CHICAGO | General Developments

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by Handro

Well, got my answer:



According to Alderman Matt Martin, the developer already has a grocery tenant lined up but will not reveal who in accordnace with an NDA. Strange, because there is a Jewel about 3 blocks north and a Trader Joe's about 3 blocks south... not to mention a Mariano's a little over a mile away.

Interesting. Looks like rooftop parking if an escalator from the second floor is any indication.

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by lakeshoredrive

Maybe it's an Amazon Fresh store

Aldi?

[Chi-Sky21]

Just saw some pictures online of the old Harrison Park quarry. I had no idea there was a quarry there, looks like it was really deep. Anyone know more about it? pics? what did they fill that with?

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Chi-Sky21

Just saw some pictures online of the old Harrison Park quarry. I had no idea there was a quarry there, looks like it was really deep. Anyone know more about it? pics? what did they fill that with?

I've never seen pictures, but IIRC the quarry was tapped out by its owners and then they began to accept waste dumping, including organic waste - it didn't smell great! I believe some of the upper layers are relatively clean clay from the digging of the Red and Blue Line subway tunnels.

By the time the city bought it for park expansion in the early 50s, it was almost full and it was capped with topsoil. It continued to sink slowly for the next few decades, there was even an explosion caused by methane buildup.

[Steely Dan]

due to its very politically charged nature, i moved all of the trump tower sign removal discussion to the chicago politics thread: http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213683

[donnie]

is this what replaced all that red granite on south side of Sears?

https://www.ctbuh.org/news/new-art-i...-tallest-tower

[marothisu]

A permit was issued last week to build a new 10 story 258 unit senior living center at 6 corners (Irving Park, Milwaukee, Cicero) across from that old Sears there. This is called The Point for those who remember. It will have 258 total residential units for seniors, which will be higher end and range in price from $4100 to $7700/mo. Supposedly they'll put an Aldi in there too with more retail available.

Not sure how tall this is, but potentially could actually be borderline high rise, technically. This site has sat vacant for over 4 years now after the previous buildings were torn down.

[jc5680]

1122 w chicago

[west-town-brad]

Anyone know how the city performs street cleaning inside of the protected bikes lanes? Milwaukee Ave's new streetscape already looks like a dump.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by jc5680

1122 w chicago

More of these, please, in like......100 intersections all over the city

[simon07]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

More of these, please, in like......100 intersections all over the city

Yup and about 100 more of the 609 or 809 Randolph office building (the little one) plugged into a bunch or parking lots and one story garbage buildings all over the city.

[BVictor1]

Looks very MEH to me...

https://www.chicagotribune.com/colum...obe-story.html

Aon Center plaza getting $6.5 million renovation, as workers expected to seek outdoor spaces after COVID-19

By RYAN ORI
CHICAGO TRIBUNE |
JAN 19, 2021 AT 7:55 AM

The owner of one of Chicago’s biggest office towers is investing $6.5 million to demolish and redesign its half-acre plaza in anticipation of greater demand for outdoor space in a post-pandemic downtown.
Work is underway to tear out the underutilized, multilevel plaza along the south side of the 83-story Aon Center. The overhaul is designed to eliminate the fortresslike edge of the plaza along Randolph Street, just north of Millennium Park, and create more usable space as the city moves toward a large-scale return of workers later this year as COVID-19 vaccinations are broadly distributed.

The renovated plaza is expected to open around August, according to the Telos Group, one of the leasing brokers for New York-based property owner 601W Cos.

Changes to the plaza are not expected to affect 601W’s plans to add an observatory atop the tower, with an entry structure to be built just east of the new plaza. That $185 million addition will include a glass, exterior elevator tower on the opposite side of the building as well as a thrill ride and other attractions at the top.

Because of COVID-19, 601W last year said construction of the observatory would start about a year behind its initial schedule. It’s now expected to break ground around the middle of this year.

[Handro]

It looks just like the 80s/90s-era below-grade plaza it's replacing, except its at street level. Pretty underwhelming.

[Chi-Sky21]

Not really street level, just slopes down to where it was instead of having that large white elevator gazebo thing. But honestly does not look like that much work for 6.5 million, the sides look pretty much the same.

[10023]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

More of these, please, in like......100 intersections all over the city

Yes, just hopefully not all senior living apartments... not the best for street life.

[Zerton]

Originally Posted by Chi-Sky21

Not really street level, just slopes down to where it was instead of having that large white elevator gazebo thing. But honestly does not look like that much work for 6.5 million, the sides look pretty much the same.

I think it seems like that but $6.5 million isn't that much for this scale of work. They have to make a whole new platform for this and landscaping isn't cheap.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by 10023

Yes, just hopefully not all senior living apartments... not the best for street life.

Eyes on the street though...


_

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

More of these, please, in like......100 intersections all over the city

Agree - these types of buildings and the intersections looking more like this will go a long ways.


In other news, here's a look at what might be slated to replace the old Le Colonial at 937 N Rush in Gold Coast and next door. According to this listing and Crains, Brunello Cucinelli will move into what will be built in place of the old LC. Not sure what will happen to the current building next door, but in this rendering it's a shame they are going to at minimum give it a face lift. I feel that one of the charms of the area are some of those buildings. They're essentially Miami-ifying this or certain parts of midtown Manhattan-ing it. It currently looks much better than what's in this rendering. What a shame. Let's hope they at least keep the left building the way it is and don't do what's in the rendering - would be dumb.

https://www.cbre.us/properties/prope...view=isLetting


And here's a vision of what the former Barney's building could look like after it's converted to multi tenants. I have to say the rendering's fake fashion brands, based on real ones is quite funny

https://www.cbre.us/properties/prope...view=isLetting


Meanwhile, someone's vision for a type of restaurant at 60 E Walton. I guess it could be worse:
https://retailproperties.cbre.us/p/r...ton#highlights


Another perfectly good, nice looking old building to bite the dust at 113 E Oak St for something worse looking and modern?
Currently: https://www.google.com/maps/place/11...!4d-87.6251745

https://retailproperties.cbre.us/p/r...ago#highlights

[Toasty Joe]

^ "Forest for the trees" urban politician

[the urban politician]

^ Rush/Walton/Oak will continue to grow out as an exclusive shopping district, to some degree at the expense of some of the retail that was already there. But also, to some degree, at the expense of the Mag Mile.

Mag Mile has, as long as I've been alive, the major draw of foot traffic to downtown north of the river. It's definitely going to have to redefine itself in the post Covid, Jeff Bezos oligarchy world. I have no idea what kinds of stores will go there, but I can't help but wonder if there is a bit too much optimism for "experience retail". I mean, how much demand will there be in extant flagship retail space for such a thing?