CHICAGO | General Developments

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Yeah, they'd never allow something like that in a real city, like London:

looks like another real city has the same real problem.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by Chicagoguy

Another prime example is the McDonald's at Foster and Sheridan. A prime piece of land a block off of the lakefront and it is blighted by a large parking lot. The good news is (or rumor had it around the time the Admiral on the Lake broke ground) that this land was planned to be developed in the next few years.

That McDonald's is actually looking to renovate (including the exterior) and expand slightly. So I wouldn't expect it to come down any time soon.

Originally Posted by THE BIG APPLE

Looks like McDonald's doesn't respect Chicago. In NYC the MCD's are on the first floor of the buildings, even in BROOKLYN (most of the time).

Not really. There's at least one McDonald's with a drive-thru and parking lot near the AP building. And while they might not have parking, there are several McDonald's in Midtown in crappy one and two story taxpayer buildings.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by THE BIG APPLE

why are there so many suburban type MCD's in prime Chicago land. To me the most surprising one is the one next to Trump and Wrigley.

uhhhh, there's no suburban style mcdonald's next to trump tower and the wrigley building. the mcdonald's in between those two buildings is a decidedly urban design built into the retail base of a 40 story highrise residential tower. i think you're mixed-up.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ He's probably thinking of the Mothership / rock n' roll McDonalds which isn't all that far from there...

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ He's probably thinking of the Mothership / rock n' roll McDonalds which isn't all that far from there...

sure, it's not "all that far from there", but it isn't "next to Trump and Wrigley". BIG APPLE is clearly mixed-up.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ He's probably thinking of the Mothership / rock n' roll McDonalds which isn't all that far from there...

State and Chicago is the biggest offender. Just a few blocks from one of the tallest buildings in the city

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Hayward

State and Chicago is the biggest offender.

i disagree. the drive-thru is certainly woefully inappropriate for the location, but the fact that location forgoes the typical surface parking lot for a small outdoor eating plaza makes it FAR more palatable than the true suburban elephant in the downtown room: Rn'R MCD's. an ENTIRE city block in one of the most intensively developed downtowns in the country devoted solely to a fast food restaurant and its associated surface parking lot. beyond shameful.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Eh, not so hot on the "Plaza" either as it is constantly overrun by the "tenants" of the YMCA "apartments" down the street.

The worst thing about that McDonalds is the crowd of panhandlers it attracts and sustains. There is no more ghetto corner in downtown Chicago than Chicago/State.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ Eh, not so hot on the "Plaza" either as it is constantly overrun by the "tenants" of the YMCA "apartments" down the street.

The worst thing about that McDonalds is the crowd of panhandlers it attracts and sustains. There is no more ghetto corner in downtown Chicago than Chicago/State.

i don't disagree, but that's a crime of circumstance more than design.

judged solely on urban design, Rn'R MCD's is light years worse than the one at state/chicago. it takes up an ENTIRE friggin block for its parking lot!

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

it takes up an ENTIRE friggin block for it's parking lot!

If it makes you feel any better there were only about a dozen buildings on that block before McDonalds came to town.

[intrepidDesign]

Seems like work has begun on phase two of CA23, also 1027 W Madison is getting the cornice replaced. It's cleaning up quite nicely, I'll try and take pictures later on.

[i_am_hydrogen]

I attended the Children's Memorial Hosp meeting last night. Here's my write-up for Curbed, if anyone wants the details:

Plans for Children's Memorial Hospital Site Becoming Clearer

Thursday, December 15, 2011, by Kevin Dickert

To update our coverage of the Children's Memorial Hospital redevelopment, Curbed attended last night's "Conceptual Plan Town Hall Meeting" in Lincoln Park. This is the 24th meeting since McCaffery Interests was selected as developer for the project.

Here's the timeline: City Council is set to vote in the third quarter of 2012; Children's Memorial Hospital moves to its new digs in Streeterville on June 9, 2012; and, during the summer and fall of 2012, the old hospital will be decommissioned. Buildings will be available for demolition in November 2012. Daniel McCaffery and 43rd Ward Alderman Michele Smith both stressed the desire to begin work as soon as possible.

More here: http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...ng-clearer.php

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

I attended the Children's Memorial Hosp meeting last night. Here's my write-up for Curbed, if anyone wants the details:

The plan sounds really good. I like that they will make an effort to preserve some of those buildings.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

I attended the Children's Memorial Hosp meeting last night. Here's my write-up for Curbed, if anyone wants the details:

Good summary Kevin. I am a bit skeptical of how this will play out after seeing the shit storm that plagued LPH on Webster.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

i disagree. the drive-thru is certainly woefully inappropriate for the location, but the fact that location forgoes the typical surface parking lot for a small outdoor eating plaza makes it FAR more palatable than the true suburban elephant in the downtown room: Rn'R MCD's. an ENTIRE city block in one of the most intensively developed downtowns in the country devoted solely to a fast food restaurant and its associated surface parking lot. beyond shameful.

The plaza is usually closed though. So it's kind of useless green space. It's an acceptable design for a pocket park. It's just a shame you don't have a 8+ story building there with a MCD, with the pocket park.

[M II A II R II K]

Ricketts family buys McDonald's land across from Wrigley Field


December 14, 2011

By Ameet Sachdev

Read More: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...n-tom-ricketts

The owners of the Chicago Cubs bought property across the street from Wrigley Field from McDonald's Corp. for $20 million, expanding their opportunities to redevelop areas around the stadium. The parcel is on the northwest corner of Clark and Addison streets that is home to a McDonald's restaurant and a large parking lot. Cook County property records show that the sale, first reported by Crain's, closed on Nov. 18. A spokesman for Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said he and his family have not developed plans for the property yet. The Ricketts family bought the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and related assets from Tribune Co., parent of the Chicago Tribune, in 2009.

"It's not often that a parcel becomes available in Wrigleyville, and they wanted to take advantage of this opportunity," said spokesman Dennis Culloton. The McDonald's property is on a valuable corner that fits nicely into the family's big plans to own more of the entertainment dollars that baseball fans spend on game days. The area around Wrigley Field has become a lucrative entertainment district with bars, restaurants and rooftops catering to fans. But nearly all of the properties are owned by other landlords. The Ricketts family owns a triangle parcel next to Wrigley Field that it wants to develop.

But those plans are tied into a larger proposal to renovate Wrigley Field. The family has been seeking state and local taxpayer incentives to help finance more than $200 million in renovations to Wrigley Field, which will be 100 years old in 2014. Their original plan, which included the use of amusement taxes paid on Cubs tickets, received little political support. But the family continues to have conversations about public financing with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and members of the General Assembly.

.....

The view of the McDonald's restaurant, a parking lot and Wrigley Field at the intersection of Clark and Addison in Chicago. The Ricketts family has reportedly paid $20 million for the property which includes the McDonald's restaurant and a parking lot. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

[OhioGuy]

^^ That news was already posted in post #14140.

[harryc]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

^^ That news was already posted in post #14140.

Yes - but this had a Photo.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Hayward

The plaza is usually closed though. So it's kind of useless green space. It's an acceptable design for a pocket park. It's just a shame you don't have a 8+ story building there with a MCD, with the pocket park.

there's no doubt that piece of property could be better utilized with maximum allowed density, instead of a 1 story mcdonalds with a drive-thru. i was never trying to give praise to that particular mcdonalds, i was only responding to the notion that it was the most offensive mcdonalds in the city from an urban design standpoint, a notion with which i wholeheartedly disagree because the Rn'R mcdonalds wins that award by a country mile.

[lawfin]

Originally Posted by Hayward

State and Chicago is the biggest offender. Just a few blocks from one of the tallest buildings in the city

And basically right above the subway. Yeah I am going with this one. The one on LaSalle almost fits in the kitschy disney-esque suburban / tourist playground that is the ontario / ohio corridor in that area.

As da concrete guy said to the timber guy 'Yea, da whole tings gotta go'

I am going 1A & 1B on those two