CHICAGO | General Developments

[lawfin]

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Well, they tore down the Shell Gas station there. So that's already an improvement. Hopefully something better will be built there.

I also saw on the corner of Granville and Western now there is a sign saying Walgreens coming soon. There is already a Walgreens across the street there so I would assume that they would close that one. There is also a sign saying retail space available adjacent to Walgreens in the new development. So now I'm wondering if it is going to be a strip mall or retail with condos on top. There is already a healthy space for parking on the corner so that's always exciting.

It would be great for that section of town to have an extension of the brown line running north from western to Howard.

This development just sucks.....I think if I recall it is zoned c3-2 ...which if memory serves would allow a building of roughly 55-60 ft or so on this parcel.


Instead we are getting a shitblock of autocentric suburban shit shit....it is maddening......my parent live essentially right behind this crapola and they supported it until I explained to them how much traffic a development of this style would generate as opposed to say a more urban style mixed use.


It just sucks...I mean the nexus of Peterson / western can get you either the red or the brown line in roughly 10 minutes or so little more at certain times of day and we get this crap


This area has suffered from being on the floating edge of ward boundaries for decades and hence there has been no leadership or vision.

The absolutely somnolent Ald bernie Stone should have put out to pasture 15 years ago. O'Connor has been less than helpful either but at least in his ward there have been other urban style development ....see parts of Lincoln Ave for instance


Oh and if Rep H. Osterman gets his way with a Metra station at Peterson / Ridge area.....all the more reason that development should be more dense and auto-dependent......it would be about a 5minute bus ride to the metra stop or `15 min walk.

By the way I think that metra station there is a bad idea.....it should be pjut at Devon and then move Lunt to Howard to spur commercial development along both those thoroughfares


Walgreens is urban cancer, this development is plain shit

[the urban politician]

^ I hear ya, but look at the area around it.

It already has a strip center and auto dealership right across the street. There's something called "the ship has sailed" and that occurred long ago on this intersection.

Western is an auto hell hole, whether we like it or not, except for perhaps in a few nodes.

I guess we have to live with strip malls in the city, but I really hope there is some sort of plan in place, instead of letting people build them wherever they please. I think there has been a lot of improvement in the past several years, but I'm still not satisfied. Seeing Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts set back from the street by a parking lot right next to a north side L station is one example where the city just plain fucked up. That kind of stuff infuriates me more than a strip center at the Western/Granville location.

BTW, I have become more impressed with how Walgreens/CVS and McDonald's have designed their stores in the city.

[Rizzo]

Ogden School Update.

They've completed quite a bit of foundation work and have some formwork put up


Me

[ardecila]

edit: relocated

[Mr Downtown]

The new JW Marriott Hotel Chicago, originally scheduled to open in June, will now open several months late, in September 2010, according to the hotel's website.

[Baronvonellis]

^ I hear ya, but look at the area around it.

It already has a strip center and auto dealership right across the street. There's something called "the ship has sailed" and that occurred long ago on this intersection.

Western is an auto hell hole, whether we like it or not, except for perhaps in a few nodes.

I guess we have to live with strip malls in the city, but I really hope there is some sort of plan in place, instead of letting people build them wherever they please. I think there has been a lot of improvement in the past several years, but I'm still not satisfied. Seeing Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts set back from the street by a parking lot right next to a north side L station is one example where the city just plain fucked up. That kind of stuff infuriates me more than a strip center at the Western/Granville location.

BTW, I have become more impressed with how Walgreens/CVS and McDonald's have designed their stores in the city.

They just tore down a block long auto dealership at that location so I was hoping that something better would be built there. And not be a blight for the next 30 years. The other auto dealerships there are mostly just parking lots with cars on them. They could easily be developed. Look at how Western/ Irving Park has changed so much.

With a little bit of steetscaping Western could be made to look like Ashland on the Northside with planters down the middle and tree lined streets.

[lawfin]

^^Possible but probably wishful thinking at this point. The market demand in this area of the city is not what it is along ashland.

This could change if my long, long time dream of a western subway ever cooild be made to happen but I doubt that it ever will.

I too wish this development could have been more urban because you are exactly right this was a chance that willl set the character of that strip for decades......a historical moment where most of those dealerships are now empty and probably could be have had for a reasonable amount.

market fundamentals played a role of course but a utter lack of vision and leadership by Ald Bernie Stone and Pat Oconnor laid this crescendo of crap egg on us and it will negatively impact the area for 50 years

[Thundertubs]

Originally Posted by lawfin

^^Possible but probably wishful thinking at this point. The market demand in this area of the city is not what it is along ashland.

This could change if my long, long time dream of a western subway ever cooild be made to happen but I doubt that it ever will.

I too wish this development could have been more urban because you are exactly right this was a chance that willl set the character of that strip for decades......a historical moment where most of those dealerships are now empty and probably could be have had for a reasonable amount.

market fundamentals played a role of course but a utter lack of vision and leadership by Ald Bernie Stone and Pat Oconnor laid this crescendo of crap egg on us and it will negatively impact the area for 50 years

We'd have to be at the height of a real estate bubble to get quality development at a marginal car-oriented area like Peterson/Western. There are currently too many empty condos collecting cobwebs in genuinely appealing locations.

[spyguy]

Grove Parc Plaza redevelopment

The first phase includes 67 units.



Overall master plan




I'm not really feeling the first phase but the whole plan is a big improvement over the existing buildings.

[Busy Bee]

Those commercial structures look more promising than those brick clad residentials, but I'll take it! When is this supposed to begin?

[emathias]

Ingenious, putting the densest part of the development the furthest away from the rail line ... wtf

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

When is this supposed to begin?

Never.

Unless Chicago sees a major change in demographics (ie population growth) I really don't see this area getting much new development, if any, any time in the next 30 years.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Never.

Unless Chicago sees a major change in demographics (ie population growth) I really don't see this area getting much new development, if any, any time in the next 30 years.

Umm, it's public housing... for which there is no shortage of demand. I thought you lived in Hyde Park, in a previous life?

Originally Posted by emathias

Ingenious, putting the densest part of the development the furthest away from the rail line ... wtf

The building scale at 60th/Cottage Grove is already pretty high, which makes sense, considering that they front the Midway/Washington Park. It's only three blocks from the L anyway... just over 1/3 of a mile. I'm just happy that the redevelopment would create a semi-safe corridor for Hyde Parkers to walk to the Green Line. I don't have any first-hand experience, but aren't many Hyde Parkers a bit scared of going south of the Midway at present? BVic or Viva, care to weigh in?

[the urban politician]

Thanks to Eric Rojas for posting this at his blog. All pics and info come from his blog, which can be accessed by clicking the title. I posted notable excerpts here:

MONDAY, MAY 03, 2010
Ravenswood, Sears development one step closer after community meeting

What a difference a year makes. The Ravenswood Station mixed use development at West Lawrence Avenue and North Ravenswood is one step closer after tonight's community meeting. Much has changed from the original retail and residential plan. Most notably, the residential component (and most controversial eleven story tower) was entirely scrapped. The mood of the meeting was less contentious than last year. However, and unfortunately, many came to the meeting to oppose whatever was presented to them. These particular neighborhood folks would have scoffed at "The Mother Teresa Absolutely Quiet School for the Blind" had it been proposed.
However, I would agree the development presentation did lack details that were obviously going to be brought up by residents. Mostly, this related to traffic flow and scale of the project. Then, the presenters AGAIN brought up a Roundy's grocery store guy to "show and tell" slide after slide of pictures of store departments. Both sad and hilarious the crowd even asked for him to knock it off and get on with the question/answer period concerning the overall development.


Long story short: Magellan is the new developer and most known in Chicago for it's $4 billion Lakeshore East in the New East Side of downtown. The Ravenswood Station development will consist of two buildings taking up half of Sears parking lot. The three story retail building fronting Lawrence Avenue will feature a two story "Mariano's" full service grocery store owned and operated by Roundy's of Wisconsin. The entire third floor will be occupied by a major health club company. There is also room for one more 7000 sq ft retail store on the first level.


The rear building will be a four story parking deck and also house the Sears Auto Center. The parking structure will accommodate 400 cars for the retail and 180 additional designated spots for the Metra parking. Right now, there are only 50 designated parking spots for Metra. Huge increase! The development is seeking LEED Certification (which even one continually rude resident complained this was not enough!)

[ardecila]

It looks like the Lakeshore East Market! Low-end-berg is at it again!

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by ardecila

It looks like the Lakeshore East Market! Low-end-berg is at it again!

Well, considering how the site looks now I'd call it a huge improvement. BTW, the community votes on that project May 27th, in case anyone is interested in showing support.

On another note, did anybody happen to attend this meeting? Please tell me WLCO didn't sign off on a strip mall!

Originally Posted by spyguy

1260 W Madison
A commercial development

Community meeting
Monday, May 3, 2010
6 PM
Skinner Elementary School

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Please tell me WLCO didn't sign off on a strip mall!

Not a strip mall at all!

Threadless wants to move to the West Loop
05/04/2010 11:02 AM
By Micah Maidenberg

The T-shirt retailer Threadless plans to shift its headquarters from Ravenswood to the West Loop, taking over a vacant, 45,000 square foot property at 1260 W. Madison last used by FedEx.

Threadless representatives told West Loop residents at a meeting Monday the move would allow the firm to consolidate its business and
warehousing functions under one roof, advantages it can’t realize in its current North Side location.

Next week, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) will introduce an ordinance to downzone the property back to its original commercial designation, a bill that will jettison a plan that would have allowed a 90-foot, 318-condo project to rise at 1260 W. Madison.

I've been to their Ravenswood headquarters on numerous occasions, so I know how crunched they are for space. I'm glad they're expanding!

Doesn't look like they will be tearing down the existing building, though. Hopefully they'll at least landscape it nicely.

[BWChicago]

So THAT'S what Villa Savoye would look like as a grocery store.

[Thundertubs]

Originally Posted by emathias

Ingenious, putting the densest part of the development the furthest away from the rail line ... wtf

Above 61st, I think the University has a much stronger pull than the Green Line.

Originally Posted by ardecila

The building scale at 60th/Cottage Grove is already pretty high, which makes sense, considering that they front the Midway/Washington Park. It's only three blocks from the L anyway... just over 1/3 of a mile. I'm just happy that the redevelopment would create a semi-safe corridor for Hyde Parkers to walk to the Green Line. I don't have any first-hand experience, but aren't many Hyde Parkers a bit scared of going south of the Midway at present? BVic or Viva, care to weigh in?

There are both dorms and grad student housing just south of the midway. The stretch of 61st Street east of Cottage Grove is probably the starkest racial Mason-Dixon line in the city. Census Factfinder (using 2000 data) puts the north side of the street at over 80% white, and the south side of the same street at about 3% white. I know a grad student who lives at 61st/Ingleside. She will use the Green Line during the day occasionally, but never after dark. I think it would be great if the city could make the corridor to the Green Line more welcoming somehow. It's a shame to have thousands of people so close to a station, but afraid to use it (not that they are entirely wrong - I've walked it before, and wouldn't do it in anything less than broad daylight).

[VivaLFuego]

Yes, historically Hyde Parkers do NOT walk to 63/Cottage because the walk along Cottage is so unpleasant, but this has been gradually changing over the past 10 years or so and is occuring more often, particularly as U of C continually expands its presence south of the Midway.

re: Ravenswood, well, at least this plan doesn't touch between Ainslie and Argyle so there's still hope that 3-4 story residential could be built there to add a hundred units or so of housing near a major transit node. In the meantime, the project looks pretty good -- was just up there last week and the Sears Auto is truly soul-suckingly horrendous.