CHICAGO | General Developments

[Mr Downtown]

I hear there might be some movement (with owner consent) toward landmarking the CMC building soon.

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by emathias

Yeah, I've noticed. I have no relationship with any developer, but his attitude toward M, which seemed to me to have some relatively interesting proposals, has really irritated me.

From what I'm aware, Reilly just didn't like Mark Hunt's general attitude. They've done good things when they've finally been allowed to build. Barney's was a good step for the area, and its construction paved the way for Hermes to take their old building. While we can argue about whether or not the streetfront on Walton was used properly, and we have, they went pretty above and beyond the norm with that lululemon building, which I think brings a lot to that corner, and actually makes the Urban Outfitters building look like it belongs there instead of like a piss-poor faux industrial box. The 1009-11 N. Rush rework was a good one in so many more aspects than just the new streetfront, in that it stabilized that building structurally, and it made it far more accessible than it used to be by leveling out that weird multi-level entryway.

They had, I think, bigger ambitions than what it seems Reilly thought prudent to pursue in the area a few years ago. Cedar, State & Elm and Esquire all were to have been high rise hotel or condo at some point.

Stepping back and looking at it from a purely economical standpoint, with [strike]Esquire[/strike] Elysian (edit) having been forced to go away from its condo-hotel structure to a split of condos and normal hotel, that would have been an awful lot of new hotel crammed into that area. Individually speaking, I think all their proposals have been meritorious, but perhaps collectively they were overreaching, in which case, a few years from now we might praise Reilly for his prudence, whereas in the beginning, we were bashing him (and me especially) for not seeing the forest for the trees.

[ardecila]

Is there any reason why nobody is still fighting to save the Esquire?

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by jimbojoe45

I was walking home yesterday and noticed new construction at the NW corner of State & Illinois. Signs looked like a car dealership was being built but the lot seem far too small. Anybody know whats in the works for this site?

^ This was posted at SSC. This must be that 1 or 2 level retail development that we had discussed before.

Does anybody know who the tenants will be? Last I heard (on this forum), John Barleycorn is no longer on the list

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Is there any reason why nobody is still fighting to save the Esquire?

I don't think a theater format in that location is economically viable unless they go stage and start doing a bunch of concerts, and then you're looking at a logjam situation like the Vic has whenever they have a concert, with semi's and buses lined up down the street along with a bunch of grubby teenagers. Nobody in the neighborhood will allow it.

If you had the NDA strike down Soho taking over the Three Arts Club building just because they were going to have a pool on the roof, as if it were going to be some nonstop party atmosphere, even though there were only going to be about 30 rooms total in the building, then you can bet your bottom dollar live entertainment at Esquire is never going to fly.

I could see someone maybe trying to go gut-rehab on it if it weren't an absolute tank of a building whose structure and layout make that virtually impossible financially.

But beyond that, to be perfectly honest, the PD already went through Landmarks a long time ago. Reilly is the only reason there's not a hotel standing there now.

[spyguy]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politic...0-million.html

City’s share of Jesse White Tumbler gym doubles, to $10 million
By Fran Spielman City Hall Reporter Mar 4, 2011

A City Council committee on Friday put Chicago taxpayers on the hook for $10 million — twice as much as originally planned — to build a state-of-the-art gymnastics training facility for the Jesse White Tumblers.

The $15 million center — on Chicago Housing Authority land at 410 W. Chicago that once housed a Cabrini Green high-rise — was supposed to be a three-way partnership between the city, the Chicago Park District and the Jesse White Foundation.
---

1) The money and the fact that they're trying to rush this through just for symbolism
2) I'm not against building an athletic facility for disadvantaged children but shouldn't it be in an area that could actually use it? Cabrini is almost gone and will transition into a market rate neighborhood sprinkled with some low-income housing, completely surrounded by wealth. It no longer makes sense to build something like this here.
3) Complete waste of a prime piece of land close to the Brown line. Put it on Larrabee or something.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by spyguy

...

1) The money and the fact that they're trying to rush this through just for symbolism
2) I'm not against building an athletic facility for disadvantaged children but shouldn't it be in an area that could actually use it? Cabrini is almost gone and will transition into a market rate neighborhood sprinkled with some low-income housing, completely surrounded by wealth. It no longer makes sense to build something like this here.
3) Complete waste of a prime piece of land close to the Brown line. Put it on Larrabee or something.

I agree with point 1).

To point 2), disadvantaged kids are all over the city. Having it centrally located isn't a bad strategy, which leads into 3), if you're going to make something for the disadvantaged, it should be near transit. From a city standpoint, I don't see any reason the Brown Line should be immune from this sort of project. It's also close to where they currently train.

Overall, I don't have a problem with the location. For a troup the tries to inspire kids to reach for bigger things, to be in an area that will continue to grow richer over the years is possibly a good influence on the kids.

[denizen467]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ This was posted at SSC. This must be that 1 or 2 level retail development that we had discussed before.

Does anybody know who the tenants will be? Last I heard (on this forum), John Barleycorn is no longer on the list

Just Cantina Laredo, I think.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by aic4ever

I don't think a theater format in that location is economically viable unless they go stage and start doing a bunch of concerts, and then you're looking at a logjam situation like the Vic has whenever they have a concert, with semi's and buses lined up down the street along with a bunch of grubby teenagers. Nobody in the neighborhood will allow it.

The Esquire was a profitable movie house. The only reason AMC gave it up was because of further consolidation in the industry which required them to give it up (DoJ). It could again be so but it looks like the trader who bought it from under M Development is content to sit on the property for as long as it takes to make a better return.

The area isn't right for a live venue of that size. Oak Street is dead after the shops close and the bars and restaurants in the area aren't at all suited to the crowd it would bring in.

[J_M_Tungsten]

Originally Posted by spyguy

...Cabrini is almost gone and will transition into a market rate neighborhood sprinkled with some low-income housing, completely surrounded by wealth.

Any time frame on when this is supposed to happen?

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ This was posted at SSC. This must be that 1 or 2 level retail development that we had discussed before.

Does anybody know who the tenants will be? Last I heard (on this forum), John Barleycorn is no longer on the list

I recall a 2-story Mexican restaurant. Small enough that it will be ripe for redevelopment when the time is right, but still an improvement over the previous surface parking lot since it's built to the lot lines.

EDIT: as noted by denizen, Cantina Laredo

Project sheet: http://www.iciinc.com/pdf/CantinaLaredo.pdf

[BWChicago]

Originally Posted by aic4ever

I don't think a theater format in that location is economically viable unless they go stage and start doing a bunch of concerts, and then you're looking at a logjam situation like the Vic has whenever they have a concert, with semi's and buses lined up down the street along with a bunch of grubby teenagers. Nobody in the neighborhood will allow it.

If you had the NDA strike down Soho taking over the Three Arts Club building just because they were going to have a pool on the roof, as if it were going to be some nonstop party atmosphere, even though there were only going to be about 30 rooms total in the building, then you can bet your bottom dollar live entertainment at Esquire is never going to fly.

I could see someone maybe trying to go gut-rehab on it if it weren't an absolute tank of a building whose structure and layout make that virtually impossible financially.

But beyond that, to be perfectly honest, the PD already went through Landmarks a long time ago. Reilly is the only reason there's not a hotel standing there now.

Huh? It already was gut-rehabbed to make it into a multiplex. It's more or less a standard 4 story building. I don't see any particularly odd layout. You couldn't make it into a concert venue if you wanted to, the historic interior simply doesn't exist. I don't see any reason why you couldn't stick a boutique in each screening room and internally connect the first two floors. Set it up as a 'mall' of high-end retail.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

I recall a 2-story Mexican restaurant. Small enough that it will be ripe for redevelopment when the time is right, but still an improvement over the previous surface parking lot since it's built to the lot lines.

EDIT: as noted by denizen, Cantina Laredo

Project sheet: http://www.iciinc.com/pdf/CantinaLaredo.pdf

^ Ugh. I hate this trend of having little patches of green between commercial buildings and the sidewalk. It's such an annoying little suburban trait that has no business being downtown

[ChiTownCity]

^Or anywhere in the city...

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Oh come on, those tiny strips of grass are fine. The prevalence of gardens in even in the heart of Chicago are one of the things that sets Chicago apart from all other major cities of its size. Besides, ground-level beds are nice because they provide somewhere to absorb all the dust and grime.

[ChiTownCity]

I hate mud on my shoes... and I'm not afraid of a broom...

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Brooms don't work so well where there is nowhere for the dust to go...

[ChiTownCity]

dustpan maybe?

[aic4ever]

Originally Posted by BWChicago

Huh? It already was gut-rehabbed to make it into a multiplex. It's more or less a standard 4 story building. I don't see any particularly odd layout. You couldn't make it into a concert venue if you wanted to, the historic interior simply doesn't exist. I don't see any reason why you couldn't stick a boutique in each screening room and internally connect the first two floors. Set it up as a 'mall' of high-end retail.

This might be halfway reasonable if any retailers would go for it. Or perhaps more to the point, if developers would be willing to accept the reduction in saleable $/SF. Mall revenues are going to certainly be less than streetfront revenues on Oak St.

Other than that, it is a difficult renovation to pull off. It's got a few weird different levels in it the structure of which is tough to work with. Whether it would work financially, I can't say as I haven't explored that option.

My question to you would be, what are you saving it for then? Other than the sign and the fact that it's an historic theater, there's really zero redeeming value to that building on that block. The facade is one of the ugliest in the city, save maybe for that stupid stainless steel one a few doors east with the bridal shop on the 2nd floor.

Take away the fact that it's a theater and make it a mall, and then who really gives a damn about it historically speaking? Knock it down and build something that suits the block better.

[Mr Downtown]

^AHEM. The Esquire is a Streamline Moderne façade designed by William Pereira.

Chicago can't afford to lose any more high art buildings from the 30s. There weren't many to begin with.