CHICAGO | General Developments

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

What are you guys thoughts on making a portion of Michigan ave like a Times Square/LA Live/Dundas Square/Strip in Vegas type area? People love bright lights and I think digital billboards will attract alot of people to downtown. Plus lots of lighting helps with security.

No thanks. Times Square gets its fair share of crime during spikes, and lighting by itself isn’t a magic crime deterrent without more enforcement.

Besides Michigan Ave would just become known as an emptier Times Square knock-off instead of being it’s own thing.

The Michigan Ave property owners simply need to put on their big boy pants and actually invest in their retail spaces. That’s what will help Michigan Ave.

Commercial activity begets more commercial activity.

When was the last significant update to North Michigan Ave? 20 years ago? With the same buildings from 20 years ago. With mostly the same stores from 20 years ago.

Then they’re surprised that interest there has fallen over the past few years?!

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/loca...stody/3805123/

[galleyfox]

If I were visiting Times Square, I would visit for the theaters and the crowds. The billboards are a consequence of the crowds not the cause.

Magnificent Mile is simply a beautiful but extremely dated place.

The Southern portion of Michigan Ave has seen more exciting changes over the past two decades than the Northern portion.

I don’t know what the specific retail desires for a modern Magnificent Mile would be. That’s for the free market to determine.

But I can’t look at the constant lines outside of the Starbucks Roastery and Nutella Cafe and think that this street has no potential for crowds or increased demand.


All the other indicators are telling me that this street has high potential to be a Champs-Élysée with a mixture of mid-size retail and fast dining… if only the property owners could invest and adapt.

[galleyfox]

This is the appropriate template for Michigan Ave, that is easily achievable and matches the character of the existing assets.

Instead of multi-story department stores, chop the ground floors into small and mid-size retail and dining spaces. Convert the upper stories into residential.

Nobody has to do anything radical or fancy. Pedestrian plazas and electric billboards and other gimmicks aren’t necessary. Just an adaptation of the space to meet modern needs.

Voilá, a revived Magnificent Mile

[twister244]

Originally Posted by galleyfox

This is the appropriate template for Michigan Ave, that is easily achievable and matches the character of the existing assets.

Instead of multi-story department stores, chop the ground floors into small and mid-size retail and dining spaces. Convert the upper stories into residential.

Nobody has to do anything radical or fancy. Pedestrian plazas and electric billboards and other gimmicks aren’t necessary. Just an adaptation of the space to meet modern needs.

Voilá, a revived Magnificent Mile

I think this is a great idea. Maybe do something with the traffic lanes and expand the sidewalk experience? Tons of potential here to keep it beautiful while not succumbing to making it a "Vegas Strip". Sorry, but Mag Mile is just not designed to be that. It used to attract people not just because of the retail, but the beauty. The beauty is still there, just not the retail as much. As someone pointed out, the potential is there if the lines are always out the Starbucks.

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

What are you guys thoughts on making a portion of Michigan ave like a Times Square/LA Live/Dundas Square/Strip in Vegas type area? People love bright lights and I think digital billboards will attract alot of people to downtown. Plus lots of lighting helps with security.

Nope. I think the ideas by galleryfox are right on. Breaking down edifices along Michigan Ave into more manageable "boutique-Esque" storefronts. Putting more eateries on the street, or right off it.

Perhaps distinct and well-designed pavers along the sidewalk. Perhaps some well-designed and distinct street lighting. I think decking over Grand and Illinois off Michigan would allow alfresco dining which can't really exist on the street at present.

Some sort of road diet would be great, but logistically that could be rather complicated and expensive.

[thegoatman]

Alright, what part of Chicago do you think could support that whole bright lights area? I've been to LA, Vegas, and New York (still need to visit Toronto) and it definitely gives the city a more "cosmopolitan" vibe if you get what I'm saying. I think the city should invest in it. Defintely needs to be in an area with high foot traffic. Gold Coast? West Loop? The Loop itself?

[west-town-brad]

Originally Posted by OrdoSeclorum

This is the argument that every online commentator makes about everything. "Invest in cancer research!? Have you seen these potholes?!" "Free education for children? We have a deficit last time I checked!" "Return to the office? First we need high-quality masks, investments in ventilation, and a permanent shift to an impossible post-work form of utopian socialism."

Better is better. But transit agencies should build capacity when they have the opportunity. They don't come along that often.

well I for one want NO MORE CANCER RESEARCH until every last pothole is filled

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

Alright, what part of Chicago do you think could support that whole bright lights area? I've been to LA, Vegas, and New York (still need to visit Toronto) and it definitely gives the city a more "cosmopolitan" vibe if you get what I'm saying. I think the city should invest in it. Defintely needs to be in an area with high foot traffic. Gold Coast? West Loop? The Loop itself?

By all means, if the Casino, Goose Island, and other nearby developments want to lean into a bright lights theme,… then no problem.


It’s simply that most of the businesses that favor bright neon lights no longer exist in the vicinity of the Loop or River North besides a few (high-class) theaters.

And it’s really cheesy (and pathetic) to put up the lights without that particular style of business around.

But bright light districts should occur naturally. A city shouldn’t just decide to have one because NYC does it, and slap up a couple of billboards downtown. That looks ugly by day, and shallow at night.

https://youtu.be/jKrhJ9AfssE

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Perhaps distinct and well-designed pavers along the sidewalk. Perhaps some well-designed and distinct street lighting. I think decking over Grand and Illinois off Michigan would allow alfresco dining which can't really exist on the street at present.

The fact North Michigan never got a streetlighting revamp is truly one of the more bizarre aspects of downtown beautification priorities. South of the river the historical Blvd Electroliers were reinstalled and facsimiles of the classic lamps installed on State in the 90s as well as throughout the Loop, but something beautiful and unique (whether retro or modern) for the premier downtown shopping street? The closest thing Chicago has to the Champs? Nope.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by galleyfox

By all means, if the Casino, Goose Island, and other nearby developments want to lean into a bright lights theme,… then no problem.


It’s simply that most of the businesses that favor bright neon lights no longer exist in the vicinity of the Loop or River North besides a few (high-class) theaters.

And it’s really cheesy (and pathetic) to put up the lights without that particular style of business around.

But bright light districts should occur naturally. A city shouldn’t just decide to have one because NYC does it, and slap up a couple of billboards downtown. That looks ugly by day, and shallow at night.

https://youtu.be/jKrhJ9AfssE

I just want to see the huge Coke sign put pack up blocking the Doral.


...

[r18tdi]

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/dept...n_Hearing.html

What a pathetic looking Plan Commission agenda.

[thegoatman]

Originally Posted by r18tdi

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/dept...n_Hearing.html

What a pathetic looking Plan Commission agenda.

Things have been slowing down here. it is what it is. I was looking over the Austin forum and the amount of construction going down there is insane. Like literally 2 pages of active and proposed projects. That's a typical sunbelt city tho, its expected. Just hope to see more of the proposed projects come to life.

[urbanpln]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Nope. I think the ideas by galleryfox are right on. Breaking down edifices along Michigan Ave into more manageable "boutique-Esque" storefronts. Putting more eateries on the street, or right off it.

Perhaps distinct and well-designed pavers along the sidewalk. Perhaps some well-designed and distinct street lighting. I think decking over Grand and Illinois off Michigan would allow alfresco dining which can't really exist on the street at present.

Some sort of road diet would be great, but logistically that could be rather complicated and expensive.

It could also use a few more quality "watering holes". They could be rooftops or mid-level loungy establishments.

[Briguy]

Originally Posted by thegoatman

Things have been slowing down here. it is what it is. I was looking over the Austin forum and the amount of construction going down there is insane. Like literally 2 pages of active and proposed projects. That's a typical sunbelt city tho, its expected. Just hope to see more of the proposed projects come to life.

Could you imagine if Chicago was also adding 50k residents a year? There'd be five Fulton markets.

[Busy Bee]

I like to torture myself pondering alternative histories of American cities postwar. If we had developed in an urban manner instead of fleeing and spreading out all over the countryside. Chicago would probably be about 5 or 6 million people and bustling everywhere.

[thegoatman]

Originally Posted by Briguy

Could you imagine if Chicago was also adding 50k residents a year? There'd be five Fulton markets.

If Chicago had Austin growth rates, the vast majority of the south and west sides would be gentrified by now, Lincoln Park/Lakeview/Gold Coast would be priced at New York levels, and the city would experience a TOD boom like Toronto did where every L station has tons of development surrounding it. And i'm sure crime would be much lower. I'd settle for just decent growth for now lol

Oh and I just thought of this. You know how Austin and SA are slowly becoming one metro? I could see that for Chicago-Milwaukee if the growth was there

[rivernorthlurker]

Had to bring this back.

Certainly a very unscientific study, but hey, who says Chicago isn't growing?

https://www.gopenske.com/blog/rental...g-destinations

That said, I do believe in the 'if you built it they will come' theory for Chicago, and that Fulton/OldTown/LincolnYards/SouthLoop and many other places are starting to mature to the point where they will start to be major draws in the coming years. This resulting in a bit of a feedback loop where the more people that move here the more desirable the city becomes etc. I'm thinking that this happens by or around 2025.

[thegoatman]

Originally Posted by rivernorthlurker

Had to bring this back.

Certainly a very unscientific study, but hey, who says Chicago isn't growing?

https://www.gopenske.com/blog/rental...g-destinations

That said, I do believe in the 'if you built it they will come' theory for Chicago, and that Fulton/OldTown/LincolnYards/SouthLoop and many other places are starting to mature to the point where they will start to be major draws in the coming years. This resulting in a bit of a feedback loop where the more people that move here the more desirable the city becomes etc. I'm thinking that this happens by or around 2025.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...jntVrFsM9iyM8-

Fulton Market is one of the two fastest growing office markets in the nation

[r18tdi]

The Great Fire slowed interest in wood buildings, but Chicago’s first mass timber tower could soon take shape

Developer Sterling Bay is set to begin construction of Chicago’s first mass timber building, a nine-story, apartment tower in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. If approved by City Council, the $50 million development may kick off widespread use of the modern technique, already popular in other cities, which boosters claim is more environmentally friendly than concrete or steel and provides residents with a warmer ambience.

Company officials said they hope to break ground by early next year at 2100 N. Southport Ave., several blocks north of Sterling Bay’s planned $6 billion Lincoln Yards development, and within another 24 months debut up to 135 new rental units.

[Randomguy34]

Sterling Bay's cash flow must be ridiculous given how many projects they have that are under construction or soon to start:

300 N Michigan- Finishing construction
1229 W Concord - Finishing construction
160 N Morgan - U/C
225 N Elizabeth - Filed for permits
360 N Green - broke ground
1665 N Throop - Filed for permits

This isn't even counting all their non-Chicago projects