CHICAGO | General Developments

[the urban politician]

^ That is Chinatown, right? Probably a Chinese developer?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ That is Chinatown, right? Probably a Chinese developer?

It's technically Lower West Side/East Pilsen - it's right across the river from Chinatown.

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Just saw something potentially cool. Building permit for this warehouse at 2105 S Jefferson (Jefferson & Cermak-ish) to turn part of it into a new market. It says first floor retail and restaurant with escalators up to the 2nd floor for a supermarket. I don't know why but it sounds cool because it's in an old warehouse and reminds me of some stuff they've done a lot in NYC. Could be really cool. It says the owner is "New Market Inc"

That is cool! I have always thought that area would make a great retail/dining/residential/tourist district as long as the integrity of the buildings is kept and any new development around there would be respectful of those buildings. With near river access and the Cermak bridge there it has the potential to be a real interesting area.

[Rizzo]

Wow, sounds kind of like a public market concept. I was thinking about this a few months ago how many cities have these huge public market buildings or town square market areas. I realize Fulton Market was one of those places historically and now we have the French Market which is nice. But I was thinking something bigger. On a visit home over the past holidays I went to the farmers market in Flint, Michigan and the building was huge. Two stories of retail, restaurants, food stands, office space, an atrium for large performances, and rooftop dining. I figured Chicago could pull something off similar easily.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Wow, these are rad. I really hope they knock down that foolish 7-11 nearby. This is a great development, I own property near there as well!

This is nice and I bet that base could hold a lot of retail. Seems like the existing building stock on that corner is pretty meh or downright awful (such as the 7-11...wow UGH!!!)

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Wow, sounds kind of like a public market concept. I was thinking about this a few months ago how many cities have these huge public market buildings or town square market areas. I realize Fulton Market was one of those places historically and now we have the French Market which is nice. But I was thinking something bigger. On a visit home over the past holidays I went to the farmers market in Flint, Michigan and the building was huge. Two stories of retail, restaurants, food stands, office space, an atrium for large performances, and rooftop dining. I figu of tred Chicago could pull something off similar easily.

Exactly. That's the type of thing Chicago needs more of which is why I thought "Hell yeah!" when I read the permit. I don't know how big it is or if more permits are on the way but its estimate cost is $1.2M. i think this is in the same big warehouse as U-Haul recently moved into (at least work was being done to make it into a U-Haul).

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by Hayward

Wow, sounds kind of like a public market concept. I was thinking about this a few months ago how many cities have these huge public market buildings or town square market areas. I realize Fulton Market was one of those places historically and now we have the French Market which is nice. But I was thinking something bigger. On a visit home over the past holidays I went to the farmers market in Flint, Michigan and the building was huge. Two stories of retail, restaurants, food stands, office space, an atrium for large performances, and rooftop dining. I figured Chicago could pull something off similar easily.

Theres really zero in common with Fulton Mkt and French Mkt. What you're describing sounds nice, but if its going to be am actual farmers market I dont see how it would work given our region's climate. Eventually it just becomes a fancy grocery store ala Eataly or French Market. Although that model has worked, ala St Lawrence Mkt in Toronto.

Speaking of Toronto, that city seems to have such a vibrant outdoor market scene as well. I wish Chicago would loosen its regulations a bit and allow that sort of thing. Adds such a vibrancy and enhanced street life to certain neighborhoods.


http://www.blogto.com/upload/2011/07...007_id0008.jpg

https://tayloronhistory.files.wordpr.../dscn84141.jpg

[Mr Downtown]

With that name and location, I think it's likely to be a big Chinese supermarket—not a public market like the ones found in other cities.

For various reasons (mostly that Chicago immigrants preferred local shops where their own language was spoken), Chicago never developed any big public markets—though there were several attempts in the 19th century. The conditions that produced the early 20th century farmers markets found in some cities weren't present in Chicago.

Today's public markets are heavily subsidized, at least the buildings, and are largely kept afloat by selling coffee and lunches to office workers nearby. That seems pretty unlikely in a PMD between the Dan Ryan and the river.

[Via Chicago]

I think Fulton Market is actually a huge missed opportunity in a lot of ways. I understand the value of real estate that close to downtown. On the other hand, it could have been such a cool diversion within walking distance to the loop had it been preserved and marketed right...instead its just gonna become another bland, faceless neighborhood with yuppie lofts and offices. In under 5 years there wont be a functioning "market" at all.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

For various reasons (mostly that Chicago immigrants preferred local shops where their own language was spoken), Chicago never developed any big public markets—though there were several attempts in the 19th century. The conditions that produced the early 20th century farmers markets found in some cities weren't present in Chicago.

Interesting, I have always wondered.

Was the South Water Market not the same thing?

[Mr Downtown]

Fulton Market, South Water Market, and 77th & State* were wholesale markets, selling large quantities to restaurants, hotels, and small grocers. Later in the morning, if they weren't busy, maybe they'd sell ordinary people a slab of ribs or a flat of eggs, but housewives weren't invited to come in and pick out individual pork chops or tomatoes.

*I wish I knew more about this one. I don't know if the district had a name or to whom it catered—perhaps South Side corner groceries. I assume that half the buildings were lost to the Dan Ryan.

[Ryanrule]

make the big ass plot of land south of Roosevelt into a big bazaar.
encourage "maker" type activities.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Ryanrule

make the big ass plot of land south of Roosevelt into a big bazaar.
encourage "maker" type activities.

LOL, that would be cool. I love my time in the middle east at various bazaars and markets. I think Chicago should consider having it - something more year round than the Maxwell Street Market and Christkindlemarket. The Green City Market is year round but it's not really a tourist thing at all. Would be cool to have a market like you'd see in Seattle or something.

[XIII]

Originally Posted by marothisu

LOL, that would be cool. I love my time in the middle east at various bazaars and markets. I think Chicago should consider having it - something more year round than the Maxwell Street Market and Christkindlemarket. The Green City Market is year round but it's not really a tourist thing at all. Would be cool to have a market like you'd see in Seattle or something.

Check out old spitalfields in London, for example. Its in an area sort of like wicker park and caters to a yuppie/tourist/maker crowd. Lots of vintage, screen prints, art and other stuff under a covered roof and encircled by hip bars and permanent retail space and topped off with "cool" offices (design, fashion, architecture, etc). It becomes its own destination.

http://www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/the-market

This would work better in Chicago than any other US city and I can't believe someone hasn't appropriated the idea yet.

[ardecila]

So basically the Brooklyn Flea. It's not that American cities don't have similar markets, it's that they don't have the enclosed structures to enable year-round operation, and can't afford to build them new. It works in London because the city owns the market shed and has nothing better to do with it but rent it to a flock of Etsy types. Historical happenstance.

If, somehow, Chicago had saved the Coliseum on South Wabash, it would be a great spot for such a market... But nobody had the foresight to keep it around, and now it's a Buddhist temple with ginormous parking lots that blights the streetscape.

[XIII]

Originally Posted by ardecila

So basically the Brooklyn Flea. It's not that American cities don't have similar markets, it's that they don't have the enclosed structures to enable year-round operation, and can't afford to build them new. It works in London because the city owns the market shed and has nothing better to do with it but rent it to a flock of Etsy types. Historical happenstance.

If, somehow, Chicago had saved the Coliseum on South Wabash, it would be a great spot for such a market... But nobody had the foresight to keep it around, and now it's a Buddhist temple with ginormous parking lots that blights the streetscape.

Well, like Brooklyn flea if it grew up, showered, moved out of its parents house and got a white collar job...
The market "vintage" is Barbour and Burberry and the quality of the goods is there - not all lavender soap and owl jewelry. The food is all mid-high end casual and fast casual. The permanent non-booth stores are things that could be on oak street, damen or Michigan ave (Hacket, top shop, camper, jigsaw, benefit, doc martins, all saints, etc). The whole thing operates like more of a retail incubator; do well on a stall and you can graduate to a storefront.

As for ownership, it is private, not public owned.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...lfields-market

This would work well somewhere like wicker park or west loop and the strategy is upmarket and diversified enough so that its not just etsy run off.

[ardecila]

^ Yeah, I figured it was high-end after I dropped $100 on a pair of pants at AllSaints.

The history is actually a bit more complicated, seemingly... the City of London sold the market and surrounds in 1986 into private hands, under the condition that the original wholesale produce market be relocated to a site in a more suburban area - this relocation happened in 1991. It then went through several planning schemes and corporate owners before the market finally re-opened in 2009 after London had already gentrified around it.

But between 1991 and 2009, as best I can tell, it was very much like Brooklyn Flea - a boho/hipster market that was very much rough around the edges, operating under the loose oversight of a developer with grand plans for the future.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by ardecila

So basically the Brooklyn Flea. It's not that American cities don't have similar markets, it's that they don't have the enclosed structures to enable year-round operation, and can't afford to build them new. It works in London because the city owns the market shed and has nothing better to do with it but rent it to a flock of Etsy types. Historical happenstance.

If, somehow, Chicago had saved the Coliseum on South Wabash, it would be a great spot for such a market... But nobody had the foresight to keep it around, and now it's a Buddhist temple with ginormous parking lots that blights the streetscape.

Chicago has nomadic fairs like that such as Renagade art fair, but as you say, there's no permanent home for a year round incarnation. It's very popular on the few weekends a year they do it.

Another cool market-esque concept in London is BoxPark which is made of shipping containers and houses an armada of small retailers, mainly fashion related. They are about to knock boxpark down for skyscrapers, oh well...

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by ardecila

^ Yeah, I figured it was high-end after I dropped $100 on a pair of pants at AllSaints.

Eh, that seems like it would be a deal at AllSaints.

I pretty much stopped shelling out major dough on denim years ago when I found myself constantly wearing the H&M jeans I got on sale for $25 while the $225 pair from A.P.C. just sat in my closet, barely ever even touched.

[wierdaaron]

The Chicago Athletic Association building on South Michigan Ave, currently being rehabbed into some kind of boutique hotel, just got itself a new entry canopy installed.











I'm assuming the building is Landmarked to hell which would cover this, so I wonder what the process for getting this designed, approved, and installed was. Wasn't the Langham hotel able to get an exemption to build one of these?