CHICAGO | General Developments

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

in other words, they could have just rehabbed the existing historic loft-esque building that was already on this site rather than demolishing it for no reason whatsoever

In fairness to Bill Smith I don't think he anticipated dying at 65.

[Via Chicago]

there was still nothing preventing him from doing that. i was against the original proposal too, as long as it involved demo.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by emathias

That's just pathetic.

Personally, what I'd like that to be is a boutique office building of the scale of some of the ones going up in the West Loop, targeted toward tech firms, increasing the residential/commercial mix in the area. I guess the one good thing about not building anything of much value there is that in the next big boom, a developer could buy it and turn it into something bigger fairly easily.

If this is going to be a 1-story tax-payer type project, it'd be nice to have a grocery store there - perhaps a Bockwinkles. I think the area could support one now. If they built a re-inforced roof, they could even put parking on top.

It's kind of a strange building, it's designed to be a facsimile of an average high-rise floor, so they did cast-in-place concrete columns, floor and ceiling slabs. Nobody would ever do that for a typical one-story taxpayer building.

The structure may look beefy, and it's true cast-in-place concrete, but I'm guessing it was designed to be inexpensive in every way. Probably a shallow foundation with a very thin ceiling slab. I doubt it can support much weight at all. Also, if it's post-tensioned then it will be difficult for retail tenants to cut openings for mechanicals, cooking equipment, etc.

Probably Smithfield (or whomever controls the building now) is looking for really short-term leases or even popups... sales on 808 have shut down, but they'll probably wait until the next economic cycle (or an uptick in the condo market) to relaunch with a smaller proposal. Could be a good opportunity for an independent business to get a great white box location, at least for a few years. Somebody like Dark Matter Coffee could come in and set up, with relatively little construction needed.

[harryc]

Getting ready for all the new neighbors ....

[r18tdi]

Paddy O'Fegan's getting taller?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Stockerzzz

Fencing to keep out drunks for the Pride parade?

Or will this ugly behemoth finally be destroyed?

There was a building permit issued nearly a month ago for the interior demolition of that building. Sports Authority closed - owner on the permit is Advocate Health Care. This is very, very close to their Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Looks like they are expanding their little campus in Lakeview.

[marothisu]

Anybody know what's planned for around 3067 N Elston Ave? Got a building permit to wreck the industrial building a few weeks ago - owner of the building is Baker Development (same developer as buildings like Elevate Lincoln Park).

https://www.google.com/maps/place/30...!4d-87.6948478

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Anybody know what's planned for around 3067 N Elston Ave? Got a building permit to wreck the industrial building a few weeks ago - owner of the building is Baker Development (same developer as buildings like Elevate Lincoln Park).

https://www.google.com/maps/place/30...!4d-87.6948478

Nothing right now. I think our neighborhood group put the kabosh on these plans but looks like the permit was issued anyhow. Also had a property owner list a property at California and Elston with a rendering of a huge TOD style building claiming that "zoning change already approved by neighborhood groups and alderman" which was the first that we and the alderman heard of it. Needless to say that lot is now being downzoned to Rs1 to prevent him from sneaking a drive thru or anything else through without community input. That's a proper use of downzoning, when an owner tries to sell buyers on a concept they haven't approached anyone with on a lot that's currently zoned for only low density commercial. If someone comes to us with a reasonable proposal, I'm sure the community will work with them, but this is not the way to do it:

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017...-mell-alderman

This isn't the first time this particular owner has tried this either which is even more puzzling. You'd think he would have learned his lesson the first time around. Meanwhile demo for the Ace project is well underway:

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017...pment-deb-mell

I think the end result was significantly better than the original proposal on this one even though it is a regressive pomo style. We pushed hard for some sort of defining architectural statement on the corner and the rotunda is about as good as it gets. Also the repeating bays of the new design are much nicer than the warehouse special we we're originally presented with:


Dnainfo

[the urban politician]

^ Turning NIMBY in your old age? How is zoning to RS1 on two major commercial streets an "appropriate" thing to do.

Zoning was never supposed to be about micromanaging. It's about laying out the appropriate usages of plots of land for future development.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Turning NIMBY in your old age? How is zoning to RS1 on two major commercial streets an "appropriate" thing to do.

Zoning was never supposed to be about micromanaging. It's about laying out the appropriate usages of plots of land for future development.

Because the owner of the lot has no intention to develop the property and is shadily marketing the property as if it already has approval for that building despite the fact it was zoned c1-1 or something like that. He didn't talk to the alderman or any neighborhood group amd literally claimed he had "approval of the alderman and neighborhood groups" in a listing but that shitty loopnet ad was the first any of us heard of the proposal. This guy is a huckster trying to trick people into buying his dumpy piece of land that used to have a somewhat interesting two story building (granted the windows were all bricked in) on it that he razed preemptively in hopes of duping some chump j to buying land with a rendering that was totally unannounced to anyone.

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by Stunnies23

Belgravia strikes first in the north side industrial corridor by planning for 340 units (90 condo, 250 apartments) just west of the Mariano's.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...16-column.html

It's an odd location for residential; it's going to be an island virtually at least a couple blocks from any other residential area and daily retail (other than grocery), surrounded by heavily travelled roads like Ashland, Elston, the pedestrian-hostile Webster bridge, and even the Kennedy.

If it spurs redevelopment at that intersection -- especially on Webster or Elston and along the river -- that would be incredible though. If they can also involve UP and the City to get those Metra viaducts replaced (they are not in the current UP plan) and make walking more palatable, then that would be even better.


Sorry about the oversized image.
chicago.curbed.com/2017/6/19/15831078/north-branch-chicago-mixed-use-development

[ardecila]

^ I disagree. In fact, with the Metra station right there, this might be the best parcel for residential in the whole North Branch corridor. 15 minute train ride to the Loop, grocery store right next door, and bars/restaurants a short walk across the Webster bridge (or along Damen in Bucktown). The Metra service isn't super useful outside of weekday rush hours, but that's when people need to go downtown anyway. It hasn't hurt demand around the Ravenswood station.

I never thought this area was especially pedestrian-hostile from an infrastructure standpoint. It's just barren and needs more development. I'm glad the city is paving the way for that, finally. Agreed that the Clybourn station itself needs redone, with stairways north of Armitage and a connection to the 606 at the south end. That's really the lynchpin.

For the Belgravia site, though, I'm worried that with the awkwardly shaped site we'll end up with a crappy suburban site plan and lots of useless green space/driveways. Maybe they can just do a Texas wrap in that trapezoidal shape, though...

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Anybody know what's planned for around 3067 N Elston Ave? Got a building permit to wreck the industrial building a few weeks ago - owner of the building is Baker Development (same developer as buildings like Elevate Lincoln Park).

https://www.google.com/maps/place/30...!4d-87.6948478

Or did you mean 2067 N. Elston?

Baker has this office project right around there:
https://twitter.com/ChicagoDPD/statu...12237170565120

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Probably Smithfield (or whomever controls the building now) is looking for really short-term leases or even popups... sales on 808 have shut down, but they'll probably wait until the next economic cycle (or an uptick in the condo market) to relaunch with a smaller proposal. Could be a good opportunity for an independent business to get a great white box location, at least for a few years. Somebody like Dark Matter Coffee could come in and set up, with relatively little construction needed.

I think there is an uptick in the condo market underway........

Honestly I think the 808 Wells high-rise simply died along with Smith. I don't think Smithfield as a co. carries on as a residential high-rise developer without him. I am surprised though that (granted I don't know the ownership structure here, which may be a complicating factor in this of course) owner entity didn't simply try to sell the site, plans and all to another developer that could swoop in execute it (or sell just the land to another developer that could work the entitlement process/amendment process to build their own high-rise plan)....

[emathias]

I agree. Groceries, Kohl's, Best Buy, a movie theatre and other things just a short walk away. And with a bike, the Target and another movie theatre and Micro Center and Home Depot are just minutes away, too. With more development there it will be as good or better than any Metra-oriented commuter suburb is. And it won't be a suburb, it'll be a close in city neighborhood.

I will say that if it gets enough residential building around there it would be one of the few places in Chicago where an Asian-style all-corners pedestrian overpass would work and be useful.

Originally Posted by ardecila

^ I disagree. In fact, with the Metra station right there, this might be the best parcel for residential in the whole North Branch corridor. 15 minute train ride to the Loop, grocery store right next door, and bars/restaurants a short walk across the Webster bridge (or along Damen in Bucktown). The Metra service isn't super useful outside of weekday rush hours, but that's when people need to go downtown anyway. It hasn't hurt demand around the Ravenswood station.

I never thought this area was especially pedestrian-hostile from an infrastructure standpoint. It's just barren and needs more development. I'm glad the city is paving the way for that, finally. Agreed that the Clybourn station itself needs redone, with stairways north of Armitage and a connection to the 606 at the south end. That's really the lynchpin.

For the Belgravia site, though, I'm worried that with the awkwardly shaped site we'll end up with a crappy suburban site plan and lots of useless green space/driveways. Maybe they can just do a Texas wrap in that trapezoidal shape, though...

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Maybe they can just do a Texas wrap in that trapezoidal shape, though...

If you mean a Texas Donut in that triangular shape, I'm not sure that would work very well—especially units facing the track embankment. Seems like they'd want the parking deck to face the tracks (but maybe that's what you meant).

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by r18tdi

Or did you mean 2067 N. Elston?

Baker has this office project right around there:
https://twitter.com/ChicagoDPD/statu...12237170565120

Nope. 3067.. The demo permit was listed for 3059 N Elston but the actual real estate listing for the sale of the building was 3067 N Elston. The owner on the demo permit traced back to Baker.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

If you mean a Texas Donut in that triangular shape, I'm not sure that would work very well—especially units facing the track embankment. Seems like they'd want the parking deck to face the tracks (but maybe that's what you meant).

Yeah, I was thinking a three-sided Texas wrap/donut with the parking facing the tracks. The skinny corner to the south is probably not efficient to develop (maybe put the parking entrance there) so you'd end up with a trapezoid.

Although the skyline views are to the east, so people might put up with the occasional hourly Metra train (no freight here) in exchange for the view.

[ithakas]

I noticed this proposal for the tiny lot bordering Congress on Dearborn and wondered if anyone had seen it before? The file name indicates it's from 2013 but I haven't noticed it before...

Zoned DX-17 – 431 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL. Located in Chicago’s historic Loop, this distressed land parcel was purchased from RBS significantly below market value. It will be a build-to-suit for a national retailer or restaurant. Zoned DX-17, the property allows for the development of a 17-story mixed-use building.

Source: Vequity

I think Mr Downtown mentioned there was a mysterious owner of this lot (something to do with sculpture...).

[Mr Downtown]

^I think that's a purely speculative rendering.

The current owner is shown as Printers Row Sculpture Walk LLC. That's rather strange and ironic; John Henry's Arris was located there decades ago, when the parcel was owned by Amalgamated Bank.