Quote:
Originally Posted by VivaLFuego
I hope the Target is setback from the property line to allow for a wide sidewalk --- Division is a wide, high-speed street at that point and any sidewalk less than ~12 feet in width would be quite unpleasant.
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It's not. 7.8' on Division, 13.1' on Larrabee.
The PD was pulled from the web, which may indicate design changes, though (I happened to have an old version saved). Plus, the building DOES have a ~4' setback along Division that's filled with planters. If pedestrian traffic ever becomes an issue, the planters can simply be cut back to the wall of the fire stairs.
I do think it's at best disingenuous for Target to claim that most customers will arrive on foot or by CTA, but then build a sliver sidewalk. They did the same thing at Clark/Roosevelt on the Clark side. I guess since you can enter from the north through the parking garage, they thought the Clark sidewalk was unimportant.
The same calculus probably applies here - most of the pedestrians will be coming from Lincoln Park (south on Larrabee), the 900 W. Chicago area (north on Larrabee) or Gold Coast (west on Division). To the west of the Target there is currently no residential until you go a full mile away to Wicker Park. Of course, this area will probably be developed intensely in the coming years, but that's not Target's problem, and they've put in contingencies to allow for sidewalk expansion eventually.
Also - several people here noticed a disturbing trend where Division was slowly being widened into an auto sewer over the course of successive projects. I think that trend may stop under Gabe Klein, and the excess roadspace may even make Division into a good candidate for protected bike lanes or bus lanes.