CHICAGO | General Developments

[Alliance]

I'd rather see Presidential towers torn down first. The hidious things....

[Nowhereman1280]

Thanks Honte, you are incredibly informational as usual...

[GregBear24]

Honte, thanks for the info.
Alliance, amen!

[SamInTheLoop]

[QUOTE=honte;3136696]^Unless Preckwinkle gets any more stupid ideas


Unfortunately I believe there's a reasonably high probability...

[SamInTheLoop]

Earlier in the week it looked as though soil testing was occurring just to the south of the former Pacific Garden Mission...

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by honte

We've been here before, but I'll say it again for the record: I agree 100% that these are great buildings, and along with Lake Meadows, they represent a rare, very successful, and wonderful example of this type of design/planning. The owners have been remarkably faithful to the original schemes, and I do think if they survive intact for another 20 or so years, they would be landmark candidates.

Architecturally, I think both developments are great.

My biggest qualm is with the large fields of parking for residents. I'd much prefer parking underground and a slightly tighter street network a la Sandburg Village. From a planning standpoint, PS and LM thoroughly break up neighborhood continuity, particularly pedestrian continuity. Nearby South Commons has a similar deficiency.

[aaron38]

This is a very general question, and I'm just asking it here because I don't get downtown enough on normal weekday evenings to judge the changes firsthand.

A lot of the boom is still U/C, but for what has been completed, is the impact being felt yet in terms of street life / pedestrian traffic?
I mean, the city is always busy to someone who grew up in a small town.
But in terms of daily foot traffic, retail traffic, is it noticeably busier than one year or two years ago?

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by aaron38

This is a very general question, and I'm just asking it here because I don't get downtown enough on normal weekday evenings to judge the changes firsthand.

A lot of the boom is still U/C, but for what has been completed, is the impact being felt yet in terms of street life / pedestrian traffic?
I mean, the city is always busy to someone who grew up in a small town.
But in terms of daily foot traffic, retail traffic, is it noticeably busier than one year or two years ago?

It's definitely noticeable in the South Loop; each year a bit more streetlife than the last. The Loop (State, Michigan) and River North have been quite lively for several years now between residential/hotel construction and the booming universities, so each new development isn't very noticeable in terms of pedestrian traffic. West Loop is still largely a pedestrian wasteland except for a very few particular new nodes (like Jefferson/Lake) where a core of officeworkers, residential, and retail have developed.

So yeah, South Loop

[honte]

Originally Posted by aaron38

This is a very general question, and I'm just asking it here because I don't get downtown enough on normal weekday evenings to judge the changes firsthand.

A lot of the boom is still U/C, but for what has been completed, is the impact being felt yet in terms of street life / pedestrian traffic?
I mean, the city is always busy to someone who grew up in a small town.
But in terms of daily foot traffic, retail traffic, is it noticeably busier than one year or two years ago?

The place I notice it most is over in Streeterville. That once-desolate stretch from Navy Pier to Michigan always seems to be alive. Sometimes, I just have to marvel at the transformation, and we're only 1/2 of the way there!

[the urban politician]

Are they finally getting it?

10/31/2007 10:00:00 PM
Neighbors: More condos, please
Neighbors say Walgreens development should be transit oriented

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER
Editor


It's like déjà vu all over again for East Village and Wicker Park residents who fought a commercial development at the corner or Ashland and Division more than 20 years ago.

Back then neighbors opposed the establishment of Pizza Hut at 1601 W. Division and Wendy's restaurant at 1623 W. Division. Now they're opposing the construction of a freestanding Walgreens drug store. The Walgreens would replace Pizza Hut, which closed down and has sat vacant since early 2007, but the Wendy's location is expected to stay.

Neighbors have opposed the proposal by developer Interra Vision, stating that the site, which many consider a gateway to Wicker Park and East Village, does not suffice in terms of scale to adjacent buildings. They argue that the building, located across the street from the historic MB Financial building, should balance the bank and serve as a transit-oriented development.

Justin Schultz, an Interra Vision representative, did not return phone calls requesting an interview.

"It can have a Walgreens in it; we just don't want it to be just a Walgreens," said Scott Rappe, head of the East Village Association's zoning committee. "We object to that land being solely a single-tenant building and a parking lot."

"Imagine if you had a gym or professional offices and a mix of dwelling apartment types all concentrated there with access to the Blue Line and the busses. It could really be desirable for both residents and businesses."

Rappe and others have been garnering support for the initiative to persuade the developer to build a multi-story building. Last week, the East Village Association sent a request to Arnold J. Randall Jr., commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, asking that he work with the developer and neighbors to build a more substantial structure.

"Chicago-as it works to become a more environmentally responsible, 'green' city-must take advantage of opportunities to establish transit-oriented developments. The proximity of the site to public transit (the subway and three bus lines), three major thoroughfares, and the Kennedy Expressway, as well as prime shopping and service amenities, makes it the ideal location for such a development," the EVA letter reads.

More at link:

http://www.chicagojournal.com/main.a...00&TM=23997.12

[Chi_Coruscant]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,4011603.story

Site of city casino anyone's bet

Power brokers and special interests to play high-stakes game over location if approved
By Kathy Bergen, Tribune staff reporter Tribune staff reporters Gary Washburn and Susan Diesenhouse contributed to this report

November 1, 2007

With a downtown casino looking like a real possibility for the first time in years, the central city is starting to resemble a giant Monopoly board, with competing interest groups hoping the potentially lucrative enterprise will be built on their turf.

[Loopy]

I would vote for the Post Office and Navy Pier as the best Locations; Congress Hotel and Riverside Park as the worst.

[honte]

^ If we absolutely have to have this thing... if having it means they can save the entire Post Office, I say go for it. That was always the levee anyway.

Otherwise, I like the Air Rights idea north of McCormick. My least favorite is the Lower Wacker site by Michigan Avenue - how tacky!

[honte]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Are they finally getting it?

10/31/2007 10:00:00 PM
Neighbors: More condos, please
Neighbors say Walgreens development should be transit oriented

EVA has a new leadership, focus, and direction that is highly preservation-oriented and interested in smart growth. They are in favor of density or progressive design in the right places. I would expect to see a lot of good things coming out of this area in the near future - if they can hang on to it.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by honte

^ If we absolutely have to have this thing... if having it means they can save the entire Post Office, I say go for it. That was always the levee anyway.

Otherwise, I like the Air Rights idea north of McCormick. My least favorite is the Lower Wacker site by Michigan Avenue - how tacky!

^ I pretty much agree. This casino should not be in the core of downtown, but somewhat in its periphery. I certainly would not want to see Chicago's casino become the "star of the show" for downtown visitors. Let the shopping, theatres, architecture, culture, etc etc play that role. The casino should be top-notch in quality (Chicago should never not shine in anything it does), but I wouldn't mind a bit if Chicago treated this thing with just a hint of embarrassment, like "yeah there's a casino way over there, we had to build it because the State is full of butt-heads who won't fork over a few pennies for our transit system, so go over there and play some slot machines or blackjack if you want to have a good time but our city isn't really about the whole gambling thing" kind of attitude would fit nicely.

[DHamp]

Post Office. Hands down. None of those other locations are even options IMO. South Loop is for new residential + some retail. The lot north of McCormick should be park. Fronting Grant Park on Congress is just a BAD idea. If anything extra goes into Block 37, it should have something to do with the Theatre District. Putting it on lower Wacker would ruin what we've achieved thus far this boom, and make it less attractive for residents fueling the condos in the area. And Daley is right about Navy Pier; it's for families.

If we have to go that route, use the Post Office. Especially if it means that the exterior won't be marred and chopped.

[Loopy]

Originally Posted by honte

^ If we absolutely have to have this thing... if having it means they can save the entire Post Office, I say go for it.

I would gladly put up with a casino if it could facilitate the wholesale preservation of that magnificent structure.

[Alliance]

Its not' THAT magnificent, but if they go with the current plan, I'd rather see Casino with hotel towers than condos.

how cool would it be to have an art deco casino

[StormFire]

Originally Posted by aaron38

This is a very general question, and I'm just asking it here because I don't get downtown enough on normal weekday evenings to judge the changes firsthand.

A lot of the boom is still U/C, but for what has been completed, is the impact being felt yet in terms of street life / pedestrian traffic?
I mean, the city is always busy to someone who grew up in a small town.
But in terms of daily foot traffic, retail traffic, is it noticeably busier than one year or two years ago?

I was just thinking that along E/W Wacker, Lake Street, and Randolph I have seen more young moms and strollers than I did 3-4 years ago.

I don't want the casino, by if we had to have it, throw it on the tourist trap (Navy Pier), McCormick, or the Post Office. Keep it out of the Loop.

Ok guys - I have a question. I work at the Apparel Center, and there is a third floor roof overlooking the river and Orleans. They just put two curvy paths of groundcover on that roof. So it is now "green." I can't see a great environmental impact here (is there one?). Do the owners get some kind of a tax credit or some other benefit?

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ There is some benefit, I mean it absorbs some water and vegitation/dirt is very good at insulation, so it saves a little energy. I think they get a one time only tax credit for installing it. That and they get the publicity of being able to say that they are for the environment.