Alderman: Pilgrim Baptist Church Will Not Be Rebuilt
[Photo: Preservation Chicago/Ward Miller]
Bronzeville's Pilgrim Baptist Church designed and built in 1890 by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan won't be rebuilt 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell has confirmed. The building has sat vacant ever since a devastating fire nearly destroyed it in 2006. Despite an outpouring of donations and previous plans to restore the church, it has been surrounded by a nest of steel support beams for several years. Beyond being significant for its architecture, the church is an important cultural landmark for being recognized as the birthplace of gospel music.
Map Tool Offers a Look Into the State of Two-Story Residences
[A screenshot of Chicago Cityscape's two story residences map.]
The real estate deep freeze of the recession is far behind us now and new construction activity has been on the rise. Beyond the construction of new downtown highrises, developers are demolishing old frame homes and flats throughout the city's neighborhoods at an alarming pace to make way for new single family homes and condos. Chicago Cityscape has a new map tool that offers a portrait of the state of two-story residences throughout the city. From new construction to renovations to demolitions, the map offers viewers insight on which areas are hot for each type of permit. The map focuses specifically on masonry two-story residences and includes permit data from January 1, 2006 to August 29, 2015. Several neighborhoods on the South Side have been witnessing a boom in new construction while the north and northwest sides have seen a solid mix of renovations and new construction. Demolitions are higher in the West Side than in other areas, but new construction has been slow.
Curbed's Guide to Architectural Tourism Across the Country
Courtesy One World Observatory
You can scan social media and admire great architecture and design from afar, but there's something to be said about seeing a great work in its natural environment. With Labor Day weekend nearly here, summer may be drawing to a close, but you can still get site-specific with pilgrimages to architectural masterpieces, or make time for urban innovations during your next long weekend out of town. We've assembled a list of some of the best tours, sites and buildings for architecturally-minded travelers to add to their itinerary.
Developer Close to Acquiring Massive 28-Acre Finkl Steel Site
The redevelopment of the former A. Finkl & Sons Co. site in Lincoln Park could happen sooner than some may have previously thought. Ryan Ori of Crain's dropped a bombshell this morning, indicating that developer Sterling Bay is currently in "advanced talks" with the owners of the 28-acre property. This news comes just weeks after it was first reported that Sterling Bay had committed to buying two other neighboring properties: the Gutmann Leather tannery and the Lakin General sites. If this deal does indeed go through, Crain's suggests that Sterling Bay will control a total of 40 acres along the North Branch of the Chicago River. Although the three sites are all part of a Planned Manufacturing District (PMD), there's no doubt that the large combined parcel offers Sterling Bay a huge opportunity. The developer has become a veteran in the West Loop/Fulton Market area in converting industrial properties into high tech office space and there's certainly a chance that a similar formula could be followed in Lincoln Park.
40-Acre Northerly Island Park Now Officially Open to the Public
Northerly Island then (2003) and now. http://t.co/olOP8SFenW pic.twitter.com/PFTHPPod8y
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) September 2, 2015
It's the Friday before the long Labor Day weekend and to make things even better, the city has opened the new Northerly Island Park to the public. What was once a private airstrip is now a lush 40-acre park complete with a five acre lagoon, mini foothills and a winding mile-long bicycle/pedestrian loop. While the park will be open to visitors this weekend, it's not exactly finished just yet. Similar to the 606 and Maggie Daley Park, Northerly Island's new plantings will take several months to settle in and mature. Designed by SmithGroupJJR and Chicago's Studio Gang Architects and constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the new park will boast various micro ecosystems for visitors and students to enjoy and explore. In addition to educational programming, the new park will also feature camping retreats. Northerly Island has come a long way since the Meigs Field airstrip was bulldozed under Mayor Richard M. Daley's orders in 2003. It joins The 606, Maggie Daley Park, the Grant Park Skate Park and the Chicago Riverwalk extension in becoming one more high profile public park space delivered in the last year. Be sure to send us your photos of the new park.
·Long Awaited Northerly Island Park to Officially Open on Friday[Curbed Chicago]
·Parks & Rec archives [Curbed Chicago]
·Long Awaited Northerly Island Park to Officially Open on Friday[Curbed Chicago]
·Parks & Rec archives [Curbed Chicago]
New 200-Room Hotel Almost Ready to Rise Over Streeterville
[Photos: Shawn Ursini]
As many new hotel rooms are now in the finishing stages of construction with the current cycle of our hotel boom, another project is about to begin. The Steeterville Organization of Active Residents announced in a newsletter earlier this week that a construction planhas been published for the upcoming project at 224-228 East Ontario Street. The 21-story hotel, to be branded as a Marriott Autograph Hotel was designed by the architecture firm formerly known as Koo & Associates, but has since dropped the "& Associates" from the name. The firm led by Jackie Koo has a portfolio filled with hospitality projects and had also designed The Wit Hotel at State and Lake streets as well as the proposed Out Hotel on Halsted, which has since faded away in the wake of neighborhood opposition despite the planned location amid a thriving nightlife district.
Updated Four Bedroom Albany Park Bungalow Seeks $389K
The bungalow home is one of the most iconic styles of houses found in Chicago as literally tens of thousands of them were built in and around the city during the first several decades of the twentieth century. And this particular home has been completely updated and features a finished attic and basement. While it might look quaint from the outside, this home boasts four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It's also got a nice fenced-in yard and a detached two car garage. According to the listing, the roof was replaced in 2011, so it's got many more years left in it. All-in-all, it's just a nice old home and a strong representation of the bungalow inventory throughout the northwest side and in Albany Park. This one has just entered the market with an asking price of $389,000.
Handicapping the Architects Competing for the Obama Presidential Library
The Obama Library Foundation has sent out invites to a select group of architects to submit designs for the forthcoming Presidential Library in Chicago.
Ever since Chicago was announced as the location of the forthcoming Barack Obama Presidential Library, speculation over who would land this prime commission, expected to cost at least half a billion dollars, has been rampant. Rumors have circulated around Tanzanian-born British architect David Adjaye, and hometown partisans have been hopeful a local architect would win what may be one of the city's most lucrative and important jobs. Chicago Tribune architectural critic Blair Kamin helped cut out some of the guess work yesterday when he reveled a partial list of the estimated 50 or more firms who have received official invites to submit bids, in advance of the September 16 due date for RFQs. While Chicago architect Mark Sexton of the firm Krueck+Sexton wryly noted that at this point in the selection process, picking favorites is little like the Republican primaries, since standings are bound to shift, we thought we'd examine how the potential field is shaping up, and look at both the frontrunners and dark horses.
Northwest Side, Pilsen Offer Best Values for Two Bed Rentals
There's no shortage of two bedroom apartments throughout many parts of the city, and it shouldn't be too surprising that the median rental prices for Chicago two bedroom apartments has remained relatively stable throughout the last year. Earlier this week, apartment search site Domu offered a portrait of the rental landscape for one bedroom apartments, and today they have published data that explores the world of two bedroom rentals.
POPULAR
Campaign Wants to Connect the CTA's Brown and Blue Lines
The Transit Future campaign first unveiled an ambitious proposal to update and improve the city's transit system just over a year ago, and now the campaign has begun exploring some of these suggestions in depth. One of the suggestions the campaign offers is that the CTA create a connection between the Brown and Blue lines. Spearheaded by the Active Transportation Alliance and Center for Neighborhood Technology, the Transit Future campaign has offered some lofty proposals for the CTA, but the Brown and Blue line connection might be one of the most practical suggestions yet. As the system works today, if one wanted to travel from Avondale, Logan Square or Wicker Park to the lakefront neighborhoods, they would have to take the 'L' all the way downtown and then back up—spending an hour or more on the train just to travel three to five miles east. Of course, there's always the bus, but bus bunching and congestion can also slow down the trip to a snail's pace. However, Transit Future says that beyond time savings, there would be some big economic gains for building this connector.
Glass House Sculpture Gallery Restoration Preserving a Philip Johnson Masterwork
An archival photo from 1970 shows the interior of Philip Johnson's Sculpture Gallery, the largest building on the Glass House site. Its design was inspired by the Greek Islands. All photos by Horst Hahn and images courtesy the Glass House.
It would be fair to say the Sculpture Gallery at the Glass House estate has always stood in the shadow of the main residence, Philip Johnson's most famous work and one of the country's pre-eminent modern homes. But a new restoration of the asymmetrical, white brick studio shows the intricately designed project, with a unique roof that creates an arresting display of light and shadow within, is worthy of its own spotlight. Johnson himself supposedly once expressed a desire to live in the Sculpture Gallery full time, eventually rejecting the idea of relocating with the question, "Where would I have put the sculpture?"
Studio Dwell Penthouse Timber Loft With Private Roof Deck Asks $1.5M
Here's a really slick, spacious timber loft in River North with some really awesome extras. First of all, the place has been renovated by Studio Dwell Architects and features an airy, spacious yet contemporary feel. Though the square footage isn't mentioned, the loft is listed as a three bedroom, two bathroom unit and just from judging by the images, the space does look quite large. It's got tall ceilings, exposed brick walls and lots of windows—all of the usual fixin's that make a great timber loft. However, what this place has that many others don't is a large private rooftop deck. The listing agent does provide the size for this space, and at 1,500 square feet, there is plenty of room to entertain during the warmer months. No doubt, the views have got to be equally as great. This very spacious loft is seeking $1.495 million and a surprisingly low $470/month assessment.
A Handy Guide to the Most Classic Types of Chicago Houses
Chicago is famous for its architecture, but there's more to the city than its sky-high towers. Throughout the city's neighborhoods, a wide variety of residential architecture can be found. Some neighborhoods are transforming at a fast pace with developers building new homes as fast as they can tear others down. However, there are a handful of architectural styles for residences that are commonly found throughout Chicago. The Logan Square-based design shop ALSO has recently completed a series on Chicago's classic houses and they have highlights ten different styles that you are probably familiar with. In addition to providing a brief history of each style, ALSO has prints of the hand drawn houses available in their webstore. If you've been in Chicago long enough, you've probably lived in at least one of these types of houses. Here's a look at just a few of the houses featured in the series.
Welp, Here Comes That Big Property Tax Hike You Were Probably Expecting
The city's budget crisis isn't going away anytime soon, but in order to help fill the hole, Mayor Emanuel has proposed what is being widely reported as "the biggest property tax hike in recent Chicago history."The mayor is looking to raise $500 million through the hike, which will squeeze an additional $500 annually from homeowners whose property is worth $250,000. In addition, the mayor wants to start charging for garbage collection separately, which will come to somewhere around $10 to $12 per household per month.
The Artist and the Slumlord: A Photographer's 1970s Quest to Unmask a Real Estate Family
Installation view of America Is Hard to See (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 1— September 27, 2015): Hans Haacke, Shapolsky, et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, a Real Estate Holdings, a Real-Time Social System, as of May 1 1971, 1971, (2007.148a-gg). Photography by Ronald Amstutz.
No real estate topic—not even "poor doors" or mega skyscrapers—engenders more fierce debate in New York City than gentrification. The narrative is familiar: in neighborhood after neighborhood, older, poorer tenants—both residential and commercial—are forced out by rising rents and new construction. Inevitably, they are replaced by well-heeled residents, big banks, and at least one Starbucks. In some neighborhoods, the rate of change is staggering. Take, for example, the Meatpacking District, where the success of the High Line—which wasn't even under construction a decade ago—has spawned a luxury building boom. While the park itself is an emblem of gentrification, it's the new Whitney Museum at the park's Gansevoort Street terminus that serves as the current bellwether of the area's transformation. A handful of actual meat packing plants can still be spied from the museum's outdoor terraces, but the neighborhood's namesakes will likely soon be gone completely.
However, on a recent visit to the new Whitney, my eye was caught by a different barometer of gentrification—a sign that in other neighborhoods, change is slow, and sometimes less visible from the street than it might initially appear.
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
FOLLOW CURBED CHICAGO
See On
![[ shipping container home ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_spvXrSrR3oYUi7ahQCH_j_3IOG2UrmdVTlPQjGyNXnm5n9P-3h53Wl8bb4OSnWg8ke70GJ61EWiUTI3fbFqPzx-0FibGGSQ8FbXnm6NDK0J3FqW4eROK_FI3nDpCKWC517ORs4JK4hqKPVEONw39cr5Crxylg86Q=s0-d)
Curbed University delivers insider tips and non-boring advice on how to buy or rent a house or apartment.
- The Eternal Debate: Renting vs. Buying
- Inside the All Powerful Condo Association
- Here’s the Lowdown on Mortgages
- On the Topic of Appraisals
- The How-To on Home Inspections
- Making Sense of Brokers' Commissions
- There's Nothing Short About Short Sales
- The Flip: Can You? Should You?
- Curbed’s Guide to Renting in Chicago
- The Weird World of Rental Deposits and Fees
- Documents Needed to Rent an Apartment in Chicago
- Property Research Pointers for Diligent Renters & Buyers
- Using Property Records to Your Advantage
Your answer to the question, "Where should I stay in Chicago?"
NEWS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
MASTHEAD
- EditorAJ LaTrace
- PhotographerNick Fochtman
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
All archivesFROM OUR PARTNERS
PREFERENCES
Open external links in new tabs?
Get daily updates and breaking news alerts from Curbed Chicago delivered straight to your inbox:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered