CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 670

VivaLFuego · #**13381** Posted **Sep 1, 2011, 10:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

According to the Hyde Park Herald, the University of Chicago is planning to build a new dorm at 56th and Stony Island where the Facilities Services building currently stands.

Interesting --- cautiously optimistic about this one. The Facilities Services Building actually has some very nice architectural details but it's otherwise a truly dreadful land use given its proximity (a)across from a beautiful park, (b) near a major university, museum, and all related employment, (c) immediately adjacent to a major commuter rail transfer station, and (d) easy access to several bus transit services. It's too good a location for a block-long garage and loading dock.

That said, in an ideal world they'd save and reuse some of the brickwork and terra cotta from the existing building (or actually, just do a partial facadectomy for the first floor facade), and have a small ground floor retail space at the corner of 56th/Stony Island to serve commuters as well as the student population.

EarlyBuyer · #**13382** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 2:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

^^^ Thanks earlybuyer, cool stuff. Won't this really screw up traffic now though, since it's still pretty much a one way in, one way out deal?

You're right Tungsten, the street(s) that ring the park are one-way. The village center it appears will offer vehicle entrance on Benton Place (east/west road on the south edge of the park) and vehicle exit on Field Blvd (north/south road connecting Randolph to Benton Place). This will place the parking entrance and exit of two different sides of the center and hopefully help reduce potential traffic issues; similar to Dominick's at Columbus & Grand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by emathias

Depends on what percentage of their customers drive. It'd be nice if a majority were pedestrians from the surrounding buildings.

I do believe the majority of the patrons for the center will be LSE/New East Side residents who will walk. Of the 4 restaurants in the center, two will be destination venues (III Forks & Maison Brasserie Moderne) which will likely draw as many (or more) people from outside the neighborhood as from it. My guess is it's those restaurants that will be two of the larger contributors to parking use in the building. III Forks will have a few private dining rooms for special events.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

Wow. . . they really messed up this document. . . I suppose if you want to know how it will look like you'll need to hold it up to a mirror when looking at level 1, 2 and the mezzanine. . . they corrected level 3. . . sloppy oversight. . .

Yeah, the floor plans don't match the corresponding elevation renderings.

denizen467 · #**13383** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 11:00 AM**

Speaking of Mariano's Fresh Market, they just completed and opened their new store in Riverview Plaza. In fact, what used to be one of the most crap-lapidated shopping centers on the north side has undergone a big refresh. Not only are the facades new, but the parking lot was freshly asphalted and striped. The latter is worth mentioning because the shopping cart corrals even have cute little roofs - that look almost like a RAM Stern wannabe designed them. Hey, someone's spending extra money in a recession to make things nicer.

I know nothing changes that it's a suburban auto hell, but now it looks so much better, and Roscoe Village residents don't have to avert their eyes about that part of their neighborhood so much anymore - hopefully this (with the upcoming viaduct replacement) helps raise property values a tiny bit.

denizen467 · #**13384** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 11:21 AM**

Does this mean de facto that 440 units are less than a year from demo?

http://www.suntimes.com/news/7411900...w-housing.html

33 Cabrini-Green families have 180 days to find new housing

BY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter September 1, 2011

The Chicago Housing Authority - citing safety concerns - plans to evict the 33 families still living in the Cabrini-Green rowhouses that have not been rehabbed, the agency said Thursday.

The CHA says the rowhouses are “dangerous and no longer suitable for residents,” citing recent arrests for drug dealing, among other criminal activities.

...

Of the 584 units - originally built in 1942 in the area between Chicago, Hudson, Larrabee and Oak - 146 have been rehabbed.

...

As soon as the remaining tenants vacate the rowhouses, a committee of “community residents, community stakeholders and CHA” will meet to discuss future plans for the site.

EarlyBuyer · #**13385** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 11:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by denizen467

Speaking of Mariano's Fresh Market, they just completed and opened their new store in Riverview Plaza. In fact, what used to be one of the most crap-lapidated shopping centers on the north side has undergone a big refresh. Not only are the facades new, but the parking lot was freshly asphalted and striped. The latter is worth mentioning because the shopping cart corrals even have cute little roofs - that look almost like a RAM Stern wannabe designed them. Hey, someone's spending extra money in a recession to make things nicer.

I know nothing changes that it's a suburban auto hell, but now it looks so much better, and Roscoe Village residents don't have to avert their eyes about that part of their neighborhood so much anymore - hopefully this (with the upcoming viaduct replacement) helps raise property values a tiny bit.

Thanks for the update denizen, well put! I need to get over there and check it out.

EarlyBuyer · #**13386** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 12:06 PM**

Magellan posts on Facebook that Mariano's Fresh Market at LSE will open on 9/20, and III Forks will open the 1st week of October.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lakesh...st/55191176405

ardecila · #**13387** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 12:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by denizen467

The latter is worth mentioning because the shopping cart corrals even have cute little roofs - that look almost like a RAM Stern wannabe designed them. Hey, someone's spending extra money in a recession to make things nicer.

The Mariano's in Arlington Heights and Vernon Hills have the same roofed corrals. I agree that they add somewhat to the sense of place.

At least they're not the typical roofed corrals:

http://greggilbertson.wordpress.com/...-cart-corrals/

george · #**13388** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 1:27 PM**

9-1

Burberry

ardecila · #**13389** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 1:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Interesting --- cautiously optimistic about this one. The Facilities Services Building actually has some very nice architectural details but it's otherwise a truly dreadful land use given its proximity (a)across from a beautiful park, (b) near a major university, museum, and all related employment, (c) immediately adjacent to a major commuter rail transfer station, and (d) easy access to several bus transit services. It's too good a location for a block-long garage and loading dock.

That said, in an ideal world they'd save and reuse some of the brickwork and terra cotta from the existing building (or actually, just do a partial facadectomy for the first floor facade), and have a small ground floor retail space at the corner of 56th/Stony Island to serve commuters as well as the student population.

Between the new dorm and Windermere West, that area should become a lot more urban. Maybe we can start calling it "Hyde Park Corner"...

intrepidDesign · #**13390** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 4:36 PM**

Here's a shot of the rehab work going on, sorry crappy iPhone cam, I really do hope they replace the cornice, fire escape is gone, windows are opening up. Madison is looking real nice these days, all the new restaurants are adding a lot of street life.

I also read on Curbed I think, that CA23 is moving ahead with phase 2.

the urban politician · #**13391** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 6:24 PM**

^ Yep, despite all of our (legitimate) complaining about NIMBYism, the West Loop is actually fairing quite well. Property values are remaining higher, new development is happening, and slowly parking lots are disappearing.

It still has a long way to go. I would really like to see Madison St evolve into a more bustling retail district, but given time I think that will happen.

Mr Downtown · #**13392** Posted **Sep 2, 2011, 6:52 PM**

I think there's a good argument that the retailing is a direct benefit of the "NIMBYism." No tall towers means no big parking podiums cutting off the residents from being involved with the sidewalk. No tall towers means the property values along Madison aren't so high that none of the old buildings can survive. The places we like to walk, shop, or eat are not places with tall towers.

sentinel · #**13393** Posted **Sep 5, 2011, 3:08 PM**

Driving out-of-town guests down Boul Mich last night, I noticed the new Topshop boutique has taken down all of it's construction barriers and from what I saw it looked pretty cool - very bright (at night), very colorful, lots of linear, chrome-like finishing/detailing on exterior from what I could tell from my very brief drive-by. Feel stupid I didn't have my camera with.

Also, here are a few pictures from the new Michael Jordan's Steakhouse on Michigan Ave. (a few days earlier, by me):

Rizzo · #**13394** Posted **Sep 5, 2011, 3:47 PM**

Walked by Topshop the other night as well. It looked kick-ass

pilsenarch · #**13395** Posted **Sep 5, 2011, 6:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

I think there's a good argument that the retailing is a direct benefit of the "NIMBYism." No tall towers means no big parking podiums cutting off the residents from being involved with the sidewalk. No tall towers means the property values along Madison aren't so high that none of the old buildings can survive. The places we like to walk, shop, or eat are not places with tall towers.

That has to rank up there with one of the most silliest statements you've made.

River North, North Michigan Ave., Wabash, State, Streeterville, there are endless examples of neighborhoods with both tall towers and walkable streets with active retail/restaurant uses in just this city alone.

Just plain silly.

ardecila · #**13396** Posted **Sep 5, 2011, 7:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilsenarch

River North, North Michigan Ave., Wabash, State, Streeterville, there are endless examples of neighborhoods with both tall towers and walkable streets with active retail/restaurant uses in just this city alone.

He's got a valid point, although I'm not sure it's universally true that skyscrapers create an uncomfortable environment.

River North only has sporadic skyscrapers. North Michigan Avenue is a mid-rise scaled street, again with sporadic skyscrapers. Wabash is lined with buildings that are mid-rises by a modern definition (apart from the Heritage/Legacy combo and CNA). State also has few skyscrapers - only Citadel Center and Unitrin/Renaissance. Streeterville is chock-full of skyscrapers, and it has a crappy pedestrian environment, except along St. Clair, which still has lots of small older buildings.

I think it is true that a neighborhood composed exclusively of large-lot skyscrapers doesn't have the fine grain of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. In Chicago, this includes Lakeshore East, Central Station, Streeterville, and several corridors in the Loop.

In the opposite direction, it mystifies me that Clark St in Lincoln Park is such a magnet. IMO the scale is too low - most of the buildings are only one story.