CHICAGO | General Developments

[spyguy]

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.co...hts-for-aug-16

Closer highlights for Aug. 16
By: Staff August 16, 2011

A venture of Chicago-based Structured Development LLC plans a 59,728-square-foot retail building with underground parking at 1401 N. Kingsbury St. Bids are now being taken from general contractors, in hopes of construction starting in October. Sources have told Crain’s that Structured is close to leases with PetSmart and Buy Buy Baby, a unit of Bed Bath & Beyond.

[the urban politician]

^ Underground parking?

That's good news. Is the city pushing developers to avoid more surface parking in the area?

[ardecila]

^^ Structured seems to be fairly urban-minded when it comes to site planning. I doubt the city has anything to do with it.

The Lincoln Park Center project they did (the white-brick development at North/Clybourn with the Borders) successfully juggles the needs of parking with the needs of reinforcing the street. I guess they figured out that switching to structured instead of surface parking allowed them to get more street-front tenants, for that particular site.

The calculus at 1401 N. Kingsbury will probably be different, since there's less pedestrian traffic over there and less of a premium on street frontage. I'm mystified as to how they're justifying the cost of underground parking. I'm not complaining, but I'll wait to see the site plan. Underground parking =/= good urban design.

[J_M_Tungsten]

8-17
Update on Ohio/Orleans project.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Columbia College is working on an interesting refacing project with Gensler for 618 S. Michigan, the old Spertus Institute building.  The building was originally built in 1913 as the Arcade Building, but was refaced by IBM in 1958. The new curtain wall would be a contemporary glass system, but with a frit that suggests an image of the original façade. There are a lot of details to be worked out yet about the image, but Landmarks staff is pretty much on board.

That is tits - thanks Mr. D.
A friend of mine who works closely with the City mentioned this to me a few weeks ago, and it sounded neat while they were explaining it, the rendering makes is really cool.

[spyguy]

^Late post but yeah, I really like that Columbia proposal. Makes me wonder if they're actually committed to keeping the facade of the Ebony/Jet building.

31st Street Harbor

Something new... by amn1982, on Flickr

[Rizzo]

If anyone gets an update on the Esquire (which should technically be my duty) you'll notice the 3 story brick building next door was getting renovated. It was in good condition, but now holy sh.. is it ever stunning!!! The bay windows have been reclad in copper in a historically accurate manner. It's a shame that this is such a rare sight in this city where the owner goes the extra mile to refresh an older building like this.

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by spyguy

31st Street Harbor

Something new... by amn1982, on Flickr

DOPE as HELL

[Chicago2020]

I found this on the Public Building Commission Website

Gateway Harbor



http://www.pbcchicago.com/content/pr....asp?pID=11110

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by sentinel

That is tits - thanks Mr. D.

Is that a really really new phrase or a really really old phrase?

-----

^ I think the Gateway Harbor render is not new, but I wonder what the status of construction is?

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This is a couple weeks old, but not sure if it was mentioned here.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/673...ore-opens.html
First local Wal-Mart Express store opens
July 27, 2011

Wal-Mart’s first Chicago-area Express store -- a convenience-store-sized Wal-Mart with groceries, dry goods and a pharmacy -- opened to the public on Wednesday.

The store is located at the Chatham Market at 83rd and Stewart Avenue, off of the Dan Ryan Expressway.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by denizen467

^ I think the Gateway Harbor render is not new, but I wonder what the status of construction is?

The Park District shelved the plan recently, as demand for slips has fallen through the floor.

from a recent crain's article:

In August 2008, 550 were on the waiting list and 800 on the list to transfer to another harbor. In 2010, 481 were on the waiting list and 442 on the transfer list. And this month, there are 384 waiting and 290 on the transfer list-and there are about 150 slips, moorings or star docks that are still empty.

The 31st St Harbor will have 1005 slips when it opens - enough to absorb the entire waiting list and transfer list, and then some.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by ardecila

The 31st St Harbor will have 1005 slips when it opens - enough to absorb the entire waiting list and transfer list, and then some.

A lot of the people on the waiting list are just waiting for the perfect spot to open up. For the past few years, if you were willing to take any available spot you could have one in a week or two.

[spyguy]

Lots of small church projects going on right now (Old St. Pat's courtyard, 4th Presbyterian addition, etc.). Now the plaza next to St. James is being renovated, which I guess signals that this plot of land won't be developed for quite a while, if ever.

[denizen467]

^ Well now it would be nice to see Canyon Ranch (or whoever the developer was) find a larger parcel for the same money a bit further from the Mag Mile and build something more ambitious (if not as tall) - like a real urban resort with a giant podium-top outdoor amenities floor like Aqua or K Station. Ok, maybe not with this decade's economy, but someday.

[Rizzo]

I actually kind of like the plaza. Of course it's never all that busy, but it's a nice quiet space. It also has preserved some interesting sightlines from the street.

[ardecila]

Yeah, the plaza is a nice respite. I don't think that area is exactly swamped with open space, either.

[emathias]

‘Very ambitious plan’ proposed to redevelop Atrium Village

Sun-Times
...
The neighborhood has changed, and the owners of Atrium Village, a group that includes four local churches, say it’s time the property changes with it. The owners-turned-developers want to replace the 307-unit complex with a phased development of 1,673 homes, including four high-rises. The tallest would be 44 stories.
...

Sounds good to me. I've always considered Atrium Village to be preventing that corner from becoming a great intersection. That, plus the building currently being constructed just north on Wells, would really go a long way toward extending the Old Town Wells retail strip to Division with the redevelopment of a few other properties that contribute to the gaps.

[J_M_Tungsten]

deleted post.

[Nowhereman1280]

Picture from the article:


suntimes.com

Fitzgerald does some pretty good stuff, this looks to be in line with some of their awesome designs like that 50 story apartment tower for the west loop.

[denizen467]

Speaking of Division, a large gymnasium is coming to life between the Kennedy and Ashland at the Montessori school:

http://www.nnms.org/building-update/