CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction, v7 - Page 87

harryc · #**1721** Posted **Nov 24, 2015, 5:05 PM**

Nov 19

streetline · #**1722** Posted **Nov 24, 2015, 5:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

After reading the details in the article, I just don't see this ever happening. You've got a guy with no experience downtown, trying to build big in an extremely unproven and frankly unappealing area, not to mention the known resistance that city planners have shown toward previous attempts at residential here.

It's certainly not impossible - much of River North, West Loop, South Loop, etc was equally wasteland-ish, until it wasn't. I just don't see this developer being the first to crack the nut. Reminds me of Lexington Park to some extent, which actually did get built... but only in the reckless frenzied peak of the last bubble. And it took the developer down with it.

You would normally expect an area like this to start small, but there's really nothing that brings people to this area right now. No restaurants, no office space, no bars, no residential. The shopping on Roosevelt is a world apart, and everyone drives there.

The area isn't quite as completely dead as you describe, there is a pub right across the street with a nice back patio, as well as some fairly large offices for Northern Trust and a few different branches of government. And Kozy's Cyclery and the Maxwell Street Market are just a block west. And the Roosevelt road shopping district is only a block to the south these days with Southgate Market and The Maxwell. And the Blue Line and West Loop are only two blocks north.

The fact that nearly "everyone drives there" is why I'd consider it so urgent that some of the parking lots between Roosevelt and Congress get filled in. It's not just a matter of getting more customers in walking distance, it's a matter of making the area look more populated and walkable so that people already in walking distance in the West Loop will give it a try.

That said I don't disagree that the city seems to want to keep the area underdeveloped as a 'downtown service area', so the developer will certainly have his work cut out for him.

SamInTheLoop · #**1723** Posted **Nov 24, 2015, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

You're correct - height looks like it's actually 164'. No retail; the first floor is just the residential and office lobbies. Architect is BKV Group.

Thanks for info.....no retail for all that Michigan Ave frontage should be absolutely unacceptable. Period . They should be forced to include a fair amount.

Also......BKV Group?? Interesting......I'm not familiar......but the design is pretty good......seem capable at least.....

streetline · #**1724** Posted **Nov 24, 2015, 5:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

I think it could work, but IMO they'd either have to start smaller or build more at one time. The actual location is completely fine. It's right near a Blue Line stop, near the river, near two interstates, and not far from both UIC/University Village and South Loop. Logistically it's completely fine. What sucks about the area is that yes, it's not really appealing. The corner this guy wants to build on has stuff like a bad looking mechanic shop near it. Another corner is a big empty thing of land - not sure which corner they want to build on so I mentioned both of those. There's more industrial stuff right around there and even a power grid site, unfortunately. To the south, yes there's that sizable development (The Maxwell) with stuff like World Market, Whole Foods, LA FItness, etc.

IMO what the developer would need to do is basically buy some properties in that area and develop it with retail/commercial business. Unfortunately right south of there on both sides of Jefferson is a power grid site. If I were the developer, I'd actually build something on the SE corner of Taylor & Clinton on that big parking lot There's some actual retail/commercial there already from the development I already mentioned - Buffalo Wild Wings, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, World Market, Whole Foods, LA Fitness, etc. That would be way more attractive.

SE of Taylor and Clinton is The Maxwell, do you mean NE?

Also, I believe the "big empty thing of land" you mentioned NW of Jefferson and Polk is supposed to be developed as a 5 story data center.

SamInTheLoop · #**1725** Posted **Nov 24, 2015, 5:23 PM**

Very unfortunately, Ardecila and k1052 get the analysis right when it comes to that proposed west-of-River south loop tower's prospects.....I've points out at every opportunity how sadly misguided the city's strategy is for that area......and Marothisu, do you know what will be going up at Taylor/Clinton intersection come spring? That's right - a giant Portillo's with undoubtedly a huge aurface parking lot and 3-lane drve-thru! Yay!!! Way to go, City of Chicago!!!

I'll just add that k1052 - the problem with not being concerned with the city's 'planning' of this area because it will concentrate dense development for the next few cycles east of the River and save this west of River area for denser redevelopment in the second half of this century is that that ignores the problem - as I've pointed out several times - that this is creating for urban retail and street life and activity in the remainder of the south loop......it is serving to stymie its development, and will continue to, as more freestanding stores/restaurants and shopping centers are added in the Roosevelt suburban retail wasteland.....

munchymunch · #**1726** Posted **Nov 24, 2015, 7:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Thanks for info.....no retail for all that Michigan Ave frontage should be absolutely unacceptable. Period . They should be forced to include a fair amount.

Also......BKV Group?? Interesting......I'm not familiar......but the design is pretty good......seem capable at least.....

That's kind of cool, they are from Minneapolis. They usually do midrise apartments that are usually ok.

k1052 · #**1727** Posted **Nov 24, 2015, 8:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Very unfortunately, Ardecila and k1052 get the analysis right when it comes to that proposed west-of-River south loop tower's prospects.....I've points out at every opportunity how sadly misguided the city's strategy is for that area......and Marothisu, do you know what will be going up at Taylor/Clinton intersection come spring? That's right - a giant Portillo's with undoubtedly a huge aurface parking lot and 3-lane drve-thru! Yay!!! Way to go, City of Chicago!!!

I'll just add that k1052 - the problem with not being concerned with the city's 'planning' of this area because it will concentrate dense development for the next few cycles east of the River and save this west of River area for denser redevelopment in the second half of this century is that that ignores the problem - as I've pointed out several times - that this is creating for urban retail and street life and activity in the remainder of the south loop......it is serving to stymie its development, and will continue to, as more freestanding stores/restaurants and shopping centers are added in the Roosevelt suburban retail wasteland.....

Adding 10s of thousands of residents to the South Loop east of the river will drive the local retail and street life/restaurant/street life scene in those areas. I don't see a Portillo's going in or a couple fast casual chains in this sub area to be a signifiant threat to that. Could the city have done better? Sure. Is it a dealbreaker for increasing vibrancy in the south loop? I don't think so by any means.

the urban politician · #**1728** Posted **Nov 24, 2015, 8:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Very unfortunately, Ardecila and k1052 get the analysis right when it comes to that proposed west-of-River south loop tower's prospects.....I've points out at every opportunity how sadly misguided the city's strategy is for that area......and Marothisu, do you know what will be going up at Taylor/Clinton intersection come spring? That's right - a giant Portillo's with undoubtedly a huge aurface parking lot and 3-lane drve-thru! Yay!!! Way to go, City of Chicago!!!

Come on, man, don't diss Portillo's. I love that giant beef, with the giardiniera.....mmmmm......

marothisu · #**1729** Posted **Nov 25, 2015, 4:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

and Marothisu, do you know what will be going up at Taylor/Clinton intersection come spring? That's right - a giant Portillo's with undoubtedly a huge aurface parking lot and 3-lane drve-thru! Yay!!! Way to go, City of Chicago!!!

Serious? That's really sad. Which corner?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcp

Please be joking...please be joking....no effing drive throughs downtown!

Well, I don't think anybody would ever consider Taylor/Clinton to be downtown. It's outside of it and that area is really kind of sad in that way anyway, so if they had to put anything near downtown like it, it makes sense that it's there. It's very unfortunate nonetheless though.