CHICAGO | General Developments

[Justin_Chicago]

Lathrop Homes Developer: High-Rise Part of Plan Despite Alderman's Dissent

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130...arousel_slot_1

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by untitledreality

Sounds like a strip mall.

I don't think it will be that bad. From that article:

The planned building for the lot at Ashland and School, right across from Whole Foods, will have parking on the roof instead of at ground level.

^ That would be a big improvement over what is already there

[untitledreality]

THIRSTY GREEN

Parklets and backyards fight flooding in Chicago.



Chicago’s northwest side is routinely inundated with floods that soak basements, shut down businesses, and slow down traffic. But a targeted green infrastructure program aims to chip away at that problem by swapping pavement for permeable surfaces.

Avondale and Logan Square have a very high concentration of 311 calls for flooding, according to Kara Riggio, a senior research associate with the Metropolitan Planning Council. MPC manages a $200,000 grant from the state Environmental Protection Agency to seed green infrastructure projects along what they call the Milwaukee Avenue Green Corridor—79 acres of North Milwaukee Avenue between Kimball and California avenues.

...

More at: http://www.archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6852

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by ardecila

AMLI

Haven't seen a decent rendering/site plan for this one

Originally Posted by Link N. Parker

Anyone know what the design of the building at the bank site on Ashland will look like?

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130...new-businesses

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=18906

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Various news reports are confirming that Walgreens has signed a lease to open a flagship, 2-story store in the Wrigley Building, along with a Peet's Coffee.

[Mr Downtown]

^Interesting. Apparently that block of Clark Street will have the city's only row of parking meters. And for some reason, a bunch of guys in suits.

[wierdaaron]

It looks better than the original design. Thanks for the top notch espionage work, spyguy.

The thing that saves this project in my mind is how tightly integrated into the Clark/Polk corner it is, with retail right up to that sidewalk. I hope they can fill it up. A Starbucks might do well there.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^Interesting. Apparently that block of Clark Street will have the city's only row of parking meters. And for some reason, a bunch of guys in suits.

All the old meters on other streets will be moved their as a courtesy to cyclists!

[mark0]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Maggie Daley Park
Click for huge.



Any guesses as to what the black material is? I'm guessing it's a sealant to keep moisture out of the garage, but I'm also guessing it isn't tar.

Protection membrane, its placed over the primary membrane so they can place earth over it without damage.

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Apparently that block of Clark Street will have the city's only row of parking meters. And for some reason, a bunch of guys in suits.

Time to band together and form the enough-already-with-unrealistically-enthusiastic-renders movement.

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Some news from the Ashland/Clybourn/river area:

The drivethru Wendy's at Medill Ave is being bulldozed. It seems it will be replaced by ... a new Wendy's.

But across the river, there is better news: A bunch of precast is already reaching up a couple stories at the Mariano's site! Dancing banana.

[Link N. Parker]

Originally Posted by denizen467

Time to band together and form the enough-already-with-unrealistically-enthusiastic-renders movement.

---------

Some news from the Ashland/Clybourn/river area:

The drivethru Wendy's at Medill Ave is being bulldozed. It seems it will be replaced by ... a new Wendy's.

But across the river, there is better news: A bunch of precast is already reaching up a couple stories at the Mariano's site! Dancing banana.

Great news about Marianos!! I hate the Wendys though; I wish that would go away and be replaced with a midrise that fronts the sidewalk, with no parking lot. They also need to repair the existing bridge there and make the area more pedestrian-friendly.

[Rizzo]

Regardless of the rendered entourage it's about 4000% more effective at conveying the design from the previous illustrations. I really like what I see. I once thought this was going to be a tower in the park scenario, but it appears it will successfully address the street. It actually reminds me a bit of 1225 Oldtown

[Notyrview]

Super excited to see all that progress on Maggie Daley park. What a great project.

[wierdaaron]

^Agreed. It finally feels like it's moved from demo/prep to actual construction. You can see some steelwork they've done that I think will be the structure for the climbing wall, and near the southwest edges there's already dirt grading being done.

The completion estimate is still December 2014 as far as I know. I wonder how much work will be done over the winter. I've heard that it's easier to work with large amounts of dirt when it's colder, but I imagine there's a point they need to get to before the snow starts.

[woodrow]

^^Yes - the projects that are most exciting/intriguing to me right now are -

1. Maggie Daley Park
2. The continuation of the Chicago River walk from State to Lake (bids are due soon)
3. Bloomington Trail (ugh to the name 606)
4. Northerly Island

5.The continuing public and private development along both the North and South branches of the Chicago River.

These are HUGELY transformative projects.

[marothisu]

I could be wrong, but this partially finished, stalled 27 unit condo building near Lathrop Homes at 2478 N Clybourn built during the boom years, I presume, is finally being completed it looks like. There's a building permit (https://data.cityofchicago.org/Build...r8-5enu/313194) for $1.9 million to renovate the interior. According to the below article from last year, it was never completed:

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...ybourn-project

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Regardless of the rendered entourage it's about 4000% more effective at conveying the design from the previous illustrations. I really like what I see. I once thought this was going to be a tower in the park scenario, but it appears it will successfully address the street. It actually reminds me a bit of 1225 Oldtown

Yeah, this is interesting - it does look much, much better than the awful original drawings, but however one wonders how large a role basement-level expectations play......I would say the best we might hope for is something along the lines of a One Place (mid-rise from the boom at State/Eighth in the South Loop) look, as I find it very difficult to believe that an AMLI/Dick Mann hackjob oculd wind up looking nearly as good as 1225 Old Town (which - let's be honest - while halfway decent, is not up for any AIA awards to my knowledge in its own right!)

And yes, beyond the aesthetics, it's at least encouraging that it holds the Polk/Clark Corner with retail there....

[SamInTheLoop]

What is this crazy talk about a parcel at Michigan and 14th going to Lakeside Bank (as part of the hotel/arena developments, where it would be displaced)? I really, really hope that we are not looking at a low rise bank building at such a prime development location (which should be developed with nothing less than 15-20 stories - if not 25+ - of residential above streetfront retail).... that would be an absolute travesty and I hope McPier/Rahm are not silly enough to try to obtain this parcel to give to Lakeside (plus it wouldn't exactly be a fair trade for McPier!!)!...

[Mr Downtown]

I agree with you on the Letter Carriers parcel, but a low retail use would make sense for the northwest corner. The old courthouse has south-facing windows to think about, and a high rise straight across a narrow street from Michigan Avenue Tower II isn't that great an idea, either.

[simon07]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

I agree with you on the Letter Carriers parcel, but a low retail use would make sense for the northwest corner. The old courthouse has south-facing windows to think about, and a high rise straight across a narrow street from Michigan Avenue Tower II isn't that great an idea, either.

I agree...a nice retail development on his parcel is the best use. There are already highrises surrounding it on all sides.

[wierdaaron]

I'm going to be giving a presentation at work on some of the areas in the city undergoing redevelopment. I'd like to include the McCormick area, but I haven't been paying as close attention to that one as others.

What's a good summary of the new developments around McCormick that should make it a better destination for cons and expos?

-New green line station
-New Marriott
-Some other hotels I can't remember
-Would the stadium be relevant for that?