CHICAGO | General Developments

[wierdaaron]

There needs to be someplace you can get a Chicago dog down there. They're vexingly hard to come by in the north loop area.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

There needs to be someplace you can get a Chicago dog down there. They're vexingly hard to come by in the north loop area.

UB Dogs. Definitely the best option downtown.

[Via Chicago]

this is how you do it:

http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...tion-hotel.php

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by spyguy

IIT Innovation Center
John Ronan

Sure, it's quite low-slung, but like just about everything else Ronan designs, this is stellar work.....

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by untitledreality

The campus master plan has the remainder of the State Street parking lots being redeveloped into student housing / retail / lab space.

Speaking of the planned student housing: I remember years, and years ago, touring the Jahn student housing, I was told that Dirk Lohan would be designing a second new student housing complex there in the years ahead.........I wonder if it is actually still in the works, in the (very) long-term master plan.....

[ChickeNES]

Revised Proposal Calls for 200-Unit Apartment Building in Lincoln Park
By Paul Biasco | May 27, 2015 | DNAInfo Chicago

Can Lincoln Park prices support a 200-unit transit-oriented development project?

That was the big question raised by audience members at a meeting for the resurrected Lincoln Centre development Tuesday night. Such projects allow developers to reduce the required number of off-street parking spaces in residential developments if they are within 600 feet of a transit station.
...
The new proposal features 25 fewer units than the first proposal and about 50 fewer parking spaces.

Those 138 spaces in a three-story parking structure below the apartments would be split between residents of the building and new commercial businesses along Lincoln Avenue that will be part of the project.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150...g-lincoln-park

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by ChickeNES

Revised Proposal Calls for 200-Unit Apartment Building in Lincoln Park
By Paul Biasco | May 27, 2015 | DNAInfo Chicago



http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150...ents-win-delay

^ That link is to the wrong article

[Tom Servo]

Wait a second... who the fuck is paying for this 100 million dollar river walk project? Also who paid for the 90 million dollar High Line duplicate? These things are cute and all, but at what cost are we neglecting our underfunded schools, our dilapidated roads, our police and fire pensions, etc...??? Funny how there always seems to be plenty of money in the budget for beautification projects along the Lakefront and various places downtown.

We're BILLIONS of dollars in debt, so where is the money for these needless glamour projects coming from?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

Wait a second... who the fuck is paying for this 100 million dollar river walk project? Also who paid for the 90 million dollar High Line duplicate? These things are cute and all, but at what cost are we neglecting our underfunded schools, our dilapidated roads, our police and fire pensions, etc...??? Funny how there always seems to be plenty of money in the budget for beautification projects along the Lakefront and various places downtown.

We're BILLIONS of dollars in debt, so where is the money for these needless glamour projects coming from?

I don't know, why don't you spend 2 seconds to look these things up yourself? Why should we do the work for you?

I already did, and I can tell you that your outrage is kind of silly.

[Via Chicago]

well, the riverwalk was largely funded with a federal loan that will have to be paid back so its not like it was free money. there are some vague references to tour boat operators and advertising helping to foot the bill, but as with most Chicago financing deals...who knows!

[OrdoSeclorum]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

I already did, and I can tell you that your outrage is kind of silly.

Yeah these comments about the free Lucas museum or the free Riverwalk you see everywhere in the form of "How can the the city afford ___ when look at these potholes!" are so insipid. It's exactly like, "You have $5000 in credit card debt! How can you justify spending money on deodorant before a job interview?"

[Skyguy_7]

^^^^ Dude just likes the attention. These investments are not "needless." They're essential to a thriving city. They support local construction jobs. They add value to the surrounding neighborhood. They bring in visitors. They eventually pay for themselves. They enhance the city. Move to Gary if you want to live in a dilapidated shit hole. On top of that, there are at least seven new $30+ million CPS additions breaking ground this summer. Roads are being improved (see Damen and Fullerton, Circle Intertchange etc). New Washington and Wells CTA station, new 95th Street CTA station, Adam's Street bridge is being completely redone. C'mon Tom.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

There needs to be someplace you can get a Chicago dog down there. They're vexingly hard to come by in the north loop area.

U.B. Dogs (Franklin and Randolph)

[ChickeNES]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ That link is to the wrong article

Here's the correct link:
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150...g-lincoln-park

Apparently when you scroll down far enough DNAInfo loads a different article and changes the URL in the address bar.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

^^^^ Dude just likes the attention. These investments are not "needless." They're essential to a thriving city. They support local construction jobs. They add value to the surrounding neighborhood. They bring in visitors. They eventually pay for themselves. They enhance the city. Move to Gary if you want to live in a dilapidated shit hole. On top of that, there are at least seven new $30+ million CPS additions breaking ground this summer. Roads are being improved (see Damen and Fullerton, Circle Intertchange etc). New Washington and Wells CTA station, new 95th Street CTA station, Adam's Street bridge is being completely redone. C'mon Tom.

I think the problem with all of the bitching and moaning from people in parts of town seeing less investment is that they cannot tell the difference between private investment and public investment. Many of these people are so unsavvy and clueless about how investment and capital markets work, what it means to take risk, etc, and what a BANK is, that to them it's all the same evil entity. All they know is how to whine and complain to their local leaders and ministers.

Public investment on the south side of Chicago has been quite good, in fact a few months ago Greg Hinz had an article debunking the myth that TIF funds have disproportionately been going into the hands of the wealthy elite.

What's lacking is PRIVATE investment. You know, the voluntary, risk aversive type that demands some kind of positive return? All of that money is piling into areas low on crime, high on income, and for good reason.

I advise anybody out there who doesn't agree with me to go out and spend your own $5000 to buy a property in Englewood, fix it up, and rent it out to somebody. That's what these neighborhoods need--private money and risk takers, not whiners.

[Skyguy_7]

^Oh. So you mean to tell me the driving force is simple Economics? ; )

$5,000 on a piece of property is a damn good deal, but it's just not worth the risk of getting robbed or shot. And therein lies the problem with investing in those areas..

[emathias]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

...
What's lacking is PRIVATE investment. You know, the voluntary, risk aversive type that demands some kind of positive return? All of that money is piling into areas low on crime, high on income, and for good reason.

I advise anybody out there who doesn't agree with me to go out and spend your own $5000 to buy a property in Englewood, fix it up, and rent it out to somebody. That's what these neighborhoods need--private money and risk takers, not whiners.

Sad but true.

One thing I kinda wish the city would do, though, is commission a few talented but smaller-scale architects to design 10-20 standardized, LEED-compliant, easily constructed, multi-use buildings with readily (and inexpensively) customizable facades that fit on the standard city lot sizes, and are already completely code-compliant. Then allow the use of those plans for anyone wanting to invest in vacant or condemned lots in TOD-compatible areas. It would allow the city to bring better architecture and design to areas that need investment by partnering with smaller-scale developers. Having plans won't instantly make every lot financially viable, but it will nudge the scale in that direction, and it will allow the city to have a recognizable face on new investment in underutilzed areas. If it worked, you'd end up with a recognizable pattern and style of development, much like the Bungalow Belt, increasing the overall interest of architecture in the city without hundreds or thousands of individuals having to pony up money for custom plans or purchasing existing boring plans that often have little to no character.

Sort of a city-sponsored version of what a few developers have done in West Town.

[rlw777]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

Wait a second... who the fuck is paying for this 100 million dollar river walk project? Also who paid for the 90 million dollar High Line duplicate? These things are cute and all, but at what cost are we neglecting our underfunded schools, our dilapidated roads, our police and fire pensions, etc...??? Funny how there always seems to be plenty of money in the budget for beautification projects along the Lakefront and various places downtown.

We're BILLIONS of dollars in debt, so where is the money for these needless glamour projects coming from?

It's an investment like that other park of ours that spurred on millions in construction and tax revenue.

"Who the fuck is paying for this Millennium Park? This park is cute an all but blah blah blah debt blah blah beautification project HULK SMASH!!" - Tom Servo (circa 2000)

[Near North Resident]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

Wait a second... who the fuck is paying for this 100 million dollar river walk project? Also who paid for the 90 million dollar High Line duplicate? These things are cute and all, but at what cost are we neglecting our underfunded schools, our dilapidated roads, our police and fire pensions, etc...??? Funny how there always seems to be plenty of money in the budget for beautification projects along the Lakefront and various places downtown.

We're BILLIONS of dollars in debt, so where is the money for these needless glamour projects coming from?

Yeah we should have no reason to make tourists wants to come here, not like they pay a 17% hotel tax and 10% on everything else that they buy, let alone oh, forget it, you are clearly too myopic to understand

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by emathias

Sad but true.

One thing I kinda wish the city would do, though, is commission a few talented but smaller-scale architects to design 10-20 standardized, LEED-compliant, easily constructed, multi-use buildings with readily (and inexpensively) customizable facades that fit on the standard city lot sizes, and are already completely code-compliant. Then allow the use of those plans for anyone wanting to invest in vacant or condemned lots in TOD-compatible areas. It would allow the city to bring better architecture and design to areas that need investment by partnering with smaller-scale developers. Having plans won't instantly make every lot financially viable, but it will nudge the scale in that direction, and it will allow the city to have a recognizable face on new investment in underutilzed areas. If it worked, you'd end up with a recognizable pattern and style of development, much like the Bungalow Belt, increasing the overall interest of architecture in the city without hundreds or thousands of individuals having to pony up money for custom plans or purchasing existing boring plans that often have little to no character.

Sort of a city-sponsored version of what a few developers have done in West Town.

^ Actually, this is a really good idea. All permit fees should be waived, and the city can even have a handful of construction companies (mostly minority owned, for example) that can be hired to actually build the projects for a relatively fixed budget for any developer willing to fork over the down payment. The question is, who finances these projects, and how do you guarantee a return of the investment in areas of town with such low incomes and high unemployment? That's probably the most difficult hurdle.