CHICAGO | General Developments

[Klippenstein]

Originally Posted by bcp

Am i missing something? Or..is there no access from the west side of LSD / 400 DuSable for pedestrians to get to this park?

I’m pretty sure they’re probably sticking with the old plan of having only one walkway under DLSD on the South end of the site.

[west-town-brad]

it was radioactive, so there's that....

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/8/...unding-chicago

[BVictor1]

1020 W. Randolph

03.16.22

[rivernorthlurker]

Originally Posted by Klippenstein

I’m pretty sure they’re probably sticking with the old plan of having only one walkway under DLSD on the South end of the site.

IIRC proposed access along the north side by Ogden slip was shut down by NIMBYs. Or at least something along Ogden slip was but I'd guess any chance for an entrance there would have been nixed with it.

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by rivernorthlurker

IIRC proposed access along the north side by Ogden slip was shut down by NIMBYs.

You're correct.

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by CaptainJilliams

It's not the worst thing, but I get what he's saying. The river is one of the most recognizable features of the city, and it's always annoying to notice that area near Navy Pier all overgrown and abandoned. When so much of that area has been infilled it starts to stick out a lot more.

Finishing the park is a step in the right direction, and fingers crossed the towers across LSD come to fruition as well.

I have to disagree. I think most Chicagoans barely notice it or are bothered by it. It's cut off from any discernable neighborhoods that is merely an isolated relatively hidden patch below a pedestrian/car flyover from the north side to the south side for most people.

Don't get me wrong, it will be nice to have completed and be made a "thing" but I expect it to be relatively underutilized given that it is not within super close walking distance of any real neighborhoods. Eventually, it will likely be neglected again (like Olive Park) which itself has better accessibility and should receive plenty of foot traffic given its proximity to high traffic at Navy Pier. If people are not compelled to go to Olive Park they likely will not feel compelled to hoof it over the bridge to this park unless there are some very distinct features and/or programming.

I'd be much more excited if this promised to be a real new neighborhood park (like hopefully, the R-North USPO will someday be) or even say expanded parkland in Grand Park.

[the urban politician]

Yeah, even if DuSable Park is completed I don't see a lot of people using it.

Unless they serve booze

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Don't get me wrong, it will be nice to have completed and be made a "thing" but I expect it to be relatively underutilized given that it is not within super close walking distance of any neighborhoods. Eventually, it will likely be neglected again (like Olive Park) which itself has better accessibility and should receive plenty of foot traffic given its near Navy Pier. If people are not compelled to go to Olive Park they likely will not feel compelled to hoof it over the bridge to this park unless there are some very distinct features and/or programming.

I think the traffic should be fine for DuSable Park.

Olive Park is next to Navy Pier, but not on the side where all the pedestrian traffic is. So it actually requires a significant detour for a tourist, and there’s nothing to see.

Whereas DuSable Park is directly on a very congested part of the Lakefront Trail where thousands of people are going to and from Navy Pier and the River. It would be a small park so it would only need a few dozen people to feel utilized.

A nice fountain and some gardens and shade and a few kiosks would be enough.

[west-town-brad]

the city could use it for the statutes they took down during the "great social unrest"

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by galleyfox

A nice fountain and some gardens and shade and a few kiosks would be enough.

Id' prefer a roller hockey rink, zip line, and surf simulator.

[BrinChi]

Originally Posted by rivernorthlurker

IIRC proposed access along the north side by Ogden slip was shut down by NIMBYs. Or at least something along Ogden slip was but I'd guess any chance for an entrance there would have been nixed with it.

Then it shouldn't become a park - plant some trees and make it pretty from a distance, but if the public can't access it, then public dollars shouldn't be spent to build these NIMBYs essentially a new private park. But the NIMBYs still win. Of course it should be a nice public park and thus it should be made accessible to the public.

[Klippenstein]

Originally Posted by BrinChi

Then it shouldn't become a park - plant some trees and make it pretty from a distance, but if the public can't access it, then public dollars shouldn't be spent to build these NIMBYs essentially a new private park. But the NIMBYs still win. Of course it should be a nice public park and thus it should be made accessible to the public.

Slow the outrage. It was originally proposed that there be an entrance along the slip on the north and the river on the south, but NIMBYs shut down the north entrance. There will still be an entrance along the river and from the diagram the new bike path will have a ramp to the park. I’m guessing the walking path will have its own entrance as well.

[Klippenstein]

Once DuSable Park is connected to the river esplanade (as Google maps calls the river walk on the north side), that will be a great route for anybody (especially tourists) going from Michigan Ave to Navy Pier and the esplanade will get more traffic. I think that will be one of the biggest benefits because I’ve heard tourists often get lost trying to find Navy Pier and the river esplanade is pretty dead once you get past cityfront plaza.

[Busy Bee]

Biggest mistake the city made was allowing those bullshit cityfront place townhomes.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Biggest mistake the city made was allowing those bullshit cityfront place townhomes.

There needs to be a font for hyperbole.

...no way someone actually thinks that do they?

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by VKChaz

Posted a question in the General Discussions but maybe it belongs here. I was suprised to see federal money earmarked to tear down Consumers Building and Century Building on State St. I don't know if that was people's expectation.

https://twitter.com/Pres_Chicago/sta...7Ctwgr%5Etweet

The GSA has been talking about this for years, yet every time it pops up it is no less appalling than the last.

Dirksen has been there for 58 years without issue. If they are that concerned they should use the $52 million to upgrade critical glazing panels to ballistic glass.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Klippenstein

Once DuSable Park is connected to the river esplanade (as Google maps calls the river walk on the north side), that will be a great route for anybody (especially tourists) going from Michigan Ave to Navy Pier and the esplanade will get more traffic. I think that will be one of the biggest benefits because I’ve heard tourists often get lost trying to find Navy Pier and the river esplanade is pretty dead once you get past cityfront plaza.

Yeah I don't get the complaints about access. For a park at the tip of a peninsula, you can't really ask for more access than this site already has. The Esplanade will connect to it, and there will be stairs and elevator (or ramp) up to the Navy Pier flyover so people can cross the river going south, or Ogden Slip going north.

With Ross Barney as architect, I'm sure this will have attractions and a unique design. I agree with the note for a seasonal concession serving food/drink.

[gandalf612]

The two developments around the Chase bank by the Metra station are progressing, Didn't realize the one directly on Lawrence would have such a large footprint

[gandalf612]

Absolutely transformative

[the urban politician]

The project to demo Cafe Orchid at Addison and Ravenswood to build this:

https://urbanize.city/chicago/post/r...evelopment-tod

Seems to have hit a snag. Drove by this am and there is a HUGE orange stop work order on the original building.