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I do think there are real opportunities along the river. It's close enough to downtown to warrant higher densities, but far enough from the core and lake (you're not getting lake views here unless you're talking 500+ ft, not happening) to discourage any serious height proposals. I don't think the street grid will be a hindrance. If anything it would make for a more interesting neighborhood IMO. The streets along both the north and south branch are mostly connected to the larger grid, although there are some quirks. The biggest obstacle for the areas along the river is transit. Funny enough, the south branch seems better equipped for transit improvements than the north branch. I wouldn't be surprised if someone high up at Sterling Bay was in Rahm's ear pushing for CTA service (minimally a bus, preferably below grade rail) along Clybourn. |
I don't think one or two highrises will destroy the midrise aesthetic of the West Loop, much in the same way that 10 to 12 story buildings in the Loop proper don't take away from the highrise feel of the Loop. Variety is a good thing, and having one or two tall towers break the monotony of the 8 to 10 story canopy in the West Loop would be a good thing over all. Just look at the Landmark. I think it fits in very well with its surroundings.
I also think marothisu is right, this is merely to freak people out and then placate them with the *real* proposal, which would be roughly 30 to 35 stories. Its an efficient way to get what they want from a historically NIMBY neighborhood. |
Can anyone post any renderings i can't seem to find any
Edit:NVM |
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That entirely depends on how much of the historic building stock the neighborhood retains. River North used to be a warehouse neighborhood too, but it all got demolished due to urban renewal, and then due to redevelopment pressure in the 90's.
The real test for the West Loop will be what happens once all the empty lots and nondescript 1 story industrial buildings have been leveled and redeveloped. I'm hoping the mistakes of the past won't be repeated... |
Notes from the meeting
Related Midwest + Tucker Development
Stantec is AOR 300 units, condos 10 buildings preserved and restored Retail at ground level 570'/51 floors 300 parking Targeting LEED Gold Bonus payment of ~$4.9 million 60 minimum affordable units 15' tower setback from Peoria (above podium) 4 story podium with terrace, podium aligns to streetwall. All active space hiding parking Steel, aluminum brick and glass exterior Emphasis on depth in facade Taller and thinner to maximize solar access ----- The design is great, I wish it would go forward as is, albeit with a reduced parking ratio. I foresee the West Loop becoming a dounut with a mid-rise center and high-rise edges, and I'm excitied at the prospect. I understand the desire for a mid-rise neighborhood, but honestly there is plenty of opportunity for that farther west and also in the lakefront neighborhoods where such development is already occurring. |
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Basically, offering true midrise neighborhoods helps increase the "menu" of different living options that Chicago offers, which means the city is attractive to more people. Look at European cities, not the core areas but the actual neighborhoods where middle-class folks live... often these are midrise neighborhoods that have stood the test of time. Unfortunately our zoning code has a "downtown area" where highrises are explicitly encouraged, and neighborhood zoning outside of that where anything above four stories is essentially banned. There's not really a way for a midrise neighborhood to spring up outside of the downtown area, and this is basically the only neighborhood within the downtown area that hasn't already been overrun by highrises. If we had a more organic process where, say, Wicker Park or Lakeview could slowly grow into a forest of midrises and the process continuing outward, the West Loop wouldn't be so precious, but that's not the system we live under... |
Love it. Don't drink the West Loop Nimby Kool-Aid. This idea that no high-rise should exist west of Halsted was always nimby BS. It's right by the L a few blocks from Halsted. It's not going to ruin the mid-rise vernacular of the neighborhood. It's one building by a very thoughtful experienced architect. It probably won't be that tall in the end but really why shouldn't it be? The idea of this area staying a mid-rise utopia forever is unsustainable. Development around here is happening so fast and land is getting snatched up so quickly. If we don't start building up there will be nothing left soon. This is being presented now because there are people out there that understand the future of the city and the need to take advantage of the opportunity this neighborhood currently represents. It's not going to last forever.
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Doesn't even seem too out of place when looking East, juxtaposed with the skyline. |
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Having said that, in order to get massive numbers of people to the West Loop, you will have to have at least some parking. That means suck it up and build a few public garages |
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If that’s my option, I’d rather have a highrise with ground floor commercial space, a few levels of parking, and residential above. Plus, these days developers are getting more creative with podiums, such as the Related proposal above. They often look better or have liner units. I’m fine with a midrise neighborhood, but ground floor parking with opaque windows facing the sidewalk? BAN that shit. |
As much as I support a well-utilized piece of land, this is a flagrant disregard of the established area and landmark district. Which doesn't make an automatic transgression, I guess, but it's still a little preposterous. 300 units for the whole block doesn't seem particularly burdensome, and it's not office where there's daily regular vehicular access, so I don't think it's overly dense.
However, 50 stories would set a weird precedent of exceedingly taller towers mixed in with protected low-rise buildings. And their looming symbolism will quickly erode the feel that the area has now. And 50 stories of hokey industrial pastiche is never welcome. |
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The tower makes the restoration and preservation of the block's historic buildings possible. |
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^Case in point. They knew that the prospective leases alone would recoup the investment in the rehabs, irrespective of the high-rise component.
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TOD zoning is really only enough for a neighborhood to hold its ground, population-wise. Quote:
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If all we are doing is treading water by building TOD in Logan Square, then surely the same applies here where you have lowrise historic district mixed with midrises. There is an upper limit to how much density that fabric allows and the West Loop is approaching that. If this is going to become an office district, it's going to need residential density too or we will just end up with another Loop, bustling during the day, dead at night. Or we can build a whole new neighborhood from scratch that preserves old historic industrial buildings and makes room for both new commercial and residential density.
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