CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 1495

the urban politician · #**29881** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 11:53 AM**

It's official: the park at the British School is a case study in urban douche-baggery at its worst.

Add to that that the Roosevelt Collection itself is a silly pile of rubbish, a product of that awkward, adolescent-like era in the early 2000s where we hadn't yet gotten the suburban 90s out of our minds yet also hadn't fully embraced the more urban, parking-lite era we seem to be entering.

Just a shitty, shitty mess. Goes to show you that the South Loop is Chicago's dumping ground for bad and sloppy developments. Simply unfixable, and it will always keep property values there down because people are flocking to connected, walkable, mixed use neighborhoods not to giant elevated shopping malls and walled residential areas with dead end streets.

BVictor1 · #**29882** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 12:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Goes to show you that the South Loop is Chicago's dumping ground for bad and sloppy developments. Simply unfixable, and it will always keep property values there down because people are flocking to connected, walkable, mixed use neighborhoods not to giant elevated shopping malls and walled residential areas with dead end streets.

Seeing as it's hemmed in next to the tracks, it'll pretty much go unnoticed development wise. I think River North/West Loop have shittier and more sloppy developments as the NIMBY hierarchy reigns supreme in those areas.

hawainpanda · #**29883** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 1:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVictor1

Seeing as it's hemmed in next to the tracks, it'll pretty much go unnoticed development wise. I think River North/West Loop have shittier and more sloppy developments as the NIMBY hierarchy reigns supreme in those areas.

IMO its crazy how poorly developed the southloop in comparison to west loop or river north, that entire complex south of dearborn station is ridiculous, its literally a suburb inside downtown area with walls to the streets, hopefully with the 6 towers planned along the river in south loop, the dev of wabash and state south of loop then south loop will eventually be a more vibrant area.. Hopefully they're redev the area south of dearborn station

ithakas · #**29884** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 1:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawainpanda

IMO its crazy how poorly developed the southloop in comparison to west loop or river north, that entire complex south of dearborn station is ridiculous, its literally a suburb inside downtown area with walls to the streets, hopefully with the 6 towers planned along the river in south loop, the dev of wabash and state south of loop then south loop will eventually be a more vibrant area.. Hopefully they're redev the area south of dearborn station

I see a lot of hate for Dearborn Park on this board, and to some extent I agree, but I think the harsh criticism of its scale and function is a little unfounded.

I don't feel that the development is given enough credit for its time. Dearborn Park was built on bombed out railroad yards in the late 70s-mid 80s, some 20 years before media started considering our downtown 'revitalized'. The people who decided to live in that neighborhood were far, far ahead of the game in rooting themselves and their families that close to downtown. It also anchored most of the community in the South Loop for the twenty or so odd years before the building boom ten years ago.

Let's remember that most of downtown outside the Loop was filled with massive parking lots when it was built, so the inefficient land use wasn't considered as thoughtfully as it should have been. That being said, cheers to some (much of it) being thoughtfully redeveloped for the new South Loop.

Mr Downtown · #**29885** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 1:46 PM**

Because of the invention of the automobile, and crazy costs for infrastructure construction, we're simply not willing to build normal city streets any more. Once the streets were vacated in the 1890s for the growing railroad facilities, that sealed the South Loop's urban design fate. Developers will grudgingly put in what they absolutely have to for access, but won't put in a 19th century network of small blocks. And once this pattern is established, it can't easily be changed because the adjacent residents fear the dreaded "cut-through traffic." With so few alternate paths, it's a legitimate fear. 15th Street, for instance, should connect State with Clark. But since it would be the only such connection for a half-mile, one of the residents persuaded Mayor Daley to interrupt it with two different cul-de-sacs.

Everyone wants to live on a cul-de-sac; everyone hates the heavy traffic on collectors and arterials like Clark or Roosevelt. Almost no one sees that those are two sides of the same coin.

marothisu · #**29886** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 6:16 PM**

Florida company bought 29 S La Salle, a former office building, and plans to convert it to 216 apartments. That's LaSalle & Arcade (between Madison and Monroe).

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...oop-apartments

wierdaaron · #**29887** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 7:04 PM**

Apartments in the LaSalle financial district? Times = changin'

marothisu · #**29888** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 7:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Apartments in the LaSalle financial district? Times = changin'

Yep - I mean it's good I think. I work in FiDi in Manhattan and there's apartments here. Now, at night it's kind of boring, but there's still a crowd at some of the bars and the restaurants don't all close at 7pm. It can definitely be a good thing. Plus, there's one hotel right around the corner that's opened, and another one (or is it two) right there that are in the middle of being converted from this place in Chicago.

It's good to have a diversity of uses.

wierdaaron · #**29889** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 7:14 PM**

Yeah I'm definitely not opposed. New hotels, new apartments, new life. It will probably be boring as sin at night there at first, but that's been true of the rest of the loop until now-ish as things have been turning around. The west side of the loop had been missing out on this apartment boom.

J_M_Tungsten · #**29890** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 7:29 PM**

I remember hearing about a development on the corner of Cedar and State, and now it appears that the corner bakery, big bowl, and Da lobsta are now closed. Any word on the progress of the site or what is confirmed?

marothisu · #**29891** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 7:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

I remember hearing about a development on the corner of Cedar and State, and now it appears that the corner bakery, big bowl, and Da lobsta are now closed. Any word on the progress of the site or what is confirmed?

Yes. There was a interior demolition permit issued a week or two back. They're going to replace it with basically a nicer looking 1.5 - 2 story building for retail/commercial.

Originally this:

Turned into this?

Please god let it be #1 Anyone know when the Viceroy across the street is supposed to start?

Via Chicago · #**29892** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 7:43 PM**

Quote:

like, why even bother...

marothisu · #**29893** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 7:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

like, why even bother...

I know - now, even Manhattan has new 1-2 story buildings, but that's no excuse for not building something a little denser. It's basically like "hey we're going to replace this mediocre 1 story building with a new, nicer 1 story building guys." If it was the 1st rendering or just 3 or 4 stories high, as a resident, I'd be perfectly happy to be honest (though i'd love it to be taller).

J_M_Tungsten · #**29894** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 7:50 PM**

Thanks. I can't believe a developer would choose to not capitalize on the location and views of the park/State/Rush scene. It is beyond me...

Ned.B · #**29895** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 8:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Anyone know when the Viceroy across the street is supposed to start?

The demo/facade salvage permit for the Cedar Hotel was just entered into the Demolition Delay Hold List, so work on the site should be starting up relatively soon.

Ned.B · #**29896** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 9:22 PM**

Edit: double post

MultiModal · #**29897** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 9:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ned.B

The demo/facade salvage permit for the Cedar Hotel was just entered into the Demolition Delay Hold List, so work on the site should be starting up relatively soon.

I like the plans for the Cedar hotel but I am really disappointed the bar closed in the front plaza area. It was a very busy outdoor bar with lots of seating. The renderings made it look like it is not coming back.

Ned.B · #**29898** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 9:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MultiModal

I like the plans for the Cedar hotel but I am really disappointed the bar closed in the front plaza area. It was a very busy outdoor bar with lots of seating. The renderings made it look like it is not coming back.

The new hotel will have a large restaurant on the first and second floor which will include an outdoor patio in the front plaza. Seating will probably be something less than the former bar supported given the space needed for the hotel entrance and landscape beds shown in the rendering.

Busy Bee · #**29899** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 10:09 PM**

It makes little difference. This site if developed could boast one of the priciest addresses in Chicago. If a developer wants to build here this measly little structure isn't going to stand in the way. I'll give it no more than 15 years.

jc5680 · #**29900** Posted **Aug 5, 2015, 11:39 PM**

From this weekend, The Ronsley. Not sure what constitutes under construction here, but there are construction barricades up around the existing structure's perimeter.

Down the street, 400 w huron is still a sales center