[modkris]

Honte, I live very close to the Chicago/Western intersection and I was so disgusted to see that building torn down this year. Now it's been sitting vacant for months and every time I go past there I cringe. Do you know what is planned for that location?

[honte]

^ I heard through the grapevine that it's going to be a parking lot for the Ukrainian Credit Union. Apparently they own the entire block?

[modkris]

That was my biggest fear...another hideous parking lot on Western! Doesn't the Credit Union already have a parking lot? How many fucking parking spots could they possibly need?

[VivaLFuego]

^ Any pictures of this building? I haven't been out that way in a while so I'm drawing a blank on the intersection.

[laro3]

did anybody happen to see how they show the height of the sears tower in that burj dubai postcard, in the burj forum.it's bullshit..

[the urban politician]

Designation sensation: Council landmarks five buildings, two districts

Structures include a Coast Guuard building, field house, railroad bridges, and bank

The City Council today designated a number of buildings, structures and districts as Chicago Landmarks, including a series of railroad bridges, an historic firehouse, an old Coast Guard station and a North Side residential area.

"This wide variety of historic structures designated as landmarks today demonstrate how Chicago’s history is shaped in myriad ways, and is reflected in the buildings we cherish," said Mayor Richard M. Daley.

ENGINE COMPANY 42
The three-story structure located at 228 W. Illinois St. was built in 1887 and for more than 80 years served the factories, warehouses, and working-class residences that surrounded Chicago's downtown. Engine Company 42 was designed in the tradition of Chicago's earliest firehouses; simple, functional, and able to accommodate horse-drawn equipment.

DOVER STREET DISTRICT
Situated on wide lots along the 4500, 4600 and 4700 blocks of north Dover Street and the 4700 block of north Beacon Street, the District features large single-family homes, two or two-and-a-half stories tall, of high quality, finely crafted in the Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Second Empire, and Foursquare styles. The District reflects the history and development of the Sheridan Park neighborhood and the importance of middle-class residences in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

HISTORIC CHICAGO RAILROAD BRIDGES
The 12 historic Chicago railroad bridges singled out are a familiar part of the city's skyline and are among the most visible expressions of the importance of the railroads to the development and growth of Chicago. They are as follows: St. Charles Air Line Bridge at 16th and Lumber Streets; Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Bridges at the Skyway and 98th Street; Chicago & Western Indiana Bridge at 126th and Torrence Avenue; Chicago & Alton Bridge at Ashland and Archer Avenues; Illinois Central Swing Bridge at the Stevenson Expressway and Kedzie Avenue; Pennsylvania "Eight Track" Bridge at 31st Street and Pulaski Road; Pennsylvania Bridge at 19th and Lumber Streets; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Bridge at Cherry Street and North Avenue; Chicago & Northwestern Bridge at Kinzie and Canal Streets

OLD COAST GUARD STATION
Located east of Lake Shore Drive and south of Navy Pier, it sits atop a breakwater that forms part of the Chicago River Turning Basin and is next to locks that separate Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Built in 1936 and originally named the Old Chicago Coast Guard Station, it is now known as the Chicago Marine Safety Station. The building itself exemplifies a long tradition of United States maritime ACape Cod@ architecture common on the East Coast and throughout the Great lakes region, but rare in Chicago.

ROANOKE BUILDING AND TOWER
At 11 S. LaSalle St., the Roanoke Building and Tower was designed in stages between 1915 and 1925 by noted architects Holabird & Roche and Andrew Rebori. The building's terra cotta ornamentation is derived from unusual Portuguese Gothic precedents.

CONTINENTAL AND COMMERICAL NATIONAL BANK BUILDING
Built in 1914, the building a 208 S. LaSalle St., is a fine Classical Revival-style bank and office building designed by the renowned firm of D.H. Burnham & Co. It exemplifies the historic importance of LaSalle Street as Chicago’s premier historic street for finance, trade and commerce.

VESEMAN BUILDING
Located at 444 N. LaSalle St., the Veseman Building is an unusually colorful and finely detailed terra cotta-clad building designed in a sophisticated version of the Art Deco style and, as such, is an exceptional example of small-scale Chicago commercial architecture. Terra cotta glazes in pastel hues are used extensively throughout the building to highlight Art Deco ornament.

In a separate action, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks recommended that the City Council consider the designation of two other buildings.


THIRD UNITARIAN CHURCH
Built in 1936, at 301 N. Mayfield Ave., the church's design and construction is reflective of its time and the financial limits that gripped much of the national which was in the midst of the Great Depression. The original structure consists of a rectangular auditorium with an attached two-story office. The form of the building is modern but the auditorium reflects a traditional church plan arranged along a single axis.

HUMBOLDT PARK RECEPTORY BUILDING
The Receptory Building and Stable is located at 3015 W. Division St., on the city=s Near Northwest Side, and is one of the oldest surviving structures in Humboldt Park. It is currently occupied by the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. Built in 1895, the two-story structure was designed by the Chicago architectural firm of Frommann and Jebsen.

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@2009219217.1198438141@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceaddmlfiffhmcefecelldffhdfhl.0&contentOID=536966798&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=Dept&blockName=Planning+And+Development%2FI+Want+To&context=dept&channelId=0&programId=0&entityName=Planning+And+Development&deptMainCategoryOID=

[10023]

Well, yes, in 1970 things might have been different. And of course, there is a flip-side that they are one of the few tenants who will go into underserved communities and occupy urban storefronts. The question, however: Is the destruction a necessary evil?
I don't think it ever is, no. The neighborhood can turn around, eventually. I'd rather have older historic buildings left in stasis and maintained by the city until this happens, than to let some downmarket retailer come in and destroy the building. At the end of the day the neighborhood will gentrify anyway, why not keep buildings intact until that happens?

[SportsWorld]

OT for Chicago-

A car crashed into the ABC7 News Studio live tonight during the broadcast.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YHljTL6M174
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JJoGICezRDY&watch_response

[alex1]

I don't think it ever is, no. The neighborhood can turn around, eventually. I'd rather have older historic buildings left in stasis and maintained by the city until this happens, than to let some downmarket retailer come in and destroy the building. At the end of the day the neighborhood will gentrify anyway, why not keep buildings intact until that happens?

this is a very interesting topic, perhaps one that needs to be moved elsewhere?

i think market economics trumps all "ethics" regarding this topic. For a business, the structure is secondary to the branding and as such you get some poor designs or upkeep of significant buildings.

while most of us would understand that taking care of certain structures and being design savvy should be important to any successful business model, certain businesses came into being at a time when the city was doing poorly. Not the beautiful city that has arisen in the past 20 or so years. For residents who lived in these neighborhoods, being close to a store that met their needs was a good thing.

I agree with you on waiting for the right tenants to eventually find their ways to well preserved stores, but empty buildings also can lead to major problems to a structure. I also don't think there's ample proof that a tenant like Payless can lead to a loss of structure. Can they hurt the facade? yes, but again, I haven't seen proof that they destroy the facade to the point of rehabilitation not being an option. That option rests on the developer's shoulder and much of the time they choose the option that will be cheapest while providing the biggest return on investment.

but to answer this question: At the end of the day the neighborhood will gentrify anyway, why not keep buildings intact until that happens?
It's because these "downmarket" tenants provide a service to a"downmarket" population. These tenants also provided streams of revenue for further investment.

[the urban politician]

According to the January '08 edition of Chicago Magazine:

1. See Wong has a 7 story condo development with ground level retail spaces planned on south Canal, and it's 80% sold.

2. He has a number of other developments planned to "expand" Chinatown

3. He appears to be selling mostly to recent Chinese immigrants who are interested in owning property

4. He claims the housing slowdown hasn't affected him at all given #3 above

That's all, folks!

[ChiPsy]

^ Is the current plan to tear down all 3 of the Whites, and all the rest of the Reds, in the near future?

Yes, the plan is to tear down the remaining Reds next (they've resumed demolition recently), followed by the last 3 Whites.

Technically, the Reds nearest Division Street were called "Cabrini Extension North," and the Reds between Chicago and Oak Street are called "Cabrini Extension South." The (remaining) Whites are called the "William Green Homes." None of these high-rises should be confused with the row-houses near Chicago Avenue, which will remain in place (I think).

According to the CHA's plan for transformation, this upcoming year should see the demolition of most of the remaining Reds (i.e., Cabrini South) and two of the three remaining Whites.

Check out page 145 on this CHA link if you're interested, but remember as you read it that legal obstructionism has forced them to revise the timeline every single year:

http://www.thecha.org/transformplan/files/12_Appendices.pdf

[VivaLFuego]

Yes, the plan is to tear down the remaining Reds next (they've resumed demolition recently), followed by the last 3 Whites.

Technically, the Reds nearest Division Street were called "Cabrini Extension North," and the Reds between Chicago and Oak Street are called "Cabrini Extension South." The (remaining) Whites are called the "William Green Homes." None of these high-rises should be confused with the row-houses near Chicago Avenue, which will remain in place (I think).

According to the CHA's plan for transformation, this upcoming year should see the demolition of most of the remaining Reds (i.e., Cabrini South) and two of the three remaining Whites.

Check out page 145 on this CHA link if you're interested, but remember as you read it that legal obstructionism has forced them to revise the timeline every single year:

http://www.thecha.org/transformplan/files/12_Appendices.pdf

I assume the housing market comes into play regarding the redevelopment timeline as well. Even with federal funds as subsidy, with so many major CHA redevelopments going on around the city there is a limit to how much the market can bear to absorb, particularly in regards to the critical "market rate" units that make the whole project feasible in the first place.

[ChiPsy]

:previous:

I agree completely. That's a very important observation.

[aaron38]

I passed through Park Ridge on Metra today, and saw that their latest downtown redevelopment project is comming along pretty well.
Renders are available here: http://uptownparkridge.com/residences.html

These are from the train, at the station.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r86/aaron38/Chicago%2012-26-07/IMG_0055.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r86/aaron38/Chicago%2012-26-07/IMG_0057.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r86/aaron38/Chicago%2012-26-07/IMG_0056.jpg

[OhioGuy]

It's nice isn't? I've driven through that area on many occasions when heading back into the city from my work out in the burbs. That area around the Metra Station is really looking good. The Pickwick Theater also looks great there as well! :)

[the urban politician]

Last updated: December 26, 2007 11:56am
RSL, Brijus Plan Design Center Near Mart
By Gina Kenny

http://www.globest.com/newspics/chi_kinziedesigncenter.jpg
(pic from Globe St)

CHICAGO-A joint venture between Robert Levinson, founder and president of RSL Building Corp., and Steven Levin, founder and president of Brijus Properties, are acquiring four buildings, with a total of 75,000 sf on Kinzie St. with plans to redevelop the property into the Kinzie Design Center. The buildings at 220 W. Kinzie St., 222 W. Kinzie St., 226 W. Kinzie St. and 228 W. Kinzie St. were acquired for approximately $7.5 million from Elmer Morris, who had owned the properties since the 1940’s. A cap rate was not disclosed.
The joint venture is renovating and repositioning the property with a focus on the design and furniture industries. The estimated cost for the center is $10.5 million. The joint venture received $9.2 million in financing, which includes the acquisition, construction costs and tenant improvement allowances, Levinson says.

The Kinzie Design Center is about 60% leased but the joint venture is in talks with a possible tenant that could bring the property to more than 80% leased, Levinson says. Other tenants include furniture retailer Haute Living, restaurant Aigre Doux, architects and interior designers. Smallbone of Devizes, a kitchen designer based in the United Kingdom, has signed a 12-year lease for 3,200 sf on the first floor of 220 W. Kinzie St., Levinson says. Paris Ceramics, an affiliate of Smallbone, leases space in the Merchandise Mart but this will be only Smallbone’s third location in the United States. Smallbones’ other two locations are in Manhattan and Greenwich, CT.

(More below)
http://www.globest.com/news/1061_1061/chicago/167010-1.html

[Eventually...Chicago]

^^^^ i love those little areas of niche uses. That area of river north is a worldwide destination for designers thanks to the big ol' mart

[honte]

^ Excellent news! I have always loved that cluster. The building on the far right was designed by Patton and Fischer, who have numerous landmarked buildings throughout the metro area.

"The buildings, which were constructed in the late 1800’s, are in the process of being renovated. Levinson and Levin, who are brothers-in-law, are both self-proclaimed architecture buffs and wanted to redevelop the property as opposed to tear down the structures. The exterior is being tuck pointed and the masonry is being restored. The buildings systems and interior spaces are also being renovated and upgraded, such as painting and upgrading the elevators and electrical service. The exterior renovations are expected to be complete within 90 days."

[Rocket1]

I noticed those buildings on Kinzie are right next to the "L".

Have there been advances in sound insulation so that locations like this are attractive to renters?

[the urban politician]

12/26/2007
Public housing to get museum
Remembering the positives, negatives

NEAR WEST
Public housing has a long history in Chicago, dating back to the 1930s. The Jane Addams Homes has only one remaining building on the Near West Side, which may become the first National Public Housing Museum.

The Chicago Housing Authority promised to donate the building, located at 1322-24 W. Taylor, to CHA resident leaders who are interested in turning it into a museum, if the organizers are able to raise enough funding.
http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=60&ArticleID=3807&TM=34043.55

[aaron38]

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r86/aaron38/Chicago%2012-26-07/IMG_0059.jpg

This was taken from the Jefferson Park Metra stop. I use 'TOD' loosely. You can't really make it out in this picture, but the sign at that lot says "Single family homes". I think this may have been mentioned before, but this seems like a very poor land use. Even Palatine rejected a developer's request to build new single family homes near the Metra station, insisting on 4-5 story condo buildings. Arlington Heights won't allow anything less than 8 stories at this point.
I understand wanting to not overwhelm the neighborhood, but it's right next to the Kennedy, and there's higher density just down the street to the left.

[Mr Downtown]

Have there been advances in sound insulation so that locations like this are attractive to renters?

Chicago has thousands of buildings next to the L, including expensive new townhouses. Only one of these buildings is adjacent to the tracks, and they'll be tenanted by commercial showrooms, not offices or bedrooms.

Backing up to this row, Kimball Office Furnishings renovated a big new showroom two years ago. As it happens, every four minutes a train goes by that says "Kimball" on every car.

[the urban politician]

[This was taken from the Jefferson Park Metra stop. I use 'TOD' loosely. You can't really make it out in this picture, but the sign at that lot says "Single family homes". I think this may have been mentioned before, but this seems like a very poor land use. Even Palatine rejected a developer's request to build new single family homes near the Metra station, insisting on 4-5 story condo buildings. Arlington Heights won't allow anything less than 8 stories at this point.
I understand wanting to not overwhelm the neighborhood, but it's right next to the Kennedy, and there's higher density just down the street to the left.

^ I'm venturing to guess we can blame Jefferson Park's Alderman for this brilliant lapse of reason. He really needs to get his fat butt out of office.

Perhaps Shawn knows the story better?

[Alliance]

Driving down 294 yesterday, There was a new parking garage going up along with a new building (in Rosemont heading north just before that other giant parking garage and the new Muvico18). I almost swore at it because it was like 10 stories tall. But, driving past it, the thing was THIN! The top 6 floors or so only looked like they could fit 6 cars across and the bottom 4 were about twice as wide.

I thought it was a refreshing take on the "taller/thinner." I'm sure it will have horrible cladding, but...any opinions?

[aaron38]

The Lake Shore East parkhomes
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r86/aaron38/Chicago%2012-26-07/IMG_0104.jpg

[aaron38]

Oh, just a quick side question, did something happen to the mailboxes in the city? I've never really needed one before, but I paid bills on the train, and then wandered through half the city without finding a corner mailbox. I could have gotten 435 copies of the Red Eye though.
I finally dived into Leo Burnett and asked for the mail room...

[museumparktom]

Oh, just a quick side question, did something happen to the mailboxes in the city? I've never really needed one before, but I paid bills on the train, and then wandered through half the city without finding a corner mailbox. I could have gotten 435 copies of the Red Eye though.
I finally dived into Leo Burnett and asked for the mail room...

Downtown mailboxes cut back
Chicago Sun-Times, Jan 18, 2002 by Gary Wisby

Partly for security and partly because there just isn't much mail, nearly one-third of the mailboxes downtown are being removed.

Embedded in concrete, the last of 61 boxes--out of a total of 185 that were downtown--will be taken out today, U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Judy Winiarz said. The first of them were removed Jan. 7.

The Postal Service and the city agreed to remove them.

"They have their security issues, and we have our volume issues," Winiarz said.

Larry Langford, a spokesman for the city's 911 system, said that other cities, too, have removed outdoor mailboxes because of concerns over terrorism since Sept. 11.

[ardecila]

Well, Chicago probably has the worst postal system in the nation, so don't be too surprised if you can't find a mailbox. Apparently they've been having problems for years - only now, they can't blame it on an outdated facility.

aaron38 - the development you photographed is Argyle Corners (http://www.americancolonyhomes.com/communities.htm). I think it's a waste of space too, but it's relatively in sync with the rest of the neighborhood. South of the Kennedy is a different matter. Really, though, the site is connected to the Milwaukee business district by only a crumbling concrete pedestrian bridge that doesn't even get shoveled in the winter. It's no wonder the developers aren't pushing the envelope.

Jeff Park has some other major vacant lots along Lawrence, so it's not like there's tremendous demand for new units in the area. I'm just happy that they're finally demolishing (and maybe redeveloping?) that cement mill on the south side of the tracks. It had a little siding track from the railroad line that looked like something out of Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland, with rotten ties, weeds, bent rails, and all.

[VivaLFuego]

Really, though, the site is connected to the Milwaukee business district by only a crumbling concrete pedestrian bridge that doesn't even get shoveled in the winter. It's no wonder the developers aren't pushing the envelope.

City is about to spend a boatload to totally rebuild that pedestrian bridge.

[spyguy]

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/skylinenews/news/714204,sl-threearts-122107-s1.article

Planned Three Arts zoning creates divide

December 28, 2007
By FELICIA DECHTER

Alderman Brendan Reilly, 42nd, and the North Dearborn Association are clashing over a proposed zoning change for the historic Three Arts Club, 1300 N. Dearborn St.

Reilly said despite the fact that the community organization is supporting a zoning change, he will not support the classification sought by the building's owner, M Development, for the club.

[honte]

City is about to spend a boatload to totally rebuild that pedestrian bridge.

Interesting. Do you know the design firm? Thanks in advance.

[Busy Bee]

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@1960128234.1198884922@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceaddmllkldedcefecelldffhdfgk.0&contentOID=536958672&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=HomePage

[Eventually...Chicago]

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/skylinenews/news/714204,sl-threearts-122107-s1.article

Planned Three Arts zoning creates divide

December 28, 2007
By FELICIA DECHTER



Reilly is a flat out idiot.

[the urban politician]

Reilly is a flat out idiot.

^ Read the whole article.

I don't really think he's being that unreasonable. Lets not bash Alderman just for the sake of bashing them here...

[VivaLFuego]

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@1960128234.1198884922@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceaddmllkldedcefecelldffhdfgk.0&contentOID=536958672&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=HomePage

^I'll try to track down the firm that did the designs.....but these aren't anything too spectacular. $500K definitely sounds on the low end from the numbers I previously heard, but hey if that's all it cost, I can think of about a dozen other bridges around the city that need similar treatment.

[honte]

^ Thanks.

^ Read the whole article.

I don't really think he's being that unreasonable. Lets not bash Alderman just for the sake of bashing them here...

Agreed. Even though he's putting his foot down, what he's doing is the opposite of the "community group pandering" he is always accused of.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

^I'll try to track down the firm that did the designs.....but these aren't anything too spectacular. $500K definitely sounds on the low end from the numbers I previously heard, but hey if that's all it cost, I can think of about a dozen other bridges around the city that need similar treatment.

I know this isn't really the state of architecture these days, but the mark of a good architect is one who can still be innovative with very little. It's a kind of pragmatism that's traditionally characterized Chicago architects.

They should have hired Jeanne Gang!

[BVictor1]

http://www.suntimes.com/business/719696,CST-FIN-Hosp31.article

Condo assn. blocks St. Joseph Hospital

LAWSUIT | Court agrees expansion violated zoning

December 31, 2007
BY FELICIA DECHTER

A Lake View condominium association has won a "huge victory" in a legal battle that has stymied expansion of St. Joseph Hospital.

[alex1]

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/skylinenews/news/714204,sl-threearts-122107-s1.article

[B]Planned Three Arts zoning creates divide...

good for Reilly.

[the urban politician]

Far North Side schools struggle to cope as Chicago gets more refugees
Elementaries on Chicago's Far North Side are struggling to cope with an unexpected increase in children from war-torn areas
By Stephanie Banchero | Tribune staff reporter
January 1, 2008
In a cramped grade school classroom on the city's Far North Side, refugees from 17 countries stutter and stumble their way through a lesson on a weather pattern that is totally foreign to most of them: "It's cold outside. It's snowing."

Downstairs, a group of 6th graders from war-torn counties such as Burundi and Myanmar gather around a kidney-shaped table as the teacher slowly guides them through a 2nd-grade-level book. "Clippity-clop. Clippity-clop," they read together.

And in a hallway on the first floor, a 5-year-old refugee from Somalia clutches his teacher's hand with such ferocity that the teacher's knuckles turn white. Since he arrived in September, the slender and withdrawn child has been afraid to leave his teacher's side, even when she goes to the bathroom.

Swift Elementary and a handful of other nearby schools unexpectedly received dozens of refugees at the beginning of the school year, after federal officials issued a waiver to a section of the Patriot Act, allowing more refugees into the U.S.

These schools are accustomed to taking in refugees, but rarely have they seen so many arrive at once.

Between July and September, about 1,200 immigrants fleeing war-ravaged nations arrived in Illinois, as many as came during all of the previous fiscal year, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services. Many of them fled the strife in Burundi and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

The vast majority of the refugee families settled on Chicago's Far North Side, long a gateway area for immigrants. For the most part, school-age children enroll in a half-dozen Chicago public schools in the Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods.

More at link below:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-refugees_01jan01,1,5443037.story

[EarlyBuyer]

Happy New Year!

A snowy day in Chicago.

Photo's taken by EarlyBuyer 1/1/08

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/425/dscn8810yi0.jpg


http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1400/dscn8815ml4.jpg


http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/6885/dscn8819cl5.jpg


http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/97/dscn8821ke8.jpg

[the urban politician]

^ Thanks, EB. I'm very eager to see how these parkhomes transform the LSE streetscape.

[honte]

Since I made such a stink in this thread about the appearance of Payless Shoes, I think I should mention that tonight I saw their new corporate image on Michigan Avenue (I think it is new). It is much more tasteful and appears to be guided in a direction that would allow the stores' brand image to be inserted into existing buildings without the need to completely alter them. Apparently, they have already done this in Uptown too.

Here's hoping this is a sign of good things to come with their stores, with no more massacres of facades.

[BVictor1]

CALENDAR NOTES: Lee Bey, executive director of the Chicago Central Area Committee, discusses "Unbuilt Chicago," grand projects that never happened, during a Friends of Downtown lunch-hour program Thursday 01/03/07 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington. See friendsofdowntown.org.

DePaul University's real estate school mixes it up Jan. 15 with a program about the "Changing Rules of Mixed Development." It will run all afternoon at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington. See realestate.depaul.edu.

[Busy Bee]

What a graphic design forum says about the new Payless:

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/payless_suckmore.php

[VivaLFuego]

Some cool Skokie nuggets for you all, in case you haven't heard:

There will be a two-tower mixed use development called "Prinmar landing" at Skokie Blvd and Cleveland streets, right next to the Oakton Yellow Line stop that will be built starting in 2009. Each tower will be 115-feet in height (I'm guessing 10-12 stories, then), contain underground parking, roof decks, and ground-floor retail fronting Skokie Blvd. A public plaza will be between the two towers. The total includes 156 residential units and 12,000 sq ft of retail. The total FAR for the development is 5.5, which is AWESOME for a suburb...it's tough to get that sort of FAR in Chicago anywhere but downtown or near the lake.

Skokie is working on implementing a pretty progressive downtown plan, and this site falls within their "Downtown Core Mixed-Use" designation:
http://www.skokie.org/comm/Comprehensive_Plan/Map_Large.jpg
http://www.skokie.org/comm/sector_A2020.html

The Downtown core designation allows buildings up to 156ft in height, and the transit-oriented designation allows buildings up to 75 feet in height. In a few years time, downtown Skokie may really come into it's own.

[aaron38]

Those are some pretty ambitions plans for Skokie, I hadn't seen those before. Some choice sections of the plan:

Downtown redevelopment was the top issue in the Village with 82% of Skokie residents with an opinion stating that the issue was important, very important, or essential. Ground floor offices, automotive uses, and drive-throughs that cause activity gaps in pedestrian areas should be limited and, in some areas, prohibited. Keep the Pedestrian in Mind. With almost 10% of Skokie households reporting having no motorized vehicle in the 2000 census, attention needs to be given to pedestrian movement. Part of moving people is the physical environment in which they move. Design of sites, buildings, sidewalks, streets, lighting, and other amenities like plazas or outdoor dining areas affects the likelihood that people will walk in, through, or by a particular location. Some of these design features include locating buildings close to sidewalks, being able to look into commercial buildings through transparent glass on ground levels, having scattered public spaces accessible and seen from sidewalks, limiting driveway curb cuts across public sidewalks, and prohibiting off-street parking in front of buildings and at intersection corners while encouraging on-street and behind-building parking.

Sounds like they're doing the right things.

[laro3]

hey guys i park my car at jefferson and monroe across from presidential towers in the smaller of the two lots,the parking attendant told me they will be closing the lot in 6 months to build a 7 story building with underground parking and a 25 story building.is this the bp site?

[ardecila]

hey guys i park my car at jefferson and monroe across from presidential towers in the smaller of the two lots,the parking attendant told me they will be closing the lot in 6 months to build a 7 story building with underground parking and a 25 story building.is this the bp site?

Fifield has proposed a building for this site (601 West Monroe), but BP has not committed to being a tenant.

The attendant got the details a little wrong, though - it will be a 25-story building and first 7 stories are parking.

On the west half of the block, Fifield is planning a 29-story tower that looks similar to the first one.

I posted updated renderings in the Boom Rundown Thread, but here:

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/7506/601westmonroe1qk1.jpg

[honte]

In Chicago's revival, a model for Miami?
December 30, 2007
Andres Viglucci

http://enr.construction.com/news/othersources/article.asp?SMDOCID=knightridder_2007_12_30__0000-0968-MI-ECON-DVLP-20071230&SMContentSet=0

Dec. 30--CHICAGO -- Not long ago, this great Midwestern city's downtown -- the place where the American skyscraper was perfected and first proliferated, no less -- found itself staggering on its once sturdy legs, like some punch-drunk boxer.

...

Then something remarkable happened. Chicago squared its Broad Shoulders and got back its swagger.

And therein, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz believes, lies a lesson worth emulating for the city he leads...

[SkokieSwift]

Some cool Skokie nuggets for you all, in case you haven't heard:


Thanks for posting.

Does anyone know if they're planning a park-and-ride lot next to the Oakton station, similar to the Dempster station?

[EarlyBuyer]

In Chicago's revival, a model for Miami?
December 30, 2007
Andres Viglucci

http://enr.construction.com/news/othersources/article.asp?SMDOCID=knightridder_2007_12_30__0000-0968-MI-ECON-DVLP-20071230&SMContentSet=0

Great article honte, thanks.

[VivaLFuego]

Thanks for posting.

Does anyone know if they're planning a park-and-ride lot next to the Oakton station, similar to the Dempster station?

To my knowledge, there are no plans for a park 'n ride facility at Oakton. Those arriving by car will do so at Dempster. Oakton station will be oriented towards pedestrians and feeder-buses. Downtown Skokie could be a pretty cool thing 5-10 years from now.

[SkokieSwift]

To my knowledge, there are no plans for a park 'n ride facility at Oakton. Those arriving by car will do so at Dempster. Oakton station will be oriented towards pedestrians and feeder-buses. Downtown Skokie could be a pretty cool thing 5-10 years from now.

Nice. Thanks for the info.

[nomarandlee]

Being a Cubs fan I a have been skeptical about the idea of the city/state ownership idea of the park. But putting a hotel right by the park I do find intriguing and think would improve on the five-story parking podium planned as of now.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-wrigleyjan04,1,953214.story

Tunney wary of Wrigley deal
Alderman doubts state should buy it

.........Beyond that, the alderman said he is concerned that Wrigley issues settled in recent years after lengthy and sometimes painful negotiations could resurface. They include the park's landmark status, a limit on the number of night games and a plan approved by the city calling for construction of a five-story building containing a garage and commercial space on land just west of the park.

A real estate developer has assembled property for a proposed project that would include a hotel near the park at Clark and Addison Streets, and a Cubs official commented in passing that if a development of that size were permitted, "why not do [a hotel] as part of the ballpark" and redesign the already-approved Cubs commercial project, Tunney said.........

[spyguy]

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/skylinenews/news/723434,sl-wrigley-010408-s1.article

Hyatt part of proposal for Addison

January 4, 2008
By FELICIA DECHTER

...Although Schultz could not be reached for comment, Lawson said one tower will be a 10-story, 137-room Hyatt Hotel with an entrance on Clark Street, while the other will house 148 residential rental residences in a 9-story building...Additionally, a grocery store, a big box retailer, a health club and drug/convenience store have been proposed for the parcel. Businesses currently located on the planned site, including Bar Louie, Salt & Pepper and Goose Island, will be displaced under the proposal, but will reopen in the new property, Lawson said.

[aaron38]

It's always interesting to find a new pocket of suburban redevelopment that you never knew about.
My wife just started a new job at a spa in Roselle, and going to check it out, I find that it's the first floor retail of a new condo building right next to the Metra tracks, and part of several other new condo buildings, all with first floor retail as well.

The model that started out as this big experiment in the burbs has really become the norm.

[VivaLFuego]

It's always interesting to find a new pocket of suburban redevelopment that you never knew about.
My wife just started a new job at a spa in Roselle, and going to check it out, I find that it's the first floor retail of a new condo building right next to the Metra tracks, and part of several other new condo buildings, all with first floor retail as well.

The model that started out as this big experiment in the burbs has really become the norm.

At this point, the 'burbs have a much more coherent and successful transit-oriented development policy than the city, which has none at all to speak of (unless you count a meaningless 25% reduction in parking requirement within a pathetic 600ft walking distance of a rail transit entrance).

[aaron38]

Hyatt part of proposal for Addison

That sounds promising, hope we get renders soon. I've been waiting for something to rebuild the streetwall there across from Wrigley. It's half empty parkinglots and one story buildings, not at all fiting density for that part of town.

[Marcu]

^ Wrigleyville can definetly handle the density levels of Gold Coast or Old Town. The 2 story streetwall is quite pathetic for such a pedestrian oriented area. And someone please fill in those parking lots.

As far as the Miami article, the one-sided praise of Daley is getting a bit old. The success of Chicago is undeniable, but article such as these tend to gloss over the city's problems. For example, the article fails to mention the increasingly high cost of living (including the recent increase in property taxes in spite of a record number of high-end residences and high rent office space) that may make Chicago as expensive as DC or Boston in a few years.

[dvidler]

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/skylinenews/news/723434,sl-wrigley-010408-s1.article

Hyatt part of proposal for Addison

January 4, 2008
By FELICIA DECHTER

...Although Schultz could not be reached for comment, Lawson said one tower will be a 10-story, 137-room Hyatt Hotel with an entrance on Clark Street, while the other will house 148 residential rental residences in a 9-story building...Additionally, a grocery store, a big box retailer, a health club and drug/convenience store have been proposed for the parcel. Businesses currently located on the planned site, including Bar Louie, Salt & Pepper and Goose Island, will be displaced under the proposal, but will reopen in the new property, Lawson said.

This is a great proposal. I would love to see McDonalds sell their land to a developer for apartments with a requirement that they reopen in the new property.

[Abner]

As far as the Miami article, the one-sided praise of Daley is getting a bit old. The success of Chicago is undeniable, but article such as these tend to gloss over the city's problems. For example, the article fails to mention the increasingly high cost of living (including the recent increase in property taxes in spite of a record number of high-end residences and high rent office space) that may make Chicago as expensive as DC or Boston in a few years.

It seems that journalists can be overcome with the Daley hype and attribute everything good about Chicago to Daley. It's just lazy journalism that comes from reading other lazy journalism. Pretty soon people are going to be thanking Daley for giving Chicago a lake.

[ardecila]

The area around Wrigley around gametime has some of the highest pedestrian traffic levels in the city. It's downright uncomfortable for everybody involved - sidewalks need to be widened where possible.

After the Cubs garage is built on the site of the donut shop, the current parking lot along Seminary Avenue should be turned into a bus loading zone so that the current zones along the street can be turned into wider sidewalks.

The sheer kick-ass-itude of Wrigley on the inside is countered by the horrible design on the outside of the ballpark. I hope the Cubs will consider anything that removes the disgusting concrete panels.

[Busy Bee]

^Ditto. I can't believe they've lasted this long, they're truly awful.

[honte]

Andy Schcolnik is a saint.

_____________________


Live & work studios
SOLUTIONS | Creative types find there's an art to discovering the perfect dwelling

January 4, 2008
BY BONNIE MCGRATH Special to the Sun-Times

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/athome/726147,HOF-News-artists04.article

Graphic artist Robin Steele and her husband, sculptor Michael Ruback, live in a single-family home on the Northwest Side. Ruback uses a spare upstairs bedroom for his projects. Recently the couple decided to look around for a new work/live space to purchase.

...

[spyguy]

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27640

WaMu to close 25 Chicago-area locations
By Steve Daniels

Washington Mutual Inc. will close 25 Chicago-area branches in March and April as the Seattle-based thrift continues to pare its underperforming retail network here.

--------
# Chicago, 200 W. Randolph St.
# Chicago, 431 N. Orleans St.
# Chicago, 3939 W. Ogden Ave.
# Chicago, 2053 N. Clybourn Ave.
# Chicago, 1301 W. Madison St.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Taken today:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6861/artinstitutebp4.jpg

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

:previous: You know, I was hoping today for an update on the AIC expansion. Thanks, Hydrogen... fantastic shot.

I don't know if anyone caught this, but the penultimate 2007 issue of the Economist featured an article about the state of low-cost housing in the U.S. and used none other than Chicago as an example of the changing nature of the "debate" surrounding it, citing, specifically, Highland Park as a community with the right idea.

I remember a year or so back Pioneer Press putting out an article about how HP has led the way in the north and northwestern suburbs in this area. Having grown up there while much this went underway, I can attest firsthand to this fact. For all the derision incurred by the North Shore -- not all of it unwarranted, mind you -- it really is an exemplary community with a strong dedication to the public good.

As an original streetcar suburb, the city was planned favorably to a denser/more urban lifestyle: the downtown is a vibrant place that supplies more than retail and good restaurants, and it's contiguous with Highwood which, as far as suburbs go, is super dense (6,552.1 per sq mi, 2,530 per km²) and highly urbanized (almost everything is within walking distance). Between the two cities (Highwood is an enclave within Highland Park), there are five Metra stops (six during Ravinia season).

Under the plans, Highland Park has increased high-density united in and around the downtown area. (There's been a general upswing in condo and townhouse development over the past 5+ years, actually.)

Anyway, it's worth a read.

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10259069

Dec 6th 2007 | LAKE FOREST
From The Economist print edition
The debate over affordable housing in America's suburbs

CHICAGO'S northern suburbs are among America's most idyllic. None is grander than Lake Forest, where the average home costs over $1m. But the suburb, by definition unaffordable, is building something unusual: affordable housing. A new development in Lake Forest will include a few cheaper homes, as required by a new town ordinance.

The debate over low-cost housing has moved well beyond the inner city. America's suburbs have changed. No longer the province of the affluent and the middle-class, they are home to an increasing share of new immigrants and poor (in 2005 the suburban poor outnumbered their urban counterparts). This new reality, combined with a growing distaste for ever-extending sprawl, long commutes, traffic jams and the pollution they bring, is driving efforts to build cheaper housing nearer to jobs in existing suburbs. The subprime mortgage mess has driven the trend, too...

[jjk1103]

Taken today:
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6861/artinstitutebp4.jpg

.................how did you take that shot ?? !! :tup:

[ardecila]

He works in Aon Center - hence, amazing photography.

[Eventually...Chicago]

Hey this may seem like a ridiculous question but...

How long have the hancock's antennae been at their current height? I had a buddy in from out of town and he says they look taller that they used to. (like recently not back to the 80's or anything) I never really look too much at them but after he said that, i realized how huge they really are.

[aaron38]

^^^2002 was the last change.

[Eventually...Chicago]

^^^2002 was the last change.

Thanks!!

[nomarandlee]

http://www.suntimes.com/business/roeder/731680,CST-FIN-roeder09.article

Live Nation has eyes on Uptown
REAL ESTATE | Northerly Island promoter seeks to restore theater's glory

January 9, 2008
BY DAVID ROEDER Sun-Times Columnist

Live Nation Inc., the concert promoter that manages the outdoor performance stage at Northerly Island, is negotiating with city officials to take over the landmark Uptown Theatre, 4816 N. Broadway.

The 1925 building has been mostly unused for 25 years. But Live Nation is said to be interested in restoring it to its former glory and using its 4,300-seat auditorium for concerts and other events.

Possible hitches -- and there are many -- include a city subsidy for what could be a $40 million restoration..........................


:tup: Great news, I am keeping my fingers crossed. The idea that it could be restored after 25 years to hold its original functions is just awesome.

[aaron38]

I can't find an internet link to the story, but a developer is suing Mt. Prospect for what they claim is reneging on a deal.
A condo development passed the preliminary planning review. Residents didn't like the plan and voted in two new planning committee members, who voted against the plan at the final review.

The developer is claiming that since they passed the preliminary review, the city broke it's promise by not allowing the project to move forward.

This case seems to have wide reaching implications. If the developer wins the lawsuit, is there even a reason to have a final review then, if you can't vote no?

If I find the link, I'll post it.

[honte]

Finally... some demolition news that won't make everyone's blood boil.

_____________

Evergreen Plaza for sale, may be demolished

(Crain’s) — Evergreen Plaza, which was converted to one of the country’s first enclosed malls in the 1960’s, is up for sale, with a redevelopment or outright demolition widely expected.

...

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?post_date=2008-01-09&id=27697

[BorisMolotov]

speaking of the hancock, when are they going to put the red stripes back on the antenna? I've always thought that that kind of defined the building, and it looks weird without them.

[spyguy]

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27693

Investors to buy gourmet grocer, add stores
Jan. 09, 2008
By Moneé Fields-White and Lorene Yue

A group of Chicago-based investors, led by a former president of Jewel-Osco, announced plans Wednesday to buy Streeterville gourmet grocer Fox & Obel and open more stores.

[spyguy]

http://www.suntimes.com/business/734449,CST-FIN-wrig10.article

Tunney: Lemma hear ya on developer's Wrigley-area idea

January 10, 2008
BY DAVID ROEDER

Residents near Wrigley Field will take their cuts at a new pitch from a developer who wants to build a hotel, apartment and retail complex on Addison Street across from the ballpark.

[VivaLFuego]

http://www.suntimes.com/business/734449,CST-FIN-wrig10.article

Tunney: Lemma hear ya on developer's Wrigley-area idea

January 10, 2008
BY DAVID ROEDER

Residents near Wrigley Field will take their cuts at a new pitch from a developer who wants to build a hotel, apartment and retail complex on Addison Street across from the ballpark.

Any Lakeview residents on the forum? Please get out in support of something resembling density for this parcel...there will be some loud voices of idiocy to drown out in this city of mob rule over development decisions.

[ih8spires]

speaking of the hancock, when are they going to put the red stripes back on the antenna? I've always thought that that kind of defined the building, and it looks weird without them.

As I read recently in the Aeronautical Information Manual, basicly if a structure has a combination of flashing aviation red lighting and steady red for night, and high intentsity white for day (strobes), the aviation orange and white paint can be omitted.

I have gotten used to all white antenna and now I think I like it better.

[Nowhereman1280]

I agree, the all white antennae look better, the inclusion of red is too busy and distracts from the White-black contrast we see now.

[pip]

Any Lakeview residents on the forum? Please get out in support of something resembling density for this parcel...there will be some loud voices of idiocy to drown out in this city of mob rule over development decisions.


Yeah I live in Lakeview and do support this. The only thing I worry about is the shitty behavior and attitude of Cubs fans that now will make the pilgramage out all the time to get wasted and harrass people but that specific area does need help and this will help it. Wrigley Field was here before me, I moved into this area, is how I look at it but that still does not execuse the poor behavior of fans.

[the urban politician]

Want an example of brilliantly crafted and effective anti-NIMBY activity at work? Want to see somebody who knows what he's doing and knows how to do it right? Want to see somebody who has effectively turned the tide in favor of density in his neighborhood, has caught the attention of many neighbors, and has managed to influence his Alderman? Read this one posting below titled "53rd st Visioning Results", and let this be an inspiration for other people out there:

http://hydeparkprogress.blogspot.com/2008/01/53rd-st-visioning-results.html

[aaron38]

^^^Great find. The demographic numbers beg an follow-up question. Will the old guard NIMBYs die off, to be replaced by hipper old people who understand urban living and planning?
Or will everyone turn 60 and instantly become an old prune of a NIMBY who hates everything about the city?

40 years ago the people in that photo were ready to party at Woodstock and march on Washington and change the world, and now they don't want anything over 3 stories in the middle of Chicago...

[ardecila]

It's not an old-versus-young disparity.

The NIMBY attitudes are only put forward by a tiny group of people who think they know better than the rest of the neighborhood what the neighborhood needs. Successful NIMBY groups are often really good at PR, creating signs and petitions and wording statements and slogans as carefully as possible to elicit lots of support from the community.

If you're speaking of hippie mentality, I can understand why such people would be against skyscrapers and big-business developers entering the neighborhood. The problem is, HP's self-imposed self-sufficiency is becoming more and more difficult to maintain. Hyde Park residents, I think, see no future for the neighborhood if outside development is kept out.

[VivaLFuego]

Edgewater Medical Center at Clark/Ashland: It looks dormant and there's scaffolding around the base. Does anyone know what's going on with this large, impressive structure?

[BVictor1]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri_evergreenjan11,0,1285634.story

Evergreen Plaza mall may be sold, bringing change in stores and customer demographics

Retail center has lost sheen over the years as chain stores left and demographics changed

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2008-01/34673926.jpg
Cars jammed the large parking lot of Evergreen Plaza mall in 1985. The enclosed shopping center attracted many customers from Chicago and the suburbs. (Chicago Tribune / January 10, 2008)

By Mary Ellen Podmolik | Special to the Tribune
January 11, 2008

A customer of Evergreen Plaza for almost 40 years and a store owner there for the past 15 months, Ann Baker likes to think of the shopping center as her mall.

[Eventually...Chicago]

Postal Service eyes redevelopment of Dearborn site

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27733

For some reason when i read this i thought they meant the red brick building just north of the river on lasalle across the street from 300 North Lasalle (what is that building called anyways?) and i began to freak out. Then i realized that it is 8:00 in the morning and perhaps my powers of logic are not working as well as they should.

This seems like a good idea, the site is like a 1.5 story piece of poo right now and downtown could use some more parks tucked into the urban fabric. Especially if they allow development on a portion, we could get a nice little slender building

[ardecila]

Postal Service eyes redevelopment of Dearborn site

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27733

For some reason when i read this i thought they meant the red brick building just north of the river on lasalle across the street from 300 North Lasalle (what is that building called anyways?) and i began to freak out. Then i realized that it is 8:00 in the morning and perhaps my powers of logic are not working as well as they should.

It was originally the Reid Murdoch & Co. building. Later, it housed a traffic court, and today it is called Britannica Centre.

I don't want any sort of development on that post office block, unless they plan to build an underground garage and raise money from that. The entire block needs to be a publicly-accessed square, with proper landscaping, benches, and some sort of water feature.

We need some sort of vision in that part of downtown, where architecture has become a laughing-stock and every block is full of 10 or 11 "small plans" that contribute little to the whole urban experience. We need some Daniel Burnham-style plans. A wimpy 1/2-block park (on one of the smallest blocks in the city, no less) won't cut it.

[Pandemonious]

How is the block small? The site is everything bounded between Grand, Clark, Dearborn, and Ohio.

Hopefully it can become something similar to the full block park in front of newberry library.

[aaron38]

^^^Agreed, something equivalent to Washington Square Park would be great. I'd even go for something a little more plaza like, similar to Union Square in NYC.

I like the idea of putting a couple levels of parking under the park, if that could be the parking for buildings surrounding the park, allowing them to not have parking podiums.

[ardecila]

How is the block small? The site is everything bounded between Grand, Clark, Dearborn, and Ohio.

Blocks in River North are small by nature, about 60% the size of Loop blocks.

[Chicago Shawn]

I don't want any sort of development on that post office block, unless they plan to build an underground garage and raise money from that. The entire block needs to be a publicly-accessed square, with proper landscaping, benches, and some sort of water feature.

We need some sort of vision in that part of downtown, where architecture has become a laughing-stock and every block is full of 10 or 11 "small plans" that contribute little to the whole urban experience. We need some Daniel Burnham-style plans. A wimpy 1/2-block park (on one of the smallest blocks in the city, no less) won't cut it.

Agree 100%. River North is perhaps the most park poor area of the city, with one of the highest population densities. A nice full block park will easily become a gathering place for neighborhood residents. I would like to see less hardscape and more green space in this particular location.

[Eventually...Chicago]

Developer looks to reshape south lakefront

Lake Meadows would get 7,000 new residential units

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27737

nothing but goodness here

[Abner]

Agree 100%. River North is perhaps the most park poor area of the city, with one of the highest population densities. A nice full block park will easily become a gathering place for neighborhood residents. I would like to see less hardscape and more green space in this particular location.

Not to nitpick, but River North has far less of a park problem than Logan Square, Pilsen, and a number of other neighborhoods that have many more children than River North and less immediate vicinity to a large park or the lakefront. Of course, most neighborhoods in Chicago are park-poor, so the more the merrier.

[honte]

People are always claiming that Chicago is "park poor". I'm not challenging the figures, but honestly, compared to most big cities I've spent time in, Chicago feels much more green and park "rich." It has to do not only with greenspace per capita, but the whole way the city is laid out and the proximity to a great park.

I simply question all of the new parkland being generated when, 1) I hardly see the parks at full capacity, except for lakefront, and 2) so many of our parks have huge maintenance issues. The south end of Jackson Park is full of tire ruts and grassless patches. Douglas Park is frequently trashed-out and dumpy. And so forth. And these I've listed are supposed to be our showpieces - never mind the smaller neighborhood parks, some of which are pretty pitiful. I wonder if Chicago would get more bang for its park buck if it took this money and invested in making our existing parks better? Simple improvements, such as (Hello?) trash cans with lids so that the wind doesn't scatter refuse, could make a world of a difference.

[Abner]

People are always claiming that Chicago is "park poor". I'm not challenging the figures, but honestly, compared to most big cities I've spent time in, Chicago feels much more green and park "rich." It has to do not only with greenspace per capita, but the whole way the city is laid out and the proximity to a great park.

I simply question all of the new parkland being generated when, 1) I hardly see the parks at full capacity, except for lakefront, and 2) so many of our parks have huge maintenance issues. The south end of Jackson Park is full of tire ruts and grassless patches. Douglas Park is frequently trashed-out and dumpy. And so forth. And these I've listed are supposed to be our showpieces - never mind the smaller neighborhood parks, some of which are pretty pitiful. I wonder if Chicago would get more bang for its park buck if it took this money and invested in making our existing parks better? Simple improvements, such as (Hello?) trash cans with lids so that the wind doesn't scatter refuse, could make a world of a difference.

I think the problem is the distribution of parks and park facilities. Many of the large boulevard parks are in underpopulated neighborhoods and difficult to access from heavily populated ones, or are seen as too dangerous. Furthermore, the big parks are broken up by streets running through them, making them seem more like large clusters of small parks (surrounded by motorists who drive too fast through the park). And park facilities, particularly playgrounds, can be in extremely short supply, leading to such things as waiting lines for swingsets. A large park is not really a substitute for equivalent acreage of neighborhood parks distributed over a larger area.

Of course, Chicago is known for spending more on its parks than any other city despite not having that many acres per capita, so your maintenance issues are a matter of distribution as well. It is kind of disheartening to see the almost militant upkeep and lavish landscaping of Grant Park when the trash in the lagoon in Garfield Park can go seemingly for weeks without being touched.

[the urban politician]

67-unit development OKd for Logan Square
By Jeanette Almada | Special to the Tribune
January 13, 2008
A 67-unit residential project is slated for the vacant former site of a convent and nursing home in Logan Square.

Robert Heideman and Menash Zadik will develop the project at 2650 N. Ridgeway Ave. through a limited liability entity.

The Chicago Plan Commission last month approved the project with 56 townhouses and 11 condominiums on the 1.86-acre site.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/news/chi-logan_re_ja_01-13jan13,0,2457275.story

[wrabbit]

.....(C)ompared to most big cities I've spent time in, Chicago feels much more green and park "rich.".....

But not so many parcel-sized neighborhood pocket parks. I would welcome more of these.