CHICAGO | General Developments

[harryc]

March 8







March 18

[harryc]

March 22

(from the Morgan sta.)

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by spyguy

36 co-living apartments, retail, no parking

More of this everywhere please.

[Ricochet48]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Nice little infill project replacing the 1 story currency exchange building at Chicago and LaSalle


36 co-living apartments, retail, no parking

Although this is 'small', it's much needed in that corner of RN. With Aurélien done, you've now got a trio of luxury apartments (with Eight O Five & Chestnut Tower). Those micro apartments also look to be a go on Wells (after the failed luxury condo tower they attempted. Plus my fav late night burrito spot (big wig!) is there.

[harryc]

Chicago | 111 W Chestnut by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

[harryc]

March 19

[chicagodeckerdude]

Can someone quickly explain to me how to start a new thread? I wanted to start one for the new proposed "One Central" near Soldier Field

[moorhosj]

Good to see a legitimate conversation about how to build equity and wealth in housing instead of the stale talking points about affordability.

The "Disruptive Design" competition, annnounced in October by the Chicago Housing Policy Task Force, sought designs for homes that can be built for under $200,000 for a single-family home or under $300,000 for a two-flat. The task force intends to select a single winner in June and then build the first two on sites in West Humboldt Park and Bronzeville, to be ready for occupancy in 2020.

The final 3. I like the concept of the top right (not so much the design), as the idea of aging-in-place seems likely to surge in coming decades.

[Chi-Sky21]

Originally Posted by harryc

Chicago | 111 W Chestnut by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

What a beautiful doorway in this photo Harry... love it when you guys capture things like that.

[Baronvonellis]

Do you have a link to that to read more about it?

Originally Posted by moorhosj

Good to see a legitimate conversation about how to build equity and wealth in housing instead of the stale talking points about affordability.



The final 3. I like the concept of the top right (not so much the design), as the idea of aging-in-place seems likely to surge in coming decades.

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Do you have a link to that to read more about it?

That would be helpful. HERE

[harryc]

March 20

[Mister Uptempo]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Do you have a link to that to read more about it?

The website for the "Disruptive Design" competition, with Phase I finalists, as well as the submissions that didn't make the cut, is here.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Ricochet48

Although this is 'small', it's much needed in that corner of RN. With Aurélien done, you've now got a trio of luxury apartments (with Eight O Five & Chestnut Tower). Those micro apartments also look to be a go on Wells (after the failed luxury condo tower they attempted. Plus my fav late night burrito spot (big wig!) is there.

This would be nice. For the micro apartments project, is that for the NW corner of Chicago and Wells? That'd be nice.

The only downside of replacing that check cashing place on the SE corner of Chicago and Lasalle is, where will the drug dealers park while waiting for their customers?! Won't any one think of the (drug using) children!?

Originally Posted by marothisu

New construction building permit issued for 2755 N Milwaukee (Milwaukee & Spaulding) in Logan Square. This is a little north of the actual square but also literally next to one of the Blue Line stop entrances. In total - 6 stories, 60 units, and 4 retail spaces. This is the former Pierre's Bakery building and it will erase the parking lot for it.

The plans go back 2+ years - Carlos Ramirez-Rosa wanted to block this if it didn't include any affordable housing.
...

Nice to see that section finally getting something - and not just "something," but something appropriately dense for the area. I hope all the appropriate lots in the area will be built at least to this standard of density. I don't necessarily want the Dill Pickle across the street to be torn down if it's functional, but if that building is ever unused, I'd love to see a mirror of this one placed in there. Plus that McDonalds a few spaces to the south could do with something like this, as could that surface lot next to the main Logan Square subway entrance. I get that the community likes that lot for the farmers market in the summer, but there must be somewhere nearby that could be used (may next to the centennial monument, for example?). And that Bank of America lot on Diversey would really be awesome to be built out like this one. And maybe that dialysis center on Kimball someday, too. And those triangle lots along Kimball near Wisner and north there. And, of course, the ultimate will be redeveloping that collection on the NW corner of Belmont and Kimball that is perennially wished for by urban types.

[the urban politician]

^ It will happen, but the Rosa shit parade needs to run its course.

Give it about 10 years or so when everybody figures out that his Socialist agenda is utter BS and, if anything, might accelerate gentrification by constraining new construction. Then he will get the boot and we can make great plans for that district again.

[the urban politician]

Anecdotal update:

Blue line hoods, particularly Wicker Park/Bucktown are seeing TREMENDOUS demand for apartments.

An agent I use is saying that apartments are getting picked up within hours of being listed. I only own 1 Bucktown building but I can attest that it only took days to pick up new applicants even while I raised rents, meanwhile in other areas vacant units are sitting on the market much longer.

This has gotta tell us something:

1) The West Loop boom in office as well as the increase traffic at O'Hare is really driving demand

2) There is a massive shortage of new construction rental in Wicker Park/Bucktown. I don't think Logan Square is quite there yet, but look for the same situation there in a few years when Rosa/LaSpata and their Socialist minions cause all new construction to come to a screeching halt.

We will see how this pans out in the upcoming months/years especially when the Ohare expansion gets done and as office continues to migrate westward. The Blue Line is on course to becoming the most in-demand CTA line in the city at some point in the future, unless something gets done to improve Red Line access to the West Loop.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Where are apartments sitting on the market much longer? I've got a waiting list for literally all the new units I'm delivering in my latest 6 flat in Little Village, even for a small storefront...


PS, WBEZ's political coverage of the election has been complete trash. I just heard them talking about Toni and Lori today and the reporter could barely formulate a full sentence. They kept saying Lori wasn't on the record about rent control when I just read something the other day where she said it wasn't the right approach. They were also wildly biased towards Preckwinkle in several areas. Instead of just reporting on the candidate's positions they live to give their own color commentary about those positions. Very disappointing.

One thing I did hear that was interesting is that both Lori and Toni want to jack the ARO up to as much as 50% of new projects which will essentially kill all non-as-of-right new construction in the city. Mindnumbingly stupid policy, but very lucrative for me if it goes through!

[tjp]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

One thing I did hear that was interesting is that both Lori and Toni want to jack the ARO up to as much as 50% of new projects which will essentially kill all non-as-of-right new construction in the city. Mindnumbingly stupid policy, but very lucrative for me if it goes through!

Yikes - where did you hear that?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Where are apartments sitting on the market much longer? I've got a waiting list for literally all the new units I'm delivering in my latest 6 flat in Little Village, even for a small storefront...

From another thread:

I have a $750/mo 2BD/1BA at Cermak and Albany available starting May 1st. Bedrooms and bathrooms are tight, but I just gutted the bathroom with new tile. The whole building has new drywall, electrical, and plumbing since 1996 so it's not even a shitty plaster wall fire hazard either.

Yeah I'd have a waiting list if I had apartments at that rent level too

When I first got into Pilsen I had a few sub-$1000 apts (long gone now!) and they all had applications within a day.

This goes to show you that there is a huge demand for affordable units in this city. Keep up the good work!

[Skyguy_7]

Speaking of ARO: Northtown Library/Apartments is getting its skin. Looks nice for a taxpayer-funded library.