#ShootsAroundTheSloop: Bears down; Buffalo Up

 

The Winter, Indoor Version of South Loop Farmers Market Opens this Weekend at Roosevelt Collection

Sloopin’ friends! Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Want to get inside and out of the cold Chi-town winter air? Local artisans? Kid and pet activities? Live DJs? Food? 🤩 

We’ve got exciting news! While doing our usual sloopin’ around, we learned that the indoor South Loop Farmers Market opens up this weekend at Roosevelt Collection. The market is on Saturdays from noon-4 PM and runs through March 30th. Explore the vendors this winter. 

Since it’s such a popular happening, the South Loop Farmers Market has also been invited to set up shop at the iconic Water Tower Place. Sundays noon-4PM. Water Tower Vendors. Validated 2-hour parking at both locations. 

Check one or both out over the next few months!

Video: What Makes the South Loop A Neighborhood

Stumbled upon this youtube video, figured some of you might enjoy it (via YouTube):

Dick's Sporting Good - at The Maxwell on Canal Street - Closing on December 4th

Well this ain't a great way to start the new year (via Chicago Star Media and Chicago Block Club):

Dick’s Sporting Goods will close its South Loop location on Jan. 4, adding to a string of recent retail departures in the area. The closure was announced via a sign near the store’s entrance, at 1100 S. Canal St., according to the Block Club Chicago. 

Dick's sign outside of The Maxwell on Canal street
(via Block Club Chicago)

The retailer is part of The Maxwell, a shopping center that also lost T.J. Maxx nearly a year ago. Remaining tenants at The Maxwell include Nordstrom Rack and Burlington. 

The South Loop has seen several high-profile exits recently. Rising rents forced The Container Store to announce its departure from Roosevelt Collection Shops, while Show Place Icon theater and local boutique Kido Chicago also have closed.

While some might poo poo on big national retailers, the reality is that it's just not a good sign for the neighborhood if they can't be supported.  The Dick's store was massive and nice.

The 78: Will 2025 Finally Be the Year?

Rendering of Proposed White Sox Stadium at The 78 (via Urbanize)

If you’re reading this, you probably know we’ve been away for a while. But you know what? It hasn’t been as long as The 78 – the infamous, long-standing vacant 62-acre site in the South Loop – has remained undeveloped.

If you’re like us, you’ve spent the past couple of decades fantasizing about what could be. An amazing riverwalk? An Olympic village? Amazon’s HQ2? A new White Sox stadium? A casino? So far, we’ve gotten bubkes.

Recently, though, we came across an article in Urbanize Chicago that provided an update on The 78 (and other mega-developments):

Planned by Related Midwest, The 78 is a 62-acre mega-development in the South Loop, located along the Chicago River just south of W. Roosevelt Rd. The original plans, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, called for over 13 million square feet of mixed-use development.

Years later, the only completed structure is the Wells-Wentworth Connector, which isn’t even open to the public yet. In 2022, Mayor Lori Lightfoot chose Bally’s casino plan over Related’s proposal for a casino and entertainment district at the north end of the site.

In early 2024, Related Midwest announced a plan with the Chicago White Sox for a new ballpark that would anchor the proposed high-rise district. The design included home plate at the southwest corner and a stadium that wrapped around the field, offering stunning downtown views, including the Sears Tower.

But later that year, just as construction was set to begin, the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) announced it was scrapping plans for its headquarters at the south end of The 78. Instead, DPI is pivoting to the quantum campus at Related Midwest’s redevelopment of the former US Steel site at 8080 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. With the DPI headquarters canceled and public funding for the White Sox stadium facing opposition, The 78’s progress is largely stalled.

More recently, at the end of the year, it was announced that Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto is exploring The 78 as a potential site for a dedicated soccer stadium. According to Crain’s Chicago Business, Mansueto and Related Midwest have presented their proposal to Mayor Johnson and city officials. While no renderings or detailed plans have been released, Mansueto has committed to financing the stadium entirely with private funds.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about this plot of land, it’s not to hold our breath. Could 2025 finally be the year something happens? A billionaire willing to fully finance a soccer stadium seems promising—but we’ve been here before.

Will 2025 be the year The 78 finally becomes something?

Chabad South Loop Hosts Evening Dialogue with Holocaust Survivor this Thursday (5/18)

Surviving Auschwitz: An Evening of Dialogue with Mr. Israel Starck

Thursday, May 18th

Doors Open 6:45pm | 7:00pm Program Begins

Central South Loop Location

RSVP here.

Use promo code REMEMBER for earlybird pricing.

Lollapalooza Company (C3) Donates $500K for Pickleball Courts in Grant Park

We noticed a post on Hello South Loop's facebook page about the volley ball courts in Grant Park (south of Balbo and west of Columbus) being torn up.  

A reader posted an old article about what is happening (via Chicago Sun-Times):

Chicago’s pickleball scene is getting another shot in the arm — this time in Grant Park.

The folks behind Lollapalooza are donating $500,000 to the Chicago Park District that will be used to build new pickleball courts and refurbish existing tennis courts in the south end of Grant Park.

The pickleball courts will be designed for only pickleball use. 

One of the major knocks from the city’s growing pickleball scene is that the city is lightyears behind other major cities in building dedicated courts. Most pickleball in Chicago is played on tennis courts, which can create tension between picklers and tennis players.

The news was shared Tuesday in a letter that was emailed to Grant Park-area residents from Charlie Walker, an executive with C3 Presents, the company behind Lollapalooza.

A Park District spokeswoman said six existing tennis courts will be rehabbed and a minimum of eight new dedicated pickleball courts will be built.

I play tennis, but have never played pickleball.  That said, maybe we'll have to check it out.  This is probably a win win for most people - maybe outside of volleyball players.  C3 gets a hard surface to better accommodate their festival (for those in the know - this is usually behind "Perry's Stage" and the city/residents gets an area for recreation game that's getting more and more popular.  

City and NASCAR Announce Dates of Street Closures Prior to 4th of July Races

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race is undoubtedly going to be a big, unique event for the city - but as expected it likely will be a headache for those of us who live or spend a lot of time in the Sloop.

How much of a headache?  Well the city just released a list of street closures in and around Grant Park and it's going to be much longer than we expected (via Yahoo):

NASCAR's Chicago Street race is slated to take over the city for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, but the impacts for drivers will be felt long before and after the race is done.

Officials on Monday detailed a traffic plan, featuring more than a month of rolling closures around the city in the lead-up and tear-down for the first-time event.

Closures will include major roadways like DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Columbus Drive, Jackson Drive, Balbo Drive and Michigan Avenue and are expected to kick off on June 2 and continue through July 15, adding to a long list of traffic disruptions for drivers in the city already battling major construction projects on the Kennedy Expressway and elsewhere.

The biggest interruptions are slated to begin on June 25. (Full list of closures at link)

On top of the closures, officials said they expect roughly 50,000 people to attend each day of the two-day event.

Yikes - a month and a half of street closures will likely be pretty disruptive.  Yes, maybe some of the closures early on are small swaths of streets, but still will be confusing and painful.  

(Hat tip:  Mitch!)

20 Years Later After the Close of Meigs Air Field (Now Northerly Island)

Northerly Island is a quiet retreat for us in the Sloop, but many newer residents might not realize it's history.  WBEZ has a good read on how the current concert venue and park became what it is today thanks to a brash move by a mayor:

When the sun came up over Chicago on March 31, 2003, it shone down on six large Xs that were bulldozed overnight into the runway of a small downtown airport.

Under the cover of darkness, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley made it clear who ran the city when he ordered the destruction of Meigs Field on Northerly Island without alerting the City Council, the statehouse or the Federal Aviation Administration. The former airport is now a park, which the mayor had wanted for years.

Daley defended the move the next day by citing safety concerns and told reporters it was a risk to have planes that close to skyscrapers in a post-9/11 world.

The destruction of Meigs was a brash stunt that epitomizes Chicago politics. Simpson equates bulldozing Meigs with similarly “autocratic” schemes greenlit by Daley’s father, Mayor Richard J. Daley, such as ordering police to maintain law and order among protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, resulting in violent clashes.

Twenty years after the overnight destruction at the airport, Simpson and others said the maneuver is fading from collective memory, but it can serve as a reminder of the need to have checks and balances on mayoral power.

Life at Nema (1210 S. Indiana)

We don't live inside the Nema rental building (1210 S. Indiana), but have gawked at it from the outside and recently spent some time in the shinny new Dollop Coffee shop.  We recently stumbled upon a video on Tik Tok and recognized some of the views and deducted that it was a young 20 something, entrepreneur shooting as if he lived on top of the world in the building.  Anyway - if you ever wondered what it was like to live in Nema, maybe his videos can give you an idea:

 (Hat tip: @theibrahimansari)

#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Wood Pecked

 

#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Hendge

(Hat tip:  RD!)

 

We Love Dearborn Station - So Here is a brief part of it's Origin and History

Chicago's Dearborn Station is a historic transportation hub that has played a significant role in the city's history and development. Built in 1885, it was the first railway station in Chicago to serve multiple rail lines. Over the years, the station has been home to numerous railroad companies and played a crucial role in the growth of the South Loop neighborhood.

The Beginnings of Dearborn Station

The idea for Dearborn Station came from the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad, which was looking for a way to consolidate its passenger operations in the city. At the time, the railroad had several different terminals scattered throughout Chicago, which made it difficult to manage and inefficient for passengers. The company decided to build a new, centralized station that would allow it to streamline its operations and provide a better experience for passengers.

In 1881, the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad purchased a site on Dearborn Street between Polk and Taylor. The site was chosen because it was located near the heart of the city and was easily accessible by both rail and streetcar. The station was designed by Cyrus L.W. Eidlitz, a prominent New York architect who was known for his work on train stations and other public buildings.

Construction on the station began in 1883 and was completed two years later. The building was an impressive structure that featured a central clock tower, a large waiting room, and multiple platforms for trains. The station was also unique because it served several different rail lines, including the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad, the Michigan Central Railroad, and the Wabash Railroad.

Impact on the South Loop Neighborhood

The construction of Dearborn Station had a significant impact on the South Loop neighborhood. Prior to the station's construction, the area was largely residential, with a few factories and warehouses scattered throughout. However, the station brought new businesses and commerce to the area, including hotels, restaurants, and retail stores. The station also served as a gateway to the city for many travelers, which helped to boost the local economy.

The station also played a crucial role in the development of Chicago's transportation network. The station's central location and access to multiple rail lines made it a key transportation hub for the city. It allowed passengers to easily transfer between different rail lines and made it easier for goods to be transported throughout the city and beyond.

Throughout the years, Dearborn Station continued to evolve and change. In the early 1900s, the station was expanded and renovated to accommodate more passengers and trains. However, as air travel became more popular in the mid-20th century, the station's importance began to decline. In 1971, the station was closed and its operations were consolidated with other rail yards in the city.

Today, Dearborn Station still stands as a reminder of Chicago's rich history and its importance in the development of the city's transportation network. While the station is no longer used for its original purpose, it has been repurposed for other uses, including retail stores, restaurants, and offices.  

For example, UChicago Medicine has an urgent care facility located at Dearborn Station for convenient same-day care for the entire family. The American Montessori Academy South Loop also has a location at Dearborn Station offering year-round programs for children aged 8 weeks to 9 years old.  The popular Jazz Showcase is also located in Dearborn station and so is Bar Louie.

It is one of our favorite buildings in the neighborhood and a unique monument to the history of the neighborhood.  One of our favorite prints is this one:

You can find that at the following etsy site if you want to buy one for your place.

Dearborn Station is an important part of Chicago's history and has had a significant impact on the development of the South Loop neighborhood. The station's central location and access to multiple rail lines helped to make it a key transportation hub for the city, and its construction brought new businesses and commerce to the area. While the station's operations have since ceased, it remains an important part of Chicago's architectural and cultural heritage.

Sources for additional reading:

• Chicago Landmarks - Landmark Details
• The Dearborn Station
• Dearborn Station - Wikipedia
• Dearborn Street Station - chicagology
• Dearborn Station Official Website

Kdot (Kendrick Lamar) is Coming to Lolla!

Lollapalooza season is officially on us....sorta.

Well at least we know who is going to be gracing Chicago and the Sloop with their presence during the weekend of August 3rd-6th:

While we get older the music doesn't age (maybe with the exception of Red Hot Chili Peppers).  A lot of these acts are new to us, but surprisingly I'm familiar with more than some of the recent lineups.  Like most, we'll be digging in over the spring/summer to scope out who we're liking.  

Please share acts that you're excited about so we can give them a listen.

While it may be a bit obvious to be excited about the the top of the list performer, Kendrick Lamar is a unique voice in hip hop and continues to push the envelope.  This is one of the best still doing his thing and arguably in his prime - so should be a recipe for a great festival show.

We asked for some help from our favorite AI friend to give us the latest on Kendrick Lamar's latest album for those who may not know:

Kendrick Lamar's newest album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers has been received positively by critics. According to NME, it is a "cathartic, soul-baring autobiography". The album sees Lamar overcome "writer's block" to triumph with a collection on which his observational skills go into overdrive.

The album has been praised for its differences from previous albums. According to Pitchfork, "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" is a thorny double album featuring everyone from Kodak Black to Portishead’s Beth Gibbons. It also explores vulnerability, the challenges of newfound fatherhood and his marriage.

We've heard the album compared to a therapy session and judging by this video from the album we can see why:

Poignant video and song...and Helen Mirren! Lolla 2023 - yay!