Revisiting the Top Sloopin Post From 2018: A Somber but Beautiful Statement at South Loop Elementary

On the last day of the year, we wanted to take a quick look at our traffic and were happy to find that one of the most memorable things we've ever seen in the Sloop ended up having the most traffic. 

This post from February 20th, 2018 was a moment we won't forget:

A Somber but Beautiful Statement at South Loop Elementary 

If you were taking your kids to South Loop Elementary today or happened to be walking by, you likely noticed this:

While it took us a minute to wrap our head around the picture above, it quickly became clear that the Chicago Police department was "escorting" the daughter of murdered CPD Commander Paul Bauer back to school (via CBS Chicago):  

Chicago Police Cmdr. Paul Bauer is remembered for far more than his leadership on the CPD.

The commander of the 18th Police District was a man who got involved in his community, whether it was at his church – Nativity of Our Lord in Bridgeport — or at the school of his 13-year-old daughter, Grace.

At South Loop Elementary, blue ribbons line the street. Bauer is being remembered for always stepping up, starting the daddy-daughter dance and always smiling when with his daughter. 

We were choked up by the statement and symbolism as we walked to work. We can only imagine how his daughter and family are feeling.

While the reason for this moment was terrible and tragic, it was moving to see such a statement of support and love.

On that note, wishing everyone a safe, happy and healthy 2019! 

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):

Float Sixty Opens at 1143 S. State

In case you missed the bright neon light on South State street, Float Sixty is now open at 1143 S. State:

Float Sixty was originally planning on opening on Michigan Avenue and we first posted about that back in 2016.  It's been a long journey to open the store in the Sloop, but we're certainly intrigued by the therapy.  The website states:

Getting rid of all sensory input allows the ‘constantly-make-sure-you’re-not-dying’ part of your brain to chill out for a second, allowing the creative, relaxed part of your brain to come out and play. Without the constant pressure of analyzing the world around you, your body lowers its levels of cortisol, the main chemical component of stress. Your brain also releases elevated levels of dopamine and endorphins, the neurotransmitters of happiness. 

The site goes on to list a wide range of benefits ranging from increased immune function to "super-learning".

Anyway, we hope to try it out someday.  In the meantime, anyone been yet?  If so, please share your response.

Subway at 13th and Wabash Closes Doors

Looks like the Subway at 13th and Wabash is donzo:

What's not clear is if they're truly "moving this location" or just closing this one in favor of the Subway that's a block away at 1212 S. Michigan.  Back when the Subway on Michigan avenue opened in 2010 we wondered why there would be a need for two of these restaurants so close to each other.

Regardless, this opens up another good retail spot on a stretch of Wabash that has some of the best dinning/bar activity in the neighborhood.  Between this and the empty space where Gioco was, maybe this block will get a couple of other good spots.

(Hat tip: SW!)

New Chipotle Coming to Retail Space in 1136 S. Wabash

We recently saw a post on Hello South Loop's Facebook page and it appears that one neighbor has sleuthed that one of the most (historically) desired fast food spots is opening in the  Sloop:

While maybe not as desired (ahem) as it use to be or big of deal as it was when many people were talking about the need for Chipotle in 2012, it is a good addition to this stretch on Wabash.  

We're unsure when this will open, but our guess is in the spring.

As a reminder the Sloop has a Chipotle west of the rive on 1132 S. Clinton.  It opened in late 2013 and has always maintained a steady hum of business.  We imagine this second location will also be popular.

(Hat tip:  TA!)

Happy Holidays from the Sloopin Crew

From the Sloopin crew:

Fire at the South Loop Target

A reader writes:

There was a fire in the parking lot in the South Loop Target yesterday. Didn’t look like anyone got hurt which is great. If you publish this, remind readers to call 911 if there’s an emergency and not just post about it on social media (I saw many people Snapchating and FB-Living the event and when I called 911, they said it was the first I heard of that fire).

Museums Announce Free Days for Chicago Residents in 2019

While the Shedd hasn't announced their free days for 2019, you can get into some other local Sloop institutions if you want to brave the crowds (via Curbed):

Chicago’s museums can take you back in time or to another planet, however, it can get a little costly. If you’re an Illinois resident there are handful of days where you can get into world-class institutions for free. There are also plenty of museums that are free all year.

FIELD MUSEUM

• January 21

• February 1-28

• April 5-7

• May 2

• June 26-28

ADLER PLANETARIUM

• January 21-22, 29-31

• February 5-7, 12-14, 18-21, 26-28

• April 2-4, 9-11

• June 3-5, 10-13

• September 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 26-27

• October 7-9, 14-16

• November 8, 11

• December 2-3, 7, 12-13

Ferrara Candy Confirms Relocation to Old Post Office

Looks like the renovated post office is getting a second corporate tenant (via Chicago Tribune):

Ferrara Candy Co. will relocate its corporate headquarters to Chicago's Old Post Office from Oakbrook Terrace next summer, bringing almost 400 jobs to the massive structure straddling Congress Parkway.

Ferrara has a little more than 300 office employees now, with plans to expand to about 400 in the new space, where it will move by late next summer, Ferrara CEO Todd Siwak said. The move downtown, to an open and collaborative layout, will help the company recruit and retain talent, he said.

“It provides us the opportunity to create the space employees have asked for, with the necessary flexibility to expand as our business continues to expand,” he said.

A good get for the post office!

Sloop Seemed Poised to Land Amazon's HQ2 if Chicago Had Won

The news that Chicago didn't win the Amazon HQ2 corporate sweepstakes is relatively stale, but a new piece in Crain's points to some juicy new details about the bid.  One of the most interesting items for us Sloopsters was that "The 78" seemed to be the preferred location for the Amazon team:

In the end, Amazon wanted to look only at one site, the 78. Insiders have whispered for months that the company really liked that location, which effectively is raw, undeveloped land, but located near the central business district and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Amazon made two trips here, not three, according to both Rivkin and the emails. Both visits included a mix of wandering around sites and looking at surrounding amenities, such as the Museum Campus, Soldier Field and Chinatown.

As we stated back in June we thought this site might tickle their fancy.  So I guess we can take some pride in "reading the tea leaves".  (sigh...)

Another interesting tidbit was a piece about U of C:

Chicago offered some intriguing little things in the response to Amazon's request for information. Included were promises that the University of Chicago would open a second campus of its renowned elementary and secondary Lab School near the HQ2 site, the Chicago Transit Authority would offer an Amazon-branded transit card for company workers, and “concierge” service in the city’s Building Department would be available for the company to reduce red tape on construction jobs and for its employees to be able to do the same on home-related work.

The article also says that Chicago was one of the "final five competitors".  Yay?!?!?!

What will become of the 78 is still an open question.  Could the development someday land an anchor corporate tenant?  It seemed primed for Amazon (sorry we had to do that).   

Wha?!?!?! Construction on Jane Bryne Interchange - a Major Artery for the City and Sloop - Will Go On For Another 4 Years!

In case you missed this doozy last week...all we gotta say is damn (via Chicago Tribune):

Drivers, be patient, and find alternate routes if you can. Work on the Jane Byrne Interchange will go on for another four years.

That’s the word from the Illinois Department of Transportation, which has been rebuilding what used to be known as the Circle Interchange or, informally, the “spaghetti bowl,” since 2014. The finish date for the project had originally been projected at 2019. IDOT now expects it to be complete in 2022.

IDOT engineers warn that the biggest impact to traffic is coming in the summer of 2020, when a major ramp will need to be closed. This is the ramp from the inbound Eisenhower Expressway to the northbound Kennedy Expressway, which sees 26,000 cars a day.

Why is the project taking so long? It involves three different interstates, a constricted urban area, working around the CTA Blue Line, multiple bridges, a city water pumping station and the need to keep traffic flowing in a spot that sees 400,000 vehicles every day, said Steve Travia, engineer for project implementation at IDOT.

Fatpour at Cermak/Indiana Opens its Doors!

Looks like Fatpour  on the corner of Indiana and Cermak is ready to open:

As a reminder, we first posted about this in February of this year.  Since then there has been some considerable momentum for this up and coming area of the neighborhood.

(Hat tip: EH!)

This Weekend Head to the 20th Anniversary of South Loop Neighbors Loft Walk

One of the Sloop's best events:

Neighborhood Infrastructure Updates: Canadian National Railway Repairs & Traffic Light at 21st/Indiana

Looks like the railroad line that runs just north of 16th street is getting some much needed repairs (via Gazette):

The Canadian National Railway (CN) will complete preliminary utility work and then, in early 2019, will start reconstructing overpasses at Michigan and Wabash Avenues as well as State, Dearborn, and Clark Streets.

While some may be disappointed that the line isn't closing down, there are some benefits to this work.  Alderman Dowell weighs in:

Dowell said she held two community meetings about the project, and noted the railroad has been open to community concerns.

“I was surprised to learn that the rail line was over 100 years old,” Dowell said. “The investment needs to happen. There will be improvements in the lighting underneath the bridges, and the neighborhood will be more friendly to traffic as well as to pedestrians.”

Dowell said that changing the look and feel of the trains as well as the bridges will make the growing South Loop neighborhoods more appealing. In addition to the bridges, she said the railroad will reduce train noise and vibration in densely populated areas by moving an idling station further from residential buildings.

The Gazette article also points to a new a stop light going in at the intersection of 21st and Indiana given the influx of activity around Wintrust Arena.