CHICAGO | General Developments

[BruceP]

Originally Posted by BrinChi

Yes ideally all through traffic would be underground - N/S under Columnus, and E/W connecting LSD to Ida B Wells. Ideally JBDLSD would be buried between Roosevelt and Randolph too. Very slow traffic with 1-hour parking on the surface. But we'd need Federal dollars to make a project like that happen.

The city has much, much greater transportation needs, such as expanding the subway/L system.

[BrinChi]

Agree, but our stupid country has a lot more infrastructure dollars available for roads than transit. Ideally we'd invest to make our urban roads work for pedestrians, such as Grant Park, and expand transit simultaneously. To afford stuff like this we'd have to put an end to sprawl nationwide and commit only to improvements in densifying areas; otherwise maintenance.

[twister244]

Two words:

Palm Chicago

Build out palm islands to compete with Dubai.

J/K - Honestly, besides capping the train lines, and maybe improving the road network to be more ped friendly, what else can be done with Grant Park, outside of major transit overhauling?

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by BrinChi

Yes ideally all through traffic would be underground - N/S under Columnus, and E/W connecting LSD to Ida B Wells. Ideally JBDLSD would be buried between Roosevelt and Randolph too. Very slow traffic with 1-hour parking on the surface. But we'd need Federal dollars to make a project like that happen.

Build a tunnel for LSD from North Ave or Oak St down to the end of I-55. Put the whole thing in a submerged tube below Burnham/Monroe/DuSable Harbors and the playpen. You can just float the pieces into place and sink them. The only tricky bit is crossing under Solidarity Dr and Navy Pier headland. Since LSD is truck-free, you don't even need the same intense ventilation.

[Rizzo]

I agree of getting rid of Columbus drive….at least at Monroe would be my idea, and at least considering scarce dollars. Capping the tracks would be nice, but aren’t a significant barrier due to their pedestrian connections over top. Plus, railroads are cool to look at, compliment our skyline. It’s really no different than being a river to me, but that’s just my personal opinion. The major overhauls I see necessary are upgrading paths and landscaping. There’s worn asphalt everywhere. I’d like to see permeable paver walkways, granite curbs, and more benches. The ball fields are great for rec leagues and at least get default maintenance after Lolla, otherwise I’d say make them artificial turf if concerts are moved to Northerly.

I don’t see any need to upgrade LSD except at Oak. It would be cool to tunnel it, but not unless there’s some major benefit such as increased property value that would cause a sudden boom of development….but those borders already seem to have peaked in their development potential.

[jpIllInoIs]

CAP the Track Capping IC does so much for the Park aesthetically and functionally. Just getting rid of the scar slicing through Chicagos front yard is enough reason to cap the IC. But it also creates new usable acreage to GP. The cap can be mostly hardscape and intended to replace the linear uses of Columbus drive like the Taste and other big events. The cap could be themed in rooms like the Chicago river walk. Some rooms could be built as amphitheater sites with multilevel raised seating, others could have pergolas or market roofs offering shaded lounges when not in use for events. With the Cap replacing the event functions of Columbus Dr.- the drive could be scaled way back to a traffic calmed Boulevard. Or a dedicated transitway or get rid of it.

[BVictor1]

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3950 N. Damen

https://twitter.com/AldMattMartin/st...43707720867840
https://www.aldermanmartin.com/3950damen

������Proposed development at Irving/Damen/Lincoln
������ January 25
������ 6:30 PM

QUICK FACTS
3959 N. Lincoln (Adaptive Reuse of Existing Bank Building)

Under this proposal, the bank building would be converted to mixed-use with additions built to match the height of the building along Lincoln and along the alley to the east.

The rehabbed building would include:

5,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor;

92 residential units, evenly split between one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms;

25 car parking spaces accessed from the alley.

3950 N. Damen (New Development on the Parking Lot)

The developers propose building 8 stories at the corner of Irving Park and Damen, before dropping down to 4 stories (matching the existing building to the south) south of the alley that runs parallel to Irving Park.

The building would be set back from the sidewalk along Irving Park (5 feet) and along Damen (15 feet) to expand pedestrian space. It would include a 3,000 square foot plaza along Damen.

The building would include:

3,500 square feet for Fifth Third Bank fronting Irving Park, as well as an internal bank drive-through;

1,700 square feet of additional retail space fronting the plaza;

166 residential units above the first floor, including 65 studios, 33 one-bedrooms, and 68 two- and three-bedrooms;

73 car parking spaces. Parking would be accessed from Damen on the south end of the site and from the alley, as would the bank drive-through.

ZOOM Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...T6yf8FIdXuyPYg

[Steely Dan]

^ cool!

92' will really help solidify the urban feel of the intersection.

And speaking Lincoln/Irving/damen, the project listed as PD 1535 in that diagram has already commenced site demo.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by jpIllInoIs

CAP the Track Capping IC does so much for the Park aesthetically and functionally. Just getting rid of the scar slicing through Chicagos front yard is enough reason to cap the IC. But it also creates new usable acreage to GP. The cap can be mostly hardscape and intended to replace the linear uses of Columbus drive like the Taste and other big events. The cap could be themed in rooms like the Chicago river walk. Some rooms could be built as amphitheater sites with multilevel raised seating, others could have pergolas or market roofs offering shaded lounges when not in use for events. With the Cap replacing the event functions of Columbus Dr.- the drive could be scaled way back to a traffic calmed Boulevard. Or a dedicated transitway or get rid of it.

This is a good post. Capping here is more important than capping the Kennedy or the IKE. The amount of taxes generated on building overlooking the tracks will pay for it.

Look at what Millenium park did by increasing property values after capping the quarry train station with MP


What is left should be easy so long as they don't put huge tunnage aka like the Bean above it.


Just for crips sake just grass cap it

[twister244]

Originally Posted by jpIllInoIs

CAP the Track Capping IC does so much for the Park aesthetically and functionally. Just getting rid of the scar slicing through Chicagos front yard is enough reason to cap the IC. But it also creates new usable acreage to GP. The cap can be mostly hardscape and intended to replace the linear uses of Columbus drive like the Taste and other big events. The cap could be themed in rooms like the Chicago river walk. Some rooms could be built as amphitheater sites with multilevel raised seating, others could have pergolas or market roofs offering shaded lounges when not in use for events. With the Cap replacing the event functions of Columbus Dr.- the drive could be scaled way back to a traffic calmed Boulevard. Or a dedicated transitway or get rid of it.

Let's do a new fountain too! Almost like a 21st century Buckingham on the area that is being capped. That could be a cool way to add spice to the park.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by jpIllInoIs

CAP the Track Capping IC does so much for the Park aesthetically and functionally. Just getting rid of the scar slicing through Chicagos front yard is enough reason to cap the IC. But it also creates new usable acreage to GP. The cap can be mostly hardscape and intended to replace the linear uses of Columbus drive like the Taste and other big events. The cap could be themed in rooms like the Chicago river walk. Some rooms could be built as amphitheater sites with multilevel raised seating, others could have pergolas or market roofs offering shaded lounges when not in use for events. With the Cap replacing the event functions of Columbus Dr.- the drive could be scaled way back to a traffic calmed Boulevard. Or a dedicated transitway or get rid of it.

I wouldn't consider the IC tracks a scar, but history. At one time the tracks were in the lake. The park is all fill. I'd like to see at least a section or two left open so you can see down.

The Columbus Plaza curve needs a diet and partial restoration.

[jpIllInoIs]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I wouldn't consider the IC tracks a scar, but history. At one time the tracks were in the lake. The park is all fill. I'd like to see at least a section or two left open so you can see down.

The Columbus Plaza curve needs a diet and partial restoration.

Well the stockyards were history too, you dont still want to see that mess, and IC terminal at the river is critical history but now we have East Lakeside, The CNW terminals at Wolf Point thankfully gone and replaced with a dense tower collection, Erie terminals north of Kinzie are now filling with the K2's and Guinness tap, and Fulton Market...nobody is wringing hands about dramatic transformation there. Time to move on and beautify this crater cut. Plenty of places to get train viewing including Ping Tom Park. If anything an elevated train viewing platform should go there for the railfanning.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by jpIllInoIs

Well the stockyards were history too, you dont still want to see that mess, and IC terminal at the river is critical history but now we have East Lakeside, The CNW terminals at Wolf Point thankfully gone and replaced with a dense tower collection, Erie terminals north of Kinzie are now filling with the K2's and Guinness tap, and Fulton Market...nobody is wringing hands about dramatic transformation there. Time to move on and beautify this crater cut. Plenty of places to get train viewing including Ping Tom Park. If anything an elevated train viewing platform should go there for the railfanning.

The stockyards are gone... The tracks are still very much in use and probably won't be going anywhere. You're comparing what's gone to what still exists. Ping Tom Park isn't Grant Park and that's what we're discussing.

[west-town-brad]

I've noticed a streetscape project underway/maybe near completion on Grand Ave between Damen and Western: Sidewalks redone, trees added, street repaved, etc.

Also the intersection of Grand & Western is being rebuilt where that large poorly maintained art installation is and it looks like the intersection is being reconfigured to remove the south spur off of Grand going East which may result in some kind of plaza around the art.

Anyone have any info on these projects? I cant find any online.

There is a new 5ish story building planned on one of the vacant lots at this intersection as well, which is nice to see as there is good potential here.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8904.../data=!3m1!1e3

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Kngkyle

The road is the main thoroughfare whenever there is a large event in Grant Park (lolla, taste, etc) so it has value outside of just car traffic. That said, it should be vastly reduced to maybe 2 lanes in each direction with no turn lanes, much lower speed limit, regular pedestrian crossings, and speed humps to enforce the lower speed limit. Basically it should be used for local traffic only when not in use for events.

Grant Park doesn't need a road to handle the demands of those events, just hardscape.

Rip up Columbus from Roosevelt to Monroe (thereby rendering Congress Plaza useless so take that out as well), backfill with pedestrian only surface flush hardscape, line with trees. Done. You just created an enormous version of the Mall in Central Park.

Reduce Jackson and Balbo to one lane each way with a center turn lane while you are at it.

Parks are for people, not cars.

Originally Posted by BrinChi

Yes ideally all through traffic would be underground - N/S under Columnus, and E/W connecting LSD to Ida B Wells. Ideally JBDLSD would be buried between Roosevelt and Randolph too. Very slow traffic with 1-hour parking on the surface. But we'd need Federal dollars to make a project like that happen.

Just remove and reduce. There are plenty of other routes drivers can take that dont involve crossing Grant Park.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I wouldn't consider the IC tracks a scar, but history. At one time the tracks were in the lake. The park is all fill. I'd like to see at least a section or two left open so you can see down.

Agreed, but perhaps the trench under the Art Institute would suffice? Possibly an extra sliver at both Van Buren and 11th Street stations?

I have always been less concerned with the visuals, and more of the continuity of the park. Between the grid of large roadways, IC trench, AIC, LSD, and the general formal layout of the park it feels much smaller and more isolated than it should.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

I've noticed a streetscape project underway/maybe near completion on Grand Ave between Damen and Western: Sidewalks redone, trees added, street repaved, etc.

Also the intersection of Grand & Western is being rebuilt where that large poorly maintained art installation is and it looks like the intersection is being reconfigured to remove the south spur off of Grand going East which may result in some kind of plaza around the art.

Anyone have any info on these projects? I cant find any online.

There is a new 5ish story building planned on one of the vacant lots at this intersection as well, which is nice to see as there is good potential here.

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8904.../data=!3m1!1e3

Usually a streetscape is just rebuilding the sidewalks and curbs. The Grand Ave project is a total reconstruction of the street including drive lanes and sewers. They are working their way from the city limits toward downtown. I think the street before was just asphalt laid on top of the original pavers from the 1800s. The new street is built to modern standards with concrete base and an asphalt top layer.

Unfortunately they also widened the street somewhat to provide wider lanes for trucks, which means narrower sidewalks than before. Supposedly they considered adding bike lanes, but they couldn't do it because the plans were approved for Federal funding back in the early 2000s and the design was set in stone back then. Not sure if this is true, or just a convenient excuse.

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

^ cool!

92' will really help solidify the urban feel of the intersection.

And speaking Lincoln/Irving/damen, the project listed as PD 1535 in that diagram has already commenced site demo.

I’ve written a letter of support as a nearby property owner.

[ajradfotwo]

2400 N Halsted

20230112_130451 by ajdrewster, on Flickr

[BVictor1]

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/communi...s-465986206287

Jan 18
Community Meeting: 95th Street Corridor Plan