CHICAGO | General Developments

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Didn't someone say that Brooklyn Bowl backed out and was replaced by Punch Bowl out of Denver? Seems odd anyone would pansy out on such a prime spot.

yes.

https://chicago.eater.com/2016/12/8/...-brooklyn-bowl

honestly the whole thing sounds bizarre. who knows, but it sounds like they didnt have all their T's crossed and were dragging their feet if it went to another tenant

The opportunity for Punch Bowl arrived at the end of the summer and talks to take over the Brooklyn Bowl space escalated quickly, according to Thompson. "We were already actively looking in Chicago, but we weren’t going to come to the West Loop because Brooklyn Bowl was (coming) there," Thompson told Eater Chicago on Wednesday night.

The announcement was news to Brooklyn Bowl owner Peter Shapiro, who on Thursday told Eater Chicago that the building’s landlord hadn’t informed him of any changes. In addition to his business being prominently featured on renderings such as the one above, it had been on the development's blueprints as well, Curbed Chicago reported. Shapiro, a concert promoter, then said the Brooklyn Bowl Fulton Market location "was never 100 percent," however, and that they’re still "definitely interested" in expanding to Chicago.

[Halsted & Villagio]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Didn't someone say that Brooklyn Bowl backed out and was replaced by Punch Bowl out of Denver? Seems odd anyone would pansy out on such a prime spot.

I am actually glad to see anything labeled "Brooklyn" or "New York" ousted from this city. My understanding (and I could be wrong) is at least the "Punch Bowl" won't have the name "Denver" prominently associated with it. As much as possible, we need to try to keep other cities from putting their names all over our city -- especially New York. New York, the media (hype) capital of the world already goes to extreme measures to tell us on a daily basis how superior their city is to the rest of the cities in the world. We don't need that staring us in the face with buildings in Chicago reminding us of New York. We get that enough already by just turning on the TV. To "Brooklyn" Bowl I say good riddance!

John Kass of the Chicago Tribune wrote an article the other day in which he described Chicago as "the greatest city in the world". And he went on to detail all the reasons why (despite beat up and bruised) Chicago is so great. I had to do a double take... I was taken aback by the mere description of Chicago as "greatest city in the world" ... and then I remembered reading and hearing that phrase used all the time in connection with Chicago when I was a child.

Something has happened to this city. Maybe it started when the last vestiges of "national" home based media left this city but you never really hear Chicago being described in those lofty terms nowadays. This city used to have swagger; this city used to have bravado; this city used to stand toe to toe with anyone and make no apologies. Our ego has been beat down by the New York media, crime on the southside and by the corruption of many of our politicians, but as someone who has traveled this country extensively (and yes, someone who has spent time in New York), I always find myself saying what a gem we have in Chicago every time I return home. A very special place. Chicago = a little bit of everything and the best of many things.

We don't need anything Brooklyn or New York here.

.

[aaron38]

Furniture Store In 'Imminent Danger of Collapse' After Huge Fire, City Says
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017...lwaukee-avenue

The blaze destroyed Famsa Furniture, a two-story brick building at 2945 N. Milwaukee Ave. Flames could be seen shooting through the two-story brick building's roof, leading to a roof collapse, according to Chicago Fire Department officials.

Building Commissioner Judy Frydland told reporters that the 70-year-old building "is pretty much a total loss" and that it is "in imminent danger of collapse."

Saw this on WGN news this morning. It's a shame, but architecturally it was a blank wall. The building, what's left of it, is to be demolished immediately. The furniture company has three other Chicago locations, they may or may not rebuild there. May be a new lot on the market soon. With the Belmont and Logan Square blue line stations nearby, should be a desirable lot. Hopefully it doesn't sit empty for years.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by aaron38

It's a shame, but architecturally it was a blank wall.

yea its easily the ugliest building on the block so i guess from that standpoint im not too broken up about it.

[LouisVanDerWright]

I live on the other side of the block from there, everyone feels for the business owners, but are happy to see that eyesore go. Even a happy brick special will be more architecturally interesting on that site than the building the burned down. Glad no one was hurt and that the fire was contained and did not spread to the Los Dos Leones (former Paul Zapokane Polish restaurant) next door which is a very handsome terra cotta building complete with tin ceiling and 1950's storefront in original condition.

[Rizzo]

Hopefully they can rebound and build a better store. Remember when Roy's burned? The replacement is a heck of a lot nicer building than the previous structure. Also just noticed the other day that restoration work is moving along on the buildings gutted by fire a long time ago on Marshfield near the Paulina station. Renovation permits issued earlier this month

[marothisu]

June zoning board agenda is up. Not too much there, but one I like is that the old, vacant 5 story building at 1500 W Carroll (a little W of Ogden and a few blocks north of Union Park) is looking to be converted into an office building

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8874...8i6656!6m1!1e1

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by Halsted & Villagio

I am actually glad to see anything labeled "Brooklyn" or "New York" ousted from this city. ... As much as possible, we need to try to keep other cities from putting their names all over our city -- especially New York. New York, the media (hype) capital of the world already goes to extreme measures to tell us on a daily basis how superior their city is to the rest of the cities in the world. We don't need that staring us in the face with buildings in Chicago reminding us of New York. We get that enough already by just turning on the TV. To "Brooklyn" Bowl I say good riddance!

x100. A couple of New Yorks here and there is okay with me, but then smearing Brooklyn all over is kind of ridiculous. Brooklyn is barely like 20 years old (the version of it that they're selling with this branding); it was known for race riots and rust going into the 1990s. It may be a bustling place, but we have plenty of our own neighborhoods worthy of cachet. The fact that this bowling business guy is a concert promoter is very telling. Also, the very notion Brooklyn is more desirable branding for any random product or service, like iced tea or jeans or human resources consulting, than is London or Paris or Berlin, etc., requires major cultural ignorance.

Something has happened to this city. Maybe it started when the last vestiges of "national" home based media left this city but you never really hear Chicago being described in those lofty terms nowadays. This city used to have swagger; this city used to have bravado; this city used to stand toe to toe with anyone and make no apologies. Our ego has been beat down by the New York media, crime on the southside and by the corruption of many of our politicians, but as someone who has traveled this country extensively (and yes, someone who has spent time in New York), I always find myself saying what a gem we have in Chicago every time I return home. A very special place. Chicago = a little bit of everything and the best of many things.

This is not so much about an intrinsic decline of Chicago than it is about power being sucked out to NY and the west coast. Instant telecommunications and cheap travel have made it easy to run regional businesses from far away, and that is one reason control of businesses and real estate has shifted to NY. Prosperity around the world, like in the Middle East and China, has also flooded NY with money, and those funds have also been channeled into regional acquisitions. But the biggest effects are from how the media has concentrated there, and how the national pity after the WTC downings (you rarely hear about the Pentagon) has been harnessed into megalomaniacal civic chauvinism there that involves repeated derision of anyone who would challenge them.

[ithakas]

Team tapped for Reese redevelopment

A development team including Draper & Kramer, Farpoint Development and Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives would manage the massive project south of McCormick Place, according to a deal to be announced this morning.

Skidmore Owings & Merrill would serve as the architect consultant for the development, which would include the 49-acre Michael Reese site, at 2900 S. Ellis Ave., and a 28-acre property to the east owned by the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, which owns McCormick Place.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...-redevelopment

This is interesting... Farpoint is the new firm founded by one of the original Sterling Bay co-founders.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by denizen467

x100. A couple of New Yorks here and there is okay with me, but then smearing Brooklyn all over is kind of ridiculous. Brooklyn is barely like 20 years old (the version of it that they're selling with this branding); it was known for race riots and rust going into the 1990s. It may be a bustling place, but we have plenty of our own neighborhoods worthy of cachet. The fact that this bowling business guy is a concert promoter is very telling. Also, the very notion Brooklyn is more desirable branding for any random product or service, like iced tea or jeans or human resources consulting, than is London or Paris or Berlin, etc., requires major cultural ignorance.


This is not so much about an intrinsic decline of Chicago than it is about power being sucked out to NY and the west coast. Instant telecommunications and cheap travel have made it easy to run regional businesses from far away, and that is one reason control of businesses and real estate has shifted to NY. Prosperity around the world, like in the Middle East and China, has also flooded NY with money, and those funds have also been channeled into regional acquisitions. But the biggest effects are from how the media has concentrated there, and how the national pity after the WTC downings (you rarely hear about the Pentagon) has been harnessed into megalomaniacal civic chauvinism there that involves repeated derision of anyone who would challenge them.

It's funny you say this, because this coincides with just how petty the media has become recently with its over reporting the same nitpicky news (he said/she said) over and over again. It's like they are a family out there (in New York) just feuding over BS, with a heck of a lot of network inbreeding. It's been lousy for news reporting and I rarely watch TV news any more.

The irony of this coastal-biased media is that as the media has concentrated more in New York lately, it has also concimantly become less relevant, less "newsworthy", and diluted out by so many more options (thousands of TV and internet channels, websites, various programs to choose from). So Chicago is not the only place to be feeling this effect.

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

The irony of this coastal-biased media is that as the media has concentrated more in New York lately, it has also concimantly become less relevant, less "newsworthy", and diluted out by so many more options (thousands of TV and internet channels, websites, various programs to choose from). So Chicago is not the only place to be feeling this effect.

http://www.niemanlab.org/2016/03/the...nd-the-coasts/

[Halsted & Villagio]

"Originally posted by denizen467 A couple of New Yorks here and there is okay with me, but then smearing Brooklyn all over is kind of ridiculous. Brooklyn is barely like 20 years old (the version of it that they're selling with this branding); it was known for race riots and rust going into the 1990s. It may be a bustling place, but we have plenty of our own neighborhoods worthy of cachet. The fact that this bowling business guy is a concert promoter is very telling. Also, the very notion Brooklyn is more desirable branding for any random product or service, like iced tea or jeans or human resources consulting, than is London or Paris or Berlin, etc., requires major cultural ignorance."


Excellent post. Indeed, in small doses and in a vacuum, this would not be a problem. But the NY vacuum is big and this is no small dose. This had a chance of being a "premier" attraction in Chicago. I am staunchly against premier attractions here bolstering the ego and pride of another city... especially a city as arrogant and superior in attitude as New York. Worse still, subconsciously and/or consciously, such a thing would continue to erode away the civic pride, self esteem and collective ego of Chicagoans. A problem we are suffering from now.

At 42 years of age I can still remember the pride I grew up feeling in this city - a feeling of being in one of the centers of the world. I recoil at the thought of the day when I take visiting relatives out on the town to show them Chicago... take them to a destination spot... take them to a place for a fun, carefree night on the town... take them to a place where memories are made... and take them to a place named, "Brooklyn" or "New York".


That should never happen here.


.

[the urban politician]

^ Well, those buttholes who replaced Marshall Fields with Macy already did that to one of the big ones. And now Macy is falling into a shithole, which is ironically a good thing since much of the floor space of that store can now return to something local and noteworthy (office space for local companies).

[LouisVanDerWright]

I feel like a newsman on a train to the East coast on October 11, 1871 whenever I'm talking to investors from the coasts. I'm like "you don't understand, there has never been and never will be another such opportunity to make a fortune in your life as there is now in the rebuilding of Chicago."

[italy5150]

Tower crane was installed yesterday for Pappageorge Haymes' building at 508 W. Diversey.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by italy5150

Tower crane was installed yesterday for Pappageorge Haymes' building at 508 W. Diversey.

Here is the building in question, as a refresher:



http://508lincolnpark.com/gallery/

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

I feel like a newsman on a train to the East coast on October 11, 1871 whenever I'm talking to investors from the coasts. I'm like "you don't understand, there has never been and never will be another such opportunity to make a fortune in your life as there is now in the rebuilding of Chicago."

Yeah, same here - though not to investors. Just people that I work with. Totally changed some of their minds too from a place they didn't care to visit to one that they've visited recently or will visit in the future.

I didn't grow up in Chicago but I remember growing up and seeing that bravado which Chicagoans have. As someone who has lived in other places, it's actually a little maddening to see, especially online, how people have lost that. There's a lot of people who either have no idea how good they have it or could have it. Talking about taxes for example - yeah they suck, everyone agrees but the one that affects everyone (income tax) is pretty damn low compared to many peer cities that are also walkable like NYC or SF. My income tax rate for the state went up 6.5 or 6.75% once I moved to NYC. My sales tax went down like 1% but that's completely irrelevant to how much more in income tax I pay.

I still talk about Chicago and look at development news even after I moved. People find it weird, but I have to tell them that they don't understand - Chicago is actually very special and the people who aren't living in the high crime areas especially have no idea how good they have it sometimes. I have every intention of being back in Chicago within a few years. NYC is nice and all, but it's not a place you actually feel at home in - even in parts of Queens and Brooklyn which are more "suburban" than Manhattan - it's hard to explain but Chicago even in the downtown area felt way more like a place you'd actually want to live in for long periods of time.

[the urban politician]

^ To a certain agree we all feel the same way. And I felt exactly the same when I lived in New York. Loved living there, but somehow I felt that it was no longer a work in progress the way Chicago is. Chicago still has a lot of "blank slate" left in it and I find that irresistible. And when summertime arrives, I don't think there is a greater place on our planet. Period.

But winter kinda sucks...

[Busy Bee]

^ Kinda?

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

^ Kinda?

Well this year winter didn't happen so I guess it sucks when it does occur.