CHICAGO | General Developments

[tyler1]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Great shot. So a very large department store space is due to go vacant with filenes basement departure. Any rumors or news what may go in?

I wouldn't be surprised to see Uniqlo take some of the space. I think it's been said in quite a few articles that they're looking for space on or around Michigan Ave. I'd prefer to see them fill the old Border's on State, tho.

Edit: Or maybe H&M would use the space to expand...?

[sentinel]

Logan Arts Center - University of Chicago, Dec. 23
(Sorry for the crappy, cellphone quality)
Merry Xmas to all!

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Thanks for the photo, Sentinel! I had assumed Logan Arts Center would be clad in stone, but it... kinda looks like Roman brick? If so, is that a reference to FLW/Robie House?

[the urban politician]

Just curious. I love retail arcades that connect 2 city streets. The one in Ann Arbor, Michigan is my favorite one that comes to mind.

There is one in Chinatown, Manhattan, but it is kind of dungy.

I am curious if Chicago has any in existence. Also, I kind of wonder if one could be incorporated in a new development some day? Block 37 was one opportunity that was missed. I would love to see one connect between Oak St and another one of the east-west streets in the Gold Coast, but at this point there really aren't any good development sites for that. Another site that comes to mind is the large parking lot on the SW corner of Chicago and State (the Cathedral's lot).

Thoughts?

[ardecila]

I believe the little plaza running through the Wrigley Building was designed to be an arcade, but it was never built out.

Several Loop buildings have retail-lined lobbies that run through from one block to the other. This was especially popular in the massive Art Deco towers along and near LaSalle. In the 80s, the AT&T building continued this tradition.

Speaking of Art Deco, there's also the very busy arcade linking the Madison St bridge to the upper level of Ogilvie.

There were several alleys downtown that had retail establishments along them, but I don't think there are any left anymore.

[Mr Downtown]

I don't believe Chicago ever had any classic arcades. I became fascinated by the building type back in the 80s and have tracked down quite a number of them in the US, Europe, and Australia. Few of them over the last 150 years can really be called roaring successes, and even along the Champs-Elysées or Regent Street the rear and upper reaches are often the lair of electrologists and pen hospitals.

Their absence from Chicago is all the more striking because the Loop had a half-dozen "tall shops" buildings that had retail establishments on as many as 20 floors above street level. But the bottom floors were generally a single big store, such as Evans Furs or Stevens Shop. As noted, buildings such as the Monadnock Block, Pittsfield Building, Field Building or Continental Illinois Bank did have block-long passages with retail shops at both ends.

[lawfin]

All this talk of arcades makes me want to re-read my Walter Benjamin

[wrab]

I've been curious about the absence of arcades in Chicago as well.

[BWChicago]

The Italian Court and Malabry Court buildings at Michigan & Ontario were close to arcades.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by sentinel

Logan Arts Center - University of Chicago, Dec. 23

Thanks - looks massive.

On the same subject, the University purchased a vacant building on Garfield and Prairie and is turning it into studios for artists and educational space.

[the urban politician]

^ Great news! Love to see U of C catalyze development further west like that.

[Rizzo]

I love seeing another terra cotta commercial building preserved and used.

Btw I used to pass through the Ann Arbor Nickels arcade everyday back in college. Its such a cool building and has always maintained near 100% occupancy with a great selection of stores. The Wrigley building should be modified to look like this with a glass roof and removal of those awful modern appendages

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Great news! Love to see U of C catalyze development further west like that.

+1000

With so much vacant land right around the Garfield Green Line station UC could make great headway with a few tightly clustered developments.

[ardecila]

Yea I still remember the fantasy video that showed a big highrise complex on Garfield. I think revitalization of that area needs to start around the areas with the most amenities - and Garfield is a beautiful landscaped boulevard with two CTA stations and potentially a BRT route in coming years as well as easy park access, beautiful building stock and lots of open developable sites.

I think it has the most potential of any South Side corridor outside of Hyde Park and Bronzeville.

[FlashingLights]

There is technically an arcade in palmer house hilton, there is a starbucks and other shops along with entrance to the hotel and places to eat.

[Rizzo]

^ Theres quite a few more of those actually. But very few outdoor ones still exist in the midwest. Can't remember if the one in Dayton was ever outdoor. You can basically skateboard or bicycle through the Ann arbor one

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

box in the Polish Triangle more

The less-scary-sounding term is "better define the edges of the space."

A previous proposal that was defeated was for a pharmacy with a drive-through. I believe that a shorter mixed-use plan was floated at some point recently but quickly retracted. This is a substantial building, though!

Originally Posted by untitledreality

Good work EVA... now get to work on the stretch of vacant land on division between Marshfield and Paulina.

What happened to that site after the USPS disposed of it? Anything involving the Post Office can take a long time to resolve, as we all know too well.

Originally Posted by ardecila

Wish the city was pursuing a renovation of the subway station. Even an extensive Renew Crew visit would work wonders, but eventually it will need higher-capacity entrances.

The CTA is apparently unwilling to pursue any changes to the station until they know its ultimate fate vis-a-vis the Circle Line.

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Just curious. I love retail arcades that connect 2 city streets. The one in Ann Arbor, Michigan is my favorite one that comes to mind.

The Mag Mile vertical malls and the office-building ones (Field Building, Pittsfield Building, Continental Bank, Palmer House...) should in theory count, but they're of a very different scale than the usual two floors lined with micro-shops. Pullman had one, opposite Arcade Park. Arcade buildings in Oak Park and Riverside both made LPCI's Most Endangered lists in the 2000s; AFAIK, Oak Park was lost and Riverside was saved.

[harryc]

Looking Grey


Past crimes next door

[harryc]

Not sure of the name of this building, I'm liking the refurb




The constitution, written on glass

[Mr Downtown]

^Bond and Benson & Rixon Buildings being renovated by GSA primarily for Dept. of Labor.