CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 1645

Busy Bee · #**32881** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 2:54 AM**

Seems like a solution in search of a problem. The investment needed for such a complicated system would easily out way the benefits. I also think you'll have a hard time finding a single resident who thinks dimming the alley lights after a certain time of the early morning is an even remotely good idea.

J_M_Tungsten · #**32882** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 2:56 AM**

If it is based on motion, maybe it could be tampered with? On/off lights could be disruptive to the neighborhood and cityscape views throughout the night. May be cool to see though?

pip · #**32883** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 2:59 AM**

Unless these new lights they are going to install in the future are different then the new ones they started to put in a few years ago I believe the yellow ones are easier to see at night especially in the summer nights.

UPChicago · #**32884** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 3:37 AM**

If its as bright and blue-white as the new ones on LSD then no thanks, it make it hard to look at downtown from the north lake front trail.

ardecila · #**32885** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 3:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_M_Tungsten

If it is based on motion, maybe it could be tampered with? On/off lights could be disruptive to the neighborhood and cityscape views throughout the night. May be cool to see though?

I mean, the current lights aren't tamper proof. With the right tools you can absolutely open the access cover and strip some copper. If you're just seeking to throw a block into darkness, it's even easier.

The bigger issue is privacy. It will be tough to convince people to accept streetlights that track their movements, even in the aggregate. English cities, especially London, are now blanketed with cameras in every corner of the city.

sentinel · #**32886** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 11:56 AM**

Forest Park has had LED streetlights installed for two years now, and they are incredibly bright and provide very clear but also highly focused light. It's a world of difference.

deebirch · #**32887** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 1:40 PM**

Logan Square "L"

Logan Square / SNS Realty Condos

Wicker Park / LG 6 Corners

msu2001la · #**32888** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 3:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWChicago

I feel like in a few years, the technology will mature to a point where you can do much more adaptive control of the lighting - dimming or brightening, changing the color temperature (or even color)... things that would be more efficient and less intrusive. Maybe after a certain time of night, the side streets get dimmer if there's no motion detected. Or if there's an emergency call, the lights go to full brightness. And the city will have already completed the transition and missed that opportunity. Looks like Glasgow has pilot projects like this. http://futurecity.glasgow.gov.uk/int...reet-lighting/

The city is/has already investigated technology that would allow more central/remote control over lighting and allow for some of the features you are describing. There was an RFP from either DEO or CDOT within the last year or so that looked into "smart lighting" and other smart technology options. Some of this was also explored as part of the Fulton Market streetscape project (which will have LED Davit Arms, but no smart controllers). It's actually a pretty simple hardware addition to the LED lighting package, and basically involves attaching a small wireless puck to the top of each fixture that can send/receive data. The more complicated upgrade is building a network of wireless receivers/transmitters to bring info/data back to a central location, and getting the city to agree on a single type of software to control them.

The big barrier for Chicago with all of this smart tech in general seems to be the proprietary nature of these systems and lack of standardization. There are different companies making these systems, but none of their technology is compatible with their competitors. The city won't single-source something like this, so they need the industry to standardize things a bit so they can use parts from various manufacturers, much like they do with the current fixtures and poles.

harryc · #**32889** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 4:13 PM**

Niche905 - SLCondos - 347 Next

spyguy · #**32890** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 4:23 PM**

^Nice construction updates everyone.

---
Looks like there might be two Booth Hansen midrise condos planned for what I think is the corner of Washington and May in the West Loop:

Peerless Real Estate Investments

Ned.B · #**32891** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 4:51 PM**

I'm pretty sure that many architects and developers have lost all sense of how to design a welcoming human scaled base on buildings. Why does that Elmhurst Building have such an enormous blank space between the ground floor and the first set of residential windows? There had to be a better way to do that.

LouisVanDerWright · #**32892** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 5:19 PM**

^^^ Parking, the root of all evils. Developers in the city have shown absolutely no trouble building quite attractive buildings from a pedestrian perspective under the TOD code, just look at the other pictures on this page. But when parking enters the equation it mucks everything up and, in many cases, there simply is no cost effective solution other than "squeeze a short parking floor in between the retail and the units and line it with brick".

SamInTheLoop · #**32893** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 5:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

Looks like there might be two Booth Hansen midrise condos planned for what I think is the corner of Washington and May in the West Loop:

Nice.....I believe I just actually requested more Booth Hansen this boom, as it happens....

Jibba · #**32894** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 6:00 PM**

Some items from the upcoming zoning meeting:

1317 - 1335 N Western - 5 stories / 29 units
2529 - 2537 W Fullerton - 6 stories / 19 DUs
1708 - 1712 W Cermak - 4 stories / 24 DUs
715 - 717 N Milwaukee - 6 stories / 25 DUs
927 - 931 W Irving Park - 5 stories / 28 DUs
5161 - 5229 W Lawrence - 4 stories / 39 DUs

ardecila · #**32895** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 6:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spyguy

^Nice construction updates everyone.

---
Looks like there might be two Booth Hansen midrise condos planned for what I think is the corner of Washington and May in the West Loop:
[URL="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDBsLO_jiUu/"]Peerless Real Estate Investments

Seems foolish to post this unless they've already brought it to the alderman. This will certainly need a zoning change and signoff from the West Loop crazies...

ithakas · #**32896** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 6:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila

Seems foolish to post this unless they've already brought it to the alderman. This will certainly need a zoning change and signoff from the West Loop crazies...

I'm beginning to wonder if the West Loop crazies will soon have too many projects on their hands to rally against them all in coordination. If they pick any one project to put up a fight against, I could see it being the H20 site. (The Mary Bartelmes seem a particularly zealous sub-set.)

spyguy · #**32897** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 7:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron38

I didn't know there was one. Just searched for it, didn't find it.

Here you go: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=198789

Jibba · #**32898** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jibba

Some items from the upcoming zoning meeting:

1317 - 1335 N Western - 5 stories / 29 units
2529 - 2537 W Fullerton - 6 stories / 19 DUs
1708 - 1712 W Cermak - 4 stories / 24 DUs
715 - 717 N Milwaukee - 6 stories / 25 DUs
927 - 931 W Irving Park - 5 stories / 28 DUs
5161 - 5229 W Lawrence - 4 stories / 39 DUs

Also, 650 N Morgan (6 stories / 25 DUs) received zoning approval back in March. This will make for four new mid-rises on/near Milwaukee between the Ohio feeder and the Kennedy (including 1001 W Chicago and 830 N Milwaukee). 768 N Aberdeen applied for a zoning change in September and would be 12 stories / 190 DUs.

River West still needs a neighborhood center. A good start would be having the Ogden ROW between Milwaukee and Chicago merged with the island of land that has the S blue line entrance. That intersection is currently pretty pedestrian-hostile.

LouisVanDerWright · #**32899** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 7:50 PM**

^^^ I have a feeling they will address that intersection when the Milwaukee Ave rebuild finally gets down that far. Unfortunately that's like 4 years out. They are starting to tear up Milwaukee Ave between Addison and Belmont this summer. I think Belmont to Diversey is next summer and then Logan Square finally gets turned into a proper roundabout. Maybe a traffic circle is a logical solution for Milwaukee Ogden Chicago? Configure the Blue Line entrances so they double as pedestrian tunnels under the busy intersection.

Mr Downtown · #**32900** Posted **Apr 19, 2016, 9:26 PM**

^With six elevators for ADA access? CDOT's Complete Streets leadership will have a good laugh over that idea.

I've been traveling a lot in East and Southeast Asia recently, where they love to make their big auto intersections free of those pesky pedestrians. Being forced under or over the intersection you just want to cross is incredibly frustrating, even when, as here in Tokyo, they've installed escalators to make them more palatable. The subterranean ones are a little easier, but more appealing only if they're full of underground retail, which seems a very unlikely prospect for Milwaukee & Ogden.