CHICAGO | General Developments

[Buckman821]

Originally Posted by SamInTheLoop

Not illogical at all - if you spend anytime whatsoever actually thinking about it. What in the world do you think metropolitan areas - most US metropolitan areas certainly, there might be some exceptions due to very particular physical geographies - would look like in the automobile age in an Ayn Rand world? The highways would still be there - they'd be private and tolled I suppose. And public transit - do you really think there would be public transit? Don't kid yourself by saying "yes". In other words, most cities would be more-or-less Houstonish. Don't resist that - embrace it, if this is your political philosophy as far as its impacts on urbanism....

I don't have to kid myself because the private market DID build what is now public transit. It was the public sphere that built highways.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Yeah, whether a highway was built by state, local, or Federal government, the entire concept of superhighways and urban renewal sprang from the vast wave of Keynesian economics that swept the United States during the New Deal / WWII / Post War era. The whole idea that the government can build a better city than the private market began in the depression era and resulted in such wonderful urban features as the Projects, the superhighways, and downright puzzling failed ideas like the IMD wasteland. Before the depression many things that we think of as the public realm were private.

Suburbs I feel are merely an extension of these ideas. It was all a very "for the common good" mentality while the United States experienced unprecedented wealth. At that time people basically assumed EVERYONE would have a new car and EVERYONE would get a 1/4 acre lot with a nice sized home. Cities were more or less considered obsolete and the way in which governments and planners treated cities at the time is perfect evidence of that. We can all see the results.

[wierdaaron]

The first episode of the PBS/BBC series How We Got To Now deals a bit with Chicago's early plumbing infrastructure challenges. There's some shots inside Wrigley during the recent restoration work. You might be able to see it online here.

[munchymunch]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

The first episode of the PBS/BBC series How We Got To Now deals a bit with Chicago's early plumbing infrastructure challenges. There's some shots inside Wrigley during the recent restoration work. You might be able to see it online here.

Wow cool. Now lets see what's going behind the building.


Crains has an article on the George Lucas muesem. He says it's going to be organic, and look like its part of nature. It will look like a living thing.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...-at-ideas-week

[Kngkyle]

Thinking about all the public park projects going on in the city, it really seems like we've replaced the skyscraper boom of the pre-recession era with a public parks boom. Obviously we are all here because we are interested in skyscraper development - but perhaps the investments in public parks and museums we're seeing now is actually more significant for the city and it's residents. Just think about all of the projects going on:

- Maggie Daley Park
- Navy Pier Redevelopment
- Northerly Island
- Riverwalk
- Lucas Museum
- LFT Navy Pier Flyover
- Acres of added public river access from Wolf Point, River Point & Riverside
- 2 new pedestrian bridges across LSD

Has there ever been this much going on before at the same time? And to this scale? At least half of the above are what I would consider to be major projects that will rather dramatically reshape the Chicago experience.

[ChickeNES]

Originally Posted by ardecila

The Belmont/Clark is out for bid and I believe they already cleared the site.

The problem I see is rental vs. condo - is the demand for rentals high enough out in the neighborhoods to justify the price of new construction? Maybe the price/SF is high enough for existing apartments ($2/SF and up) but is there enough demand to fill 50+ units without dropping the rents below that threshold?

Admittedly, the Ashland/Division tower was a strong performer, and there is a track record of huge demand for Lakeview/LP/north lakefront locations so I think those will do alright.

Unfortunately as of a week or so ago nothing has happened at Belmont/Clark, even the Dunkin Donuts on the corner is still open.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by munchymunch

Wow cool. Now lets see what's going behind the building.


Crains has an article on the George Lucas muesem. He says it's going to be organic, and look like its part of nature. It will look like a living thing.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...-at-ideas-week

Looking at this quote:

“It's going to be organic architecture. Connected to the ground, and it will look like a living thing,” said Mr. Lucas, who now lives in Chicago, during a Chicago Ideas Week discussion today with famed interviewer Charlie Rose.

^ So George Lucas now lives in Chicago. Do any of you old timer forumers rememeber a SSC forumer named Silverlake? He was an LA booster who was a real douchebag, used to make the most asinine comments, and several years ago he started a whole thread dedicated to the fact that Penelope Cruz had moved to Los Angeles.

In honor of Silverlake, I recommend we start a thread called "George Lucas is officially a Chicagoan"

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

Thinking about all the public park projects going on in the city, it really seems like we've replaced the skyscraper boom of the pre-recession era with a public parks boom. Obviously we are all here because we are interested in skyscraper development - but perhaps the investments in public parks and museums we're seeing now is actually more significant for the city and it's residents. Just think about all of the projects going on:

- Maggie Daley Park
- Navy Pier Redevelopment
- Northerly Island
- Riverwalk
- Lucas Museum
- LFT Navy Pier Flyover
- Acres of added public river access from Wolf Point, River Point & Riverside
- 2 new pedestrian bridges across LSD

Has there ever been this much going on before at the same time? And to this scale? At least half of the above are what I would consider to be major projects that will rather dramatically reshape the Chicago experience.

Don't forget the work planned at the lakefront at Fullerton. Six additional acres of park space being added.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Looking at this quote:

^ So George Lucas now lives in Chicago. Do any of you old timer forumers rememeber a SSC forumer named Silverlake? He was an LA booster who was a real douchebag, used to make the most asinine comments, and several years ago he started a whole thread dedicated to the fact that Penelope Cruz had moved to Los Angeles.

In honor of Silverlake, I recommend we start a thread called "George Lucas is officially a Chicagoan"

But Lucas never actually lived in LA, he was always based in the Bay Area, also where all of Lucasfilm and it's subsidiaries were located. He shunned and was also shunned by the filmmaking establishment in LA because he refused to play by a lot of their rules (he famously renounced his Producers guild membership because he didn't want film credits at the beginning of Star Wars).

I'm very happy he's here, I've admired him and his films ever since I was a kid and this new museum is a master stroke of a middle finger to a lot of folks far west of here

[UrbanLibertine]

On the contrary, he went to school at USC

Originally Posted by sentinel

But Lucas never actually lived in LA, he was always based in the Bay Area, also where all of Lucasfilm and it's subsidiaries were located. He shunned and was also shunned by the filmmaking establishment in LA because he refused to play by a lot of their rules (he famously renounced his Producers guild membership because he didn't want film credits at the beginning of Star Wars).

I'm very happy he's here, I've admired him and his films ever since I was a kid and this new museum is a master stroke of a middle finger to a lot of folks far west of here

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by UrbanLibertine

On the contrary, he went to school at USC

You are correct 100%, oversight on my part. I was trying to convey how his professional career was based out of Norther Cali instead of LA, I should have been clearer.

Either way, I'm glad he calls Chicago home now

[munchymunch]

Lend lease is expecting a 200-300 million dollar investment in equity in the US. There Chicago project seems to be the first one they'll be doing. Can't wait to see what they'll be attempting.

I can't copy the article here but its on "the Australian",under "lend lease plans to go big in the united states".

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by munchymunch

Lend lease is expecting a 200-300 million dollar investment in equity in the US. There Chicago project seems to be the first one they'll be doing. Can't wait to see what they'll be attempting.

I can't copy the article here but its on "the Australian",under "lend lease plans to go big in the united states".

From the article:

This month Lend Lease appointed US property professional and former Clayco executive Tom Weeks to head up its Chicago office and the group is already bidding on a development project in the Windy City.

^ This could be anything, really. I wonder which one it is

[munchymunch]

Mabye there is a reason Sterling got kicked out of the Post Office. Mabye they were outbid.

Pg51 we are probably looking into a project with, old chicago post office, franklin point, or something else large scale with "urban regeneration".
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...AL_SLIDES2.pdf

[ardecila]

What does "bidding" mean in this sense? Obviously they are looking to invest and not simply provide construction services.

I suppose it could be the Post Office. It's already entitled and just needs capital. Plus, Lend Lease is used to carrying out these large-scale developments in Australia, Asia, and the UK.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Isn't 625 W Monroe for sale? Maybe Bovis is buying it outright from Fifield...

[ardecila]

I think Bovis was just the contracting arm of the business... parent company is Lend Lease. Now the Bovis name is defunct. Idk, this company is like an Hydra with many heads.

It would be so.friggin.cool if Lend Lease picked up Fifield's plan to cap the Kennedy with a mix of new towers and park space. That's exactly the kind of awesome "urban regeneration" stuff they've done all over the place in Sydney, Melbourne, etc.

[ChickeNES]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I think Bovis was just the contracting arm of the business... parent company is Lend Lease. Now the Bovis name is defunct. Idk, this company is like an Hydra with many heads.

It would be so.friggin.cool if Lend Lease picked up Fifield's plan to cap the Kennedy with a mix of new towers and park space. That's exactly the kind of awesome "urban regeneration" stuff they've done all over the place in Sydney, Melbourne, etc.

If we get the Kennedy cap plus the 625W Monroe tower...

[Kenmore]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I think Bovis was just the contracting arm of the business... parent company is Lend Lease. Now the Bovis name is defunct. Idk, this company is like an Hydra with many heads.

It would be so.friggin.cool if Lend Lease picked up Fifield's plan to cap the Kennedy with a mix of new towers and park space. That's exactly the kind of awesome "urban regeneration" stuff they've done all over the place in Sydney, Melbourne, etc.

I like the cut of your jib

[SamInTheLoop]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

From the article:



^ This could be anything, really. I wonder which one it is

There's still definitely also the potential this is a completely new proposal. Although the wording to us doesn't sound as such, it's possible they could simply be bidding on the land for their new proposal, and knowing their plans for development/redevelopment, the Aussies are calling it 'bidding on the development project'.....just like in other areas of language, there are many differences and nuances to real estate jargon around the world, certainly even within the English-speaking world....

Or, it could be one we know of.....