CHICAGO | General Developments

[spyguy]

Buck purchased the block on Madison and Green for redevelopment, but it looks like they're trying to sublease the building for a few more years. Anyone know what's going on with this one?

[marothisu]

Looks like something is finally happening to this warehouse at 1435 W 15th St right south of Adams/Medill Park and a little north of the 18th St Pink Line stop (but on the train). The permit says it will be converted from manufacturing to 92 apartment units.

This article is from over 2 years ago which states condos, and 108, but still good to see:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...y-village-site

[ithakas]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Looks like something is finally happening to this warehouse at 1435 W 15th St right south of Adams/Medill Park and a little north of the 18th St Pink Line stop (but on the train). The permit says it will be converted from manufacturing to 92 apartment units.

This article is from over 2 years ago which states condos, and 108, but still good to see:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/reale...y-village-site

Good to hear. Have you heard or seen anything recently about the warehouse conversion nearby on 19th Street?

https://www.bisnow.com/chicago/news/...artments-46726

[the urban politician]

^ There is also one on 18th St

[ithakas]

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ithakas

Good to hear. Have you heard or seen anything recently about the warehouse conversion nearby on 19th Street?

https://www.bisnow.com/chicago/news/...artments-46726

Haven't heard anything. I'd have to look back before December's zoning meetings. Speaking of zoning - Friday's zoning meeting had the proposed 5 story, 60 room hotel (http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2...-chinatown.php) on the vacant lot at Archer & Clark in Chinatown. Anyone know if it was approved?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ithakas

Nice. I actually kind of like this one - not perfect, but not bad either.

[J_M_Tungsten]

Another parking lot bites the dust! That carpet place has got to go soon...

[Rizzo]

I like that they are using the existing masonry building and restoring the window openings to their original size.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by bcp

pretty damn good...

- goodbye shitty parking lot
- integration of the old building (humping it but still respecting it)
- complimentary windows
- external structural elements
- sweet color in a sea of tan
- zero lot line mostly

Also literally across the street from the Godfrey and half a block from HoJo Tower so we will start to assemble a nice little colony of good design here.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Also literally across the street from the Godfrey and half a block from HoJo Tower so we will start to assemble a nice little colony of good design here.

Also close to the Ed D's and Gino's East towers - though I wouldn't call Gino's East good design, but the Ed D's one is pretty nice.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by ithakas

Good to hear. Have you heard or seen anything recently about the warehouse conversion nearby on 19th Street?

https://www.bisnow.com/chicago/news/...artments-46726

They don't have their zoning yet. There's also a large warehouse at 1432 W. 21st overlooking Juarez HS that is planned for conversion to 99 units with 52 parking spaces and retail facing Laflin/Blue Island.

Basically all these large conversions are on the backburner until Ald. Solis can strike a deal with Pilsen Alliance and the anti-gentrification brigade. Dude's gotta get re-elected. Meanwhile gentrification continues unabated in the 3 and 6-flats...

[harryc]

Jan 6


Jan 14



Jan 15 - Phase II in the cold early morning.


Jan 19

[emathias]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

...
I continue to be in favor of more hotels in the neighborhoods. I really hope that the one proposed for North and Ashland comes to fruition.

I think Airbnb is helping prove the value of neighborhood hotels, at least in certain neighborhoods.

Originally Posted by PKDickman

The new construction was only going to be two stories with hostel rooms above the stores. They changed their mind on that last summer. I don't know why.

Originally Posted by PKDickman

OK, I dug up the original documents and the second floor was only 3000 sqft.

They could have gone a couple of ways on the site.
They had two separate legally non-conforming buildings. They could have kept them that way and built 4 stories on the adjacent lots.

However, they desperately wanted to tie the Tower and the Hollander warehouse building together. The Tower has a very difficult footprint. It was fine for rooms, but made services a problem.

In order to do that, all the parcels had to be brought into compliance.

Including the area of the vacant lot, they were already at 4.35 FAR.
The only way to bring it into conformity was to rezone the entire site to a -5 (the highest zoning you can get outside of the downtown districts).

The store fronts are just there as gravy. They didn't need the space, they needed the land area.

As it stands, assuming no other changes, they have about 5000 buildable feet left in the site. That might allow for a full second floor (with rear setbacks) but never anything more.

It seems that at some point in the future the TOD ordinances could be further enhanced to allow a greater-than-5-far near stations, at which point they could amend the PD and build additional rooms on that site. Or if demand is high enough, perhaps even get an exception passed as a one-off ordinance. Who knows what the future may bring.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by ardecila

They don't have their zoning yet. There's also a large warehouse at 1432 W. 21st overlooking Juarez HS that is planned for conversion to 99 units with 52 parking spaces and retail facing Laflin/Blue Island.

Basically all these large conversions are on the backburner until Ald. Solis can strike a deal with Pilsen Alliance and the anti-gentrification brigade. Dude's gotta get re-elected. Meanwhile gentrification continues unabated in the 3 and 6-flats...

^ Reality is, the anti-gentrification folks need to just give up the ghost on this one. Pilsen is absolutely on fire. All of the whining and moaning in the world can't stop it. Even if the Alderman doesn't approve a single new project, it doesn't matter because swarms of rehabbers (professional and amateur) are showing up to every showing whenever a new value-add opportunity comes to market. They fully plan to rehab the units and recover their value.

In 2012 you could snab a 6 flat that needs rehab for $150k and very few people would be interested. Fast forward to now, and a similar 6 flat in a similar location listed for $425k has multiple offers within days.

But the anti-gentrification people don't understand this because, unsurprisingly, they don't understand anything about economics or the free market. All they are able to do is talk about the moral side of the argument. But the "community" in Pilsen is already voting with their feet. One by one, owners are selling and leaving for Little Village or further southwest near Midway Airport or out to the suburbs.

[Mr Downtown]

^Perhaps they don't begin the discussion, as you seem to, with the assumption that free-market capitalism is the highest purpose of society.

[Via Chicago]

I hate to see the change in Pilsen only because it DOES feel like a genuine community, and its a unique enclave in Chicago. Money makes things homogeneous, and if you dont think it does look at every other neighborhood that has gentrified into a yuppie playground. The same types of restaurants, the same types of bars, the same type of boutiques. I always loved Chicago because of its unique neighborhoods, but as Logan Square starts to look like Wicker Park which start to look like Lincoln Park which starts to look like the Gold Coast, the city becomes a less interesting place. Walk around Pilsen and everyone knows everyone. People greet each other from their front stoops during warm weather. Theyve watched each other's kids grow up. Some residents still define themselves by parish. Is the dude buying a spec house for 600k interested in participating in the same social fabric? Doubtful.

But yea, its a moot point. It is what it is. Theres nothing moral/immoral about it. It takes two to make a deal. Its not like the city is coming in and forcing people out of their homes. If the residents dont want to sell they certainly dont have to. As TUP said, most of these homeowners/renters picked up for LV/Cicero long ago. No one laments the fact that Ukranian Village is no longer Ukranian, or Little Italy is no longer Italian, or hell that Pilsen itself isnt Czech. The only constant in life is that things change.

[Steely Dan]

money talks and bullshit walks.

it's only been that way since, like, forever.

[Via Chicago]

Everything you once loved will one day become condos.

Its the sad eternal truth.

[gallo]

Here's the front elevation of the Alley building (3228 N Clark) redevelopment that I mentioned last week. The developer is committing to preserving the terra cotta facade of the existing building. 24 units, 6 parking spaces (including 1 for car share). Great smaller TOD! There was literally no community opposition to this project at our meeting last night and it was fully supported by everyone who voted.


courtesy of Jonathan Splitt Architects Ltd.

Originally Posted by gallo

In neighborhood TOD news, a developer is looking to do a 7 story 25 unit mixed-use building with 2 ground floor retail spaces on the site of the former "Alley" at Belmont and Clark directly adjacent to the new TargetExpress TOD. This would have less than 10 parking spaces:

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9406...8i6656!6m1!1e1

I'm doing my best to ensure that the existing terra cotta facade be saved and incorporated into the new design. This was originally a historic vaudeville theater (The gargoyles came later, in the 70's-80's)