Fighting Parking Vultures

Last week, 42nd ward alderman Brendan Reilly sent out an e-mail explaining the latest on his crackdown against rogue valet parking companies.  I was going to digest it and give a summary, but it's been sitting in my in box too long for that, so I'm printing the entire thing verbatim here.  It's just easier that way.

The City Council today unanimously approved Alderman Reilly's legislation that will tighten regulations governing valet operators in the City of Chicago. This new law increases the off-street parking requirement for valet operators by 50% - raising the minimum off-street parking spaces requirement from 10% to 15% of the occupancy of the establishment served. Valet operators must also file a copy of their off-street parking lease with the City - which will be tied to the valet license.  If a parking lease is cancelled by an operator, the valet license is void.

This new city law raises the minimum liability and damage insurance coverage required for valet operators to $1 million and require valet companies to file proof of insurance with the City of Chicago, which must be made available for public inspection. In addition, this measure significantly increases fines for bad operators - doubling and, in some cases, tripling fine amounts for various valet offenses. Below, please find Alderman Reilly's remarks prepared for delivery at City Council:

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I am very pleased to report, after many months of hard work and negotiations, that today we secured City Council approval of an ordinance that I crafted to update and enhance Municipal Code

governing one of the least regulated industries in Chicago: the Valet Parking Industry. This ordinance was unanimously approved by the Committee on Traffic Control and Safety in November. Following committee passage, I worked with representatives from the Illinois Restaurant Association to address their concerns related to off-street parking requirements and win their support for

this ordinance. In addition, the Administration, Commissioner Reyes and her city department also support these reforms.

Over the past two months, we've heard a lot about access to on-street metered parking storage, traffic congestion issues and city transportation policy in general. This new ordinance will help

to address each of these concerns. When you spend time downtown - whether it's to dine at one of our superb restaurants, shop along our world-renowned retail corridors or to experience one of our fantastic cultural institutions - chances are, you're competing with a valet parking company for those prized metered parking spots.

What hasn't really been discussed is the fact that during early evening weekday hours and weekends, most downtown metered parking spaces are not available to the taxpayers they're intended to

serve - they are monopolized by valet operators. That's right - many of those metered spaces have been hijacked by one of the many shoddy valet operations that, unfortunately, give the entire industry a bad name. Like any industry there are good operators and there are bad operators. However, it seems, in this industry - one of the least regulated industries in the City - there are as many bad operators as good - when it comes to respect for the public right-of-way and basic compliance with city law. I am confident that most people have personally witnessed the valet abuses that exist today in the City of Chicago:

• We've all seen the blocks-long double and triple parking that occurs, often blocking one - sometimes two - lanes of traffic on our congested city streets. This practice often clogs major arterial streets and exacerbates existing congestion.
  

• Perhaps you've had the pleasure of witnessing what I call the "Valet Piggyback Two-Step" - the practice where one valet parker moves a car out of a metered parking space, only to have it immediately backfilled by another valet parked vehicle. Often several blocks of on-street parking are monopolized in this fashion.
  

• Some of you may be familiar with the "Reverse Slalom" - a maneuver adopted by less responsible valet operators that is used on one-way streets. Rather the circle the block to deliver a vehicle to a patron, as a matter of convenience, valet parkers will simple throw the vehicle into reverse and hit the gas to drive backwards, the wrong way on a one-way street!
  

• Maybe you - or a friend - received a mysterious parking ticket in the mail - but you are positive that you never received a ticket on your vehicle at that location. As a result, you're forced to perform a forensic investigation - like CSI - which reveals that your vehicle was ticketed while in the care of a valet, unbeknownst to you, of course.
  

• These are scenarios that many of us have witnessed personally. I would like to share my own, unique experience with a valet operator that I had a little over a year ago. I was, in effect, offered sale of an on-street parking meter for the bargain-basement price of $10 in cash. That generous offer, of course, was extended to me by none other than a valet operator who claimed the metered spot quote "belonged to his operation."These conditions exist because there is little incentive for this industry to comply with the current, relatively loose regulations on the books. Penalties for violations of current city ordinance are seriously outdated and woefully inadequate deterrents to bad behavior.
  

As you can imagine, my office handles numerous complaints regarding these operators - and I am not alone as this issue impacts a number of wards throughout the city. That is what led me to review the Municipal Code and prompted me to work with my colleagues to craft these improvements. There are a number of smaller, fly-by-night valet operators in the city of Chicago that do not carry adequate insurance, that consistently fail to comply with current city ordinance and, when fined, simply build those fines into their cost of doing business - rather than correct their business practices.

In many cases, the liability and property damage insurance policies carried by valet operators are significantly lower than the coverage most motorists carry for their vehicles. Increasing these

coverage will work to bridge that gap. Further, I felt it was important that valet operators be required to provide a certificate of insurance to the City of Chicago and ensure that the certificate is kept on file and available for public review.

It may come as a surprise, but this industry also has a problem related to valid driver's licenses. When you drop your car with a valet - you assume that valet has a valid driver's license.  Think twice, that's not always the case.

This proposal would significantly enhance penalties for valet operators who have employees parking vehicles without valid driver's licenses. It is imperative that the penalties for these

offenses be significant, given the extreme risk that driving without a license poses to pedestrians and motorists in Chicago.

The current schedule of fines for general violations to the valet ordinance essentially amounts to a mild slap on the wrist. As a result, we decided to enhance fines for general violations of the valet parking ordinance - which currently range from $50 - $500 per offense. This ordinance would raise those fines to $150 - $1,000 for each offense.

These enhanced penalties will force operators to take these citations more seriously and take corrective action - rather than continuing their bad behavior while simply building these fines into their business model as a simple cost-of-doing business.

Finally, as a result of successful negotiations with the Illinois Restaurant Association and others, we have addressed the issue of the off-street parking requirement for valet operators.

The current off-street parking requirement calls for 10% of the occupancy content of the business to be served by off-street surface lot or garage parking. Judging from conditions today - it was determined that the current requirement was not getting the job done.

Working with the Restaurant Association, we reviewed parking data and statistics to identify an appropriate increase in the off-street parking requirement and settled upon a reasonable and justifiable requirement of 15% to address this issue, without imposing a heavy burden on the industry. That said, this change will mark a 50% increase in the off-street parking requirement for valet operators. Now that this ordinance has become law, we plan to work closely with the Chicago Police Department and Commissioner Reyes to assist with outreach and education of the restaurant and valet industries. And, most importantly, we will work to ensure that this new ordinance is aggressively enforced. If we are to modify this behavior and change these bad habits - rigorous enforcement will be critical. 

Clare Flashing Her Downtown Neighbors (with video)

Although it's open and people are living there, the finishing touches are still being put on The Clare at Water Tower.  The shiny new East Pearson Street skyscraper is home to the Loyola School of Communication downstairs and a retirement community upstairs.

But on the roof there is something new -- obstruction lighting.

The aircraft warning devices were switched on yesterday afternoon (January 20, 2009).  There's four white strobe lights during the day that switch to red blinking beacons at night.  It's a nice addition to the skyline -- if you happen to be viewing the skyline from the suburbs.

But the fact is that The Clare is only 589 feet tall.  That means its strobe lights flash into the homes of hundreds of its neighbors who happen to live in taller structures.  The Park Tower is the closest, but the Residences at the John Hancock Center, the Olympia Centre, Water Tower Place, and the Residences at 900 North Michigan are all seeing the glare.

Here's a video showing the lighting by both day and night (better quality links below).  In the video you can see that the beacons are at a height that's only about half that of The Clare's neighbors.  So why does the new building need the lights at all?

Maybe it has to do with the new Children's Memorial Hospital being built down the street.   The hospital plans to fly medical helicopters into the neighborhood, which is crowded with skyscrapers.  But why does The Clare deserve four strobes, when the Park Tower and others lack daytime illumination, yet are hundreds of feet taller, and hundreds of feet closer to the new hospital?

Our guess is that more aggressive beacons will be coming to those buildings, and others, in the future. 

What would be nice is if a feature could be installed where the pilot phones ahead, and an automation system activates the beacons only when they're needed.  Such systems are in common use at small airports across the country.  It could be a way to reach a compromise between the safety of the emergency flights and neighbors living with what looks like an all-night disco outside their windows.

Higher quality: YouTube version of the video .

Highest quality: .Me version of the video .

Quickie: New Tower for Oak Park Nixed

According to Crain's Chicago Business , the proposed 14-story tower to be built near the intersection of Lake Street and Harlem Avenue in Oak Park is off.  Like so many other projects, this one looks like a victim of the bad economy.

Time-Lapse Video: Assembling Trump's Spire

After weeks of delays, it finally happened -- on January 3, 2009 the spire was finally assembled at the top of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.  Doing so raises the building's height to 1,326 feet, making it the second-tallest building in the city, and the third-tallest in North America (if, of course, you count spires but not antennae).  

The spire isn't quite done yet.  With the exception of three sections, it remains unsheathed.  And it remains to be seen how it will be lit.  Right now there's just a steady red beacon on top.  It would be nice if it got the white illumination and a white strobe to match the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center.

The video posted here is a smaller, but better quality version of the video that we posted on YouTube late last week.  

The largest and best version on the net is over at the Artefaqs Corporation gallery. 

If you like time-lapse city movies, see our other ones on our YouTube page.

The Artefaqs Corporation owns the Chicago Architecture Blog, Chicago Architecture Info, and a brazillion other architecture web sites around the world.

For Sale: The Conrad Chicago

With the prices charged by Michigan Avenue hotels these days you might be better off just buying a hotel!

Well, here's your chance -- Crain's Chicago Business reports that The Conrad Chicago is for sale.  Not only do you get a modern hotel, you get an historic building, and what may be the world's largest jigsaw puzzle.

The Crain's article comes with a picture showing the modern back end, but I'd rather show you the historic front end.  This is the facade of the old McGraw-Hill Building.  When the billion-dollar mall was built at this location, the McGraw-Hill building was cut into pieces, labeled, and stored in a warehouse.  Then they were reassembled into the facade that we see today.

The other interesting part of this story isn't in the architecture, but in the financing.  Crain's says that in spite of the economy, the company that currently owns the hotel doesn't actually need to sell it.  The company has plenty of money.  But it's trying to do a stock buy-back, and needs some extra cash to accomplish it.

Unless there's an immediate threat to the company, it sounds like bad timing to me.

Quickie: New shops at Navy Pier

According to Crain's Chicago Business , new retail we'll see at Navy Pier next season includes Garrett's Popcorn, Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar (probably similar to BW3 [Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck]), DogEworks, and another souvenir shop.

Quickie: Blue Water Evaporates

The same location that saw the death of Wolfgang Puck's Spago outlet has claimed another restaurant.  Crian's reports that Blue Water Grill is no more.  The eatery at 512 North Dearborn received generally good reviews, but its parent company decided to streamline operations by closing shop.

Quickie: Hot Monkey Love Yields Red-Headed Stepchild

It's true.  Just check out the article and photo in the Chicago Journal .

The baby in question is a langur monkey at the Lincoln Park zoo.  It's being called "Pumpkin" because that's a nice, safe gender-neutral name to go with until its keepers can figure out if it likes Barbies or G.I. Joe's.  It's also kind of the color of a pumpkin.  And pumpkin is a term of affection for young-uns.

Miracle on Chicago Avenue: Update 2

Well, just hours after our last update, Crain's Chicago Business published an article filling in the blanks for us .

Looks like the cost of the project is $9,000,000 and will be five stories tall.  And in spite of the hopeful fencing, demolition isn't imminent.

Miracle on Chicago Avenue: Update

Well, that didn't take long.  Word on the street (literally -- I ran into someone on the street with the answer) is that the demolition of the Dunkin' Donuts, Tony's, the vacant storefront, and the sidewalk newsstand on Chicago Avenue is a Loyola project.  Considering that explosive growth of that institution's physical plant, I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

The existing building has the address of 24 East Chicago Avenue, and was built in 1989.

I'm told that it's going to be ground-floor retail, topped by offices, and five stories of classrooms.  There will be a walkway connecting to the Loyola University Law Center at 25 East Pearson Street.

As for the stores that are soon-to-be-demolished -- they're welcome to return when the new building is finished in 2010, if they want to pay many thousands of dollars in higher rent to be in the new building.  The Dunkin' Donuts franchisee is expected to decline.

This is just the latest in Loyola Universtiy's rapid expansion of its Water Tower campus.  It also recently purchased the 1890 Chicago-State Building and the surface lot next to it for $40 million.  While that building is scuzzy, too, hopefully it can be rehabilitated instead of demolished.

Miracle on Chicago Avenue

One of the Streeterville/Gold Coast's scuzzier blocks is getting some sort of clean up.

While hustling to the Red Line stop at Chicago and State in -17ºF weather, it was hard not to notice the big construction fence that has been put up next to McDonald's and the big "DEMOLITION" sign hanging on it.

For those not familiar with the location, it's on the north side of Chicago avenue wedged between the 24/7 McDonald's on the State Street corner, and a Loyola University building on Wabash Avenue.  Three businesses are ringed by the demolition barrier -- a Dunkin' Donuts (that I've used more than once at 3:00am); Tony's Place, a random hot dog joint; and an empty storefront.

The block is just nasty.  There are always groups of unpleasant-looking people standing around in front of McDonald's, and scattered throughout are various panhandlers, junkies, and grifters.  The city streetlights are ineffective, so at night it's flat-out scary for a lot of people.

I'm not sure what all those groups of people are doing there.  I've eaten at that McDonald's a brazillion times, and sometimes sit looking out the window observing them.  They just seem to stand there.  They're not waiting for a bus or a train.  I'm not sure what they're waiting for.  Maybe they're drug dealers, but usually there aren't so many on one corner.

Whatever the case, the removal of these three seedy storefronts is a hopeful sign.  I've made a few calls to see what the plans are for the area, and I'll post updates when I find out.

If you know what's going in that space, post it in the comments.

Status Update: Elysian Stands Proud and Tall

It's tapering off!  It's tapering off!  That means there's reason to believe that The Elysian Chicago is going to top out soon.  When construction started we knew it was going to reach 700 feet, but didn't envision how it would absolutely tower over everything else in the neighborhood.

Not that it's a bad thing -- the podium surrounding the roundabout driveway and the setbacks keep the building from giving off claustrophobic vibes.

There were a lot of people in the neighborhood who were against this project, but I think it's coming along quite nicely, and I have high hopes that it will contribute more to Chicago than just its skyline.

Now about that ground floor retail....

Gaylord Finally Opens

It's been one of the longest restaurant sagas we've seen in a while.  A year ago the Gaylord Indian restaurant moved to Walton Street from Clark Street, but only opened two weeks ago.

Gaylord got very good reviews at its old location, and something in the back of my mind tells me that the Chicago Tribune's Phil Vettel called it the best Indian food in Chicago; but I might be imagining that.

Either way, it picked up a subterranean space vacated by some random fashion boutique in early 2007 and put up a sign pledging to open in April of that year.  Well, that date came and went with no sign of construction.  Then at the very end of June a sign went up stating the place would open in June.  Nope.  Finally, right around the New Year, Gaylord opened its doors to an adoring public.  Or not.

The sad fact is that of the half dozen or so times we've walked by the place has been empty.  Just a bartender and maybe a maître'd waiting for someone... anyone... with a hankerin' for Indian food to come on down.

I don't like Indian food very much at all, and I've tried it everywhere from fancy American restaurants to London takeaways to open air restaurants in the Little India section of Singapore.  I've given it a shot, but it's not my cup of tea.

If you like Indian food, then do a good deed today and stop by Gaylord.  The last thing the Walton Street area needs is another vacant storefront.  And if the food is as good as it was at the old location, then you're in for a treat.

Another Boutique Fleeing the Gold Coast

In the last few years a number of Near North and Gold Coast boutiques have fled the heart of the city to seek their fortunes in Old Town, Bucktown, Wicker Park, and elsewhere.  The latest one pulling up stakes is Battaglia Footwear.

The Walton Street shop was a nice fit for the area, but is seeking greener pastures to the north.  It's a shame because it got rave reviews on Yelp and elsewhere.  More of a shame is that it's another vacant storefront at a time when landlords should be making deals to retain tenants and a bunch of other retail space is about to become available nearby.

It would probably help if I told you where it's going, but the photo I took of the announcement on the door didn't come out.  Sorry.

Chicago's Newest Crown

What's this I spied late in the evening of January 5, 2008?  Why it looks like the beginnings of the promised illuminated crown at the top of 300 North LaSalle .

The drawings made public by Hines before construction began showed the top of the building all lit up and floodlights shooting into the sky.  Of course, architectural renderings have as much to do with reality as Arby's has to do with fine dining.  But let's hope that there's more to come here -- perhaps some panels to diffuse the light, because in spite of what the camera shows in the photograph above, the top of 300 looks less like a triumphant crown and more like a bunch of people accidentally left the lights on.

Here's the drawing Hines sent over before construction began.

You be the judge.

What's Going On At the Corncob Towers?

If you happen to live in an area served by the tiny Skyline newspaper ("News of Lincoln Park, Old Town, River North and Gold Coast"), try to pick up a free copy before the next edition comes out Thursday.

The front page story is about the wackiness going on at Marina City.  We've heard in the past that the people running the residential portion of the building were imposing illogical, illegal, and draconian rules on folks, but this is the first article in print we've seen.

Skyline's article (online here ) details some of the unusual goings on in the building.  Apparently, if you want to record what's going on at the HOA meeting (which is your right under state law), you have to sign an agreement giving the HOA ownership of your recording.  Don't want to give up your rights? Then pay a $10,000 "fine" to the association.

More troubling is that the HOA is asserting something its calling "common law copyright" over all photographs of Marina City.  First, let's be clear -- there is no such thing as "common law copyright."  The notion of "common law copyright" was struck down by U.S. Supreme Court court in  its first copyright case back in 1834 (online here ).  Moreover, you can't copyright a building.  You can trademark it.  But even if you do, you cannot restrict other people from taking pictures of it.  That's federal law.  Allow us to quote United States Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 120.

Scope of exclusive rights in architectural works

(a) Pictorial Representations Permitted. - The copyright in an architectural work that has been constructed does not include the right to prevent the making, distributing, or public display of pictures, paintings, photographs, or other pictorial representations of the work, if the building in which the work is embodied is located in or ordinarily visible from a public place.

This is a battle that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland lost in 1988.  It sued to stop a photographer from selling posters of the museum.  The museum lost that case.  The Sixth Circuit court reaffirmed that photographers have a right to photograph buildings and sell those buildings.  You can read the federal court's ruling here .

One resident has already been fined $1,000 for crossing the HOA's line, and his landlord was dinged another $1,000 for violating the HOA's fictional copyright.  Maybe when the ice melts, Marina City will set up a toll booth in the river and collect money from all the tourists going by with cameras on the tour boats.  That should go over well with the city.

The real tragedy about all this is that it's been going on for so long.  We heard the rumblings about two years ago, which means it's been going on far longer than that.  There's nothing in the Chicago Tribune's deep archives about the Marina City antics.  Hopefully it or the Sun-Times will look into this as well.

Not surprisingly, no one from the HOA would talk to the Skyline newspaper.  Even the HOA lawyer wouldn't talk, and get this... he referred questions back to his client!  As a former journalist, I can tell you that may be an unprecedented move.  Maybe the Chicago Journal's lawyers (Skyline is owned by the Chicago Journal) can put Marina City in its place when it tries to collect money for the picture of the building on the front page of the newspaper.

Sound off about Chicago 2016

If you have an opinion about Chicago getting the 2016 Olympic Games, then Wednesday is your chance to share it.

There will be a public meeting at 6:45pm at the Peggy Notebart Nature Museum in Lincoln Park.  People both for an against the Olympics coming to Chicago are expected to speak.

Ben-Agains

Last year the Bennigan's restaurant chain collapsed, leaving two very high profile vacancies in Chicago's Loop.  One, directly across from the Art Institute must have been a gold mine, especially on rainy days, as tourists sought shelter from the elements and vagrants. The other was front and center on the ground floor, Michigan Avenue face of the Illinois Center.  Now it appears there is some life at both locations.

First, down by the Art Institute, we're happy to report that the Bennigan's has actually reopened for business.  It's been open since at least November and appears to be doing OK.  Not as good as it used to, but what restaurant is doing its old traffic these days anyway?

The Illinois Center location isn't open, but at least we don't have to look at a vacant bar anymore.  The windows have been covered up with advertising for some movie coming out in the spring.  One of the large windows has been transformed into a video screen.  It's not ideal, but it's certainly better than nothing, especially considering the amount of vacant storefronts within 1,000 yards of that location.

What we'd like to see: WFLD Television take over the Bennigan's space and finally get the streetfront news studio it's been craving for years.  Parking the microwave truck on South Water Street and doing live shots from the plaza of 230 North Michigan really isn't the same thing.  It would also leave WGN Television as the only commercial station in town whose news operation isn't open to public viewing.

Is The CTA On Board With State Street Illuminations?

Maybe it was too much beer at Old Saint Pat's , but I swear while riding the 151 up State Street tonight I saw dancing panels of light on the CTA's State/Lake station.  They illuminated the truss substructure in white and then displayed apparently random blocks of green and red on the elevated station's main façade.

The bus turned before I could get a picture, so maybe I imagined it.  If I didn't, it will be a great and imaginative addition to the neon corridor anchored by WLS Television , the Chicago Theater , and most recently the Joffrey Tower .

My advice:  Have the colors illuminating the platform change based on which train is in the station: Green, Brown (might be hard), Purple, Orange, Pink, or Red (happens more often than you'd think).

Status Update: Barney's New Store Puts Its Best Face Forward

There's little sign of an economic slow down at the corner of Rush and Oak Streets these days.  Barney's New York is rushing forward with its planned opening of its new store across the street from the existing store.  Last week the massive "Spring!" banner went up over what is a very interesting glass-enclosed stairwell.  The top floor of the corner has been cut-out for what we hope is an outdoor dining option for the top story restaurant (called "Fred's").  The scaffolding is gone, and we hope this will do great things for the neighborhood.  But we, like many others, are left scratching our collective heads and wondering what will become of the old Barney's store.  It's too big for boutiques, and too small for a big name.  Cut it up?  Tear it down?  What do you think would work there?

Where Northwestern Started

Northwestern University spends a lot of time, money, and effort preserving its old buildings, and none is older than the one known as "Old College."

This apartment complex in Evanston (The John Evans Building, 1600 Hinman Avenue) is actually the location of what was the first Northwestern University building.  It looked a lot like the Addams Family house and was built in 1855 for just under $6,000.

Over the years the building was moved twice and served a number of purposes before being torn down in the 1970.  Wikimopedia has a brief write-up about it, if you're the sort of person who trusts Wikimopedia.

Stick A Spire On It -- It's Done

After years of waiting, the spire is finally on the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.  While the spire still needs a few tweaks before it can be called "done," we're not about to wait to take pictures.

But that's the problem -- the spire went up on an ugly, cloudy day.  Since then it's been snowing on and off and the top of the building has been mostly hidden in the clouds.

That's why we were lucky to get the snap above. Taken about 5am a couple of days ago, the clouds lifted and sunlight filtered in from Michigan to illuminate Chicago's new trophy.  Hopefully the spire will be illuminated at night so we can take some great night time shots.

Where the Beach Used To Be

Years ago, Michigan Avenue was merely Pine Street.  Before that, it was a beach and the waters of the Lake Michigan would lap against the shore right about where Water Tower Place is now.

Back then Holy Name Cathedral (735 North State Street) was just a chapel in Our Lady of the Lake [Michigan] University.  The college has since moved out to the 'burbs.

A lot has changed along the Lake Michigan shoreline, but there are still hints if you know where to look.

In Lincoln Park there is a long berm that looks like it serves no purpose other than to keep the snow from blowing in from the lake.  But it's actually an ancient sand dune that helps mark the edge of what was once the Lake Michigan shoreline.

If you're intrepid enough, you'll find a marker in Lincoln Park showing you exactly where the water used to be.  It reads,

"Abandoned Shoreline of Lake Michigan

This ridge is an ancient beach of sand bar of Lake Michigan whose waters reached this point 8,000 years ago when the lake level was 20 feet higher than now.  Clark Street runs north top this ridge.  The park ponds lie between such old beaches, abandoned by the shrinking lake.

The outer boundary of Diversey Harbor and the boat slip running south of it to North Avenue are man-made land.

The Chicago Park District"

South Loop Surface Lot Lives to Park Another Day

It's not easy being a surface parking lot in Chicago.  People think you're ugly.  They drive all over you.  They let their dogs wee on you.  They wish you were replaced by nice gleaming towers of glass, steel, and stone.  Well, one surface lot is going to hold on a little longer, thanks to the flaccid economy.

The apartment complex proposed for the southwest corner of Clark and Polk isn't going to happen.  At least not any time soon, according to Crain's Chicago Business Chicago Real Estate Daily.  It quotes the developer as saying that groundbreaking has been pushed back until at least May, 2010 -- maybe further, depending on what happens with the economy.

The same article notes that the property immediately to the south will have the opposite future, but for the same reasons.

Because of the bad economy, no one wants to buy the property at 1000 South Clark that's been on the market for months.  Now the owner is going to develop part of it into low-end retail to at least recoup some money while waiting out the recession.

It remains to be seen exactly what kinds of stores would end up along Clark Street.  The article states, "D2 aims to attract lower-priced retailers that need bigger spaces and want to be next to a Target."  That sounds an awful lot like "dollar store" to our uneducated ears.  Let's hope the developer's desperation doesn't turn what was once a promising location into something less than desirable.

Chicagolands' Most Literate Alley

My wife calls me an "alley cat."  I've explored pretty much every alley in the Loop, South Loop, and Near North Side.  I don't know why I do it, it's just something I do.

Recently I came across one of the best alleys in the area.  More than just dumpsters and cobbles, it actually has its own book store.

The book store goes by the name of Bookman's Alley.  Officially, it's at 1712 Sherman Avenue, but in reality, it's down the neighboring alley that leads to Benson Avenue.

Bookman's Alley book store is located at the intersection of yet another alley, which leads to Clark Street.  Across this second alley is -- even more books!

The book store is old fashioned, well decorated, and very cozy.  Bookstores like this are few and far between.  The only other ones I've run into were in Galveston, Texas; New York; and London.

If you find yourself in Evanston, it's worth stopping in, not just for its eccentricity, but also to pick up a good read.

Slice of Life: Mad About Snow

People in Chicago know that the city is cold and gets a fair amount of snow, but still they complain about it.  But at least most people don't have to stay outside when it snows.  And chances are you're not made of stone, either.

But these two fellows are both made of stone and made to stay out all night in the snow.  They're embedded in a decidedly homemade-looking brick wall in front of 831 North Dearborn Street.  Maybe they're famous writers.  Maybe they were rescued from a building being torn down.  We don't know the story behind them, but we'd wager they have some stories to tell.

Trump Gets His Spire On

After months of delays and one false start, the spire is finally being installed on top of the Trump International Hotel and Tower downtown.

The last few weekends have been rainy, windy, snowy, or a combination of all three making installation impossible for construction crews.  There was also a scheduling conflict with the pilot who flies the sky crane.  Apparently there are only a few people in the country crazy skilled enough to pilot such a beast.

Here you can see the helicopter lowering the first additional piece of the spire onto the stub that's been waiting at the top of the 92-story building for the last three months.  You can also see the Sears Tower looking on, disapprovingly at the shenanigans that Trump is employing to get his 1,362-foot height.  Trump Tower is allowed to count the spire as part of its height, while neither the Sears Tower nor the John Hancock Center are allowed to count their roof-mounted antennae.  The Trump Tower is really only 1,170 feet to the top of its mechanical penthouse.  The decorative spire accounts for nearly 200 feet of claimed height. It was one thing when the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur flew through this loophole.  It's quite another thing when a neighbor pulls the same stunt.

As this is being written, the second piece of the spire has been fastened in place and the helicopter has gone off to get another piece.  Once all the parts are installed they will be covered with a white fiberglass sheath.  The Trump organization hasn't released any details about whether the spire will be lit (not "lighted," thankyouverymuch).  One would assume that the spire will be illuminated cheaply with flood lights like Sears and Hancock.  But maybe... just maybe... the fiberglass is thin enough that the rig could be illuminated from within.  It would be a more dramatic glowing element in the night sky, rather than another crazy needle.

At least the wait won't be too long to find out what happens. The Tribune reports that once the spire is in place it will only take a couple of weeks to install the fiberglass and declare this puppy done.

Slice of Life: A Lesson in Chicago Physics

Welcome to Chicago Physics 101.  In this class there is only one thing to learn:

When it's taxi versus CTA bus, the bus wins.  Always.

A Noisy New Year on North Michigan Avenue

Between the fireworks at Navy Pier and the ignorant blaring of taxi horns, there was another loud way to ring in the new year at the upper end of Michigan Avenue.

A small fire broke out at the Elysées Condominiums.  Based on the number of fire trucks responding, it looked like the apocalypse had arrived, but it turned out to be a couch that caught fire on the 36th floor.  Still, good for the CFD for sending more units rather than fewer to something that could have easily turned into something far worse.  According to the Tribune, the only person who needed medical attention was a woman who walked down all 36 floors to escape the flames.

I don't blame her for needing medical attention.  I walked down 25 floors of the Century Tower when every elevator failed on my first day of work at a new job.  I could have used an oxygen mask, too.

Unfortunately, the B-team (probably the C-team, actually) has to work at the Tribune on New Year's Eve while the brightest stars spend time with family and friends.  That means the city's newspaper of record identified the 56-story Elysées Condominiums as the 100-story John Hancock Center.  But it's not like I've never made a mistake in front of millions of people before, either.

Slice of Life: The Pigeon Warming Center

Every winter there is a migration of television microwave trucks from the garages of channels 2, 5, 7, 9, and 32 to the City of Chicago's official warming center at 10 South Kedzie.  But what about the city's pigeons?  Where do they go when the weather outside turns frightful?

The answer is Daley Plaza.  Unnoticed by most of the millions of people who wander through the plaza during the city's frigid season, pigeons huddle around the gas-fed eternal flame.  It's a war memorial that our feathered friends use as a means of survival.

A Fisher of Compliments

Chicago is one of those places where it pays to look up.  Sure, no one wants to look like a tourist, but at the same time many of the city's architectural delights aren't at eye-level.

Case in point: The Fisher Building.  This Chicago School masterpiece is loved by architecture enthusiasts around the world.  But unless you live in the building you may not have noticed that it's best face is actually hidden beneath the elevated tracks on Van Buren street.  The snowycam photo above simply doesn't do the relief justice.  The building's main entrance on Dearborn Street lacks the elaborate ornamentation.  Instead, it's saved for the dank, noisy side.

In a way, this makes sense.  At the time the Fisher Building was erected (1906) there was probably streetcar tracks running on Van Buren, and not the elevated structure we see today.  So the building actually did put its best face forward.  It's just that the world revolved away from it.

One Fewer Vacant Spaces at Water Tower Place

Getting around Water Tower Place has been pretty confusing this year.  Lord & Taylor's exit brought massive renovations, the American Girl Place,  and a big shuffle of many of the stores.  Things are starting to settle down now, and if you've browsed around the mall lately, you've noticed that the stores seem to be arranged in zones now.

There's a zone for cougar/soccer mom fashion stores, a zone for watches and jewelry stores, a zone for stores specializing in peddling prostitution wear to 12-year-olds, and even a zone for the occasional dad or boyfriend who gets dragged into the place.

One of the newcomers is a place we haven't heard of before until we saw a sign for it.  Aritzia is described by Michigan Avenue magazine as both "fashion forward" and "Canadian."  Take that for what it's worth, we'll welcome an import from Canuckistan if it means filling up a vacant space.

Good luck to them.

New Barney's building to open in January

While we're still in mourning over the loss of Papa Milano's, it's worth noting that its replacement is getting ready to open for business.

The new Barney's New York building bounded by Rush, Oak, State, and Walton streets is complete on the exterior, with the exception of the first-floor facade and sidewalks.  But around the corner on the State Street side, things are moving more quickly.

Citibank will relocate its Oak Street branch to the new building in January.  The Oak Street bank inside the historic (yet rat-infested) Esquire Theater will close on January 15 and re-open in the Barney's building on the 20th.

Does this mean things will move forward with the redevelopment of the Esquire?  Who can say.  So far, any development large enough to be economically viable has been shot down.  Hopefully some compromise will be reached before the building deteriorates enough that it needs to be torn down.

Spire Screwed Again

It just seems like everyone and everything is conspiring against the Chicago Spire .  What could be a treasure of modern architecture on the coast of Lake Michigan can't seem to get a break.

The latest hurdle is a big one -- the meltdown of Anglo-Irish Bank.  According to the Sun-Times , the bank is about to be nationalized by the Irish government.   That will make it tougher for Garrett Kelleher, the visionary who took over the Spire project, to get the money he needs to continue construction.

According to the Times, Kelleher has already withdrawn almost $70 million from the bank to get this far.  But the bank attached few strings to his spending.  With the bank in the hands of the Irish government, it's unlikely the new people holding the purse strings will be as generous as their predecessors.

At this point, when it comes to the Spire, everything is speculation. It's been like that pretty much since the beginning when Fordham made big plans, but couldn't follow through on them.

For now, all we can do is gaze into the foundation hole and dream of what may... or may not... come.

The Third Time is NOT the Charm for Donald Trump

Donald Trump has a permit for this morning to hoist the spire pieces to the top of his Trump International Hotel and Tower .  But with fierce winds and heavy rain, it looks like it's just not going to happen.  Again.

This is just the latest in a series of tries for The Donald.  A couple of weekends ago a sky crane actually flew with a piece of the spire attached to a cable:

But it was not to be.  Strong winds scuttled that attempt, too.

Today's permit expires at noon, and the weather is only expected to get worse by then.

He has a permit for tomorrow, Sunday December 28th, 2008, as well.  We'll see if mother nature is any kinder to him.

Progress Report:

There's something about walking around Chicago when it's snowing.  It just seems right.  In winter we like to walk in the snow.  In the summer, we like to walk down steamy alleys.  What gives?

Back on topic: the latest round of snowycam pictures shows the progress of the Hotel Palomar at 505 North State Street.  To us it looks like it's up to about the 17th story, and chugging along toward its goal of 36.

As much as we're fans of density in River North, it's a shame that the old park is gone.  Not many people used it, but it was nice to see a patch of green in the area, especially considering the number of surface parking lots just begging for vertical development.

Don't Forget To Do This Before Christmas!

There are lots of free Christmas events around Chicago. Our two favorites both involve trains.

We missed the CTA Santa Train this year because of scheduling conflicts.  But we did catch the annual train display in the basement... er... "concourse level" of the John Hancock Center.

If you haven't been, go.  It's free and it's an excuse to get out of the house.  And all the twinkly lights and nooks and crannies filled with surprises are enough to put just about anyone in the Christmas spirit.

You can also think of it as an architecture excursion -- in miniature.  Try to pick out all of the local landmarks and businesses represented.

What to do About the Unfinished Bit of Grant Park?

The city of Chicago's great "front lawn" has been a work in progress for over 100 years.  From swamp to dumping ground to parade ground to playground, it has long been a great urban space that the city almost... but not quite... figured out how to embrace.

The latest piece of this puzzle being worked on is the southwest corner.  We're talking about an are north of Roosevelt Road, and west of Columbus Drive.  Mostly what's there now is Illinois Central railroad tracks, a great big lawn, and a sprawling sculpture called Agora.

This area was actually zoned for a residential skyscraper.  But the owner, who is also the developer of Central Station, gave the land to the city to complete Grant Park's quadrangle.  Now the question is -- what to do with it?

The obvious answer is to deck over the railroad track and build another Disneyfied fantasy park like the one up at Randolph and Michigan Avenue.  But that means money.  And is it really the best use of that space?

(Jon Orlove of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture presents his firm's vision of what the park could be)

A public meeting was held last week to gather ideas about what the park should -- and shouldn't -- be.  Not surprisingly, the crowd was mostly elderly, and mostly interested in seeing the area used as a traditional park.  By "traditional" we mean wide lawns with occasional groves of trees.  They see it as the only natural use of a park, and the only way to bring nature in the city.

There were dissenters in the crowd, and one of them very astutely pointed out that there is absolutely nothing natural about lawns and manicured groves of trees.  In fact, the traditional park landscape is about as far from nature as one can get without actually laying asphalt.

Still, the notion persisted that this corner of Grant Park should be much like the rest of it -- open lawn with the occasional alley of trees.

This is a real shame, because the two firms that are working on the project presented some really imaginative proposals.  Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture and EDAW|AECOM are the two finalists chosen to rehab the space.  They showed some magnificent examples of public spaces from Paris to Barcelona to Croatia.  They talked about ways to use rainwater to power fountains, plants to clean storm water runoff, solar cells to illuminate the walkways, and the power of human feet to generate electricity.  It's all very fascinating stuff.  The stated goal is to not just make the park energy neutral, but to actually have the park create more energy than it uses, and leave the surrounding air and water cleaner than it was before.

While it's nice to have a park as a showcase, the overwhelming sentiment on all sides is that this shouldn't be another Millennium Park.  Millennium Park has done great things for the city, its profile, and its finances.  But the new (Insert Corporate Sponsor Name Here) Park at the corner of Michigan and Roosevelt shouldn't be for tourists -- it should be for the locals.

To that end, there was lots of talk about bright, but subtle illumination at night that would draw people from the neighborhood into the park.  There was also a call for some kind of activity that would allow this to be a year-round park.  Maybe some kind of skating facility that would link to Monroe Harbor.  Or a sledding hill.  Or maybe a cafe or other property that would draw people in year-round.  Also seen as important is seating.  One jogger noted that there are virtually no places to sit south of Balbo Drive.

Everyone seemed appreciative of a slide showing the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris where 5,000 chairs are scattered throughout the park for people to re-arrange and enjoy at a whim.  Interestingly, though, the slides showed a very woodsy portion of the park.  We've been there, and it's mostly lawns and parade ground, and all those chairs are not very welcoming on a hot Gallic afternoon.

Speaking of Paris, and there was much speaking of Paris that night, there is apparently a park somewhere in the city that have the same problem as Grant Park -- a giant rail line cleaved through the middle.  That unnamed park found a solution -- the gravel rail beds have been replaced with a carpet of blooming flowers that change patterns during the summer.  Since the trains easily clear the plants, the two manage to coexist in a single space, and what was once an ugly scar has been turned into a floral work of art.  It's certainly compelling, especially considering Maggie Daley's fascination with flowers and the great job the city does with landscaping certain areas.  The idea was actually proposed by the same woman who designed Millennium Park's Lurie Garden.

Though the park plan is still in its early stages, expect progress to be rapid.  The goal is to have a plan ready to present to the International Olympic Committee when it comes to inspect our fair city in April, 2009.  Grant Park is a key to Chicago's proposed Olympic experience, and this corner is intended to be a gateway linking the Olympic village and sports venues with the spectator and event zones in Grant Park.

Progress Report: Mark 300 North LaSalle "Done"

It's been a long time coming, but it's finally time to mark 300 North LaSalle "done."  At least on the outside.

As evidenced by the construction lights visible across the city at night, the entire building won't be completed until some time in 2009.  But with the removal of the exterior elevator and the installation of the final glass panes on the northwest side.  The snowy-day picture above doesn't do it justice.  We can't wait for the first warm blue-sky day so we can go out and take a batch of stunning photographs of this one.

From a distance, it does a good job of working with its neighbors.  But because so many of its immediate neighbors are small it stands out, without overwhelming the area.

So kudos to Hines and Pickard Chilton Associates on a building well done.

One Hines Done, Another Hines May Not Happen

If you've scanned the Chicago skyline lately, you've probably noticed that the Hines tower at 300 North LaSalle is pretty close to done.  Just about.  Almost.  But another Hines project a few blocks away at 414 West Lake is in jeopardy.

For months we though that the big shiny tower that Hines was planning to build along the Amtrak tracks next to the Riverbend Condominiums was cancelled.  Now we learn from Crain's Chicago Business that it's not dead, it's just pining for the fjords.

The article says that Hines is having a hard time getting banks to lend it the half-billion dollars is needs to make the 52-story project a reality, even though it already has two anchor tenants lined up.

Of course, in these tough economic times banks are reluctant to lend money to anyone, so it's not necessarily Hines' fault.  But it does illustrate why America is falling farther and farther behind in the skyscraper race.  In pretty much every country in Asia and the Middle East, if you have a big company and want to build a skyscraper, you go out and build it, paying for it up front and reaping the rewards on the back end.

In America and Europe, companies borrow money to build skyscrapers, build them with someone else's money, then hope to make enough money on the back end to pay off the debt plus interest.   So in essence, the developer (Hines, or whomever) hasn't built a skyscraper -- the bank has.  But the developer takes the credit.

It's that kind of deeply engrained house of cards mentality that caused the current economic crisis.  There's a mantra in American real estate which states, "Never build with your money, you build with someone else's."  Such a thought shows that these companies have no pride in what they're doing, or faith that their projects will work since they just shift the risk onto the bank.  It would be unthinkable to do such a thing in other cultures that value personal responsibility.

If your company doesn't have the money to build a skyscraper, then it's not all that big a company, is it?  All those brochures with pictures of shiny buildings -- they all belong to someone else, don't they?  So, what's the point of having your company at all?  Why not just deal with the banks?  Well, that's the way it seems to be going once again.

In the 40's and 50's and 60's, it was banks and insurance companies that built skyscrapers (the John Hancock Center , for example).  Then it went to developers.  Now the banks are getting back into the game -- cutting out the middle man.

That's why in ten years the ten tallest buildings in the world are not going to be in America.  But real estate people will keep telling themselves that it's better to build with someone else's money.

How's that working out for you, Hines?

River North gets a new tower, and a new park

In these days when skyscrapers from Denver to Dubai are hitting the skids, it's worth noting when something new actually moves forward.

According to the River North Residents Association, developers have actually managed to get financing to build the Parc Huron.  This will be built at 469 West Huron in the booming area known for the Grand Kingsbury, Erie on the Park, and hundreds of new townhomes.

It's been amazing over the last five years to watch the area transform itself from warehouses and vacant lots into a thriving residential neighborhood.  With the addition of the 21-story Parc Huron comes four more townhomes, and more importantly a 15,000 square foot semi-public park.   After the fiasco with the Park at Lakeshore East we're skeptical about any of these quasi-public parks, but at the same time any greenspace in the Loop or Near North Side is welcome.

Sure, we're City of the Year -- but for what?

The magazine formerly known as Gentlemen's Quarterly has named Chicago its 2008 "City of the Year."  Sure, anyone from the hot dog vendors at Sox Park to the ballcap-and-sweatshirt crowd in Lakeview could have told you that.  But GQ's reasons are intriguing because they're both insider, and wildly superficial.

(Read the full article here )

The article focuses immediately on politics, and of course the city's mostly benevolent dictator, Richard M. Daley.  It then moves on to perpetual insider, and now Obama-maker David Axelrod, the Rove of the moment.  But then it derails by picking Jesse Jackson Junior as a reason Chicago is good.  Umm...  Excuse us?  The article notes that he's come out of his father's shadow, and while that's true the only way he made that happen is to adopt many policies that run in direct opposition to his father's legacy.  The elder Jackson wasn't afraid to stand up to the elder Daily.  These days when Hizzonor says, "jump" Junior says, "how high?"  Jesse Jackson can call up WGN-TV and demand to be on the News at Nine whenever he wants (and he does).  If Junior tried to pull that stunt, he'd get laughed at.

Fortunately, the GQ article goes way beyond politics and gives literature as the number three reason the city is so great.  Good for GQ.  A lot of people don't realize that Chicago's literary heyday is not in its past, but in its future.  With the recent death of Studs Terkel a lot of people saw it as the figurative, and literal, nail the coffin of great Chicago writing.  But GQ notes that there are many talented writers still slogging through the gritty streets of the city with rumpled suits and a wad of notebook paper.  Though, these days they've traded their mac coats for Mac computers.  Still, in this age when even Tony Bennett has sold out to the MTV crowd, the pleasures of crisp book have the power to seduce.

And then there's the architecture.  While Chicago was the home of the world's first skyscraper (much to the chagrin of New Yorkers) , and has been a trend-setter from art moderne to Meisian International to 90's McScrapers, and now into the wild blue postmodern, all GQ could find to talk about is the Spire.

Ah, yes, The Chicago Spire -- the hopes of a new generation of architecture fans wrapped up in a shining baguette of technology.  Don't get me wrong -- we're huge fans of the Spire around here.  But GQ's choice of it as a symbol of the city's greatness does Chicago a disservice since anyone who's been following the project knows that it's on hold.  Now thousands of people who see it featured in the glossy pages between impossibly-breasted supermodels and impossibly-sculpted shaving ads will do a quick Google and learn that Chicago isn't everything the article promised.  That the ancestral land of wild onions has its flaws, too.  And that if the article is wrong about the Spire, then what else is it wrong about?  Suddenly all that hard work and goodwill is tarnished, and an opportunity to raise the city's domestic profile is wasted.

Hospital for sale!

While a lot has been written about the continuing controversy surrounding the new Children's Hospital in Streeterville, the people at the Chicago Journal haven't forgotten about the old place.

The Journal reports that people living nearby are worried about what will happen when the thriving hospital at the heart of their neighborhood becomes an abandoned hospital in the heart of their neighborhood.

Naturally, there is talk of turning it into a library or a community center or any of the other typical suggestions that come up when vacant space presents itself.  But considering the city's financial condition and the condition of the real estate industry, this chunk of real estate is likely to remain abandoned for a long, long time.

North Side NIMBYs win another one

Looks like another vacant lot will remain vacant instead of homes for people paying taxes and contributing to society.  The alert came from Alderman Reilly's office the other day:

Clark & Chestnut Development Update -- Project Has Been Withdrawn
Earlier this year, LG Development filed an application to amend Planned Development #313, requesting approval for a 370-foot, 28-story residential condominium structure to contain 49 units and 83 parking spaces. Over the past several months, Alderman Reilly has hosted a number of neighborhood and condominium meetings to provide his constituents with an open and transparent process and solicit local input while he considered the merits of the proposal.

This week, Alderman Reilly received a letter from the applicant informing him that
they are withdrawing their application to amend Planned Development No. 313. Since the application has been withdrawn, the project is no longer pending the Alderman's approval and the existing Planned Development stands, which allows for the construction of a two-story structure on the site.

North side NIMBYs at it again

Just in time for Halloween, the old ladies of Chicago's Near North Side are at it again.

Back in the 60's and 70's they bought their plush homes in the sky on streets like Delaware, Chestnut, and Clark.  Now that a new generation wants a taste of that life, it's all hands on deck for a fight against change.

The latest target of their elderly invective is the proposed residential tower at 111 West Chestnut Street.  A recent article in the Chicago Journal outlined the typical bogus grievances about congestion and neighborhood character and oh... a new one -- sewer capacity.

It's the usual crowd of people who already have their high-rise lifestyles trying to keep anyone else from having it; or worse -- marginalizing their view!  

It's hard to argue that a building with just 59 residences will have much of an impact on traffic, but the geriatric gentrifiers have dragged that old saw out of the complaint toolshed.  They're also claiming that the building's residents will clog the buses and subways, too.

But most of the complaints are about "neighborhood character."  The old ladies are afraid that if anyone else is let in things might change.  Because, you know, the neighborhood has never changed before.  And it's exactly the same today as it was before all those old ladies got their dee-lux apartments in the sky-high-high.  

So what are they trying to preserve?

A quick look at 111 West Chestnut's current state reveals... plastic Walgreen's bags.  A brick.  Sand.  Dirt.  McDonald's cups.  And what maybe an adult diaper.

If that's the neighborhood character they're so desperate to cling to, I say bring on the cranes and bulldozers.  We're a movin' on up!

Chicago's chances of landing the 2016 Games

Exactly one year from now we'll know if Chicago will host the 2016 Olympic Games.  A lot of work has been poured into the city's Olympic effort in the last few years, but are we any closer to getting the games now than we were when we started?


Transit isn't up to snuff.  Though there are signs that things are getting better, it's only because most of the system seems to be under perpetual construction.  Forget about the billion dollars spend on the Brown Line which will still be crowded when all those dollars are spent.  It's the Blue Line shut downs and bus shuttles that are the real embarrassment and leave a bad taste in visiting mouths.


Hizzonor wants an express train to the airport, just like they have in Hong Kong and most other hubs of civilization.  But that would mean DOING something, and this isn't the Chicago of the 1890's.  There are no visionaries left.  No risk-takers.  No leaders.  Daley's old man could get it done.  The son... not so much.


It's not strange to place such importance on transportation when hosting a major international event like the Olympics.  Beijing built two entirely new modern subway lines.  Chicago is going to try to make due with the same creaky routes we've had since the middle of the last century.  Not because they are good, but because the leadership is bad.


Here's a cultural exercise I actually participated in once:

• Step one: Leave your hotel in Hong Kong and ride the Airport Express train to HKG.
  
• Step two: Sleep on the flight from HKG to ORD.
  
• Step three: Ride the Blue Line from ORD to home.
  

It'll leave you wondering which city is part of the Third World.


The importance of transportation cannot be underestimated.  Crain's recently reported that Tokyo is in the lead for the 2016 games in large part because of its transportation network.  Tokyo's competing subway companies move 23,000,000 people each day.  That's 20 times more than the CTA.  Tokyo can absorb the Olympic Games without blinking.  For Chicago it will be a hardship that the city must convince the IOC it wants.


Here's what's coming up:

• February 2, 2009: The final filing deadline for the candidate cities.
• April, 2009: The International Olympic Committee visits to inspect Chicago.
• October 2, 2009: The announcement is made in Copenhagen.

April of 2009 will be a magical time to be in Chicago.  There will be flowers everywhere, the streets will be smooth and perfect, and the trains will run on time.  Mayor Daley will make sure of it.  It's the biggest, most important, event the average person will never see.  But at least we'll benefit from the crumbs for a while.

At this point there are varying theories about which city is ahead in the contest, but by all estimates Chicago isn't it.  The two front-runners at this point at Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.

Tokyo scores well in all the technical categories.  But awarding the games to Asia so soon after the Beijing Olympics seems unlikely.

Rio is on top because the Beijing games demonstrated that a Third World city can host a successful Olympics, and because there has never been an Olympic Games in South America.  

Chicago... Well, Chicago is in the middle of America.  And these days European bureaucrats hate America.  They love the notion of the care-free 1950's Happy Days America, and the one that saves their butts from military problems around the world.  But liking America is not politically correct in Europe.   And Europe matters because of the 115 people who will decide which city gets the 2016 Olympic Games, the majority are from Europe.  There are only three Americans on the committee, and they don't even get to vote.

This may be over before it even started.

Another parking lot bites the dust (we hope)

If there's one thing that doesn't belong in downtown Chicago it's surface parking lots.  They contribute virtually nothing to the economic, social, and visual vitality of the area.  And fortunately, there may be one fewer soon.

According to the Fulton River District e-mail bulletin, the parking lot at 108 North Jefferson could soon make way for a multi-use building.


View Larger Map


That's the lot a block behind the Citigroup Center, northwest of the ABN AMRO Technology Center.


As more and more people move into the area, we can hope that fewer and fewer surface parking lots will survive and the area can become a thriving home to thousand of new Chicagoans.

Metra Market Moving Forward

It's been decades since this was first proposed, but finally some dirt is turning with the Metra Market project.

This will take that bricked-up arcade beneath the Metra rail tracks north of the Ogilvie Transportation Center and turn it into a shopping and restaurant plaza.  Similar projects have been successful from Paris to Evanston, and with the recent spike in residential density in the West Loop it looks like this might actually happen this time.

The lead tenant is supposed to be a "French Market" (not sure if that's a brand or a description) which will be made up of a couple dozen specialty food vendors (cheeses, breads, etc...)  Boutique foods marts have increased in popularity in the last few years in the Loop are with the emergence of Fox & Obel, Pastoral, Lavazza, and others.   Hopefully they will do as well or better in the West Loop location.  However, what downtown really needs is a proper butcher shop.  Abe Froman would blanch at the current state of Chicago's retail meat scene.

Latest Esquire proposal passes latest hurdle

There may finally be some movement at the Esquire Theater on Oak Street.  It's been five years since the multiplex shut down, leaving the city's most posh shopping district with a giant vacancy.

This week city council's Plan Commission approved a plan which would replace the theater with three brownstone-scale retail buildings like the others lining Oak Street.  The facade has landmark status, so it will be fun to see how the architect manages to blend the old and the new here.

The buildings can be no taller than three stories, or 60 feet each, and no hotels are allowed.  That's a big concession to local NIMBY groups who blocked plans for a boutique hotel in this location fearing additional traffic and noise.

The current proposal still requires additional approvals before we see anything happen, but there were men in hard hats touring the inside of the building just yesterday, so things look good.

For those of you worried about what happens to your neighborhood Citibank branch, that's moving into the new Barney's New York building.  It will be on the corner of State and Oak where Papa Milano's used to be.

Why is a city on a Great Lake afraid of water?

For the last three days we've been inundated with television news coverage of the flooding happening in Chicagoland.  There have been plenty of pictures of people being evacuated from their homes because of rising flood waters.  Rescue crews have been mobilized to save these helpless victims from mother nature's fury.

Bullhockey.

What's wrong with these people that they need to be saved from six inches of water?  TV news producers, writers, editors, and reporters are trained to show us the most dramatic and important video that comes in that day.  So what do we see?  People huddled in rubber dinghies being pulled to "safety" by firefighters who are simply sloshing along in ankle-deep water.  People bemoaning their misfortune that they have all of nine inches of water in their basements.  These people need to suck it up and get on with their lives.

The storm that brought the flooding to Chicagoland was the remains of Hurricane Ike.  When Ike crossed from the Gulf of Mexico to Galveston Island it brought 21 FEET of water.   And what did the people of Galveston Island do when Coast Guard helicopters came to their rescue?

They said, "No thanks.  We're fine.  We can take care of ourselves."  With water up to the second or third-stories of some homes these people are taking care of themselves.

Meanwhile, the soft-and-doughy Chicagoans are freaking out at mere inches of water that might make the legs of their foosball tables soggy, or require wee water wings for their precious tiny dogs.

Seriously, Chicago: Grow a pair.