CHICAGO | General Developments

[sentinel]

The West Ridge library/senior housing combo has rise quickly:

https://blockclubchicago.org/wp-cont.../library-2.jpg
(Image: Linze Rice/Block Club Chicago - sorry, can someone please re-size this image to make it smaller).

Reminder of what the completed building will look like:


https://blockclubchicago.org/2018/06...ern-and-pratt/

[Steely Dan]

^^ wow, i went past there last week and wondered what was going on there.

if it turns out anything like that rendering, that's gonna be one hell of a great addition to that intersection.



two other things i noticed around my neighborhood (lincoln square):

1. fencing has gone up around the lot of the old burned down lincoln square lanes bowling alley on lincoln (just north of that wretched POS McD's). does anyone know what might be going up there?

EDIT: i found it. it looks to be a 2 story pre-school in addition to small retail space on ground floor fronting lincoln. too bad it's so ugly , but better than a vacant lot i suppose.


source: https://www.aldermanoconnor.com/kidd...incoln-square/




2. fencing and two excavators are on site of the parking lot for the chase branch at lawrence/ravenswood (opposite the mariano's). i vaguely remember a redevelopment plan for that site, but can anyone refresh my memory?

[Busy Bee]

Just... wrong. I can't muster up a paragraph response to that dookie pile.

[Near North Resident]

Originally Posted by KWillChicago

Anyone want to buy a bridge for their backyard?

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/6/21...ridge-for-sale

when the heck are they going to put the new division st. bridge in? They took that old POS down 4 years ago, said they'd replace it in 2 years and so far nada

[Vlajos]

^^^ Steely, that new building where the bowling alley was is atrocious. Such a wasted opportunity.

The Chase branch is being redeveloped into apartments. Lawrence is getting so much better it's great to see.

https://chicago.curbed.com/2017/6/19...swood-lawrence

[Steely Dan]

^ thanks for the refresher on that chase project.

it looks pretty good. nice to see it finally underway.

lawrence through LS is on a pretty good tear these days.

in addition to the other lawrence stuff already posted in this thread, i noticed that another pair of what look to be 6 flats are going up over by california.





and yeah, that pre-school going up on lincoln is a true turd, but i suppose it'll fit right in next to that even turdier McD's and its freaking .5 acre surface parking lot.

speaking of which, will land in LS ever get expensive enough to force redevelopment of our three most horrible drive-thru/parking lot fast-food parcels (the aforementioned McD's on lincoln, and the Wendy's and BK on lawrence)?

[Vlajos]

^ West of Western on Lawrence is still pretty bad, but as you noted, there are some developments going up. The BK pisses me off and single story government building across from it.

The way Lawrence is developing east of Western though, it seems like it's only a matter of time for it to jump over.

[Steely Dan]

^ those government buildings on lawrence (the god awful 70s post office and illinois employment office) are probably more problematic than the BK in the long run because BK can always be sold and redeveloped, but ugly-ass anti-urban government buildings like those have a nasty habit of sticking around for far too long.

[Randomguy34]

This is big first step to expanding TOD to all bus routes

Emanuel proposes expansion of transit-oriented development to bus routes

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is proposing an expansion of the city’s transit-oriented development policy to include real estate projects along the city’s busiest bus routes, in a move he said would boost development and create more affordable housing.

Since Chicago expanded the city’s transit-oriented development ordinance in 2015, there have been more than $2 billion in projects creating 8,000 new housing units under the program, according to the mayor’s office.

Emanuel said he plans to introduce an ordinance to the City Council in 2019 to expand transit-oriented projects to one or more bus routes.

“The goal is to take a very successful policy and expand it in the city,” Emanuel said. “There’s nothing sacrosanct about (transit-oriented development) being around rail. We want to think fresh, think new and drive new development and more affordable housing.”

The mayor’s office is focused on heavily traveled bus routes on Western, Ashland and Chicago avenues and 79th Street. If approved by the City Council, the policy would be rolled out on one or more of those routes.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...622-story.html

[the urban politician]

^ That's awesome news!

But I wonder how that will be implemented? Will the zoning apply to entire corridors or just near bus stops? And what happens if bus stops are removed or moved?

[Baronvonellis]

Also don't forget the Levy Senior Center and Social Security buildings on Lawrence with large surface lots too! I was surprised to see a 5 story building go up on Lawrence though. Usually every walkup building around the northside is max 4 stories unless it's a TOD building. It seems real tall for Chicago, almost like something from New York. I'd love to see taller walkup buildings like that too.

I'd rather have a vacant lot by McD's than than ugly school that will be around for the next 30 years. I could wait a few years, till something better could go in there personally.

And I wish someone would redevelop those ugly 1 story retail shops on Western next to Walgreens. I'm glad Lawrence around LS is overall improving, and that development at the chase bank is really good and needed!

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

^ those government buildings on lawrence (the god awful 70s post office and illinois employment office) are probably more problematic than the BK in the long run because BK can always be sold and redeveloped, but ugly-ass anti-urban government buildings like those have a nasty habit of sticking around for far too long.

[Tcmetro]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

This is big first step to expanding TOD to all bus routes

Emanuel proposes expansion of transit-oriented development to bus routes

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...622-story.html

As much as I like TOD, the bus routes are horrifically slow and unreliable even if service levels are decent. I can't imagine there are as many choice riders on the crosstown bus lines and that people living in new developments in these areas would be more likely to drive.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

And I wish someone would redevelop those ugly 1 story retail shops on Western next to Walgreens. I'm glad Lawrence around LS is overall improving, and that development at the chase bank is really good and needed!

They are ugly, but Elizabeth is in there, one of my favorite restaurants. And the soccer store is great.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Tcmetro

As much as I like TOD, the bus routes are horrifically slow and unreliable even if service levels are decent. I can't imagine there are as many choice riders on the crosstown bus lines and that people living in new developments in these areas would be more likely to drive.

The city is supposed to finish installing transit signal priority on Ashland and Western this year so those make some sense. One would hope that this would provide some incentive (or even a funding mechanism) for additional deployments and other improvements that would reduce travel time and increase reliability.

[the urban politician]

What having TOD zoning on major bus routes does is dramatically increase density through the city, instead of huddling it around L stops. I mean, this is really exciting, I can see this leading to a major transformation of the cityscape.

In addition, the city is looking at providing low interest loans for investors to acquire property in high income areas as long as they provide affordable units in at least 20% of their units for 15 years. I may look into taking advantage of this.

Both of these items could go a long way toward keeping the city affordable.

[OrdoSeclorum]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Emanuel proposes expansion of transit-oriented development to bus routes

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...622-story.html

[low whistle] That sounds amazing. TOD within 600' of an Ashland bus stop is basically a block east and west of Ashland and pretty much continuously. It's incredible to think how much nicer the entire west side of the city could be in just six or seven years, with parking lots and auto parts stores turning into neighbors and customers for local businesses.

[the urban politician]

Is like to see the city move beyond simple TOD and have various levels of TOD. Example:

TOD-A: near major transit nodes, such as where multiple L and major bus routes intersect. Minimal parking and basically downtown-level density permitted

TOD-B: near L stops and major bus routes. Basically the same TOD zoning already in practice

TOD-C: near Divvy stations and along lesser bus routes. No boost in density, but decreased parking requirements.

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by OrdoSeclorum

[low whistle] That sounds amazing. TOD within 600' of an Ashland bus stop is basically a block east and west of Ashland and pretty much continuously. It's incredible to think how much nicer the entire west side of the city could be in just six or seven years, with parking lots and auto parts stores turning into neighbors and customers for local businesses.

Chicago's TOD actually expands to 1320' for most streets (2640' for Pedestrian streets). If Western or Ashland is selected, a large stretch of the city can be covered. I can see the Near West Side and West Town in particular benefit from this change.

[left of center]

The expansion of TOD to the major bus routes (Western, Ashland, Chicago, 79th) is awesome news! Especially for Ashland and Western since, as two lane streets, they do not provide a great pedestrian experience and promote a more auto-sewer feel as drivers tend to feel more comfortable on those wider streets and drive faster and more aggressively. Increased density will help with this by allowing for more retail serving pedestrians. The city should also take steps to make the pedestrian experience on those streets more attractive as well, such as curb extensions. The city has been doing a good job of adding concrete islands for pedestrian crossings on Western and Ashland, and should expand on that as well.

[pip]

Wow! I am really for this.