CHICAGO | General Developments

[f_m]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Interesting - 8 new SFH building permits have been issued this year for the area bounded by I-90, Halsted, Pershing, and about 45th. Also 6 townhomes just north of Pershing around there. 5 of those are between 41st St, 42nd place, Wallace, and Normal. Would be interesting to see if this is the beginning of something in that area.

This area (40th to 49th, Halsted to the railroad at 400W) is called Canaryville and is historically a hardscrabble Irish area which (like Bridgeport) remained white through the white flight era due to the poverty and extreme violence of its inhabitants. The white community there is still poor and insular. Like the other neighborhoods adjacent to Bridgeport, it's now Asianizing, with any new construction presumably aimed at Chinese.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by f_m

This area (40th to 49th, Halsted to the railroad at 400W) is called Canaryville and is historically a hardscrabble Irish area which (like Bridgeport) remained white through the white flight era due to the poverty and extreme violence of its inhabitants. The white community there is still poor and insular. Like the other neighborhoods adjacent to Bridgeport, it's now Asianizing, with any new construction presumably aimed at Chinese.

Right - knew it's Canaryville but I like to give some boundaries. I had noticed looking at Census data awhile ago that the area is now around 10% Asian and was kind of wondering about this too. Do you live in/near the area? The specific census block this is in is actually over 20% Asian now. There was a permit the other day too for a new office building right south of Pershing on vacant land too.

It's pretty interesting how areas of this (extending to Ashland), McKinley Park, and even Brighton Park are "Asianizing".

[trvlr70]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Great news regarding the hotels. I hope there's another nice property build or renovated by them. The Congress Hotel would be a great one, though it might be too big for them in Chicago IMO. Probably would go with something smaller.

The rooms in the Congress are tiny. I'd expect a developer to combine spaces for larger rooms. That's how the Palmer House handled things.

[trvlr70]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

I don't see the Congress as a good location for a luxury hotel flag. The folks staying in a Ritz or Four Seasons will want proximity to Mag Mile shopping and trendy restaurants more than they'll want to see Buckingham Fountain or walk to the Shedd Aquarium with the kids.

The Congress is practically on the doorstep of Milenium Park. And that particular part of the Loop is rapidly changing for the better. I'd say the Conress' location is one of its better attributes. Now, if the hotel was buried in a dark corner of the Loop, I might agree.

[f_m]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Right - knew it's Canaryville but I like to give some boundaries. I had noticed looking at Census data awhile ago that the area is now around 10% Asian and was kind of wondering about this too. Do you live in/near the area? The specific census block this is in is actually over 20% Asian now. There was a permit the other day too for a new office building right south of Pershing on vacant land too.

It's pretty interesting how areas of this (extending to Ashland), McKinley Park, and even Brighton Park are "Asianizing".

I live in Hyde Park. I've biked through Canaryville -- lots of barking dogs -- but don't really know anything about it.

I also recently biked past some development in Bridgeport where the advertising billboard was actually in Chinese. It figures, if you're looking for a good deal on a place near Chinatown, this is where you're gonna go. I'll be curious to see the 2020 census data...

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by f_m

I live in Hyde Park. I've biked through Canaryville -- lots of barking dogs -- but don't really know anything about it.

I also recently biked past some development in Bridgeport where the advertising billboard was actually in Chinese. It figures, if you're looking for a good deal on a place near Chinatown, this is where you're gonna go. I'll be curious to see the 2020 census data...

There are parts of Bridgeport which are now very Asian. I know of a proposed development on the Brighton Park/McKinley Park border which is basically being marketed towards Chinese. You'll see Chinese on some businesses in McKinley Park now too.

Funny thing, my girlfriend who's originally from China and lives in NYC was visiting Chicago last weekend (I split time between NYC and Chicago) - her 2nd ever time but 1st time really seeing the city more than just the Loop (didn't even get to see the lake last time). She kept telling me how the South Loop reminded her of some cities in China - the new buildings, their architecture, and spacing from building to building. She says the Roosevelt Collection looks exactly like where her parents live in an outer ring of Shanghai and asked if it was done by a Chinese architect. Funny - though from my time in Malaysia I can confirm that there's a lot of stuff there too that looks like RC.

[UrbanLibertine]

Earlier this week, demolition permits were issued for 3 continuous, beautiful older townhouses/rowhomes on the north side of Oak Street between Clark and LaSalle. Such a shame.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by UrbanLibertine

Earlier this week, demolition permits were issued for 3 continuous, beautiful older townhouses/rowhomes on the north side of Oak Street between Clark and LaSalle. Such a shame.

Ouch - that really sucks. I was just actually thinking this morning how I like a lot of the buildings on E Oak, Walton, etc and how I'd have a hard time believing they'd be torn down. West Oak is not the same - they don't have the power of the Pradas, Hermes, etc.

There's no way someone is going to let this go vacant. I wonder what's going on here. 112 W Oak was actually being operated as a small boutique type of hostel/hotel by the same people behind Urban Holiday Lofts in Bucktown.

[the urban politician]

Damn, yet all of those shitty townhomes from Sandburg Village continue to stand...

[jc5680]

River Theater

[Chi-Sky21]

Those steps at the end look pretty small and steep.

[rlw777]

Originally Posted by Chi-Sky21

Those steps at the end look pretty small and steep.

I believe those are meant to act as theater benches more than steps. The actual steps cut through those.

I'm actually more excited about the cultural / public amenities being added to the city than any of the high rise developments right now. The river walk, the 606, Lucas museum, Obama Library, and that huge donation to the art institute will all go a long way in attracting visitors to Chicago.

[Chi-Sky21]

Don't forget the expanded park at Fullerton and the lake and the navy pier flyover. And the now completed Maggie Daley Park.

[wierdaaron]

Originally Posted by rlw777

I believe those are meant to act as theater benches more than steps. The actual steps cut through those.

Quite like the lakefront steps wrapping around Adler, which is one of my favorite spots in this town. I'm pretty excited for the river theater.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Damn, yet all of those shitty townhomes from Sandburg Village continue to stand...

I really like Sandburg Village. The designers paid attention to detail, and it shows. With a mix of towers and townhouses, it's not any less dense that what it replaced. It's thoroughly modernist, well-landscaped, and urban. Unlike Dearborn Park, it doesn't cut off the street grid - you can drive through at Schiller and walk through at Burton Place.

Of course, I've heard the actual apartments are awful and the place is poorly managed, but that's a separate discussion from the design.

Sadly these neat little Morris columns are gone...

[emathias]

Originally Posted by trvlr70

The rooms in the Congress are tiny. I'd expect a developer to combine spaces for larger rooms. That's how the Palmer House handled things.

I think there's a lot of variability. I've been in several rooms at the Congress, and some blew me away with their grandeur and scale. Some didn't, but it could convert very well to a luxury hotel with the right investor.

[wierdaaron]

It looks like it was stitched together from two buildings, and one tower might have nicer rooms in it than the other.

If there was a new ritz, it might try for the financial district somewhere, possibly by building something new. The hotel scene over there is heating up a bit, leaning toward extended business and high end travelers. In other cities with multiple Ritz Carltons, they tend to have one of them be right in the middle of an executive business zone.

[BWChicago]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

It looks like it was stitched together from two buildings, and one tower might have nicer rooms in it than the other.

If there was a new ritz, it might try for the financial district somewhere, possibly by building something new. The hotel scene over there is heating up a bit, leaning toward extended business and high end travelers. In other cities with multiple Ritz Carltons, they tend to have one of them be right in the middle of an executive business zone.

http://chicagodesignslinger.blogspot...gnslinger.html

[Ned.B]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

It looks like it was stitched together from two buildings, and one tower might have nicer rooms in it than the other.

I believe the Congress was built in 4 phases, with the oldest being the portion at the corner of Congress and Michigan. That section was itself an annex to the hotel that originally occupied the east end of the Auditorium Building (which is also why the two are similar in scale and architecture).

I'd love to see the ground floor of the Congress restored, making it look even more like the Auditorium Building.

[UrbanLibertine]

Those townhouse, while insanely boring, are not the fuel to my fire. I can't stand how many great, beautiful older classic Chicago homes in neighborhoods like Old Town, McMansionville (near Armitage and Halsted), and western Lincoln Park/Lakeview are leveled to build the tacky faux crap that has taken over the North Side (and now Bucktown and West Town).

Those North Side neighborhoods are some of the oldest in the city, and you'd never guess it based on how much new construction plagues those areas.

Preservation in this city is terrible.

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Damn, yet all of those shitty townhomes from Sandburg Village continue to stand...