CHICAGO | General Developments

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by The Best Forumer

What is the point if it then>

Just another check on development. Another hurdle to jump. More people to bribe...

[The Best Forumer]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Just another check on development. Another hurdle to jump. More people to bribe...

Niiiice....

[chrisvfr800i]

Originally Posted by HomrQT

Couldn't be you're the one that can't think outside your box..

It won't be happening for a very long time, if ever, but burying the train lines would be more beneficial to the city than not.

The CTA el tracks and the majority of other rail viaducts are monuments to the wonderful concept of "Deferred Maintenance." It would have been wise to get rid of them and bury the lines in subway tunnels....50 years ago, but it's too late. You're stuck with them. It's comical, though how people are trying to sell the dilapidated el tracks and rusty viaducts as treasures when they are actually some of the worst things about Chicago!

(I now expect this and all other posts in this discussion to be deleted.)

[LouisVanDerWright]

^^^ OR just moved to Transportation thread.

Anyhow, deferred maintenance, for sure, but the vast majority of them were so overbuilt to begin with that it doesn't matter. The older sections of the L have like 400% more rivets than needed because they literally didn't know how strong the metal was at the time so they took what they thought the metal could maybe bear and then just multiplied it by 2 or 3 times just to be sure.

You might hate it, but aren't you just a little impressed to walk down Wabash and see the condition that an exposed steel viaduct built about 125 years ago is still in that condition and still in use? The Loop is the Eiffel Tower of Chicago, literally. It's a engineering feat on the same scale, from the same time period, using the same materials and construction techniques. It's just as much a piece of "world heritage" as the Eiffel is. I mean really, how does one reduce one of the first mass transit systems constructed in human history to "dilapidated L tracks and rusty viaducts"???

This applies to all of the rail viaducts and other industrial relics in this city. At what point does something like the Damen Silos, the St Charles Air Line bridges, or any other of dozens upon dozens of similar landmarks go from "eyesore" or "blight" to "priceless treasure that will never happen ever again in human history"??? Seriously, there will never be another industrial revolution, there will never be more industrial development in Chicago's core, there will never be another opening of the great frontier with railroads. There are no new viaducts like this being built in Chicago or any other cities, there are no new rusting hulks of a truss bridge going up, no one is constructing a new grain silo downtown or new multifloor warehouses. Once this stuff is gone it doesn't come back. The fact that many of these landmarks in Chicago are still in use is actually astounding and should be celebrated. The fact that the train lines by my building are still constantly the "freight handler to the nation" is not some blight, it's amazing and should be cherished. If you think the noise of trains rolling through the city is a detriment to people's quality of life, great (hint: it really isn't, not a single one of you have indicated how this actually harms anyone besides being a minor annoyance if you happen to be on the phone while a train rolls by), but you also have to show that all the history I name above has no preservation value, that Chicago's history does not add to the character of the place, add a totally intangible benefit of grit and grind. Aesthetics are important and old school industrial is the hottest style right now, I suspect that it will stay in style for a long time. Industrial is our heritage just as second empire is Paris' or Victorian is London's. Deal with it because it isn't going anywhere.

[rlw777]

450 n Morgan ready to rise according to Curbed

Corten steel.... Yes Please

[HomrQT]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

^^^ OR just moved to Transportation thread.

Anyhow, deferred maintenance, for sure, but the vast majority of them were so overbuilt to begin with that it doesn't matter. The older sections of the L have like 400% more rivets than needed because they literally didn't know how strong the metal was at the time so they took what they thought the metal could maybe bear and then just multiplied it by 2 or 3 times just to be sure.

You might hate it, but aren't you just a little impressed to walk down Wabash and see the condition that an exposed steel viaduct built about 125 years ago is still in that condition and still in use? The Loop is the Eiffel Tower of Chicago, literally. It's a engineering feat on the same scale, from the same time period, using the same materials and construction techniques. It's just as much a piece of "world heritage" as the Eiffel is. I mean really, how does one reduce one of the first mass transit systems constructed in human history to "dilapidated L tracks and rusty viaducts"???

This applies to all of the rail viaducts and other industrial relics in this city. At what point does something like the Damen Silos, the St Charles Air Line bridges, or any other of dozens upon dozens of similar landmarks go from "eyesore" or "blight" to "priceless treasure that will never happen ever again in human history"??? Seriously, there will never be another industrial revolution, there will never be more industrial development in Chicago's core, there will never be another opening of the great frontier with railroads. There are no new viaducts like this being built in Chicago or any other cities, there are no new rusting hulks of a truss bridge going up, no one is constructing a new grain silo downtown or new multifloor warehouses. Once this stuff is gone it doesn't come back. The fact that many of these landmarks in Chicago are still in use is actually astounding and should be celebrated. The fact that the train lines by my building are still constantly the "freight handler to the nation" is not some blight, it's amazing and should be cherished. If you think the noise of trains rolling through the city is a detriment to people's quality of life, great (hint: it really isn't, not a single one of you have indicated how this actually harms anyone besides being a minor annoyance if you happen to be on the phone while a train rolls by), but you also have to show that all the history I name above has no preservation value, that Chicago's history does not add to the character of the place, add a totally intangible benefit of grit and grind. Aesthetics are important and old school industrial is the hottest style right now, I suspect that it will stay in style for a long time. Industrial is our heritage just as second empire is Paris' or Victorian is London's. Deal with it because it isn't going anywhere.

I know you're largely responding to the person above your post, but I want to clarify that I don't hate viaducts, and I'm sure everyone on here has a healthy respect for the el and Chicago's history with trains. Some of us simply feel that as the city continues to grow and prosper, the land that the train lines use all over this city could have more productive use if the train lines were put underground.

Diesel trains

Homes near rail lines face exposure to harmful emissions

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/H...314/story.html

I do find it interesting you intentionally avoid the argument that people would rather live next to a park, or a building, or almost any other zoning in a city other than rail lines.

[pilsenarch]

I live next to a very wide viaduct with the busiest rail lines in town traveling by in the foreground with an awesome view of downtown just beyond... I would never trade this location for a park... granted no kids or dogs (lot of people in my building have both though) but still...

[moorhosj]

Originally Posted by HomrQT

I do find it interesting you intentionally avoid the argument that people would rather live next to a park, or a building, or almost any other zoning in a city other than rail lines.

And yet, the TOD ordinance is constantly applauded in this forum by changing the law to allow more people to live as close to (passenger) rail lines as possible. Complaining about "L" lines in the Loop is equivalent to walking around Europe complaining about cobblestone streets.

[brian_b]

Originally Posted by Stunnies23

Wouldn't the railroad sell their air rights to a developer, thus having another high rise on it that blocks the lake views of condos just west of the tracks. The NIMBYS would go crazy.

A developer already owns the air rights and already plans to build on them.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...op-residential

These are the same people that built many of the condos and they mostly already dealt with the view problem. Many of these high rises have view corridor easements, so they can build high rises every so often with midrises and townhomes everywhere else to avoid blocking any views. Or at least avoid blocking enough views to matter.

[HomrQT]

Originally Posted by moorhosj

And yet, the TOD ordinance is constantly applauded in this forum by changing the law to allow more people to live as close to (passenger) rail lines as possible. Complaining about "L" lines in the Loop is equivalent to walking around Europe complaining about cobblestone streets.

We're talking about the lines and rail yards, not the stations. Living next to a station is often considered a perk because it's a convenience for travel. Living next to a rail line or rail yard means noise, potential traffic congestion, pollution, and no other use for the land other than a dedicated route for trains. At least cobblestones allow for vehicle and foot traffic.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by HomrQT

We're talking about the lines and rail yards, not the stations. Living next to a station is often considered a perk because it's a convenience for travel. Living next to a rail line or rail yard means noise, potential traffic congestion, pollution, and no other use for the land other than a dedicated route for trains. At least cobblestones allow for vehicle and foot traffic.

The beauty of all this is that no one is forced to live next to a train line or train station. Seems like a strange thing to be arguing about. I live very close to the Brown line, doesn't bother me at all.

[SolarWind]

October 25, 2017





^ Laying charcoal colored bricks

[SolarWind]

October 25, 2017

[SolarWind]

October 25, 2017

[SolarWind]

October 25, 2017

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

October 25, 2017

This is pretty hot, hope the stop the exterior here with the cinder block and neon blue trim. Would be much more interesting than what they are actually planning...

[SolarWind]

October 25, 2017

[10023]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

October 25, 2017

It's nice to support productive careers for people with disabilities, but I think one should draw the line at blind architects.

[ChickeNES]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

October 25, 2017

What a difference:

[emathias]

Originally Posted by ChickeNES

What a difference:

I'm going to be so glad when that block (I live on the north side of Huron on this block) is complete. It'll be the first time in years where there isn't construction adjacent to my place. Dust levels will finally return to normal. Will be glad for the extra activity, though.