CHICAGO | General Developments

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

^anf if you need to report to work at 700, what time train would one need to be on? 445am? I did the whole metro/shuttle thing for over a year from st Charles. Worst year ever. Exhausted everyday because I had to wake up so early. Thankfully, that dreadful year pushed me into my decision to move to the city, so guess I can't complain now.

well, a big part of your former metra misery is the fact that st. charles is located in fucking nebraska.

if you live in a normal suburb like, oh let's say des plaines, then you can catch a morning express metra train that will get you to oglivie in 28 minutes. if you live 6 blocks from the metra station in des plaines, and you work at McD's in the west loop (6 blocks from ogilvie), then tack on a 3 minute bike ride to the front and back ends of the train ride and you're looking at 34 minutes of commuting, which is hardly an onerous amount of time to spend commuting in a metro area as vast and sprawled as chicagoland is.

[VKChaz]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

i think residential/hospitality/commercial uses makes lots of sense in this area. global multinational HQs, less so.

I don't think there is any absolute standard for what kind of area qualifies for a HQ. Brooklyn once seemed off the beaten path yet is now a destination for offices. This location does push the envelope a bit, but one mile from the largest commuter train stations doesn't feel wildly adventurous.

[the urban politician]

^ Well, if anything, some of these newer moves into Chicago's nascent Brooklyn (the West Loop) will only spur more development and encourage the city to plan out better transit options.

Despite the "inconvenience" of the walk from transit, I for one could not imagine who would want to drive to this location every frigging day from the western suburbs.

[Kngkyle]

A mile walk is too far. It just is. It's not just winter that kills it but summer as well. A mile walk in 90 degree heat and humidity will have you drenched with sweat when you get to work. It's not a pleasant walk either, as someone already mentioned. Biking can make it more manageable but let's be honest, maybe 1% of their employees would even consider doing that.

Shuttle buses will suffice for some, but the vast majority will either drive, relocate so they can use the EL, or find a new job. Even the EL isn't especially convenient since it will require a transfer in the loop for most people.

The fact of the matter is the current transit options in that area just aren't great and need to be improved. Hopefully as this area continues to develop it will force the city and CTA to actually look into improving the rail options in the area. Eventually the EL is going to have to be expanded to meet the needs of the expanding downtown core. I suppose it's a good problem to have.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

A mile walk is too far. It just is. It's not just winter that kills it but summer as well. A mile walk in 90 degree heat and humidity will have you drenched with sweat when you get to work. It's not a pleasant walk either, as someone already mentioned. Biking can make it more manageable but let's be honest, maybe 1% of their employees would even consider doing that.

I'm not sure where this perception comes from since I see thousands of people making the same distance (or longer) walk to jobs in River North every day from Metra.

[rlw777]

A morgan street or carpenter street metra station might make a lot of sense with all the office development in the west loop right now.

[nergie]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

well, a big part of your former metra misery is the fact that st. charles is located in fucking nebraska.

if you live in a normal suburb like, oh let's say des plaines, then you can catch a morning express metra train that will get you to oglivie in 28 minutes. if you live 6 blocks from the metra station in des plaines, and you work at McD's in the west loop (6 blocks from ogilvie), then tack on a 3 minute bike ride to the front and back ends of the train ride and you're looking at 34 minutes of commuting, which is hardly an onerous amount of time to spend commuting in a metro area as vast and sprawled as chicagoland is.

I do the reverse commute when I have to go to our offices in Des Plaines. In the summer, I ride my bike from Lakeshore East to Ogilvie and then I take the NW Line, try to catch an express if I can. I get down at either the Des Plaines or Mount Prospect Metra and bike to the office. If the weather is crappy, the CTA buses and Loop Link are great and then I take a Pace Bus from the Des Plaines Metra Station. If I am running late or if I am in a hurry my firm provides a shuttle service from both the Des Plaines and the Mount Prospect Metra stations through Pace.... Loop Link has protected bike lanes curb side, I believe his summer they are finishing the eastbound protected bike lane on Randolph. Also CTA and Pace buses have bike racks which allows you to plan given the weather.

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

boomers arent the only ones living in the suburbs, lots of younger employees are too. there seems to be this notion that everyone is magically going to relocate to the city, but the reality is people have built their lives around the old location.

And when McDonalds moved to Oak Brook in 1971 had people built their lives around the Loop HQ? Did everyone magically relocate to Oak Brook?

McDonalds is a public company which exists to make profit for shareholders. If they think they can make more profit in the city by having access to a more diverse base of skills, they have an obligation to move the HQ.

[trvlr70]

I'm actually surprised by this announcement. I always figured a move into the city would involve a trophy tower or at least some real estate with high visibility, such as along the river.

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Well, if anything, some of these newer moves into Chicago's nascent Brooklyn (the West Loop) will only spur more development and encourage the city to plan out better transit options.

Despite the "inconvenience" of the walk from transit, I for one could not imagine who would want to drive to this location every frigging day from the western suburbs.

if youre not directly on a metra line, you dont have much choice

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

Shuttle buses will suffice for some, but the vast majority will either drive, relocate so they can use the EL, or find a new job. Even the EL isn't especially convenient since it will require a transfer in the loop for most people.

^ Ahhhh...... but if this trend continues, we shall see the RISE of the Pink Line neighborhoods.

Buhahahahahahahahaha!!!

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Via Chicago

if youre not directly on a metra line, you dont have much choice

Many Metra riders are dropped off by spouses. And parking lots out west are always full of commuters' cars, too.

Originally Posted by trvlr70

I'm actually surprised by this announcement. I always figured a move into the city would involve a trophy tower or at least some real estate with high visibility, such as along the river.

McD's is about efficiency and trophies aren't efficient.

[BVictor1]

.

[nomarandlee]

What this issue really addresses is the need for a downtown circulator of some kind. I know that none of the talk about plans prior would do much to address this location but all of downtown (be if RN, SLoop, WLoop, S'Ville) is just becoming too large and dense not to have a greatly enhanced more interconnected system dowtown.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

And when McDonalds moved to Oak Brook in 1971 had people built their lives around the Loop HQ? Did everyone magically relocate to Oak Brook?

Interesting reading about that 1971 move, including a long (and very bemused) discussion of 70s office design trends and a hilarious comment about how the "bitchiness" factor went down after the move to the suburbs.

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1...burger-central

Apparently their former Loop headquarters was at 221 N LaSalle, the LaSalle-Wacker Building, a piece of property currently owned by... wait for it...

Sterling Bay.

[Koernerstr32]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

A mile walk is too far. It just is. It's not just winter that kills it but summer as well. A mile walk in 90 degree heat and humidity will have you drenched with sweat when you get to work. It's not a pleasant walk either, as someone already mentioned. Biking can make it more manageable but let's be honest, maybe 1% of their employees would even consider doing that.

1 mile walk is too far? Huh? I drove 1.5 hours one way to get to Northfield from River North...horrible, but I did it for many years (company is now called KraftHeinz). The company is now located in the Aon building which is now a 1 mile walk today for me . Easy walk!!! I don't sweat since it's an easy walk. Now everyone is different but exercise is good.

[Kngkyle]

Originally Posted by Koernerstr32

1 mile walk is too far? Huh? I drove 1.5 hours one way to get to Northfield from River North...horrible, but I did it for many years (company is now called KraftHeinz). The company is now located in the Aon building which is now a 1 mile walk today for me . Easy walk!!! I don't sweat since it's an easy walk. Now everyone is different but exercise is good.

If it was just a 1 mile walk then it's fine. But it's a 1 mile walk on top of a 25-40 minute Metra ride on top of a 5-15 minute drive to the train station. That isn't going to work for 95%+ of people. They will just drive to work instead.

[Koernerstr32]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

If it was just a 1 mile walk then it's fine. But it's a 1 mile walk on top of a 25-40 minute Metra ride on top of a 5-15 minute drive to the train station. That isn't going to work for 95%+ of people. They will just drive to work instead.

Are you now changing your original statement from walking 1 mile is too far to 1 mile is fine? Or are you now adding the total commute time onto the 1 mile walk? I have many colleagues who live in the suburbs but are very positively surprised with the commute downtown from the burbs (although very negative at first). Granted, not everyone is happy with total commute time but surprisingly more are realizing it's not bad....takes time and they realized change is good.

[Kngkyle]

Originally Posted by Koernerstr32

Are you now changing your original statement from walking 1 mile is too far to 1 mile is fine? Or are you now adding the total commute time onto the 1 mile walk? I have many colleagues who live in the suburbs but are very positively surprised with the commute downtown from the burbs (although very negative at first). Granted, not everyone is happy with total commute time but surprisingly more are realizing it's not bad....takes time and they realized change is good.

My statement was made in the context of a McDonald's employee from the suburbs now having to commute downtown. That is what the discussion is about after all.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

If it was just a 1 mile walk then it's fine. But it's a 1 mile walk on top of a 25-40 minute Metra ride on top of a 5-15 minute drive to the train station. That isn't going to work for 95%+ of people. They will just drive to work instead.

Driving downtown during rush hour, on a daily basis, from the suburbs, is not pleasant.

I hate driving downtown just the once every week or two that I need to. I don't know how people can do that on a daily basis. I drive simply because I am going to multiple locations in the city (visiting my properties), but if I were going to the exact same place every day, I would never think twice about using transit (and if a shuttle system were in place, an even easier decision).