CHICAGO | General Developments

[harryc]

Aug 14

13th and Michigan

I really hope this is s rehab .....

[King of Chicago]

Originally Posted by OrdoSeclorum

It seems almost too good to be true? I've read about it a couple places and it seems like it will make it much easier to get zoning changes that provide density?

Like, if someone proposes a six flat in an area that is zoned for single family only...

...if that area has less than 10% affordable housing.
...and if the six flat has one affordable unit

Then the zoning change will be approved automatically within 90-days unless the board actively denies it? And the alderman can't block it? Is that correct?

We're still a long way from where I'd like to be--we should be able to build courtyard buildings with no parking as-of-right just about anywhere in the city with no red tape. But, man, if this goes through and we get some good neighborhood infill, Chicago's going to be a much more pleasant place to live, work and spend time in in a decade or two.

I hope this passes, and hopefully would apply to projects like the apartment building they were going to build on Lincoln Ave in Lincoln park, which got shut down by the neighbors...I would LOVE to see that get built!! And hopefully it does, and makes the NIMBYS mad!! lol

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by harryc

Aug 14

13th and Michigan

I really hope this is s rehab .....

It's not a police station. It's part of Columbia College and has been since 1999. It's their dance center, which is pretty obvious from the "Columbia College Dance Center" stuff in your picture

https://about.colum.edu/archives/col...h-michigan.php

https://dance.colum.edu/

[harryc]

Originally Posted by marothisu

It's not a police station. It's part of Columbia College and has been since 1999. It's their dance center, which is pretty obvious from the "Columbia College Dance Center" stuff in your picture

https://about.colum.edu/archives/col...h-michigan.php

https://dance.colum.edu/

Sorry old Police station - Where I did my first Jury duty - also been booked there IIRC.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by harryc

Sorry old Police station - Where I did my first Jury duty - also been booked there IIRC.

Are you sure you aren't thinking of another place? The first link goes through the history of the building but doesn't mention that.

1306 South Michigan Avenue was built in 1930 by architect Anker S. Graven. This sleek four-story Art Deco building, clad in limestone, was erected as the Paramount Publix Corporation as a film exchange, a venue for the presentation of films to the independent cinema operators throughout the Midwest who could rent them for exhibition at their theaters. The studio occupied the building up to about 1950, when it was taken over by the Equitable Life Assurance Company. In the 1970s it was known as the Seafarers International Union Building. The City of Chicago took possession of it in a tax sale in 1984, and used it for the Health Department’s Environmental Health Clinic. The building was acquired by Columbia College in 1999 for use as the school’s Dance Center. After extensive interior renovation and adaptation, the Dance Center opened its state-of-the-art educational and public performance facilities in the fall of 2000.

[Mr Downtown]

What's now Aviation Lofts, near 14th St., was Domestic Violence Court in the 1970s, and may have had other (jury) trials. There must have been a lockup, too, as the taxi drivers knew they could offer rides home to the prostitutes being released each morning at 9 in exchange for, um, services.

But I suspect Harry is thinking of the police station and courthouse at "11th & State."

[spyguy]

Six Corners Sears redevelopment
556 units, 111K sf retail including cinema, lots of parking (870 spots)

[marothisu]

The base in the first picture looks like something straight out of some parts of China for commercial centers LOL. I like the top though - great density for the area.

[left of center]

Wow, that's an incredibly dense proposal. I wonder how the community & alderman are going to take it?

[SolarWind]

August 17, 2018

[BonoboZill4]

Random thought, will this addition to the Sears Tower change its official square footage total? I'd imagine this would have to add a couple hundred thousand square feet. I could be overestimating though.

Also, "The base in the first picture looks like something straight out of some parts of China for commercial centers LOL. I like the top though - great density for the area."

Is this a good or bad thing marothisu?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by BonoboZill4

Also, "The base in the first picture looks like something straight out of some parts of China for commercial centers LOL. I like the top though - great density for the area."

Is this a good or bad thing marothisu?

Neither. It brings back memories as it looks just like this commercial center near the hotel I stayed at in Shenyang, China last year and a few others I saw in Shanghai.

The density aspect is definitely good though

[sentinel]

Didn't have a chance to take pics yesterday, but will try to on Sunday: the old Cook County hospital renovation is moving along nicely, at least on the outside; parts of the exterior are being re-finished (the yellow areas between bays), and other parts are being power-washed. Already a dramatic difference.

[harryc]

Aug 18

The need


Reinforcing the N bank of the Slip, simply added another layer of sheet pile.

[BonoboZill4]

Went to the Little Italy Fest with my girlfriend yesterday and other than having a blast eating and drinking to my heart's content, I noticed this building that I had never seen before that was underconstruction. It was massive, but not a highrise as has been defined to me. Anyone know what it is?



Also, first time spending much time in Little Italy and man is that a fun neighborhood! Might have to move here soon.



Also, here was a quick snap I took from the Loomis St. Bridge



The city is slowly creeping toward the IMD, could make the skyline more interesting when viewed from the North or South in the various hoods.

[PittsburghPA]

Bonobo I've been meaning to check out Little Italy, any suggestions on where to go? Was I misinformed that the neighborhood can get dicey at night or is it more of a day time spot?

Thanks!

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by BonoboZill4

Went to the Little Italy Fest with my girlfriend yesterday and other than having a blast eating and drinking to my heart's content, I noticed this building that I had never seen before that was underconstruction. It was massive, but not a highrise as has been defined to me. Anyone know what it is?

Pretty sure it's the new SOM designed Library + 73 unit building (7 stories):
https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/1/5/...square-library

Originally Posted by PittsburghPA

Was I misinformed that the neighborhood can get dicey at night or is it more of a day time spot?

Thanks!

Little Italy is not a place I would describe as dicey. UIC is nearby so there's some bars and stuff on Taylor Street too. A nice amount of places to eat too. Little Italy used to be huge, and then UIC decided to build their campus there instead of Garfield Park (no idea why - if you read up on its history at least). A bunch of Italians moved away, so I guess it's still a positive that there's some Italian things in the area still.

[BonoboZill4]

I'd say 10 years ago, the area just south and west of Little Italy was much shadier, but we were there until super late and got a lyft out of there and there was nothing to worry about. I'd imagine that with every year that passes it gets nicer, especially with all the development nearby.

The old stock buildings are gorgeous, the urban area around Taylor street feels like a fun college town, and the restaurants are great(well I haven't been to them all, but the smells were intoxicating). I'd say you'd probably be safe with anything there!

Also, awesome catch there marothisu! That's definitely the building. Good to see something like that getting built there, although I had thought it was to be built on Roosevelt, which it's definitely on Taylor. Either way, great news!

[ardecila]

Taylor St has got to be one of Chicago's biggest missed opportunities. You have a continuous east-west street with great bones, several sections of highly walkable retail, decent sidewalks and streetscaping and a bike lane. This street is right in the shadow of downtown and has thousands of college and medical students living in and around it. In any other city, Taylor would be one of the most happening, vibrant streets.

I wouldn't call it dangerous by any stretch, but it should be like Wells in Old Town, Milwaukee in Wicker Park or 18th St in Pilsen. Instead Taylor St's growth has been severely handicapped by a handful of huge, clumsy organizations (UIC, CHA, IMD, Rush, St Ignatius, etc) that can't do urban planning and can't coordinate with each other, plus a community group that is completely powerless so it just protests everything as loudly and shrilly as possible, desperately trying to cling onto shreds of a historic Italian old-neighborhood past.

This community group protested the new library because it was going to take the place of an unofficial (dirt) parking lot for a couple of restaurants, even though the library site is surrounded by large vacant parcels, also owned by the CHA, where neighborhood parking could be shifted.

For my two cents, the library is a breath of fresh air. The architecture is good, and I'm glad Rahm decided to jointly locate housing and library under the same roof (single-use libraries are black holes at night, not what you want on a vibrant pedestrian street). Hopefully this bold architecture raises the bar for CHA's next infill projects along Taylor after the absolute dogs that CHA and Related Midwest put up before the recession.

[the urban politician]

This development will definitely be a huge boost to Taylor St.

UIC's increasing emphasis on being a traditional university with on campus housing should help as well