CHICAGO | General Developments

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by jcchii

it is time for a ton of asian-style cheap highrise apartments close to the CBD, however

Just curious what you specifically have in mind with "asian-style cheap highrise apartments"? Are you primarily thinking micro-units? And/or something else?? I'm assuming by cheap you're not referring to material/construction/design quality....I hope......

[LouisVanDerWright]

We already got a bunch of cheapo asian style apartments over at K Station, lol.

[LouisVanDerWright]

ACE Hotel Going in Across the Street from Google on Fulton

http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...to-chicago.php

Of course one would never want to hitch themselves to a shoddy developer who gets nothing done like Sterling Bay. It's not like they seem to be single handedly rebuilding the entire West side of downtown or anything.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

There's a group of LSE residents now who are upset about the tennis courts intended to be built in Peanut Park once Maggie Daley Park is finished.

The story goes that the president of NEAR really wanted his tennis courts, and he knew that nobody else in the community does, so he left them out of the newsletter and never mentioned them again, telling the Parks District that the whole community wanted them. Now a bunch of community members realized that the park would be junked up with pointless tennis courts, so they're trying to mobilize a grassroots movement quickly to demonstrate to the parks district a wide opposition to the courts. There was a stand set up on Randolph street to try to get written statements, guy said they had over 400 of them already. They have a website at www.savepeanutpark.com

What do you guys think? Personally I think tennis courts are a dumb 90's throwback but I assumed there must have been significant demand for them since they were shoehorned into the new park plan, and I don't have a hard time believing that a neighborhood group's leader would try to slip something like that past the neighborhood.

I don't have a specific problem with tennis courts at all. Is this the right place for them? I suppose if they are going to be included within the new NE grant park, it's probably as good a place as any. I'm more concerned I guess with the surrounding landscaping, and how well they fit into the overall plan for this corner.

All that said, the one thing I definitely do have a problem with is that these are 'pay to play' courts. Huh? I think that is BS. They should most definitely be open and free to and for everyone.....

[SamInTheLoop]

^^ Bill Davies: "No thank you!" "And no, I don't think I'll sell to you for $150 mil, either, thank you very much." "I'll sell 12 years from now for $75 million.!" "Now, off I go to the cricket oval...."

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I've read that the retail center at 3301 N Ashland is under construction and has financing. Does anybody have a rendering of this?

That's about a block from me. Should pretty much be totally done on the exterior in a week or two and I'll upload pics.

Meanwhile, the Art Deco building a block away on Belmont /Ashland / Lincoln is demolished and the old bank will probably come down too. They still had electrical service as of 2 days ago from what I could tell.

[wierdaaron]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

There's a group of LSE residents now who are upset about the tennis courts intended to be built in Peanut Park once Maggie Daley Park is finished.

The story goes that the president of NEAR really wanted his tennis courts, and he knew that nobody else in the community does, so he left them out of the newsletter and never mentioned them again, telling the Parks District that the whole community wanted them. Now a bunch of community members realized that the park would be junked up with pointless tennis courts, so they're trying to mobilize a grassroots movement quickly to demonstrate to the parks district a wide opposition to the courts. There was a stand set up on Randolph street to try to get written statements, guy said they had over 400 of them already. They have a website at www.savepeanutpark.com

What do you guys think? Personally I think tennis courts are a dumb 90's throwback but I assumed there must have been significant demand for them since they were shoehorned into the new park plan, and I don't have a hard time believing that a neighborhood group's leader would try to slip something like that past the neighborhood.

Wrote this thing up here: http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...eanut-park.php

The guy I spoke to was trying to play down the homeless people claims, I think he realized they were unpopular. A few homeless would use the area around the Daley Bicentennial tennis courts for sleeping, so he thought that if they re-built them in Peanut Park the homeless might return. The stronger message, I think, is just about how many people actually play tennis vs how many would be able to enjoy the land without it.

Bonus fact, the main guy for the campaign is the former Copper Cowboy street performer.

[aaron38]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Meanwhile, the Art Deco building a block away on Belmont /Ashland / Lincoln is demolished and the old bank will probably come down too. They still had electrical service as of 2 days ago from what I could tell.

Are you talking about the Lakeview Collection Lofts? Are those finally moving forward? I thought that was long dead for as long as I've seen that sign up.
But the website is dead, so what is going there?

Or are you talking about the Central Savings bank?

[Rizzo]

Lakeview collection. But I've heard no word as to what is to replace it.

[BrinChi]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

ACE Hotel Going in Across the Street from Google on Fulton

http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...to-chicago.php

Anyone know if it means the existing building will be demolished? I would hope for at least a facadectomy.

[streetline]

Has anyone looked at the designs submitted for reusing old Cook County Hospital?
http://www.cookcountyil.gov/cook-cou...redevelopment/

Some of these look pretty horrible, especially the one from the Chicago Central Area Committee. I'd be more worried if they weren't also so bizarrely overambitious I can hardly imagine them happening (decking over not only the expressway but Ogden, Harrison, Wood, and Wolcott as well; adding underground streets and tunnel networks; and adding thousands of slots of underground parking beneath existing buildings while removing existing parking structures).

[ardecila]

Isn't that the point of a vision, though? Crazy ideas can get scaled back and you still get a lot of benefit. I like the idea of filling in the angle between Harrison and Ogden with a deck park as a gateway feature for the IMD, especially since the Ogden CTA entrance will soon become the primary one, with elevators and everything.

[streetline]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Isn't that the point of a vision, though? Crazy ideas can get scaled back and you still get a lot of benefit. I like the idea of filling in the angle between Harrison and Ogden with a deck park as a gateway feature for the IMD, especially since the Ogden CTA entrance will soon become the primary one, with elevators and everything.

Decking over the expressway is one thing, destroying or burying what's left of the street grid in that area is entirely another. This kind of park over surface street over highway and underground street and parking scheme doesn't produce continuous walkable areas (at best you get islands in a sea of highways like Lakeshore East). And that's not even getting into the expense (there are so many places that money could be better spent, even if you only consider decking over highways), and the maintenance costs.

[UrbanLibertine]

I have no problem with ambitious design projects, but the devil's in the details with those proposals and I really didn't like any of them. They all had major drawbacks to me.

Originally Posted by ardecila

Isn't that the point of a vision, though? Crazy ideas can get scaled back and you still get a lot of benefit. I like the idea of filling in the angle between Harrison and Ogden with a deck park as a gateway feature for the IMD, especially since the Ogden CTA entrance will soon become the primary one, with elevators and everything.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

market forces drive height. if the city can support density of that level, trust me it will be built.

arbitrarily mandating height limits dosent help anything.

MLA (minimum lot area) and overly restrictive zoning help to drive height as well.

[denizen467]

Out of nowhere, the Staples on Elston has shuttered, and the entire 2-parcel big box mini center (the Tiger Direct has been vacant for a long time) is fenced off and heavy machinery is at work, at least on the parking lots. Does anyone know what's going on?

Meanwhile, right across the street, Fox Ford already has a long precast monolith up several stories and growing.

Down the street at D/E/F though, there are no overt signs of relocation by existing businesses yet. The Whirlyball replacement on Webster is nearly done so hopefully the old building on Fullerton will be razed soon. Do people know how far along the Vienna south side relocation has proceeded - it was last summer that the City approved a $5 million relocation subsidy for them.

[chris08876]

Project: The Wabash Lights

+ Revitalize a historic Chicago district
+ Highlight the unique and authentic character
of Chicago
+ Beautify the “L”
+ Create a new destination in the Chicago Loop
+ Broaden the profile of annual visitors to Chicago and boost tourism
+ Attract new and retain existing businesses
+ Inspire people
+ Promote Chicago as a global destination
+ Boost civic pride
+ Redefine public art
+ Foster a safe, well lit downtown


We have partnered with Intelligent Lighting Creations (ILC) to execute the installation,logistics and cost associated with transforming the downtown Wabash corridor.Parts for this art installation consist of LED light tubes,programmable light controllers, power supplies, cables, and clips for attaching the lights to the “L” structure. Custom clips from Color Kinetics will secure the light tubes to the flange of the steel beams on the undercarriage of the “L” tracks. This method has the advantage of being quickly installed
and easily removed without requiring drilling or damaging the “L” structure. There are no moving parts in the system. Once installed they are part of the “L”.

=============================
PDF: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lkhjn0cfsq...eck-WBC_05.pdf (Renderings, info on the project)

[Skyguy_7]

^This would be great, but how serious is the proposal? They've apparently got a contractor to execute it? ...but where's the money coming from?

[Skyguy_7]

Riverwalk between Dearborn and Clark

One big pour to go

[lu9]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

Riverwalk between Dearborn and Clark

One big pour to go

Now that's looking legit! Boom.. new land.