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  #261  
Old Posted Dec 12, 2006, 5:15 AM
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  #262  
Old Posted Dec 12, 2006, 7:15 PM
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Le Meridien in Rosemont, IL

Excavation started on November 27. The foundation consists of a 4' thick mat slab with deeper portions for elevator pits and the crane pad. These were taken December 11, 2006, while the mud slab was being poured.


Looking Northeast with River Rd. in the background.


Looking Southeast.


Looking East.


To the South.


Another to the South / Southeast.
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  #263  
Old Posted Dec 12, 2006, 8:13 PM
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^ Thanks for the photos.
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  #264  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2006, 1:18 AM
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^Oh, cool. So that is where its going. That 60's office building in the background with the diamond shaped windows is inside Chicago City Limits. The city has a 1/2 block wide stretch of land at Foster Avenue linking O'Hare to the rest of the city.
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  #265  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2006, 9:00 AM
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Every time I drive down the Kennedy (I90) I ask myself is thing Chicago, Des Plaines, or Rosemont? Can someone explain where all those office buildings are located?
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  #266  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2006, 1:50 PM
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^ In general, the cluster at I-90 & River Road is Rosemont, while the cluster at I-90 & Cumberland Ave is Chicago.
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  #267  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2006, 7:49 PM
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Ambitious idea to unite lakefront no small plan
By Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah
Tribune staff reporter
Published December 13, 2006


Chicago should acquire more lakefront and create land where none is available as it pushes to complete the chain of parks along the South Shore, a prominent advocacy group is proposing.

Friends of the Parks has begun shopping an ambitious series of plans to give the public access to more than 2 miles of South Side lakefront currently off limits.

After meeting with Chicago Park District Supt. Tim Mitchell Tuesday, the group will make its pitch for the multimillion-dollar expansion in meetings and exhibits around the city.

Between 71st and 75th Streets, where the lakefront is occupied by residences, one idea is to use landfill to create islands--an archipelago connected by bridges that would allow the public to get around one of the last privately held stretches of shoreline, south to Rainbow Beach.

At the next gap in the chain of parks, the former USX property, about 123 acres has been set aside for a lakefront path, said Friends of the Parks President Erma Tranter. But because residents feel that stretch would be too narrow, the group's plan calls for building out into the lake and creating beaches.

Farther south, more than 40 acres at the mouth of the Calumet River designated as a confined disposal facility are expected to become park property once the facility is filled with dredge material and capped.


A larger Calumet Park

The Friends of the Parks proposal calls for the city to negotiate with the Illinois International Port District for adjacent green space that is unused, allowing the Park District to double the size of the heavily used Calumet Park.

Mitchell said he would wait for Friends of the Parks to present two or three plans with the most community support, likely this summer. With those plans in hand, he said he would go to federal and state officials to seek funding.

"This fits into thinking about the generations that have come before us," Tranter said. "We're starting to rethink this generation and future generations' responsibility to complete" the city's lakefront park system.

Only 4 out of the city's 30 miles of lakefront are needed to fulfill Daniel Burnham's 1909 vision of an entirely public lakefront. The latest plans would account for more than 2 miles on the South Side.

But they avoid the thorny issue of nearly 2 miles of private beaches on the North Side along the Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods.

Rogers Park activists have fought off attempts to build marinas both in the neighborhood and in Evanston next-door. In 2004, they helped pass an advisory referendum proposal opposing an extension of Lake Shore Drive on landfill.

Some observers fear residents to the south might have similar objections to the Friends of the Parks plan to create parkland east of private lakefront.


Islands seen as problematic

"Everything sounds doable except the islands," said Peter Skosey of the Metropolitan Planning Council. "They're going to have the same problems as they did on the North Side."

But, he added, "sometimes the public good outweighs the private interest," and the city should look at acquiring land.

"It may be cheaper than landfills," Skosey said.

Park District officials said they encourage the group's efforts to build consensus.

Leaders of Friends of the Parks said they began looking at how to complete the lakefront park system in hopes that they could take advantage of momentum created by several development efforts in the South Shore and South Chicago area.

The Chicago Deptartment of Transportation plans to begin work in the summer on a $60 million project to relocate U.S. Highway 41 several blocks east from its current path, where it jogs south and east between 79th and 92nd Streets.

The city is also working with developers on plans for the former USX property, and the Park District hopes to release a new harbor study calling for a marina at the site.

If the park extension were approved, it would also help mark the 100th anniversary of Burnham's plan.

Friends of the Parks officials said they had learned in public meetings that the community wants more than the 123 acres allotted for parks at the USX site.

The organization held meetings with the community and, working with volunteer architects, community members proposed adding landfills at the former steel site to create more beaches and form 200 acres of parkland.

The group is also suggesting the creation of a lagoon that would include the new marina.

Visiting lake can be difficult

Karen Roothaan, a member of the Bush Homeowners and Tenants Association, lives a block from the steel mill's entrance on 86th Street. She walks a mile to the beach at Calumet Park, which is almost always crowded, or has to go farther north to Rainbow Beach. A 7-foot wall keeps residents from the lakefront.

"There are people in the neighborhood who don't know that there is a lake out there," she said.

But new landfills would be challenging because of the federal approvals that may be required, such as those from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Skosey said. He suggested park advocates first try negotiating to acquire more land from the developers.

Another proposal called for a museum on the site commemorating the heavy industry and influence of steel-making on the Southeast Side community.

Based on community suggestions, the Friends of the Parks proposes doubling Calumet Park south of the Calumet River and adding seating area and vistas to the city's skyline, as well as more ballfields.

The most controversial piece of the proposal is the series of islands proposed north of Rainbow Beach. The islands would allow residents to keep private beaches.

They would include natural areas, a continuation of the bike trail connected by bridges, and allow for residents using boats to move easily into the open lake, Tranter said.

Still, this portion of the proposal has not been well received by residents, who worry about privacy and views. In a meeting five weeks ago, 100 people living in the stretch between 71st and 75th turned out.

"It was bruising," Tranter said.
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  #268  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2006, 10:27 PM
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Bleh - a chance to do something great (not necessarily tall) squandered

http://midwest.construction.com/news...ng/default.asp

Retail, Restaurants Planned For Former Esquire Site

Chicago-based M Development, owner of the Esquire Theater on Oak Street, has announced that it is planning to replace the theater with one or more new buildings in keeping with Oak Street's prevailing architecture and character.

The tenants will include retailers and restaurants.

Situated between Michigan Avenue and State Street and between Bellevue and Walton, Oak Street is home to fashion boutiques and high-end personal service providers including well-known beauty salons and spas.
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  #269  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2006, 10:40 PM
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In 10 to 20 years these people will be kicking themselves for building some neo-trad garbage instead of recycling the Esquires' facade.
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  #270  
Old Posted Dec 13, 2006, 10:45 PM
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Quote:
"Everything sounds doable except the islands," said Peter Skosey of the Metropolitan Planning Council. "They're going to have the same problems as they did on the North Side."
Someone should tell him what they're doing in Dubai. After seeing that, I think doing some man-made islands here should be a piece-a-cake.
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  #271  
Old Posted Dec 14, 2006, 4:22 AM
the urban politician the urban politician is offline
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These fuckwad NIMBY's are too funny. Read and laugh (or cry) at this pitiful, mindless nonsense:

http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.a...88&TM=83777.48
Bank shrinks Ashland plan
American Eagle Bank says plan may change again

By BILL MAYEROFF, Contributing Writer


Residents of the Chicago-Grand area expressed concern at a meeting last Thursday that a proposed bank at 700 N. Ashland will be too tall and contribute to parking problems in the area.

Though residents were concerned about a lack of parking, architect Peter Mayer of Mayer Jeffers Gillespie Architects said the plans include an underground parking garage for people living in the 27 residential units that will sit on top of the American Eagle Bank headquarters.



"The bulk of the parking is reached by a one-way ramp off the alley [between Huron and Superior]," said Mayer, adding that the parking garage will exit onto Superior. In addition, he said, 15 parking spaces will be marked for neighborhood use. First Ward Alderman Manny Flores would like to see most of the spaces dedicated to the Erie Neighborhood House at 1701 W. Superior, along with two spaces dedicated to the I-Go Car Sharing program.

"I can tell you, we've been very bullish on this in the First Ward," Flores said. "It's another tool in the toolbox."

Flores asked the bank to include public parking in its plan, but it will not eliminate all the parking problems in the area, he said. Though residents were concerned that the development might cause some traffic problems, Mayer and Flores were confident that it would not.

"It's the type of traffic that would flow," Flores said.

The new plan dropped a story from the original planned six-story building, and Mayer says the top floor in the new proposal will not be a full floor.

"There is a partial fifth floor," Mayer said, adding that only the fourth-floor condominiums will have access to it and that it is set back from the street and will open onto a private roof deck.

But one resident was concerned that even a partial fifth floor will make the building too big. Peter Frisbee, who lives at 1817 W. Ohio, says that if the bank is allowed to build a five-story building, it would set a precedent for development on Ashland.

"I don't know how you're addressing this, but you're really opening up a Pandora's Box," Frisbee said. "Five stories is too big."

Frisbee said he believes that if the bank insists on having a partial fifth floor, it needs to be set back farther from Ashland. He also expressed concerns that the bank was not adhering to zoning codes. "The problem is that no one can seem to stick to the zoning code as is," he said after the meeting.

Frisbee was not alone in his concern.

Bart Lysy, who lives across from the nearby Goldblatts Building, said by phone Monday that he went out to the site to imagine what it might look like when complete.

(But wait guys, it gets better, check this out):

"I suppose that when it's actually there, it will look quite large," he said. "I'm sure it's going to change the scale of the area." He also thinks the city should have looked at options other than a bank for the site.

"My personal opinion is that we don't need another bank," he said. "We need a good library." But Lysy believes the architect did what he could to make the building seem less imposing and that it would be fairly simple to reduce the height. "They could reduce the height by just eliminating the duplex," he said.


Brian Podszuweit, who lives down the block from the site, said he's not worried.

"It's huge," Podszuweit said after the meeting. "It's a beautiful building."

He said he would rather see a bigger, well-designed building there than vacant lots. The site currently houses a used car dealership and an empty lot that is slated to be turned into three single-family houses. Podszuweit said he is not afraid of more five-story buildings appearing in the area.

"If they all are built with the architectural detail this is, I'm all for it," he said.

Flores also disagreed with Frisbee's assessment, saying that if there were no plans for a bank at that site, it would become a five or six story parking garage.

"That's the context in which this development was created," Flores said, adding that there is a restrictive covenant in the plan that requires the bank to build it exactly as renderings show.

"All things being equal, I think this development strikes the balance we're looking for," Flores said. But he said after the meeting that all the different opinions must be considered before approving the plans.

"You need to be thoughtful; take your time on the development," Flores said. "What the building will look like is an important consideration."

American Eagle Bank president Gregory Whipple agreed and said all opinions would be considered before finalizing anything.

"It's personal taste," Whipple said. "We can tweak this a little bit." He added that because of suggestions from residents, there will likely be a coffee shop in the retail space in the lot north of the alley - but not a Starbucks.

"We'd kind of like to have more of a local flavor," Whipple said.
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Last edited by the urban politician; Dec 14, 2006 at 4:29 AM.
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  #272  
Old Posted Dec 14, 2006, 7:19 AM
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Originally Posted by the urban politician View Post
Bart Lysy, who lives across from the nearby Goldblatts Building, said by phone Monday that he went out to the site to imagine what it might look like when complete.

(But wait guys, it gets better, check this out):

"I suppose that when it's actually there, it will look quite large," he said. "I'm sure it's going to change the scale of the area." He also thinks the city should have looked at options other than a bank for the site.

"My personal opinion is that we don't need another bank," he said. "We need a good library." But Lysy believes the architect did what he could to make the building seem less imposing and that it would be fairly simple to reduce the height. "They could reduce the height by just eliminating the duplex," he said.


Says the person who lives across from the largest and tallest building in the immedaite area. Its either a 4 story building with high ceilings or 5 stories all together, I have been in there when it was owned and operated by the city (It may still be). So what if Ashland is lined with 5 story buildings, Its a wide arterial street, which will offset any canyonization feeling that could occur. If you don't like this tiny increase in density, go back to what ever suburb you came from. Let the city be a city.
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  #273  
Old Posted Dec 14, 2006, 3:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn View Post
Says the person who lives across from the largest and tallest building in the immedaite area. Its either a 4 story building with high ceilings or 5 stories all together, I have been in there when it was owned and operated by the city (It may still be). So what if Ashland is lined with 5 story buildings, Its a wide arterial street, which will offset any canyonization feeling that could occur. If you don't like this tiny increase in density, go back to what ever suburb you came from. Let the city be a city.
Yeah, plus Ashland gets pretty barren and desolate and definitely very unfriendly to pedestrians as you go south from Chicago. Bring on more 4-5 story developments lining the street! If these people want street retail (maybe they don't), then they need to accept growing densities.
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  #274  
Old Posted Dec 15, 2006, 8:25 AM
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^^^I am all for ashland being lined with 4 -8 story building from 39th at least north to rosehill and maybe even devon

c'mon it is like the second most busy thoroughfare in chicgao after western

not only should there be these building but there should be a subway lining it all the way north - south.....imagine the possibiltities....and I do not want to hear about the cost....we just spent 495,000,000,000....yes that is right 495,000,000,000 up to the end of november ....since 9/11 on ineffectual homeland security....instead use 1% of that and employee a few thousand people to build a subway in arguably the second most important city in the damn country....boy that would not make any sense now would it
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  #275  
Old Posted Dec 15, 2006, 2:56 PM
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RE: The south side parks extension

I think a little chain of islands would be cool. I also would like to see the continuity of parks continue all the way down to the Indiana state line. But I have one concern. From the sounds of the terraforming they are proposing, some of that parkland could actually sprout out far enough into the lake and cross the state line in Indiana. Is there any issue with that? I mean, there's not a single doubt whatsoever that Indiana would allow it, but what about the administrative aspects of it? Who pays for maintenance? What if someone gets hurt on the Indiana side of the park? etc, etc.

Given that the communities bordering the lake on the Indiana side are working to reclaim more lakeshore as parkland, it would be great if the lakefront path goes all the way through and into the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. I already love biking on the south side part of the path, extending all the way there would be fantastic.
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  #276  
Old Posted Dec 15, 2006, 6:14 PM
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Ugh. Chicago seems to be turning into the rest of the nation's backoffice. It's kind of depressing, even if no jobs are lost.
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  #277  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2006, 5:08 AM
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Ugh. Chicago seems to be turning into the rest of the nation's backoffice. It's kind of depressing, even if no jobs are lost.
^ While I can understand why there are fears of such a thing happening, I must dispute this. I have read some evidence (a few years old, albeit) that despite losing Fortune 500 headquarters, Chicago has actually been gaining HQ of large corporations (greater than 1000 employees) rather than losing them.

The really really big corporations aren't really tied to a city or regional economy anyhow. Look at Berkshire Hathaway. Once you are as large and important as United, Boeing, or Walmart, I can't imagine there being as much of a need to be in the downtown or even very near a major city.

Anyhow, I don't want to take this thread too far away from what it's intended to be--a development thread.
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  #278  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2006, 9:24 AM
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Yes, it's true, Chicago is actually doing well in the HQ game, but our biggest and best-known names do not fit into that category.

Spending time downtown tonight, the local flavor has definitely been swept away from a lot of our city already. The obnoxious displays at Macy's that correlate with a Broadway show in NY and have nothing to do with Chicago, the terrible renovation Chase gave to the former Bank One building, &c.
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  #279  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2006, 2:13 PM
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...the terrible renovation Chase gave to the former Bank One building, &c...
The lobby reconfigure?
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  #280  
Old Posted Dec 16, 2006, 3:01 PM
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Originally Posted by honte View Post
Yes, it's true, Chicago is actually doing well in the HQ game, but our biggest and best-known names do not fit into that category.

Spending time downtown tonight, the local flavor has definitely been swept away from a lot of our city already. The obnoxious displays at Macy's that correlate with a Broadway show in NY and have nothing to do with Chicago, the terrible renovation Chase gave to the former Bank One building, &c.
^ And I'll never get over the "Broadway in Chicago" moniker. All of this shit screams "if you can't afford New York, come to Chicago".
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