CHICAGO | General Developments

[J_M_Tungsten]

Today
Logan center of the arts






University library

[J_M_Tungsten]

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

UofC opening in January

I hate when I post something and it get left on the last page. Bumping myself; tacky, I know.

[Rizzo]

Library is a bit too "blocky" for my tastes.

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

Today

University library

This is actually the Lab School expansion, no?

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

This is actually the Lab School expansion, no?

Yes. By VDT.

[J_M_Tungsten]

Oops! Mis-label, my bad.

[Joe Zekas]

Shops on Fremont, site clearance by YoChicago1, on Flickr

Shot earlier today.

Site clearance is almost complete on the southwest corner of Weed and Fremont. This is one of four sites totaling 110,000 square feet of land that run from North Ave south of Weed St. The sites are zoned for 550,000 square feet of retail development.

More info at CRM Properties Group site.

[george]

11-24

New Walgreens flagship store at 1601 N. Milwaukee Ave in Bucktown/ Wicker Park










Vitamin Vault

[ethereal_reality]

Absolutely stunning! I didn't expect the old bank lobby to have a skylight.

[george]

Yes, Walgreens did this right.^

[J_M_Tungsten]

Man, that's like a super Walgreens! What don't they have there?!?

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

Yes. By VDT.

On Stony Island correct?

[The Pimp]

Gorgeous!!! Walgreen's thinking outside of the box. Literally.

[ChiPhi]

As beautiful as these Walgreen's flagships are, I wonder to what extent we can expect good urban design to percolate to ther locations in the city (think Walgreens on Clark and Ontario in RN). Essentially, do we think that these flagships have been built to boost corporate image or because Walgreens actually believes good design is a feasible business model.

As a side, it actually makes sense to leave the RN Walgreens as a box store. The folks at Walgreens probably recognize that the land value will only continue to increase and it doesn't make sense to sink too much capital into a stand-alone store when the land will be worth more as a condo tower in 20 years (maybe with a Walgreens on the ground floor). In some ways, we can read the dismal design of that store as a value judgement on the future of River North's potential. Everything from street level windows (to draw customers in) and parking on the roof (to maximize land utility) cost money...

[BWChicago]

Maybe they can re-do the one at Belmont & Sheffield next.

[wierdaaron]

It's similar to when McDonald's takes the time to make a beautiful, location-acknowledging store every once in a while at a high-profile location. It's nice, but it doesn't wash away the thousands of other stores that were seemingly made from plastic in a Chinese factory and dropped into their location via helicopter.

Now two Walgreens locations are spacious and beautiful and tailor-made to their Chicago locations, but the rest of their stores across the country remain dirty, cramped, poorly-managed, depressing, emotional sinkholes indistinguishable from a CVS or Rite-Aid from the inside. Having a few lovely flagship stores doesn't make me want to drive past the CVS to the identical Walgreens a block further if I'm out in the suburbs or anywhere else in America and I need a bottle of rubbing alcohol or a bag of mini KitKats.

I doubt as a company they're moving to an Apple-esq "all of our stores will be works of art from now on" mindset, because there's just too many of them to give them the care and attention that the Cicago flagships get. It just seems a little masturbatory. "FYI, if we give a crap we can make a pretty nice store. We just usually don't give a crap."

[J_M_Tungsten]

I think it all depends on what the original structure of the Walgreens was. If it was something of historical significance, or a landmark, they will take the time to refurb it. It would be bad publicity to completely gut a beautiful old building, just slap on some drywall and mirrors.

[ChiPhi]

^^^
The (future) Walgreens on Armitage in Lincoln Park?

[J_M_Tungsten]

Haven't seen that one yet. Is it drywall and mirrors? Did I put my foot in my mouth?

[BWChicago]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

It's similar to when McDonald's takes the time to make a beautiful, location-acknowledging store every once in a while at a high-profile location. It's nice, but it doesn't wash away the thousands of other stores that were seemingly made from plastic in a Chinese factory and dropped into their location via helicopter.

Now two Walgreens locations are spacious and beautiful and tailor-made to their Chicago locations, but the rest of their stores across the country remain dirty, cramped, poorly-managed, depressing, emotional sinkholes indistinguishable from a CVS or Rite-Aid from the inside. Having a few lovely flagship stores doesn't make me want to drive past the CVS to the identical Walgreens a block further if I'm out in the suburbs or anywhere else in America and I need a bottle of rubbing alcohol or a bag of mini KitKats.

I doubt as a company they're moving to an Apple-esq "all of our stores will be works of art from now on" mindset, because there's just too many of them to give them the care and attention that the Cicago flagships get. It just seems a little masturbatory. "FYI, if we give a crap we can make a pretty nice store. We just usually don't give a crap."

Actually they've done about 20 of the Well Experience style stores in the Chicago area this year. In Chicago itself there's also the one on Clark in Andersonville or the one at Peterson & Lincoln. One just opened a couple weeks ago on Dempster in Skokie. And 100 stores in the Indianapolis area. So yes, they are actually rolling it out.