CHICAGO | General Developments

[CenIL_LA]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

If you follow the figures Tracy Cross puts out (see this week's Crain's for the latest - 3rd Quarter), the suburban housing market has been slowing much more dramatically than the city, and if anything this gap is just widening with each passing quarter. Consider this: his firm just reported that on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis, new home sales in the city are now running at over 50% of suburban sales! That is really incredible when you think about it, as I'm sure suburban new home sales have typically been more like 3-4 times that of the city....

Wow, that is quite incredible. Its a good thing there are others reading more than I get to. Thanks for posting that information.

[Taft]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

If you follow the figures Tracy Cross puts out (see this week's Crain's for the latest - 3rd Quarter), the suburban housing market has been slowing much more dramatically than the city, and if anything this gap is just widening with each passing quarter. Consider this: his firm just reported that on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis, new home sales in the city are now running at over 50% of suburban sales! That is really incredible when you think about it, as I'm sure suburban new home sales have typically been more like 3-4 times that of the city....

That is incredible. Almost too much to believe, really. Does Cross post the data/reasoning behind his numbers? I would really be interested in seeing that...

Taft

[BVictor1]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-parkoct24,1,7813738.story

For insider, park a gold mine
City buys contaminated riverfront property from prominent Daley ally, who pockets more than $1 million in sale


A parcel of land along the Chicago River in Bridgeport purchased by businessman Thomas DiPiazza for $50,000 in 1997 and bought by the city six years later for $1.2 million. (Tribune photo / Phil Velasquez / September 24, 2007)

By Laurie Cohen and Todd Lighty | Tribune staff reporters
October 24, 2007

Mayor Richard Daley took an hourlong boat ride on the Chicago River in fall 1997 and came back with a vision of improving the riverfront in the city's neighborhoods.

[aaron38]

^^^I'm in the wrong business.

[honte]

^ Trash or real estate, it doesn't matter what business you're in in this town.... just how you do it.

[Marcu]

^ Well good thing taxes are going up.

[BVictor1]

November Member Meeting
Wednesday, November 14, 2007

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next South Loop Neighbors membership meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 14 at 7:00 pm.

The meeting will be hosted at Columbia College, 600 S. Michigan. Our guest speaker will be Alicia Berg, Vice President, Campus Environment.

We will also be showcasing the newest “green” development in the South Loop. This meeting is open to the community. Come and bring your Neighbor!

[the urban politician]

Well, I must say that NIMBYism can sometimes be a good thing:

Strip mall headed for Bucktown
MCM Properties to develop 60 condos with Smithfield

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER
Editor

Neighbors are trying to put the brakes on a proposed strip mall in Bucktown by real estate developer Smithfield Properties.

Representatives of the Bucktown Triangle Association-bounded by Western, Milwaukee, Leavitt and North-say plans for the strip mall at the intersection of Milwaukee and Leavitt have changed from a proposal presented to the group more than a year ago. Previous plans for the development put buildings up against the stretch of Milwaukee, creating a more traditional Chicago streetscape. Greenstein said the development would go on empty parcels of land that abut the el track to the west. West of the el track, the company is working with MCM Properties to develop five condominium buildings that will stand five stories high and include 60 parking spaces.
http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=25&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=3575&TM=40754.89

[honte]

^ Yeah. That's the parcel that started out with some awesome design and has been re-worked about 5 times now over the last 6 years or so. The plans just keep getting worse. Good for the neighbors to fight this one.

[lazar22b]

Theres absolutly no need for a strip mall there.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Well, I must say that NIMBYism can sometimes be a good thing:

Strip mall headed for Bucktown
MCM Properties to develop 60 condos with Smithfield

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER
Editor

Neighbors are trying to put the brakes on a proposed strip mall in Bucktown by real estate developer Smithfield Properties.

Representatives of the Bucktown Triangle Association-bounded by Western, Milwaukee, Leavitt and North-say plans for the strip mall at the intersection of Milwaukee and Leavitt have changed from a proposal presented to the group more than a year ago. Previous plans for the development put buildings up against the stretch of Milwaukee, creating a more traditional Chicago streetscape. Greenstein said the development would go on empty parcels of land that abut the el track to the west. West of the el track, the company is working with MCM Properties to develop five condominium buildings that will stand five stories high and include 60 parking spaces.
http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=25&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=3575&TM=40754.89

That site plan is revolting. Is that even allowed under the zoning? And if it's a PUD, can't the city just revoke the approval for a material change like that?

[VivaLFuego]

There is scaffolding up at the building 2nd from the corner at Superior/Dearborn. I remember some time ago there was talk of the American Poetry Association (?) getting some large endowment to bulldoze these structures and put up a new museum/center/something. Anyone have any more details? I hope this one was documented before demolition, the facade was really quite flawless, hope it can be partially salvaged...

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

There is scaffolding up at the building 2nd from the corner at Superior/Dearborn. I remember some time ago there was talk of the American Poetry Association (?) getting some large endowment to bulldoze these structures and put up a new museum/center/something. Anyone have any more details? I hope this one was documented before demolition, the facade was really quite flawless, hope it can be partially salvaged...

They recently selected John Ronan to build their new HQ.

Here's a snippet from their press release:

Located on the southwest corner of Dearborn and Superior Streets in downtown Chicago, the new building is expected to encompass 25,000 square feet and include offices for the Poetry Foundation headquarters, editorial offices for Poetry magazine, a library and archives containing 30,000 volumes now housed at the Newberry Library, a public reading room with access to the collection, a visitors’ center, a garden or similar outdoor space, and multipurpose space designed to support the newly created Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute as well as the Foundation’s roster of public programming events such as readings, lectures, and panel discussions. The Foundation expects the project to be designed in an environmentally responsible manner.

[ih8spires]

Does anyone know anything about the Museum of Brodcast Communications at State and Kinzie? I hope there is something going on.

[honte]

Originally Posted by spyguy

They recently selected John Ronan to build their new HQ.

Well, at least that part of the sad story is good news. Ronan is certainly one of the best in Chicago.

[the urban politician]

IIT chief going for 'exciting'
BRONZEVILLE | 'We'd love to see a little college town develop,' school's new president says

October 28, 2007
BY DAVE NEWBART Staff Reporter [email protected]
No one would suggest the social life at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Bronzeville campus would ever rank it on Playboy's list of the top party schools.

There are no restaurants or trendy bars near campus. Students say they head downtown or to the North Side on weekends.

"It's not a party school," noted Elizabeth Schmit, who lives in an alcohol-free Kappa Phi Delta house. "We don't have toga parties."

New IIT president John Anderson, a chemical engineer, isn't looking to turn the school into the University of Wisconsin. But he would like to see a vibrant community sprout near campus.

"We'd love to see a little college town develop," said Anderson, who will be inaugurated as the school's eighth president Tuesday. "It would be great to have a pub."
http://www.suntimes.com/technology/623632,CST-NWS-IIT28.article




Chicago Lawn teams up to back Cannery

To learn more about and show support for a proposed 1 1/2 million-square-foot retail complex in Chicago Lawn, about 50 community leaders assembled at the Churchview Senior Complex on Sept. 26 for a meeting convened by primary partners General Growth Properties and NCP lead agency Greater Southwest Development Corp.

Jeff Bartow, director of Southwest Organizing Project, holds up the Chicago Lawn NCP quality of life plan, titled "Making Connections," in setting the tone for the Sept. 26 meeting about a proposed 1 1/2 million square foot retail development called The Cannery.



The residents, business owners, educators, clergy, police, and nonprofit social services providers and community developers packed the room to hear about The Cannery, which would incorporate existing retail outlets like Jewel-Osco and Sears while adding new anchors, smaller stores, restaurants and a community center.

In introducing the 27-acre concept, Jeff Bartow, director of the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP), a key partner in the NCP task force process, held up the Chicago Lawn quality-of-life plan, titled "Making Connections." He reminded those assembled that the plan called for building a "town center" at 60th Street and Western Avenue.
http://www.newcommunities.org/news/articleDetail.asp?objectID=857&communityID=

[pyropius]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Reminds me of the development near the Howard Street station.

[forumly_chgoman]

Originally Posted by pyropius

Reminds me of the development near the Howard Street station.

Which by the way SUCKS....I deal w/ it everyday and God could it have been much better. While this southside development is better than nothing there really could be better integration w/ the neighborhood as opposed to this shit for brains schaumburgian development

[forumly_chgoman]

Originally Posted by pyropius

Reminds me of the development near the Howard Street station.

Which by the way SUCKS....I deal w/ it everyday and God could it have been much better. While this southside development is better than nothing there really could be better integration w/ the neighborhood as opposed to this shit for brains schaumburgian development


Oh and by the way General Growth should simply not be allowed to develop anything within the City of Chicago with the only exception being their river front location on wacker, where a nice 80-100 story building should go.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by forumly_chgoman

Which by the way SUCKS....I deal w/ it everyday and God could it have been much better. While this southside development is better than nothing there really could be better integration w/ the neighborhood as opposed to this shit for brains schaumburgian development


Oh and by the way General Growth should simply not be allowed to develop anything within the City of Chicago with the only exception being their river front location on wacker, where a nice 80-100 story building should go.

^ We're having a discussion about that at SSC, and to make a long point short, I think this is exactly what Chicago's south side (outside of core lakefront hoods well-served by transit) needs more of to attract more residents. I hate strip-style development too, but attracting more residents requires appealing to the general public, not internet urban enthusiasts.

But I agree with you about the Gateway Mall at Howard St. That kind of design has no business being near a transit station