CHICAGO | General Developments

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by ithakas

This might be totally off base, but what if developers could skirt minimal parking requirements by contributing to a transit development fund? Does some program like this exist?

A program like that doesn't exist, but the new TOD law now allows developers to build 1/2 of the previous minimum parking if they are within 600' to 1200' of a transit stop. It also allows them to cut their parking requirement to zero with a variance, though that still leaves the door open to NIMBY and aldermanic interference.

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

A program like that doesn't exist, but the new TOD law now allows developers to build 1/2 of the previous minimum parking if they are within 600' to 1200' of a transit stop. It also allows them to cut their parking requirement to zero with a variance, though that still leaves the door open to NIMBY and aldermanic interference.

Yeah, I'm aware of the TOD law (which needs to be hugely expanded), but thought this could be an option for developers who want to take on the risk of finding transit-oriented tenants/buyers for the reduced cost of parking infrastructure beyond those boundaries.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by ithakas

Yeah, I'm aware of the TOD law (which needs to be hugely expanded), but thought this could be an option for developers who want to take on the risk of finding transit-oriented tenants/buyers for the reduced cost of parking infrastructure beyond those boundaries.

What would be nice is if the City passed an ordinance mandating that some portion of the affordable housing fund be used only to build affordable TOD projects next to train stations. This could be especially beneficial on the South Side and West Side where huge vacant parcels exist right next to train stations. Building TOD around these stations would not only be beneficial to the lower income residents who would live there (and likely cannot afford a car anyways), but could also spark redevelopment forces in these areas by creating new nodes of density at what were once the commercial centers of these neighborhoods.

[streetline]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

Had a chance to enjoy the Riverwalk again over the weekend, and the thing just keeps getting better. They had several vendors offering facepainting, caricatures, balloon animals. It was a very European feel. There was live music and you couldn't find a seat at City Winery. There were boats docked, kayakers paddling by. It was incredibly lively. Was everyone aware the River Theater has a Water Taxi stop? I was not! ...

That's the new weekend location of the LaSalle stop, on weekdays it still uses the dock on the north side of the river in your photo.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by Skyguy_7

Was everyone aware the River Theater has a Water Taxi stop?

Unless it's moved in the last week, the Water Taxi stop is on the north bank at Reid-Murdoch Center, so opposite the River Theater.

[PKDickman]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

This could be especially beneficial on the South Side and West Side where huge vacant parcels exist right next to train stations. Building TOD around these stations would not only be beneficial to the lower income residents who would live there (and likely cannot afford a car anyways), but could also spark redevelopment forces in these areas by creating new nodes of density at what were once the commercial centers of these neighborhoods.

I think sparking development in those areas was part of the original plan when they wrote the TOD ordinance.

They gave a lot of freebies to BCMD-3 zones.

The places where these -3 zones are extant near to stations, are the wastelands along the Lake and Dan Ryan lines, out west, and the green line down to 63rd.

But instead of making these sites more profitable, it only spurred developers to get already profitable areas zoned up to -3.

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by PKDickman

I think sparking development in those areas was part of the original plan when they wrote the TOD ordinance.

They gave a lot of freebies to BCMD-3 zones.

The places where these -3 zones are extant near to stations, are the wastelands along the Lake and Dan Ryan lines, out west, and the green line down to 63rd.

But instead of making these sites more profitable, it only spurred developers to get already profitable areas zoned up to -3.

The Englewood Square developments (Whole Foods at 63rd & Halsted) might be able to help spur other developments along the Green Line since developers may want to profit from the foot traffic the Whole Foods will bring (inspite of the parking lot that will exist there).

Speaking of which, they currently have the parking lot done for Englewood Square.

Construction Update June 12, 2015

Also in case anyone is curious, here's the layout of the site. Outlot B is already leased to another retailer

Leasing

[ChiTownWonder]

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/06/...union-station/

A piece of Chicago history is on track for a makeover, as Amtrak has plans to restore iconic Union Station to its glory days.

I also heard something on the channel 9 news about a hotel

[wierdaaron]

There's been plans to fix Union Station since 5 minutes after Union Station opened. Hard to take it seriously until some checks get written.

[KOgc]

I think that they are replacing the grand stair inside of the great hall. I believe travertine has already been secured in Italy.

[urbanpln]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

What would be nice is if the City passed an ordinance mandating that some portion of the affordable housing fund be used only to build affordable TOD projects next to train stations. This could be especially beneficial on the South Side and West Side where huge vacant parcels exist right next to train stations. Building TOD around these stations would not only be beneficial to the lower income residents who would live there (and likely cannot afford a car anyways), but could also spark redevelopment forces in these areas by creating new nodes of density at what were once the commercial centers of these neighborhoods.

That is a great idea. The only problem is that some of the political leadership alone those transit routes (Green Line) want minimal lower income units.

[PKDickman]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Speaking of which, they currently have the parking lot done for Englewood Square.

I love it. They built their parking lot first.

It's like the field of dreams.

[Ned.B]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

There's been plans to fix Union Station since 5 minutes after Union Station opened. Hard to take it seriously until some checks get written.

Improvements have been happening bit by bit over the last 5 years. Historic elevators have been restored, air conditioning was added to the Great Hall, the Legacy Club opened in the old Men's Lounge and the barber shop space was restored. The stairs are definitely being replaced. You should see physical evidence of that work in 2 weeks.

Many other things are coming down the pipe line including reactivating all of the retail spaces facing Canal street; it will be interesting to see how and when they come to fruition. Key people at the station are definitely pushing for change.

[Busy Bee]

Few things get me more depressed than pondering 63/Halsted. If only we had a foreign army or natural disaster to explain it.

[Ned.B]

From Curbed: A proposed new facade and total renovation of 311 W. Monroe.



http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...est-monroe.php

Architect is Goettsch Partners.


Previous design by JGMA (not sure if this was ever a real project or just a conceptual imaging/marketing assignment):

[PKDickman]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Few things get me more depressed than pondering 63/Halsted. If only we had a foreign army or natural disaster to explain it.

It's not that hard to figure out.
Just a series of bad choices made by the free market.
Go to
http://historicaerials.com/?layer=19...7.644784450531
Click your way up though the years and count the parking lots.
It starts as a full, dense, walkable neighborhood.

As their clientele starts to wane, the merchants build more parking to entice them back. Each time they add one, they are fewer places for locals to live in and they need more parking lots to get the ones that are farther away.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Ned.B

From Curbed: A proposed new facade and total renovation of 311 W. Monroe.



http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...est-monroe.php

Architect is Goettsch Partners.


Previous design by JGMA (not sure if this was ever a real project or just a conceptual imaging/marketing assignment):

It looks like the JGMA proposal just added colorful fins to the existing exterior, whereas the new design shows a new exterior facade replacing the existing one.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by PKDickman

It's not that hard to figure out.
Just a series of bad choices made by the free market.
Go to
http://historicaerials.com/?layer=19...7.644784450531
Click your way up though the years and count the parking lots.
It starts as a full, dense, walkable neighborhood.

As their clientele starts to wane, the merchants build more parking to entice them back. Each time they add one, they are fewer places for locals to live in and they need more parking lots to get the ones that are farther away.

I get the whole physical expansion of car accommodation, but get real, there are a lot more socioeconomic factors that had a greater consequence than parking lots.

[BWChicago]

Not really free market. The city tried to make it a mall - ring road with big lots and buses driving through. Huge failure.

Originally Posted by PKDickman

It's not that hard to figure out.
Just a series of bad choices made by the free market.
Go to
http://historicaerials.com/?layer=19...7.644784450531
Click your way up though the years and count the parking lots.
It starts as a full, dense, walkable neighborhood.

As their clientele starts to wane, the merchants build more parking to entice them back. Each time they add one, they are fewer places for locals to live in and they need more parking lots to get the ones that are farther away.

[PKDickman]

Originally Posted by BWChicago

Not really free market. The city tried to make it a mall - ring road with big lots and buses driving through. Huge failure.

That was much later, in the early 70s when the shopping district was all but dead.
In '42 when the plan commission started looking around for blight, that was all tagged as a conservation area, meaning that they liked what they saw and wanted to keep it.

By '73 the department of urban renewal decided it was blighted and sent the bulldozers.

Still believing in their Eisenhower era plans to save the city by suburbanizing it, that ring was supposed to surround a ginormous shopping mall with, of course, ample parking. But Sears and Wieboldts backed out.