as far as 10 miles away would pay for the redo every time they eat or drink.

........Under the proposal pushed by the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, which runs McCormick Place, much of the center’s outmoded lakefront building would be demolished and be replaced by a new structure that would deck over Martin Luther King Drive.

[harryc]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Wow, this is big. I didn't even know this was seriously discussed......

Nooooooo,
Chicago | McCormick Place by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by harryc

Nooooooo,
Chicago | McCormick Place by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Perfect for a city-owned casino...

[Handro]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Wow, this is big. I didn't even know this was seriously discussed......

and update from the article:

"2:40 P.M. UPDATE:

With no discussion, the Senate approved the McCormick Place expansion and the related food-and-beverage tax 44-6. The measure now goes to the House."

[nomarandlee]

I know in this town it's a naive question but was there ever a serious study about how much a refurbishment of the Lakeside Center would cost?
Just how much more added square footage would a new wing add/cost?

I'll admit that I'm a bit excited at the prospect of more lakefront being added (along with the Lucas parking lot we all thought would never see green?) it seems the value proposition is dubious. Off the top of my head $600 million to refurbished Lakeside with the extras saved to go to parks elsewhere I'd guess would go a long way further.

[trvlr70]

Lakeside Center was a blunder from the very beginning. It's oppressive, blocks the views and clutters the lakefront. The city finally has a chance to correct this mistake. And what is proposed is to rebuild over the highway and by removing the above ground structure, create more parkland. I'm afraid this is too good of a sell to not proceed.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by trvlr70

Lakeside Center was a blunder from the very beginning. It's oppressive, blocks the views and clutters the lakefront. The city finally has a chance to correct this mistake. And what is proposed is to rebuild over the highway and by removing the above ground structure, create more parkland. I'm afraid this is too good of a sell to not proceed.

....but what will Friends of the Parks think?

More parkland? No, it's not a real park, thus it's an invasion of our parkland by a park, plus it's an illegal taking of parkland by a non-park in what was never even parkland to begin with. So lets go ahead and sue..

[Via Chicago]

what other city so easily tears down the gems it purports make it world class in architecture and design?


1971

https://www.chicagoautoshow.com/asse...k%20Place1.JPG

[Chi-Sky21]

Why would anyone complain? Sounds like everything will be built west of LSD. Are they just connecting the 2 current buildings on that side making 1 huge one ? They could then even shift northbound LSD west and create even more parkland. Also could add an entrance/exit to the south side of museum campus there....would help get people out of that area after big games.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by Chi-Sky21

Why would anyone complain? Sounds like everything will be built west of LSD. Are they just connecting the 2 current buildings on that side making 1 huge one ? They could then even shift northbound LSD west and create even more parkland. Also could add an entrance/exit to the south side of museum campus there....would help get people out of that area after big games.

probably this part?

much of the center’s outmoded lakefront building would be demolished

[maru2501]

not sure I love the new 1 percent restaurant tax hike in my hood

[ardecila]

I'm furious about this. And also puzzled. Who thinks this is a good idea? Sounds like they're just replacing one building with another, so there's no significant gain in square footage. There might even be a drop in square footage, Lakeside is vast and the air space over King Drive is not.

Somehow we're all expected to buck up for this? What do we even get out of it? If the convention center remains the same size or shrinks, then there is zero spillover benefit to hotels, businesses or the Chicago economy. $600M in new tax revenue could build an entire citywide network of BRT lanes, or plenty of other revolutionary investments. Instead we have to shovel more money into this unionized gravy train.

I'm also worried there is zero thought - and zero money - for what actually replaces Lakeside Center. "Open space" is a worthless concept, tell me specifically what that land will be used for, and it better not be Bears tailgating. Is McPier going to design and build the replacement park and turn it over to the Park District? Will we get a new world-class public space out of the deal, or just more useless grassy lawns? I'm also worried that the new building over King Drive will ruin the design of the existing convention center, and turn King Drive (one of our grandest boulevards) into an ugly, dank tunnel while totally destroying the campus feel.

[Mr Downtown]

^Yeah, let other cities do their fancy-pants "city planning" and sissy long-range capital programs. Why bother with that crap when those who have the connections can just decide over a horseshoe sandwich the next-to-last night of the legislative session what to cram into an omnibus bill?