CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 2464

Randomguy34 · #**49261** Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 6:17 PM**

First of two permits issued for Park Boulevard Phase 3B. There will be two buildings, 40 units each for the vacant lots at 37th St & Dearborn St. Glad CHA hasn't forgotten about redeveloping Stateway Gardens.

https://chicagoyimby.com/2021/06/cdc...onzeville.html

Vlajos · #**49262** Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 6:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

First of two permits issued for Park Boulevard Phase 3B. There will be two buildings, 40 units each for the vacant lots at 37th St & Dearborn St. Glad CHA hasn't forgotten about redeveloping Stateway Gardens.

https://chicagoyimby.com/2021/06/cdc...onzeville.html

I doubt CHA has ever forgotten about these redevelopments, the issue is a lack of low income housing tax credits, soft financing dollars and high cost to build. When rent is restricted to affordable levels, subsidy is needed. Contractors and materials don't care who is living there, they still need to be paid.

Vlajos · #**49263** Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 7:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

First of two permits issued for Park Boulevard Phase 3B. There will be two buildings, 40 units each for the vacant lots at 37th St & Dearborn St. Glad CHA hasn't forgotten about redeveloping Stateway Gardens.

https://chicagoyimby.com/2021/06/cdc...onzeville.html

I doubt CHA has ever forgotten about these redevelopments, the issue is a lack of Low income housing tax credits, soft financing dollars and high cost to build. Contractors and suppliers generally don't cut costs because of a targeted tenant type.

Busy Bee · #**49264** Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 7:43 PM**

Tangential question: Do you think Robert Taylor and Stateway would have been demolished today? I have my doubts. It seems like a more sensible solution would have been to reno the towers and tenant screen for 65+ and stable families and then build out the blocks with 5-6 floor midrise to the streetwall sort of like we have seen so far, but maybe a bit more dense and cohesive. I know most will either disagree or shrug, but I think laying waste to the Dan Ryan wall was misguided, and if anything 1990s HUD-think. They were impressive regardless of how substandard they had been allowed to become and I miss seeing them and I probably always will.

sentinel · #**49265** Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 7:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Tangential question: Do you think Robert Taylor and Stateway would have been demolished today? I have my doubts. It seems like a more sensible solution would have been to reno the towers and tenant screen for 65+ and stable families and then build out the blocks with 5-6 floor midrise to the streetwall sort of like we have seen so far, but maybe a bit more dense and cohesive. I know most will either disagree or shrug, but I think laying waste to the Dan Ryan wall was misguided, and if anything 1990s HUD-think. They were impressive regardless of how substandard they had been allowed to become and I miss seeing them and I probably always will.

I think it's more a matter of cost than anything, if RTH and Stateway were still around today. Meaning, easier and more cost effective to tear something down and start from scratch than to renovate..

ardecila · #**49266** Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 9:45 PM**

I dunno, the design of those towers pre-supposed a level of maintenance that CHA simply couldn't afford given the broader pressure for austerity. There's a reason they switched to building walk-ups - far fewer elevators to maintain, fewer indoor common spaces/stairwells, etc. That kind of thing is baked into the building even after a gut rehab, so I don't know if Stateway or Robert Taylor could have ever been realistically salvaged.

There's also the psychological baggage that those buildings carried after so many years of neglect (by CHA) and violence (by criminals). I don't know if the buildings could successfully shed that baggage after a full rehab.

There are a few CHA tower-in-a-park developments that have managed to survive successfully. Archer Courts, Dearborn Homes, Loomis Courts, various single-tower complexes, etc. I live right by Loomis Courts; the community there is generally a good neighbor and maintenance is forthcoming from CHA. But if they had 10x or 20x that number of highrises, I dunno if they could keep up given the budgets available.

Mr Downtown · #**49267** Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 12:44 AM**

Townhouse complexes with the private "stralleys" are really the only practical way to get any density into these developments in our era. Buyers want their garages underneath, not a short walk away, and aren't looking (or able) to also purchase an accessory dwelling unit or yard. So now you're putting townhouses over garages—which need vehicular access—on 1400 sq ft parcels. No one can afford to put a "real" public street in between every two rows of those. The 66-foot-wide streets would be only 100 feet apart!

The classic way we dealt with this problem in Chicago was families going a little further out and buying a 25-by-125 lot, but building first a small house in back (or later moving it there) and a few years later building a two-flat or larger house in front. Achieving that kind of hidden density, though, assumes a number of social and societal factors that are no longer present. Some 19th century cities, like Washington and Philadelphia, and even early Salt Lake City and San Francisco, dealt with the issue by cutting narrow streets through the blocks that were too big, but the coming of the auto and the 18-wheeler-sized fire truck has made that tough for cities to approve nowadays.

ChiPlanner · #**49268** Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 1:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Tangential question: Do you think Robert Taylor and Stateway would have been demolished today? I have my doubts. It seems like a more sensible solution would have been to reno the towers and tenant screen for 65+ and stable families and then build out the blocks with 5-6 floor midrise to the streetwall sort of like we have seen so far, but maybe a bit more dense and cohesive. I know most will either disagree or shrug, but I think laying waste to the Dan Ryan wall was misguided, and if anything 1990s HUD-think. They were impressive regardless of how substandard they had been allowed to become and I miss seeing them and I probably always will.

Read "High-Risers" by Ben Austen- it's about Cabrini-Green but really gets to the heart of the issues in public housing and ultimately the demolition decision.

SolarWind · #**49269** Posted **Sep 17, 2021, 4:10 AM**

September 13, 2021

Adler Planetarium finally getting new roof
https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2021/7/1/22559630/adler-planetarium-new-roof-copper-dome-tiles-september-2021

SolarWind · #**49270** Posted **Sep 17, 2021, 4:11 AM**

September 13, 2021

SolarWind · #**49271** Posted **Sep 17, 2021, 4:12 AM**

September 14, 2021

SolarWind · #**49272** Posted **Sep 17, 2021, 4:12 AM**

September 14, 2021

SolarWind · #**49273** Posted **Sep 17, 2021, 4:13 AM**

September 14, 2021

SolarWind · #**49274** Posted **Sep 17, 2021, 4:14 AM**

September 14, 2021

Chi-Sky21 · #**49275** Posted **Sep 17, 2021, 2:18 PM**

Great round of updates Solar!

west-town-brad · #**49276** Posted **Sep 17, 2021, 4:42 PM**

someone already owns this domain name

http://www.jeanbaptistepointdusablelakeshoredrive.com/

Randomguy34 · #**49277** Posted **Sep 19, 2021, 4:28 PM**

Twitter is hyped that the first new coach house was just permitted for 2131 W Haddon Ave

https://mobile.twitter.com/ChiBuildi...33363408310275

Alley streetview: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9017...7i16384!8i8192

Via Chicago · #**49278** Posted **Sep 20, 2021, 8:22 PM**

very cool. thats a very charming workers cottage too.

nomarandlee · #**49279** Posted **Sep 21, 2021, 10:08 PM**

An interesting conversation today about the architecture review panels at City Hall set up the city. What do you guys think? Good/bad idea?

Quote:

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/crai...485XIXzeC1Te2M

Crain's Daily Gist
September 21, 2021 05:30 AM UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO
You need style points to build in Chicago: Crain's Daily Gist podcast
Commercial real estate reporter Danny Ecker talks with host Amy Guth about a new City Hall panel aiming to uphold Chicago's reputation for innovative architecture.

ardecila · #**49280** Posted **Sep 22, 2021, 12:47 AM**

I said this on Twitter but I'm fine with DPD trying to raise the bar for design in Chicago. My two critiques are:

A) The city should lead by example and take a page from NYC's Design Excellence Program. Where does Chicago DPD get off attacking developers when they slap this kind of suburban basic-ass firehouse on the South Side? Jeanne Gang is on the panel, she should know better - her firm designed a fantastic firehouse in NYC, not in a gentrified neighborhood but in heavily-Black and low-income Brownsville.

2) I'm concerned the panel is stacked with many of the same top developers and architects who will be bringing projects for consideration. I'm sure they will recuse themselves but still seems like a possibility of conflict of interest.