CHICAGO | General Developments - Page 2448

the urban politician · #**48941** Posted **Jun 30, 2021, 3:58 PM**

^ I sort of see your point, but I think in some ways you are tad bit off.

You aren’t finding cheap abandoned buildings to rehab (as this is your entire business model) in Little Village any more, so you’re left going to “black areas”. But you’re worried that after you sink money into these properties, you may not be rewarded for your effort, so now you’re bothered by racism.

First of all, I told you years ago not to quit your day job!

Secondly, there is nothing you are going to accomplish by griping that people are racist when the reason lots of people don’t want to live or do commerce in some of these areas have to do with lots of things—but crime and gang activity is the number one issue. Period.

Secondly, I think it’s great you restored your home in Irving Park and I applaud you for it. But if you are not planning to live where you invest, how can you expect others to?

I think you should find other ways to convince other people to rent from you than brow-beating them with accusations of “racism”. I just don’t think that is gonna to win too many people over.

LouisVanDerWright · #**48942** Posted **Jun 30, 2021, 5:20 PM**

^^^ There are actually plenty of cheap and abandoned properties in Little Village if you go West of the Boulevard, but that's my point, if I were to keep moving West of the Boulevard, but intentionally staying South of the Metra embankment that separates Black and Latino, then I don't think I could say it wasn't because of a difference in perception between Black and Latino areas. Little Village a wonderful and vibrant community, but the further West portions of it are not as good of a location as the Cermak corridor, it's farther from the train, farther from the Studios, farther from the park, etc. If I kept to that community I don't think I could legitimately say it was for 100% fair and rational reasons aside from "Lawndale is scary, LV not so much" and that's where my rant about latent racism in RE comes from.

And who am I brow beating into renting by calling racist? My comments here are 100% from a personal intellectual discussion perspective and not from a "I'm speaking in the name of my business" perspective. I don't believe I could even say such things in a professional role without risking my brokers license, it's best to simply say nothing at all about race or any other protected class. Going on a rant about racism while on a showing or something is just asking for a fair housing lawsuit. I'm getting tenants interested in this project merely by demonstrating the merits of the location and my plan, not by selling shares in Social Justice, Inc...

PS: don't mix Mayfair and Old Irving Park, there are no multi million dollar mansions by me. Also OIP has too much gaudy Italianate and Victorian architecture for me (not to mention tacky new construction mcmansions that take up the entire lot), I'm more into Arts and Crafts/Craftsman and Mayfair is literally on the National Historic Register for its excellence in those styles.

sentinel · #**48943** Posted **Jun 30, 2021, 7:50 PM**

The proposed production facility has already been discussed here, but the entertainment trades are finally picking up on this:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bu...go-1234974831/

west-town-brad · #**48944** Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 7:13 PM**

really interesting piece in the NYT about the climate change impact on the great lakes and it's effects on Chicago:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...-michigan.html

sentinel · #**48945** Posted **Jul 9, 2021, 9:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by west-town-brad

really interesting piece in the NYT about the climate change impact on the great lakes and it's effects on Chicago:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...-michigan.html

The Great Lakes ebb and flow, as evidenced by the change in overall Lake Michigan lake levels over the past 10 years, and that will continue to happen until probably the next ice age. In many long term climate forecasts from now until the end of the century, the Great Lakes region is shown to get warmer and wetter, so proper management of storm runoff will (hopefully) reduce any severe effects of water infiltration. Case in point: during the crazy storms that occurred 2 weekends ago, 5-6 streets were fairly inundated in my neighborhood due to the massive storm surge. My basement was flooded with 4" of water because the system couldn't keep up. But I was able to clean my basement with a wet vac in under two hours, and the streets that had exception amounts of water were clear in about 2-3 hours too after it stopped raining. Considering that I live in an area that is directly above the Deep Tunnel system, I'm going to assume that is a big part of why the water retreated so quickly (and probably subsequently gushed into the Thorton or Justice quarry basins)

Only a very slim portion of Chicago is actually part of the Great Lakes drainage basin, whereas the majority of the City and metropolitan area is part of the Mississippi River drainage basin..not really sure where I was going with that, but use the fact as you wish

SamInTheLoop · #**48946** Posted **Jul 10, 2021, 12:41 AM**

Trib article today on Target no longer considering opening in the Macy's space at Water Tower. This is just the dumbest thing how there was a backlash among some Gold Coast types (including Maria Pappas in the press) about Target somehow taking the Mag Mile lowbrow if they would have signed. Beyond silly, not too mention the Mag Mile today is already firmly a mix of off-price, middle of the road (although that's of course shrinking as an overall industry trend) and luxury. Hopefully Target (nor Brookfield) didn't shy away because of this pressure - I don't think it would have amounted to much in the end anyway, as this would not have been a lasting hot button issue let alone spark a protest movement or some sort of punitive government action if they had struck a deal and opened. Although there would have been some pearl-clutching on the coast, in the end it wouldn't have amounted to much more of a controversy than Target opening in CPS on State.

And I love how the alderman has Brookfield giving him advance notice of any leases in the works (as if he has any say in the matter).

Just so dumb. This isn't the 1983 shopping scene.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...ngq-story.html

Busy Bee · #**48947** Posted **Jul 10, 2021, 1:12 AM**

Time for Daley to start courting Harrods again?

k1052 · #**48948** Posted **Jul 10, 2021, 12:06 PM**

I understand why Target would bail. Who needs that trouble in a market awash in available space? Hope the well to do neighbors enjoy their increasingly empty mall.

Handro · #**48949** Posted **Jul 10, 2021, 6:59 PM**

Water Tower Place is in the perfect location for an upscale casino/hotel…

ardecila · #**48950** Posted **Jul 11, 2021, 5:35 PM**

The upper floors at WTP aren't dead yet, and I'm not sure how long Brookfield needs to wait out those leases (or $ to buy them out). Some tenants may voluntarily bail now that there's no anchor. But either way, it's a lot of moving parts to coordinate to make a casino deal happen.

North Bridge however is basically dead on floors 3/4, despite Nordstrom still going strong. I still think Macerich would be foolish not to pursue a casino deal involving their full block of River North real estate and part or all of the existing North Bridge mall.

Handro · #**48951** Posted **Jul 15, 2021, 2:58 PM**

Did I miss something or did this sorta come out of left field?

A 9 story, 134 unit building at the corner of Chicago/Hudson in River North received it's building permit yesterday.

Here is a page describing it on the LG Development website: http://lgdevelopmentgroup.com/hugo/

Currently:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/75...!4d-87.6397328

the urban politician · #**48952** Posted **Jul 15, 2021, 5:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handro

Did I miss something or did this sorta come out of left field?

A 9 story, 134 unit building at the corner of Chicago/Hudson in River North received it's building permit yesterday.

Here is a page describing it on the LG Development website: http://lgdevelopmentgroup.com/hugo/

Currently:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/75...!4d-87.6397328

Great catch!

I’ve been wanting to see that weedy lot get developed for a very long time

marothisu · #**48953** Posted **Jul 15, 2021, 6:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Handro

Did I miss something or did this sorta come out of left field?

A 9 story, 134 unit building at the corner of Chicago/Hudson in River North received it's building permit yesterday.

Here is a page describing it on the LG Development website: http://lgdevelopmentgroup.com/hugo/

Currently:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/75...!4d-87.6397328

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Great catch!

I’ve been wanting to see that weedy lot get developed for a very long time

Yeah, I totally forgot about this one. Its 1 of 2 buildings that will be built there. Hoping this one is the vacant lot..

Randomguy34 · #**48954** Posted **Jul 15, 2021, 7:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marothisu

Yeah, I totally forgot about this one. Its 1 of 2 buildings that will be built there. Hoping this one is the vacant lot..

Yup, the existing 2 story building will be sandwiched by both midrises

aaron38 · #**48955** Posted **Jul 15, 2021, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Yup, the existing 2 story building will be sandwiched by both midrises

Nice catch. Not sure why that little 2 story building would hold out like that, but okay. Creates a nice light well between the two buildings.
Their massing is good, if a bit suburban in design. Looks like all parking (or most) is underground. Active first floor for street life. I like it, keep Chicago Ave humming along.

Briguy · #**48956** Posted **Jul 15, 2021, 11:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaron38

Nice catch. Not sure why that little 2 story building would hold out like that, but okay. Creates a nice light well between the two buildings.
Their massing is good, if a bit suburban in design. Looks like all parking (or most) is underground. Active first floor for street life. I like it, keep Chicago Ave humming along.

It’s maybe ~5 floors too short though. Especially in a TOD area

aaron38 · #**48957** Posted **Jul 16, 2021, 1:17 AM**

Depends. If those extra 5 floors came at the expense of an ugly parking podium, I’d rather have this.

the urban politician · #**48958** Posted **Jul 16, 2021, 1:06 PM**

This development finally ties the district west of it to the portions further East. You now have a continuous streetwall walking East on Chicago Ave.

I really wish that the lots on the north side of Chicago Ave were developed more intensely, though. This community garden and Jesse Brown center, etc really shouldn’t face a major thoroughfare like Chicago Ave

r18tdi · #**48959** Posted **Jul 16, 2021, 4:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

This community garden and Jesse Brown center, etc really shouldn’t face a major thoroughfare like Chicago Ave

Meh, they can stay (for now). It's that Public Storage monstrosity that needs to go away like yesterday.

the urban politician · #**48960** Posted **Jul 16, 2021, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by r18tdi

Meh, they can stay (for now). It's that Public Storage monstrosity that needs to go away like yesterday.

Yeah, that too