One Central Development Gets Necessary (but Neutral) Endorsement from Metra

The massive One Central Development - aiming to build a development over the train tracks just west of Soldier Field - continues to make moves and news.  This time with Metra (

via Sun-Times):

Bob Dunn, president of Landmark Development, said he had reached an agreement with Metra that would govern work to build “above, alongside and beneath” the Metra Electric tracks without disrupting commuter operations. His project foresees more than 9,000 residences, a hotel and office space built on air rights over the tracks.

Without spending of its own, Metra would get a maintenance yard and a replacement of its 18th Street station. It would be part of a $3.8 billion transit connection for the CTA and Amtrak that Dunn’s firm would build, taking the financial risk, and the state would eventually buy. Dunn has proposed putting a new CTA station at the site but discussions are still in an early stage.

Dunn said the project’s long-term nature and its design that requires the transit and civic improvements come first work in its favor. “You’re going to see multiple turns in the economy” over the life of the project, he told the Sun-Times Editorial Board. “A pandemic is a different factor than we’ve contended with before, but it’s not totally novel.”

He said market analyses show many economic impacts of COVID-19 will be short term. Dunn said he hopes to deliver the transit piece in 2025, before any high-rise development can begin. “We actually believe that it will time well during the COVID recovery period and then the growth that we believe will follow,” he said.

While many of the comments from Metra seem neutral, at least they seem open to the discussion - which obviously is needed to progress here.  

One things stands out is the 2025 timeline for delivering the transit elements.  According to Dunn that would be one of the first things done (it's referred to as the 'civic' elements of the development).  Maybe it's not surprising that he's shooting for 4 years away, but it just goes to show how massive of an undertaking this would be.  We still have our doubts about feasibility and need, but you have to admire their vision. 

The article has some other tidbits worth reading if you're interested in some of the thinking around the  transit elements of the vision.

Tribune Editorial Board Questions the Need For One Central's Proposed Transit Hub

A few weeks back, we posted about a community town hall meeting for the proposed massive One Central development.  We recently read the Tribune editorial board's current take on the proposal:

Dunn’s $20 billion vision: build a 31-acre platform over train tracks just west of Soldier Field, then construct on the platform a mix of hotels, residential units, retail, dining and entertainment, along with a new transit hub. The project’s skyscrapers would tower as high as 89 stories. If you’ve ever walked from Michigan Avenue to Soldier Field for a game or concert, you’ve likely walked over the bed of tracks Dunn wants to build over.

Dunn’s project had been quiet for some time, but his team held a public meeting in January to update Chicagoans on the proposal. From the start, people who live near the site have worried about the project’s massive scope, along with the height of the buildings, and the traffic that the project would add to an already logjammed downtown.

For us, it’s that transit hub that prompts a double-take, and has us worried about the burden it would put on state taxpayers.

Dunn’s company, Landmark Development, wants Springfield to approve $6.5 billion in state financing over 20 years for the construction and operation of the transit hub and other structures slated for the project’s first phase. The hub, price-tagged at $3.8 billion, would become a new nexus for Metra, Amtrak and CTA trains, along with a new “CHI-Line” bus or tram route that would run from McCormick Place to Navy Pier.

When Dunn explained the project to the Tribune Editorial Board in spring 2019, we were intrigued. “Chicago has never shied away from big, bold endeavors. They keep the city growing and thriving,” we said at the time.

However, Landmark still hasn’t been able to justify the need for the transit hub. In the post-pandemic world, the work-from-home segment of the labor force will be sizable. Mass transit ridership is sure to take a long-term hit, forcing CTA and Metra to rethink train frequencies and service. The CTA and Metra have never given any indication they back the idea. If Landmark had some rock-solid rationale to devote a massive chunk of money from Illinois’ cash-starved coffers for a new South Loop transit hub, they would have come out with it. They haven’t because it isn’t there.

And about those coffers. Illinois is in no shape to plunk down $6.5 billion for One Central’s phase one. “With the pandemic’s economic turmoil upending state budgets around the country, it would be a challenge for any state to provide the significant amount this developer is seeking,” Pritzker spokeswoman Emily Bittner told the Tribune in a statement before One Central’s public meeting.

If this one happens we would be SHOCKED!

Beware: New "Downtown" Uber/Lyft Tax Impacts Huge Part of the Sloop

Well we didn't know this...and it looks like it's going to impact a huge part of the Sloop (via Curbed Chicago):

The mayor’s new transportation tax is now in effect, which means Uber and Lyft riders will now pay more for trips downtown.

In 2019, Mayor Lightfoot eliminated the flat fee of 72 cents. Replacing that fee is a tiered structure which was approved in November and is the highest tax in the nation.

The 2020 fees are meant to incentivize public transit options and shared trips. The highest fees, $3, will be for trips that start or end in a designated downtown zone. All trips in a private car, like an UberX, will have a $1.25 surcharge. The new legislation lowers the fee on shared trips, like Uber Pool or Lyft Line, to 65 cents. Although, shared trips to the downtown zone will be increased to $1.25.

So what is the map of "downtown"?  Here you go:

Just a tip, walk a half a block south of Roosevelt and get cheaper rates (we guess).

Related Midwest Unveils Tweaked Plans for New CTA Red Line Stop at 15th and Clark

In case you missed it last week, Alderman Dowell held another community meeting to hear how Related Midwest tweaked their plan for a new CTA stop in the South Loop (via Crains):

The developer aiming to turn 62 acres of vacant South Loop land into a sprawling mixed-use campus is closer to winning the support of one local alderman after relocating its plan for a CTA Red Line station that would serve its project.

After 3rd Ward Ald. Pat Dowell rejected Related Midwest's plan last month to put a station at the southeast corner of 15th and Clark streets, the developer presented a revised version last night that moves the station across the street, where it would become a crucial access point for a 13 million-square-foot megadevelopment Related has dubbed "the 78."

Under the tweaked plan, Related would build the station on the ground floor of a building it would develop at the southwest corner of Clark and 15th streets. The underground platform for the station would cut diagonally beneath Clark Street, running from the station house northeast to the southern edge of 15th Street, plans show.

After the meeting, Dowell stopped short of offering her full support for the new plan but commended Related Midwest for responding well to community feedback.

The plan still has a ways to go, but this was definitely a positive development for Related Midwest and this high-profile "78" project.

If you're really interested in listening to the community meeting you can head over to Hello South Loop as they streamed it in its entirety on Facebook Live.

Related Midwest Opts to Move Proposed CTA Station within Boundaries of "The 78"

And now the new CTA Red Line stop will be moved to the 78's land (via Curbed):

Instead of placing the estimated $300 million station on vacant CTA-owned land within the South Loop’s Dearborn Park II residential neighborhood, Related now plans to build the transit stop within the boundaries of its 62-acre development site.

“At meetings with neighborhood groups and Alderman Dowell we heard their suggestion to relocate the new CTA red line station to The 78,” said Related Midwest President Curt Bailey in a statement of his own. “In response to their feedback, we’re pleased to announce that the new station will be moved to The 78, on the west side of Clark Street.”

The revised location eliminates the need to disrupt Dearborn Park’s Cotton Tail Park for use as a construction staging area. Although Related tapped landscape architect Site Design Group, Ltd. to design improvements for the neighborhood green space, local residents pushed back against the idea and launched an online petition to “Save Cotton Tail.”

The reasoning behind the new Red Line stop’s original location was due to the subway tube rising at an incline once it crossed into The 78, station designer Carol Ross Barney told residents at a December 17 community meeting. Given the station’s new location, it seems that such technical challenges can be resolved after all.

Should be interesting to see if this sticks and actually happens.

Alderman Dowell Stakes "No" Position for CTA Red Line Station at 15th and Clark

A couple weeks back we posted about Related Midwest's idea to add a Red Line CTA stop at the intersection of 15th and Clark.  While another potential access point to the neighborhood, this proposal was intended to help bolster their massive development "The 78".

There were certainly pros and cons to the proposal, but today Alderman Dowell released the following statement on her position (via Nextdoor):

“While I fully support ‘The 78’ development as unique and necessary opportunity for growth in the City of Chicago, I can not support Related Midwest’s proposal to add a new CTA Red Line Station on 15th St. and Clark St., right in the middle of an established, entirely residential area. This location would be too disruptive for my residents and completely out of character with the area.”

What's next is unclear.  We're in favor of adding more public transportation options to the neighborhood.  We pondered a stop further south closer to 18th.  That might not be feasible, but alternatives are needed.

 

Pondering the Location of the Proposed New 15th Street CTA Red Line Station

We've been going back and forth on the potential of a new CTA red line stop at 15th and Clark.  As most issues - especially ones pertaining to a wide swath of people - there are certainly many pros and cons to the discussion.  While we're not going to debate them all right this moment, one thing that immediately caught our attention was why 15th street?

The most logical answer is that it would benefit "The 78 development" as it would be a major access point near the middle of the project.  On the flip side, a stop 3 blocks south and 2 blocks west of Roosevelt seems excessive.  Maybe if securing a major tenant (like Amazon) was contingent on a 15th street Red Line stop then maybe it would tip the balance to justify this stop - but that would still be a major MAYBE in our book.   

Does anyone know if they considered the block between 17th and 18th?  In our opinion this would be better for the neighborhood as it could provide access to the Red Line and Orange line.  It would be closer to 18th street which is a major east/west route for the Sloop and is a better walking route to Soldier Field/Museum Campus.  

The one major concern could be the proximity to the Chinatown red line stop which has an entrance at Cermak and to the north at Archer.  That being said, the fact that the Orange Line doesn't have a stop between Roosevelt and Halsted (which is just over 2 miles away) seems like a missed opportunity.

Does anyone have any thoughts or perspective on this option?  Is it feasible?  Did they consider it?

Regardless, the "open" concept renderings for the 15th street station look pretty awesome (via Curbed):

Holiday CTA Trains Start This Week

Here comes the Holiday CTA train (link):

• Green Line & Orange Line | Fri 11/23
• Green Line | Sat 11/24
• Green Line & Orange Line | Tue 11/27
• Orange Line & Brown Line | Wed 11/28
• Orange Line & Brown Line | Thu 11/29
• Orange Line & Brown Line | Fri 11/30
• Orange Line & Brown Line | Sat 12/1
• Red Line | Tue 12/11
• Red Line | Thur 12/13
• Red Line | Sat 12/15

There is also a holiday bus if you prefer that...

Happy Holidays!

What's That Mysterious Yellow Line in Related's Hype Video for The 78 Land

With all of the Amazon news last week, we stumbled across an old video for Related Midwest's hype video for their new development called "78".  Here is the video:

While the video isn't new, one thing stood out to us and it was this frame:

The interesting thing to us was that yellow line going down the west side of river.  Does anyone have any knowledge of what that would be?  We know there are an abundance "tracks" there, but curious if there are grand plans for this space.

Anyone know about that?

Woman Gives Birth to Twins at Roosevelt L Stop

We must have just missed this yesterday - crazy stuff (via Sun-Times):

The Wednesday morning rush took a serious detour for a Chicago woman who gave birth to healthy twin girls at the Roosevelt CTA station.

About 7:30 a.m., Chicago Police officers on patrol in the subway portion of the South Loop L stop heard a commotion from upstairs. They found a woman in her 30s going into labor just past the turnstile, authorities said.

By the time Chicago Fire Department paramedics Maire Shields and Rosa Perez got there, the woman had given birth to one girl with the help of the officers and CTA staff.

After a few pushes, Baby No. 2 showed up right on schedule 6 minutes later, but showed some signs of possible distress, the paramedics said. Shields tapped the girl’s foot and rubbed her chest, trying to get a healthy response.

“I just said, ‘Baby, wake up! Baby cry!’ And she did. She listened,” said Shields, who cut the umbilical cord.

Fun With Maps: Chicago "L" Rent Map

We like interactive maps, so have fun with this one which Curbed posted last week.

Looks Like it's Going to be 5-Minutes Faster to Get to the United Center via the Green Line

Looks like Sloopsters who like to take public transportation to the United Center are going to save 5 minutes (according to Tribune):

The city of Chicago on Thursday announced plans for a new CTA Green Line "L" station at Damen Avenue and Lake Street near the United Center to serve a growing residential and business area. 

The new station will fill a 1.1-mile gap between existing Green Line stations at California and Ashland avenues. In a statement, the city said the new station will improve public transit for businesses in the Kinzie Corridor, for tenants of the Chicago Housing Authority's Village of Westhaven complex and other residents, as well as for sports fans coming to the United Center for Blackhawks and Bulls games.

While we're certainly advocates for a more robust el system, this one seems slightly unnecessary.  As someone who has made the walk from the Ashland/Lake green line stop to the United Center, it's not that bad right now.  And judging by our Google Map search, this really saves 5 minutes of walking time:

  
So in terms of being a convenience for commuters, we question if this is that much of an improvement.  That being said, we imagine this will bolster development in the area.

Regardless, it's now going to be (5 minutes) faster to get to the United Center from the Sloop - not a bad thing if you ask us.

Chicago Connector Rail Line Project Seeks $100 Million Grant

In case you missed this last week, we got our first peak at an ambitious public transit plan that would undoubtedly change Chicago forever (via Curbed):

With the lofty goal of curing downtown’s congestion woes while also providing better transit access to the South Side and the site of the Obama Presidential Center, the civic group known as The Chicago Central Area Committee has released its plan to realize the long-discussed 14-mile ‘Chicago Connector’ rail line. The organization has submitted its proposal to the MacArthur Foundation in hopes of scoring a $100 million grant earmarked by the nonprofit to "solve a critical issue." 

The first phase of the project, dubbed the "minimum operable segment" or MOS, would be built to connect the busy West Loop Metra hubs at Union and Ogilvie Stations to the intersection of Columbus and Illinois in Streeterville. Taking advantage of the existing Carroll Avenue below grade right-of-way, this two-mile segment will reportedly cost $750 million.

Minimum Operable Segment

While the "MOS" obviously doesn't directly impact the Sloop, the broader vision would dramatically change how we and others get to and from the neighborhood.  Take a look at this map and your jaw will probably drop:

It's clearly ambitious, but that's probably needed.  Ironically, the group that is behind this vision is also one that is partially credited for sparking development in the Sloop (via Crains):

CCAC Chairman Greg Hummel said he's had preliminary conversations with Obama library officials and aides to Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "What I've heard back is they're interested.”  

Though CCAC was involved in the development of the Dearborn Park project in the 1970s, which was the spark that led to a rebirth of the Near South Side as a residential neighborhood, it has only begun to vet its plans with the many local groups that would be affected.

Needless to say, we are excited to see if and how this progresses.  The $100 million grant would be a great start, but we would need a ton more to really make this happen.

This video is worth a watch if you're interested in the vision:

Mayor Expresses Interest in Idea to Convert Metra Electric District Line to Rapid-Transit Line

From the Trib:

A proposal to convert the Metra Electric District Line into a rapid-transit line with more frequent stops to serve the South Side and suburbs has drawn the interest of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has asked the head of the Regional Transportation Authority to facilitate discussion on the issue, RTA officials said.

So why does this impact us in the Sloop?  Well for some of the Sloop residents, more stops on this line could better and more frequent access to downtown (especially for residents who live closer in and around the east side of the Prairie Ave District and close to McCormick Place.

While the definitely has pros and cons for the Sloop, it's mainly being floated to help bolster access from the south side of Chicago and south suburbs to the downtown core.

Despite this news and expressed interest from the mayor, it sounds like there are some major hurdles to overcome:

The Metra Electric rapid-transit idea is not new — community activists had proposed it as the Gray Line in 1996 and the Gold Line in 2009.  

The proposal has many obstacles, primarily the shortage of funding for transit expansion and the difficulty of using Ventra with Metra's distance-based fares.  

The coalition brought the proposal to Metra last month. Metra had previously begun a study with the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District examining capacity along the Metra Electric District Line, including whether it has the electrical power to support more trains and what changes would be needed in the track and power system. That study, which should answer some of the questions about the coalition's proposal, is expected to be done in early 2017, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said.

Will this happen?  Seems unlikely.  But it's good to see that "creative" solutions are being considered to help with public transit.

While who knows what's going to happen with the Lucas Museum, we do know that the mayor and politicians have their eye on improving access to Museum Campus/McCormick Place/Motor Row.  Is this a potential solution, maybe?  Definitely worth the consideration.

What in the World Are These Things at the New Roosevelt Road Bus Stops

A reader writes:

Does anyone have any clues as to what these are and why they are there? If there is no railing on them somebody is going to trip and get hurt.

That's funny because we noticed them as well, but was less concerned about the safety and more concerned about the randomness of the what function these served.

Does anyone have any clue what these are?

(Hat tip:  BH!)

PDNA Recaps the Roosevelt Road Reconstruction Public Meeting from August

Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance recaps a CDOT community meeting on the Roosevelt Road Reconstruction project:

Roosevelt Road Reconstruction Public Presentation - 9/22/2015 

As promised, we were able issue a FOIA to get a copy of the September 22nd presentation from the South Loop Town-Hall meeting at McCormick Place. 

At that meeting, CDOT Representatives were on hand to discuss the project, listen to complaints, concerns, and feedback from residents in regards to the Roosevelt Road project impact. CDOT also discussed what it has done (correct traffic light timing errors), and what they are reviewing to address, as well as provide and overview of the remaining work on the project.

They have a 20 page presentation on their facebook page, but honestly much of it was recap.  Of interest to us is this slide:

Worth a read if you're one of the people who questions why this was done.

And for those wondering, the street markings are supposed to be done by the end of the year.

New Roosevelt Road Streetscape Identification Markers Installed

The major work on the Roosevelt Road Streetscape improvement project has been done for some time now.  Lanes have been reconfigured, a huge bus terminal has been built, bike lanes have been created, and after some missteps benches have been installed.

One mystery that we've been wondering about was what were they going to do with the gigantically tall metal structures that frame the Green/Orange El tracks at Roosevelt?  Well the mystery has revealed itself:

Looking east at the metal identification structures on Roosevelt

Looking west at the metal identification structures on Roosevelt

While we were preparing ourselves for something horrible (has anyone seen the stupid, meaninglessly broad words that are on the benches/lightposts/concrete?), honestly they're not bad in our view.  

We were expecting these to have some stupid font announcing that you were entering the South Loop (ala Oldtown and/or Fulton Market District):

At times we thought a sign announcing the South Loop would be good as it would help define our neighborhood.  Now we're a little less certain (especially after we got a glimpse at the Fulton signage).  It just seems risky, potentially corny and sort of Disneyfied.

With that said, if someone could come up with something distinct or interesting maybe we would change our tune.  Given the other design elements in this project it's better that they went with a simple "CTA Roosevelt" sign.

The project still has some details that need to be completed such a painting and whatnot.

We know there have been some big objections and head-scratching, but how are you feeling about this in it's current state?  

We're going to reserve judgement until all is done, but would still be curious to hear some thoughts.

New Dunkin Donuts to Move Into Roosevelt El Retail Space

A reader writes:

I noticed the attached today in the window of the former pizza place at the Roosevelt green/orange station this morning. There were a couple of guys in the space as well.

While it may not be the most interesting thing we could dream of, it probably is the most practical business to come into the space.  If you will recall, this space was originally Butterfield Kitchen, which was a local upscale breakfast and lunch space.  While in theory this seemed like a good fit for the neighborhood it probably wasn't the best location for this concept.

After that closed, Bacci Pizza, the popular home of the gigantic slice of pizza, opened up shop but faced a similar fate.

Clearly Dunkin Donuts has a proven business model, so we imagine they will likely succeed in this location.

In other business news that may have been negatively affected by its proximity to this CTA stop, we recently reported that Jersey Mike's closed up shop at 26 E. Roosevelt.  Dennis McClendon commented on the post that a 7-11 is actually taking over the space.  Again, maybe not the most sexy retailer we could dream up, but probably a pretty logical one that will probably do well at this location.

What do you think?  Two proven gigantic companies moving into these locations - good or bad?  Or whatever, this is a stupid thing to be discussing?

(Hat tip:  JB!)

Tall and Strange Bus Stops Erected at Roosevelt El Stop?

The Roosevelt Road streetscape improvement work is still in full swing.  We're excited to see what the finished product will look like, but until then it hasn't been super smooth.  Yesterday we posted about some spelling issues with some of the pavers and benches.

Today a reader sends us a photo of some massive structures that have been installed on the south and north sides of the Roosevelt CTA stop:

While we're not 100% sure what these are, our guess is that these structures are two fold:

1. It looks like it's forming a shelter, so we think it might be a bus shelter of some variety.
2. We also are pretty sure these will be "neighborhood signage" which is something we read about during this project.  As you can see in the rendering below, there are some huge yellow structure that resemble what is currently being built:

Can anyone confirm what these are?  Or have seen renderings of what the finished product will look like?

(Hat tip:  TB!)

Interactive Maps and Charts Showcases Median Household Income by CTA Stop

A cool interactive map from the MIT media lab:

This map visualizes the median household income by station along Chicago’s L system.

If you click through to the map it's interactive, but we've grabbed a couple screen shots from Curbed Chicago for the CTA lines that service the Sloop (Green/Orange/Red):

While this might not be shocking to most, it still is an interesting and thought provoking way of looking at household income in Chicago.