Parking squeeze in south loop

New developments are creating a parking problem in the south loop. Welcome to the city! Stop being a jerk and use a bus or train like everyone else New residences put squeeze on public parking Parking issue irks South Loop businesses By Jeff Danna City Beat Editor Theresa Scarbrough/The Chronicle Parking for the Glessner House Museum, 1800 S. Prairie Ave., is being taken up by residents of the Prairie Avenue District with permits to park their vehicles on the street, said Corina Carusi, museum curator. Elsewhere in the South Loop, other business owners feel their customers have too few parking options. As new residential buildings continue to sprout up across the South Loop in place of paved lots, public parking has become an increasingly precious commodity for local businesses. Â"WhatÂ's happened with development in the Near South area is itÂ's become a place where people are selling existing property, and a lot of surface level parking is being eaten up by developers,Â" said Bonnie Sanchez-Carlson, president and executive director of the Near South Planning Board. The cityÂ's new zoning ordinance, which took effect Nov. 1, calls for new residential developments to offer approximately one parking space for each housing unit, said Pete Scales, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development. Because some residents own more than one vehicle, this parking situation can pose a problem, Sanchez-Carlson said. Parking also becomes difficult, she explained, when residents have visitors who bring their own vehicles and must find a place to park temporarily. Such parking predicaments cause an overflow of vehicles onto the street, which Sanchez-Carlson and local business owners said eliminates parking for customers and patrons. Â"We virtually have little or no parking for visitors,Â" said Corina Carusi, curator for the Glessner House Museum, 1800 S. Prairie Ave. Â"We were promised by [residential] developers we would have parking.Â" Those who live in buildings surrounding the Glessner House are allowed street parking by permit only, leaving few spaces for museum guests, Sanchez-Carlson said. Of the approximately 75 to 80 parking spaces on the streets around the museum, the Glessner House needs about 20 to 30 on a busy day, and visitors have trouble finding that many, Carusi said. During football season, parking in the Prairie Avenue District becomes more difficult, Carusi explained, because Bears fans leave their vehicles on the streets and walk to nearby Soldier Field. Â"WeÂ've been here since 1966, and weÂ've pushed through the development of this area,Â" Carusi said. Â"Now weÂ're just being swallowed up.Â" Scales is aware of complaints from employees of South Loop businesses, but he doesnÂ't believe the parking situation is dire enough to develop more public lots. He also said the city typically does not fund public parking, preferring to encourage residents to take public transportation. Because the South Loop is close to ChicagoÂ's business district, Scales believes residents should try to alleviate parking concerns by relying less on automobiles and more on alternative modes of transportation. In doing so, people who live in buildings with a unit to parking space ratio of about 1 to 1 can ease vehicle congestion in the parking lots and on the street, Scales said. Â"If the private market bears it out, weÂ'd look into entertaining a parking garage [in the South Loop],Â" he said. But for some businesses, like the Glessner House, a parking garage would be beneficial now. Â"We donÂ't necessarily want free parking,Â" Carusi said. Â"We just feel the visitors have no options. So we wouldnÂ't have a problem with a garage or pay lot.Â" Other South Loop businesses, like BlackieÂ's restaurant, 755 S. Clark St., are also feeling the effects of limited public parking. Since construction began on the Roosevelt Road and Clark Street intersection, Polk Street, which intersects Clark near BlackieÂ's, has served as a detour route for traffic, and the city removed the parking meters BlackieÂ's customers typically use, said Ora Caston, manager of the restaurant. As a result, Caston said, customers are short on parking options elsewhere in the area, and employees sometimes have to drive around PrintersÂ' Row for 15 to 20 minutes in search of parking. Â"People complain they donÂ't want to pay for parking [in a lot] and then pay $15 to $20 for a meal,Â" Caston said. Â"ThatÂ's $30 right there.Â" Ed Hebson, owner of HackneyÂ's on PrintersÂ' Row, 733 S. Dearborn St., said that while his restaurantÂ's lunch customers typically visit on foot, dinner guests usually drive. Because some Printers Row residents use on-street parking, HackneyÂ's customers have trouble finding places to park nearby. HackneyÂ's employees direct guests who drive to pay lots close to the restaurant, but, like those who visit BlackieÂ's, some are not willing to pay several dollars to park while they dine. Still, Scales said, South Loop residents need to remember the neighborhood is not the only area in Chicago experiencing parking woes—finding a place to park can be a hassle anywhere in the city.>

Chicagoan? American?

Chicagoan? American? Which one am I more? Ten years ago, that would have been a no brainer. AMERICAN! Today? I honestly don't know. The election campaign has highlighted the deep the divisions in this country. So many of them are regional. I do know that I relate to Chicago (and places like it, nationally and globally) than I do to America at large. Chicago has always had more in common with Toronto than with Kansas. Today we very well may have more in common with Toronto than Dallas. Or even London than Dallas. As Chicago turns more and more outward to the globe, our population a reflection of that very process, much of America turns inward and circles the tents, and regresses. Much of America wants to turn back the block to the 1950's, to Father Knows Best (and God knows better), and father was white and there were no nasty terrorists or homosexuals and nobody even heard of a stem cell. Today when I see a flag flying on a car of a t-shirt that says God Bless America, I get the feeling it is not me that they are trying to address and, for some reason, I get a cringe rather than a pride in country and feelings of patriotism. So American? Chicagoan? As I said, I don't really know. And I'm totally surprised that it is a toss up.>

Am I the only one who doesn't mind bland infill?

Okay, so recently Chicago has altered zoning to not allow 3 or 4 storey brick flats to be built in neighborhoods of single family homes. Much of this I agree with, since they do look out of character. Yet these same newer brick 3-4 storey buildings going up all over the city as infill have been heavily criticized for being soul-less and lacking character. Goonsta has some nice pics of them in the "Chicago has it..." thread. But I don't know--I look at them, and sure they're not as beautiful as their 19th century/early 20th century brethren, but I don't mind them so much. They help create an urban streetwall, they are generally "in character" by being brick or stone and having nice entrances along the street, and some occasionally even offer retail space on the ground floor. They definitely contribute to revitalizing formerly vacant neighborhoods and contribute to the urban environment and street life. Now sure, even the critics say they're better than empty lots, but I think they're a LOT better than empty lots. What, exactly, is wrong with these structures? Do they bother you guys as much as they bother Blair Kamin?>

Northwest of Chicago: from farm fields to boomtowns

did anyone else happen to catch the new Geoffrey Baer/WTTW chicago history documentary last night? as i'm sure you all know, Mr. Baer is the same guy who did the other WTTW chicago documentaries such as the loop walking tour, the chicago river tour, the lakefront tour, the "L" neighborhood tour, the north shore tour, and the south suburban tour. well, his newest program premiered last night, titled "Northwest of Chicago: from farm fields to boomtowns". it primarily featured the suburbs from park ridge northwest along the I-90 corridor and the surrounding area ending up all the way out in woodstock. once again, Mr. Baer has produced an excellent television program, shedding more light on the history and development of our chicagoland region. i don't know why but i find these programs to be very engaging. during the evening he also mentioned some future programs that are in the works right now. first up is a series about the history of all the fox river cities and towns, then a program on the western suburbs, then a program about the suburbs along the milwaukee avenue corridor, then the southwest suburbs and finally he spoke of redoing the chicago river tour epsiode several years down the road, as much is changing along the river, as we already know *cough*trump*cough*. so anyone else see the program? if so, what did you think of it?>

'burbs

from reading posts and bios, ive noticed many of the members are from the burbs. i was wandering what suburb, or part of chicago do u live in. im personally from wheaton, its cool, but doesnt compare to the city>

Vote for your Favorite Chicago buildings

aka shameless promo Hey guys, since I'm incharge of the Hall of Fame Contest, I thought I would go ahead and post a link to this week's contest: http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread...13#post2725513 Since Sears, JHC, Tribune, etc. are going to get votes by the forumers who don't live in Chicago, I thought it would be a good idea that you post some of the buildings that you like and aren't known as well (sharptent and his love for the Daley Center would be a good example) throughout the world.>

I am going to Chicago

I am from Minneapolis but I am going to Chicago in January. I will probably go up the sears tower but what else is there to do? (I wonder if Trump Tower will be in progress?)>

What's your favorite Chicago movie?

There are certain movies that just make you proud to be a Chicagoan, some that are just great movies and some that just suck. I'm partial to the classics such as The Blues Brothers, Ferris Beuller's Day Off and The Untouchables. But I also liked Backdraft, Eight Men Out, The Fugitive, The Negotiator and High Fidelity just to name a few. But I'm curious to see what other movies out there strike a Chicago chord.>

North Side streets: which best show the new Chgo?

If you were going to take an out-of-town visitor down North Sides streets, which streets would you choose that best shows the enormous transformation of the city's North Side? I'm talking about streets north of Division (and North Avenue is a bit of a question...it still has a downtown nature to it). Which ones would be best going: north/south? east/west? diagonal? My choices: north/south: Damen or Halsted (Halsted for degree of change in different areas...it's a street that transforms itself) and Damen for how a young, creative, artistic Chicago develops east/west: (eliminating North Ave) Diversey, perhaps Fullerton (Diversey, to me, almost is unidentifiable ever three or four months; that's a new city they're developing there) diagonal: Lincoln or Clybourn (Lincoln is narrow and dense, feeling more and more urban all the time; Clybourn for how Chicago retail is developing. While less about change and more about the differing worlds of Chicago as you get closer to the core, I'd have to throw in Milw)>

Lollapalooza: Chicago's Annual Music Festival?

Quote:> THE CHICAGO SUN TIMES excerpt: The former leader of Jane's Addiction, Farrell launched Lollapalooza in 1991 as a touring day-long alternative rock festival. Reconfigured in 2004 as a two-day event, the tour was canceled several weeks before the first show because of poor ticket sales in nearly every market except Chicago. Checked out 25 cities Capital Sports purchased a share of the Lollapalooza name last year. Farrell, who is billed as a "creative consultant," wouldn't say how much of a stake he still owns, though he noted, "I've got enough of a share that I can tell anybody to shut up." Jones said that Capital Sports looked at 25 cities before choosing Chicago. He added that his company conducted "three years of brand analysis and marketing surveys" to determine that "not only does this brand still have merit, but Lollapalooza is the most recognized name in music today." High hopes The company has remodeled the concert after the Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals and the Austin City Limits Festival, which Capital Sports produces. The promoters hope to make Lollapalooza an annual event in Grant Park and "the premier music festival in the world," Jones said. Farrell said he is not disappointed that Lollapalooza is now a single-city concert instead of a tour. "Sure, you'd like to date nine women, but if you can meet a great one, you'd marry her," he said. > Im suprised no one has posted about this, but all of a sudden, out of the blue, Chicago has a massive annual music festival downtown. Lollapalooza is planned to attract 50,000 ticket holders over the course of two days, as well as thousands of other 'bum fans' that will come to listen in on the show. This is just awesome news, and not just for alt rock fans as myself. This is greatly gonna boost the image of the city, especially in terms of pop culture. Lollapalooza is the largest alt rock show there is, and a lot of media outlets, MTV included, are gonna focus on the city while it occurs. Seeing how it will be hosted in the South Loop area (Hutchinson Field in Grant Park), its really gonna liven up that area, and definatly make for hordes of people walking along Michigan Avenue to Millenium Park, and to Rivernorth for nightlife after the concert. The House of Blues and many other venues have agreed to house afterhours parties and shows from bands in Lollapalooza as well as others. Lollapalooza will also feature many family activities and other attractions for people who visit the park, although Summerfest in Milwaukee is gonna have one hell of a run for its money :P the full article: http://www.suntimes.com/output/enter...s-lolla23.html>

Quality of New Residential: Chicago vs. NYC

In a previous post, as I recalled, it was suggested (in rather less polite terms) that NYC was beating Chicago in terms of the design quality of new residential construction. I'm not so sure this is true, and this view does not simply stem from Chicago boosterism or a desire to bash NYC. I just came back from a short visit to NYC, and nothing in this nation beats 100+ blocks of vibrant urbanism that is Broadway. But consider.. Some of the new highrises in NYC designed by extremely famous architects such as Richard A.M. Stern and Robert Meier are good, but by no means great showstopping buildings. I don't have much doubt that Ralph Johnson's Skybridge and Contemporaine (and Destefano's Erie on the Park) best Robert Meier's recent residential contribution in the Village or elsewhere in NYC. Stern's tower in the upper east side is good but not great. Michael Graves tower in Midtown is another story -- I think its a great example of post-modernism and does best Chicago's 800 North Michigan. And Trump's recent NYC additions are nothing special relative to Trump's contribution in Chicago. The 70-story black glass box near the UN is just that -- a big black box. And the Trump Place development on the West Side is decent, but nothing special. None of this, in my opinion, comes close to Trump Tower Chicago. There is a fair amount of mediocre residential going up in NYC, as in Chicago. The mediocre arguably leaves a bigger mark on Chicago because some of it is so gargatuan and is not well blended into dozens of older construction as in NYC. (i.e., some of the new River North towers simply dominate that area.) In general, I think Chicago is competing with NYC in quality due to the construction of the usual suspects: One Museum Park, 340 on the Park, 65 East Huron. There are few if any new modernist residential towers on par with the Bristol.>

Regional effect of Chicago Gentrification

I don't believe we've ever examined on this board the regional effect on gentrification taking place in the city of Chicago. For decades, the history of the Chicago area was the story of concentric rings, a city pushing out from its core, adding land, and eventually spreading into suburbs that kept going in all directions save east. The promised land was always the one furthest out and often decay occurred in the areas closer to the core where people were moving to the periphery.This is the city that urbanologist Pierre de Visse and others described in decay, being drained by its edges. That certainly is not the Chicago of today. So what will be the result of gentrifcation. My sense is that the critical mass of North Side gentrification has put that entire region of the city in risk of squeezing out many people who cannot afford to live there. You can see this even in far north side neighborhoods, removed from the core and the buzz of the downtown area, but close enough to be geographically desirable. You can see this in close in suburbs like Evanston, Skokie, Niles, Morton Grove, where proximity to the city have made them more, not less, desirable in relationship to suburbs on the outer edge. North Side-style gentrification has already had a massive effect on the West Side (from downtown to the UC, from UIC's circle campus to the its med center) and on the South Side (with development going south from McCPl to fill in the area between it and Hyde Park), redevelopment in Bridgeport, explosive growth in Chinatown, etc. Meanwhile, western suburbs like Oak Park are experiencing the same dynamics that I described in the north. What is this city growth going to be...and how will it impact all of Chicagoland? Are we arriving at the time when Chicago will be like a European city, wealthier in the core than the suburbs? Has city real estate become so valued and important that only the wealthy can afford it? Are we heading, if not to a 180 degree, a pretty massive one that replaces wealth becoming greater going outward with wealth becoming greater going inward? Will all of Chicago real estate be subject to an increase in value or will areas on the far south and southwest side be too far removed to being effected by it (keeping in mind that South Works redevelopment will spark s.e. construction around it) And ultimately, what effect will this economic (as opposed to racial or ethnic) segregation that we are creating have on the poor and even the middle class in the Chicago area? How will gentrification eventually play out in Chicago....and what problems with that process have on the health of the region. My guess: the problems will no doubt be considerable. The way we divide people by income cannot be condusive to producing a healthy metropolitan area.>

Bush lives in Chicago

Well, not really Quote:> Bushes claim post office box as home for tax returns By KEN HERMAN Cox News Service Wednesday, April 20, 2005 WASHINGTON — They've got a ranch in rural Texas and a nice home-office setup on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. But for income tax purposes, President Bush and his wife Laura claim a Chicago post office box as their "home address." On the 1040 they signed – and the White House released last week – the listed home address is "Northern Trust Co., P.O. Box 803968, Chicago, Ill. 60680." That places the president's home in a downtown Chicago post office named for former Democratic U.S. Rep. Cardiss Collins. White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said Tuesday that the post office box is the Bushes' home address for federal income tax purposes, and has been since he took office, because Northern Trust handles the blind trust into which the Bushes have put all their holdings. Healy said the use of the Illinois address did not mean the Bushes had to pay Illinois state income tax. IRS spokesman Tim Harms said Tuesday that the "home address" question does not always have a simple answer. "As near as I can tell, it's OK," Harms said after shopping the residency question among several people at his agency. Bush, coincidentally, was in Illinois on Tuesday at the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. In general, the Internal Revenue Service frowns upon the use of a post office box as a home address on tax forms. IRS instructions for Form 1040 say, "Enter your box number only if your post office does not deliver mail to your home." Richard Lenet, an accounting professor at Montgomery College in Maryland, said he has had many clients who listed post office boxes as their home address on tax returns but only because they did not receive mail at their residences. "But the post office box is in the city in which they live," Lenet said of his clients. Lenet said he is confident the Bush family's advisers are on firm legal footing, nonetheless. The 1040 released to reporters by Vice President Cheney and his wife Lynne indicates they live at an undisclosed location. The Cheneys' address was blacked out on the tax return given to reporters because it is personal information, according to attorney Terrence O'Donnell, who handles the vice president's tax matters. O'Donnell said the address listed on the form that went to the IRS shows a Wyoming address. Cheney changed his voter registration from Texas to Wyoming in 2000 to get on the ticket with Bush. A presidential candidate and running mate cannot be from the same state. At the time, Cheney, a former Wyoming congressman, lived in Dallas. A review of recent presidential income tax returns shows a definite partisan split concerning what home address to list: Democrats have listed the White House. Republicans list an address of the entity that handled their money. Democrat Bill Clinton listed "1600 Pennsylvania Ave" and Jimmy Carter simply put "The White House." Republican George H.W. Bush used the New York address of Besemer Trust Co., but it was listed as a "care of" address, not as his home address. Ronald Reagan listed the Los Angeles office of attorney Roy Miller. This year's tax returns also show the Bushes and the Cheneys differ on supporting federal funding of presidential races. Both Cheneys marked the "yes" box indicating each wants $3 to go to the fund. The Bushes' slalomed around the question, checking neither the "yes" box nor the "no" box. Bush did not take federal matching funds during his 2000 bid for the GOP presidential nomination, a move that allowed him to avoid spending limits. He did accept federal funds for the 2000 general election. The Bush-Cheney ticket took the same approach last year, declining federal funds for the primary season but accepting them for the general election. The Bushes reported $784,219 in 2004 income, about half from "wages, salaries, tips, etc." and half from investment income. They reported $77,785 in charitable contributions. The first family's tax liability for 2004 was $207,307, which they overpaid by $38,534. In lieu of a refund, the Bushes opted to have that money applied to their 2005 taxes. The Cheneys listed $1,734,373 in income, including $194,852 in deferred compensation from Halliburton Company, where he formerly worked. They owed $393,518 in income taxes and paid $102,663 with their return. The Cheneys' return includes the signature of an accountant at KPMG in Dallas as the "paid preparer." The Bushes' return does not list a paid preparer. The return shows a deduction of $2,690 for "tax preparation fees" paid in 2004 for their 2003 return. Ken Herman's e-mail address is kherman(at)coxnews.com >>

Merger of NYSE and Archipelago

My only interest with this is: what is the impact on Chicago jobs? And a subsidiary concern is: will Crain's Chicago Business pay attention to its middle name, and not simply cover the story from a coldhearted business perspective, but also cover it from the perspective of its effect on the Chicago region? That's not how they covered the Amoco merger, where they believed every lie the BP people told them before the Amoco center was almost completely vacated. Its not sheer parochialism, but the JOB of a local business newspaper to prioritize the impact on the local economy. Reuters) - The New York Stock Exchange said on Wednesday it will merge with electronic market operator Archipelago Holdings Inc. in a $400 million deal that will transform the NYSE into a publicly-traded company and help it break into electronic trading. The NYSE, the world's biggest stock exchange, will own 70 percent of the new company, its Chief Executive Officer John Thain said. Thain said the merger will not end floor trading at the NYSE and the hybrid company will take 12 months to get up to speed. The deal is subject to approval of NYSE members and the Securities Exchange Commission. The SEC said it would not comment on the transaction. The transaction comes amid the exchange's efforts to reinvent itself in the face of uncertain business prospects which sent NYSE seat membership prices to a nine-year low in January. "It's of huge significance for the industry -- the New York Stock Exchange just acquired this humongous competitive advantage," said Warren West, president of Greentree Brokerage Services in Philadelphia. Chicago-based Archipelago Holdings is the owner of electronic trading platform Archipelago exchange and a trader of Nasdaq-listed stocks. It is 22 percent owned by private equity firm General Atlantic LLC, which will own about 6 percent of the new company. Related story: Archipelago earnings fell 40% in 1Q Earlier in January, Archipelago agreed to buy the parent of the Pacific Exchange for more than $50 million, a deal that raised its profile while allowing it to expand into the options trading business. Archipelago was a front runner to buy electronic trading platform Instinet Group Inc., a majority-owned unit of Reuters Group Plc. But over time, Nasdaq became the leading bidder.>

UIC: Eternally condemned architecturally?

Can anything be done to save UIC from an eternity of brutal, disasterous architecture? I ask this question as an alumni who was there when this institution opened by the circle interchange. To answer this question, youÂ'd have to share my assumption that the Walter Netsch designed campus couldnÂ't have been more unfortunate for both the university and the city. A 1960Â's style concrete fortress, it was more designed to keep the city out than to become integrated into it. Its harsh, minimalist architecture fell into disrepute shortly after its inception, a time when US cities like Chicago were edgy places and much of the cityÂ's life blood was flowing to the suburbs. UIC could only have been built in an era when expressways ripped the fabric out of urban neighborhoods and high rise warehouses were built to segregate the poor and racial minorities. It was a area when warmth and style were not synonymous with great architecture. Since the time the Circle campus was created, newer additions have softened the blow and have been more sensitive to the surrounding (and now far-more-inviting) city. The residential complex at Harrison-Halsted is an example of such an improvement. Further humanly scaled university is now occurring south of Roosevelt Road, the universityÂ's south campus being developed along with other components of University Village. On the original campus, the double deck walkway has been removed, the campus center has been striped of the dank, leaky roof that topped the lecture center and greenery has been brought in throughout. It is a friendlier environment today. But are there limits to what can be done to improve what may be the unimprovable? Short of leveling every structure save Hull House from Halsted to Morgan, Harrison to Roosevelt, can the egrigious original mistakes and poor planning be corrected or is UIC condemned to an eternity of poor and downright uninviting and repelling architecture? I welcome your opinons.now>

UIC: Eternally condemned architecturally?

Can anything be done to save UIC from an eternity of brutal, disasterous architecture? I ask this question as an alumni who was there when this institution opened by the circle interchange. To answer this question, youÂ'd have to share my assumption that the Walter Netsch designed campus couldnÂ't have been more unfortunate for both the university and the city. A 1960Â's style concrete fortress, it was more designed to keep the city out than to become integrated into it. Its harsh, minimalist architecture fell into disrepute shortly after its inception, a time when US cities like Chicago were edgy places and much of the cityÂ's life blood was flowing to the suburbs. UIC could only have been built in an era when expressways ripped the fabric out of urban neighborhoods and high rise warehouses were built to segregate the poor and racial minorities. It was a area when warmth and style were not synonymous with great architecture. Since the time the Circle campus was created, newer additions have softened the blow and have been more sensitive to the surrounding (and now far-more-inviting) city. The residential complex at Harrison-Halsted is an example of such an improvement. Further humanly scaled university is now occurring south of Roosevelt Road, the universityÂ's south campus being developed along with other components of University Village. On the original campus, the double deck walkway has been removed, the campus center has been striped of the dank, leaky roof that topped the lecture center and greenery has been brought in throughout. It is a friendlier environment today. But are there limits to what can be done to improve what may be the unimprovable? Short of leveling every structure save Hull House from Halsted to Morgan, Harrison to Roosevelt, can the egrigious original mistakes and poor planning be corrected or is UIC condemned to an eternity of poor and downright uninviting and repelling architecture? I welcome your opinons.now>

Rockford and Chicago....a tutorial

Some of you Chicago forumers ( I hesitate to use the phrase "fellow Chicagoans") seem upset about my Rockford postings. Of course, you (2) are a minoroty, but your message seems to be....that Rockford news does not belong in your special Chicago forum. Well I think you need to study history a bit, in order that you will understand the future. Question. Who is the greatest Chicagoan of all time? If you, as many historians believe, chose Jane Addams, well then, you chose a Rockfordian.>

Rockford and Chicago....a tutorial

Some of you Chicago forumers ( I hesitate to use the phrase "fellow Chicagoans") seem upset about my Rockford postings. Of course, you (2) are a minoroty, but your message seems to be....that Rockford news does not belong in your special Chicago forum. Well I think you need to study history a bit, in order that you will understand the future. Question. Who is the greatest Chicagoan of all time? If you, as many historians believe, chose Jane Addams, well then, you chose a Rockfordian.>

I-90 Regional City

okay, the name's a bit annoying..... Regional Vision Project I-90 Regional City, Rockford Area Council of 100 The Rockford Area Council of 100, a nonprofit economic development organization, retained Vandewalle & Associates to develop an economic vision for its region in northern Illinois which includes public and private sectors of Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties. The project was later expanded to include Rock County in southern Wisconsin. The Project Steering Committee, comprised of public and private sector leaders from the counties, charged Vandewalle & Associates with the following tasks: Identifying regional opportunities, Recommending a regional vision and specific projects, Building regional consensus, and Identifying potential funding sources. Identifying Regional Opportunities During the firm's initial analysis of the four counties, Vandewalle & Associates determined that the project area is strategically located between Chicago to the south, and Madison to the north, with Interstate-90 (I-90) connecting the three areas. Named the I-90 Regional City, it connects the more densely populated Chicago-Rockford-Madison urban corridor to the resource amenities of the central core of the Circle City-Dr. Philip Lewis' urban constellation that includes Chicago, the Quad Cities, Minneapolis, Green Bay, and Milwaukee. Within the I-90 Regional City is the I-90 Regional Midpoint, which includes the Cities of Janesville and Beloit, Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois. With a historical skill set that includes manufacturing, agriculture, transshipment, and healthcare, the Regional Midpoint was firmly planted in the old economy. However, as economic trends shifted from these traditional economic drivers to those considered part of the new economy, the economic stability of the Regional Midpoint began to weaken. Recommending a Regional Vision and Specific Projects Vandewalle & Associates developed a series of recommendations for both the Regional Midpoint and the Regional City that encourage economic development initiatives, promote regional sustainable development patterns, and strengthen intergovernmental relationships. In addition, Vandewalle & Associates completed a model analysis of key areas to illustrate these recommendations. Recommendations include: Branding the I-90 corridor as the Regional City, Fueling economic growth within the Regional City, Encouraging the revitalization of downtowns and satellite cities, Developing existing urbanized areas, Planning and strategically directing growth, Capitalizing on existing utility infrastructure, Commencing comprehensive planning for concentrated investment districts, and Undertaking a regional rail initiative. Building Regional Consensus-Regional Leadership Network To begin building consensus among the many and varied interests within the Regional Midpoint, the Council of 100 created the Regional Leadership Network-a composite of over 1,000 local, county, and state elected officials and staff, as well as leaders from economic development organizations. Vandewalle & Associates developed a series of PowerPoint presentations that delineated project framework and recommendations. Identifying Potential Funding Sources In order to implement such sweeping recommendations, Vandewalle & Associates investigated a diverse group of potential funding sources including federal, state, and foundation grants. Implementation The Rockford Area Council of 100 has taken recommendations from the Regional Vision Project, and begun forming the strategic task forces to encourage implementation. Priority has been placed on extending commuter rail service to the Regional Midpoint (led by the cities of Belvidere and Rockford), on branding the region, and on establishing a foundation to fund and oversee ongoing implementation.>

Chicago-exlandia news......Where?

Okay, So Chicago is huge. It sprawls. But where does it end? I am interested in Rockford (ergo my name), and other nearby communities. When I post these things in the Midwest forums, it registers nothing. Maybe they think Rockford is some glorified Chicago suburb. But if I post things in the Chicago forum, there seems to be some who refuse to think of Rockford as part of the Chicago area. Your opinion...... What are the limits of the word Chicago (as it pertains to this forum) and Where should I post Rockford and other stateline (i-90) news??? such as the following http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=204819 and http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=203741 Here we have nearly 80,000,000 dollars in scientific investment in areas within 100 miles of Chicago. And absolutely no coverage by the Chicago press!!!! Isn't that news???? Or are Beloit and Rockford not of any interest to Chicago???????>

I spent 30 minutes in Chicago yesterday!

No, and I'm not talking about OHare airport. I am on vacation and had a 3 hour layover at OHare on my way to St Louis. I daringly took the blue line to downtown Chicago. Knowing that the clock was ticking (and the huge risk of missing my flight that I was taking), I walked around briskly, west to Wells St. and up to Wacker, then east back to State. I then walked to Millennium park and briefly walked to Lakeshore East. I then hurried back, got on the 'L, and made it back to Ohare. Everything turned out okay. Was it crazy? Sure. But then, I'm a bit crazy about Chicago, and I rarely ever get to be there. Not 1,000 of the best pictures by anyone comes within even a mile of the effect the city actually has on you in person. To the average pedestrian, just the scale of the city, esp downtown, is awe-inspiring. It was probably a bit of a silly venture that I took yesterday but it was TOTALLY worth it. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. PS: BTW, I really like the Clark/Lake parking garage. You can't even tell, plus it's loaded with ground-level retail>

Real Estate Price Increases by Zip Code

Well many of you may have seen this already, since it was published earlier this year as I recall, but I thought it would be interesting to revisit. An article on CNN's website posted the "hottest zip codes" in top metro areas according to increases in median home prices over the 5 years ending in the 4th quarter of 2004. Overall, increases in Chicago real estate prices are modest compared to increases in LA, NYC, DC, and Boston. Regardless of the downside, the upside is that Chicago remains relatively affordable for home owners. (see http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/topzipcodes/) Why is this? I pasted the zip codes with the highest increases in Chicagoland below. The greatest growth rates appear to be in the southwest side by Midway (60632,38,29). Any ideas about why this area tops the list? I was taken aback by the median home price for 60640 which is Uptown/Edgewater. Chicago overall: 254,000 49.60% 8.30% Chicago IL 60632 205,000 91.20% 13.80% Chicago IL 60638 237,000 90.90% 15.30% Chicago IL 60629 195,000 89.90% 16.70% Chicago IL 60652 180,000 84.60% 16.00% Chicago IL 60639 265,000 84.10% 11.20% Chicago IL 60630 318,000 83.30% 12.20% Chicago IL 60634 300,000 83.20% 12.50% Chicago IL 60640 511,000 82.20% 12.50% Oak Park IL 60302 450,000 80.50% 8.80% Chicago IL 60641 320,000 79.80% 11.10%>

Mayor Morrissey heads to Washington

First, sorry about another Rockford thread....but things keep happening. And to JB...who might read this, but promised not to respond to any more Rockford threads.....be assured that rail service to Rockford would also benefit Chicago. Hard to believe, Rockford benefitting Chicago in any way....but true. And to RockfordSoxFan (go Sox! btw), yep, it's another star article. The reason I post these is that I really believe this should be news in Chicago, but the media there, being run by JB-types, ignores such stories. Rockford delegation lobbies in capital Larry Morrissey spends his first day as mayor pushing a transportation platform in D.C. By CHUCK SWEENY, Rockford Register Star WASHINGTON -- Larry Morrissey spent his first day as Rockford's chief executive stressing what he did during his campaign: roads, rivers and rails. But Morrissey took his message outside of Rockford, joining a delegation of 130 Rockford area leaders Tuesday for a day of lobbying in the nation's capital. Morrissey even buttonholed Sen. Barack Obama, a rising star in the Democratic Party, and had him spouting a favorite Morrissey-ism. "I asked him what his priorities were and we talked about roads, rivers and rails," Obama said. "Our challenge is figuring out whether we get enough dollars in the transportation fund to take care of all the projects we'd like to do." At 6:30 a.m., the delegation left Rockford on a chartered Hooters Air Boeing 737 and flew to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, about a half-hour train ride from Washington. The trip was sponsored by sponsored by Commonwealth Edison, AMCORE Bank and Rockford Health System. The Rockford Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greater Rockford Regional Airport, Rockford Convention and Visitors Bureau were hosts. When the Amtrak airport shuttle arrived at Washington's Union Station, Morrissey hit the ground running, darting from meeting to meeting, starting with U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan, who discussed manufacturing, education and transportation issues with him. Morrissey stressed the importance of his proposed "education and lifelong learning" czar to coordinate educational activity. Manzullo said Morrissey should make sure that person works to bridge the gap between what schools provide and what employers need. "I know a company that wants to add a second shift but can't find workers that are trained," Manzullo said. Morrissey, joined for much of the day by Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen and state Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, told Manzullo that although he supports the Northern Illinois Commuter Rail Initiative to bring Metra trains to Belvidere and Rockford, "we want to let you know it's going to be a priority to bring rail to our airport. The airport has to be the first stop." Manzullo and Morrissey agreed that the Rockford area will have to fight hard to make commuter rail to Rockford's airport a priority with Metra, the Chicagoland commuter railroad. "We know there's folks out there who would just as soon not see any growth at Rockford airport because they want to build an airport at Peotone," the mayor said. Gov. Rod Blagojevich presented a formal plan for building a Peotone airport to the Federal Aviation Administration. "Ultimately, we'll put forth a local, regionally controlled operating company to build the (rail) infrastructure," which has been estimated at $80 million, he said. From Manzullo's office, Morrissey went to the House Committee on Education and Workforce, to brief staffers on Rockford's needs and hear about legislation. Staffers told him that the government wants to streamline the various federal programs to create a one-stop structure for people who need job retraining. Morrissey suggested that Uncle Sam allow people who still have jobs to get retrained, rather than make them wait until they're out of work. After that 20 minute meeting, the mayor power-walked to the Capitol Hill Club, a noted Republican establishment, where the Rockford delegation had lunch. At the luncheon, Manzullo urged constituents to put more pressure on U.S. lawmakers. "One problem we have is that we don't hear enough from people we represent," the congressman said. Morrissey told the group that "we're going to have a lot of work to do. But we can see today that the community is ready to get to work. We sold a plane out in short order." After lunch, Morrissey and about 30 delegation members hiked for nearly an hour from Capitol Hill to 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, to talk with Undersecretary of Commerce for Manufacturing Al Frink. The meeting was closed to reporters, as were later meetings with the staff of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, and Obama. Interviewed later, Durbin said the discussions were fruitful. "We talked about Metra, the (Rockford) airport and the future. And transportation is his major platform. I see eye to eye with him on that. So I told him, 'I look forward to working with you' and that's the way it will be," Durbin said. The day's official events ended with an early evening reception in the Lyndon Johnson Room of the U.S. Capitol. Obama was treated like a rock star when he walked into the reception. "I didn't know that it was this big of a delegation. I was very very impressed," Obama said of the boisterous Rockford delegation. Morrissey was upbeat after the trip. "It's been a great day and and opportunity for me personally to meet the objectives I set out -- to meet with our congressman and U.S. senators," he said. "I let them to know I'm looking forward to working with them in a great relationship with the city of Rockford.">