Quote:
Originally Posted by Hayward
I've said this before, but what makes RN and Gold Coast interesting are the high and lows of varying density. One block can be modern highrises and the next a quiet street with brownstones or some midrise warehouses. It's a very rich urban experience. A real shame these pockets of 19th century buildings are getting knocked down for forgettable glass boxes. But this city's poor stewardship to preserving its oldest residential architecture will in a matter of years pretty much eliminate nearly all of these remaining types of buildings downtown
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Obviously the historic building stock in River North isn't as geographically unified as it was in Fulton Market, but the latter's landmarking as a historic district can show that we can easily preserve the historic fabric of the city without impeding new development.
In fact, that's one of Chicago's great advantages. We have plenty of room for both preservation and new development. For most cities it's usually one or the other (nothing old to preserve, no land to build new without demoing).
River North's built environment east of Dearborn is becoming a lost cause. And it's a shame, because it's one of our most visible and important areas of downtown.