CHICAGO | General Developments

[BVictor1]

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune....udy-chica.html




Chicago ranks first in architecture and design, according to study



I don't put much stock in studies, but this one is hard to ignore: It rates Chicago the top U.S. city for architecture and design.

The survey comes from the North American division of a worldwide architecural firm--the division is based in New York--so it's hard to say the fix was in for Chicago.





The study includes a Zogby poll, which found that 87 percent of the Chicago residents surveyed rated the architecture of their city as excellent or good.

Guess they haven't seen any of our hideous three-flat condos.

A spokeswoman for the firm that did the study, RMJM Hillier, denied in an interview that the survey is an attention-getting stunt. "We wanted to do something to spark a dialogue," she said. "It's quite serious."

The firm does not have a Chicago office.

Here's a news release about the study:

New York, NY (June 26, 2008) — Chicago is the best city for architecture and design according to an independent study conducted by one of the world’s leading architectural practices.

Looking at ten criteria including architecture awards, “green” design and public transit systems, RMJM Hillier, the North American division of the worldwide architecture firm RMJM, selected 10 cities leading the way in design policy and practice. Then the firm commissioned public opinion and research firm Zogby International to interview over 1000 residents of those cities on architecture and design issues and incorporated those results into the research to determine the final rankings.

Chicago came out on top with New York and Boston taking second and third place respectively.

Eighty-seven percent of Chicago residents polled think that the architecture in their city is excellent or good, versus 63% of New Yorkers and 64% of Bostonians, according to the Zogby poll which was one of the factors that determined rankings.

The Top Ten Cities for Design:

1. Chicago, IL

2. New York, NY

3. Boston, MA

4. Los Angeles, CA

5. Portland, OR

6. San Francisco, CA

7. Seattle, WA

8. Denver, CO

9. Philadelphia, PA

10. Washington, D.C.

“Good design makes better communities by boosting the economy, creating jobs, and, particularly today, sponsoring environmental strategies,” said Peter Schubert, AIA, design director of RMJM Hillier. “We conducted this study to see which cities are the most forward-thinking in their planning and development strategies and to applaud those that are doing it right.”

"Architecture and design are such significant parts of Chicago's business and cultural communities; walking down the street, you hear people talking about buildings just as often as you hear them talking about the Cubs or Sox," said Zurich Esposito, executive vice president of AIA Chicago. "Studies like this compel us to learn more about what people are doing in other cities - across the country or around the globe. It's all part of learning from each other and creating an international design dialogue."

The study also names three “Cities to Watch:” Minneapolis, Minnesota; Baltimore, Maryland; and Phoenix, Arizona.

To read the study, click here:

Download americas_best_cities_for_design___rmjm_hillier.pdf

[wrab]

^ Great press for Chicago. Articles like this are good for "architourism" business, which seems to have burgeoned here in recent years.

Bottom line: building well now & taking good care of what we already have are vitally important to Chicago's lucrative tourism & hospitality industries.

[ardecila]

I'm not really a big fan of the park at K Station. First, it meets the Desplaines overpass in a very odd way - the dirt just stops and there's a sheer drop to "true ground level", instead of building an attractive retaining wall on the overpass.

Second, because of the design, you can stand in the park and still see underneath the support pillars of the Desplaines overpass, which is a dead space of gravel, puddles, and trash - a space that is now completely sheltered, and perfect for homeless people.

Third, the stair-stepped slope of the earth there rules out any sort of frisbee, or baseball tossing, or any other kind of sport, since the ground is too uneven. All this grassy area is maybe good for picnics or sunbathing, and that's about it.

Now - the design here seems like the result of some serious budget constraints. The city (or FRDA, the neighborhood group) probably asked for a park, and Fifield grudgingly gave them an useless piece of land with grass, some trees and a path. The playground and sail pavilion are nice, though.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

I agree.

I hate those crap towers along Sheridan Rd.

I belive he was referring to the McMansion garbage that has replaced tear downs in the North Shore suburbs.


As far as Sherman Hospital, I just cannot get too exicted about it. I am glad they set out to do a greener building, but really moving the hospital out into the edge of town on a greenfield site and designing it around the car is not really "Green". The geo-thermal loops could have been bored into the ground just as easily and have the same results without wasting 15 acres of land near a Metra Station for the stupid lake. It just gets me a little irritated when something that only goes half way to being a great example of a Green Building gets so much praise.

[spyguy]

http://www.insideonline.com/site/epage/64629_162.htm

New development for auto dealer detailed
By Lindsey Reiser

If all goes according to plan for Jim Letchinger, president and founder of JDL Development Corporation, the face of Wells Street will be changing very soon.

...The site in question has two lots on either side of Wells Street between Scott and Goethe, the east lot being substantially larger than the west. As for Letchinger’s plans for the west lot, the residents had relatively few queries. The area facing Wells Street will be reserved for a one-story retail building with a “green” roof, which will have trees and shrubs visible to passers-by on the street. The area on Scott will host six single-family homes, which JDL projects to sell for $2.5 million each.

...JDL also intends to put in retail units on the east site, hoping the spacious area afforded by the larger lot will draw in high-quality labels, a plan with which the residents also have few qualms. However, in order to compensate for the small number of private units to be erected on Scott, Letchinger must increase the number of residential units he had also planned to build on the east lot. With the residences above and the retail below, this new building will be 131ft tall, rather than the 80 ft on which local residents had originally signed off, but it has a twist.

[bnk]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

I belive he was referring to the McMansion garbage that has replaced tear downs in the North Shore suburbs.


As far as Sherman Hospital, I just cannot get too exicted about it. I am glad they set out to do a greener building, but really moving the hospital out into the edge of town on a greenfield site and designing it around the car is not really "Green". The geo-thermal loops could have been bored into the ground just as easily and have the same results without wasting 15 acres of land near a Metra Station for the stupid lake. It just gets me a little irritated when something that only goes half way to being a great example of a Green Building gets so much praise.

If you think that the greenfield site is was going to remain green forever you are not familar with the growth in the Elgin area. In 15 years Sherman Hosptal will be in the center of Elgin not on the edge of town. Nothing is going to stop those fields from being turned over to development. Not even the most willful NIABY can stop it.

[Marcu]

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://www.insideonline.com/site/epage/64629_162.htm

New development for auto dealer detailed
By Lindsey Reiser

If all goes according to plan for Jim Letchinger, president and founder of JDL Development Corporation, the face of Wells Street will be changing very soon.

...The site in question has two lots on either side of Wells Street between Scott and Goethe, the east lot being substantially larger than the west. As for Letchinger’s plans for the west lot, the residents had relatively few queries. The area facing Wells Street will be reserved for a one-story retail building with a “green” roof, which will have trees and shrubs visible to passers-by on the street. The area on Scott will host six single-family homes, which JDL projects to sell for $2.5 million each.

...JDL also intends to put in retail units on the east site, hoping the spacious area afforded by the larger lot will draw in high-quality labels, a plan with which the residents also have few qualms. However, in order to compensate for the small number of private units to be erected on Scott, Letchinger must increase the number of residential units he had also planned to build on the east lot. With the residences above and the retail below, this new building will be 131ft tall, rather than the 80 ft on which local residents had originally signed off, but it has a twist.

Is this a joke? What a horrible use of land 1 mile from the Loop and 3 blocks from the el. I'd rather keep the lots and hope for something better down the road. I guess the developer just didn't want to deal with the Old Town NIMBYs. Either that or he has absolutely no clue what he's doing.

[the urban politician]

^ You must have failed to notice the 131 ft building he's also planning to erect.
After reading the whole article it seems like this developer is playing his cards right. Going straight the community and getting them involved from the start doesn't sound like a bad way to get them to swallow a little bit of density

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by spyguy

http://www.insideonline.com/site/epage/64629_162.htm

New development for auto dealer detailed
By Lindsey Reiser

If all goes according to plan for Jim Letchinger, president and founder of JDL Development Corporation, the face of Wells Street will be changing very soon.

...The site in question has two lots on either side of Wells Street between Scott and Goethe, the east lot being substantially larger than the west. As for Letchinger’s plans for the west lot, the residents had relatively few queries. The area facing Wells Street will be reserved for a one-story retail building with a “green” roof, which will have trees and shrubs visible to passers-by on the street. The area on Scott will host six single-family homes, which JDL projects to sell for $2.5 million each.

...JDL also intends to put in retail units on the east site, hoping the spacious area afforded by the larger lot will draw in high-quality labels, a plan with which the residents also have few qualms. However, in order to compensate for the small number of private units to be erected on Scott, Letchinger must increase the number of residential units he had also planned to build on the east lot. With the residences above and the retail below, this new building will be 131ft tall, rather than the 80 ft on which local residents had originally signed off, but it has a twist.

Who can I contact in support of the developer's idea of an apartment tower? Of course, unless you're the right kind of neighbor, you don't get notified about any of these meetings...

I can deal with the 1 story retail on the west side if there is some serious density (200 apartments definitely counts) on the east side. There is ample room on the site to set back the ~12 story tower so as not to block views or sunlight. It's a solid idea and the developer is being generous in offering this design to the neighbors to appease all interests.

[the urban politician]

On a side note, Chicago as a city needs to do something about this "guest parking" phantom fear that its residents are beginning to have. "How will we accommodate the guests of these new residents? More parking!"

Seriously, the city needs to kill that argument with one swift blow. I'm thinking an across the board ordinance that puts a parking cap on all projects in at least certain parts of the city.

[ardecila]

There aren't any plans for development near LaSalle/Maple, are there? It seems like there are a lot of surface lots there that need to go.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

I can deal with the 1 story retail on the west side if there is some serious density (200 apartments definitely counts) on the east side. There is ample room on the site to set back the ~12 story tower so as not to block views or sunlight. It's a solid idea and the developer is being generous in offering this design to the neighbors to appease all interests.

Maybe I didn't read the article too carefully, but what about the building closer Goethe - I think it's a Cadillac dealership now (Tower Oldsmobile before?); is that going to be demolished too or is that not part of the plan?

[Marcu]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ You must have failed to notice the 131 ft building he's also planning to erect.
After reading the whole article it seems like this developer is playing his cards right. Going straight the community and getting them involved from the start doesn't sound like a bad way to get them to swallow a little bit of density

Thanks for the correction. Did a cursory read and only noticed the single family homes. But in any case, why not put some rental units above the retail as well?

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by spyguy

Maybe I didn't read the article too carefully, but what about the building closer Goethe - I think it's a Cadillac dealership now (Tower Oldsmobile before?); is that going to be demolished too or is that not part of the plan?

Yeah, it would replace that. The auto dealership actually has some really nice terra cotta facade details, which hopefully will be saved one way or another even if not for use on the replacement structure.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by ardecila

There aren't any plans for development near LaSalle/Maple, are there? It seems like there are a lot of surface lots there that need to go.

Those are church parking lots, meaning tax exempt, meaning no rush to develop, really, due to low carrying costs and unclear opportunity costs (of course, they also make money on the side on Friday and Saturday nights by letting the valets park there). This city likes to subsidize parking for churchgoers.

Even if the churches got ambitious and tried a ground-lease a la what Beitler failed with up in Edgewater, Reilly would surely cut them down to size, or at least ensure that some other functional real estate were torn down to make way for more parking.

[honte]

Originally Posted by VivaLFuego

Yeah, it would replace that. The auto dealership actually has some really nice terra cotta facade details, which hopefully will be saved one way or another even if not for use on the replacement structure.

So, let me get this straight: The plan is to replace the cool, one-story historic structure with a one-story retail function that easily could have been put into the existing building?

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by honte

So, let me get this straight: The plan is to replace the cool, one-story historic structure with a one-story retail function that easily could have been put into the existing building?

Apparently! Welcome to the 43rd Ward.

If the developer isn't reusing that facade, I'd be shocked if Urban Artifacts and other such scavengers weren't all over it... I'd be more shocked if it indeed wound up in the scrap heap.

Having been inside the dealership, there's really nothing of any architectural interest whatsoever in the interior at this point; it's been stripped all the way down, so any ornamentation that may have been there is long gone.

For anyone curious what we're talking about, here's a street view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...78791292421789
Some pretty great stuff.

[honte]

^ Sorry, but bits and pieces sitting in a vulture's resale shop doesn't cut it for me... I am holding out for facade reuse or (gasp) just doing the sensible thing and rehabbing the existing building.

Isn't JDL the one who is doing the old firehouse rehab in conjuction with the new tower? Why can't they work out something like that over here? Hell, they could even get a density bonus that lets 'em stick it to the NIMBYs.

We've talked about this building before in this thread. Just in case people don't connect it with the past discussion, this building was designed by Roy France, a Chicago architect who went on to be one of the major designers of famous Art Deco hotels at Miami Beach.

[ardecila]

I didn't realize that JDL's site extends all the way up to Goethe... At 131 feet tall, a building that long is monolithic. I hope JDL chooses a good architect. Their track record suggests that they'll pick a traditional style, which isn't necessarily a bad thing...

[Eventually...Chicago]

^^^ There just seems to be too much value in that facade. You figure the one story retail is actually a rehab for that building. If not, it seems to be a terrible development decision. It seems like if would be far far easier just to rehab that building. It would definitely be quicker, meaning you can start positive cash flow sooner.