style,design,urban development,real esate and technology....

The Trail.

2009-04-12T16:42:00.001-07:00

When browsing through Chicago's Architectural firms I came across a project by the office of Wilkinson Blender and was pleasantly surprised by the above featured rendering. This image sheds light on the the west entrance of the potential Bloomingdale Trail from Ashland Ave 1600N in between North Ave and Armitage Ave at about 1800N. Currently Walsh Playground would be one the farthest eastern entrances onto the trail with significant public exposure. Now I know everyone who drives up and down Ashland Ave knows (including me) what a horrible traffic congestion this place gets at times. Not to mention the pot holes right under the bridge. With that in mind, I hope that this will also be taken into consideration. For now, let's just enjoy the renderings of what could be, but also remember that their is still work to be done. Visit Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail web site for more information and to support the cause of this great urban renewal.

The rendering below shows a portion of the Bloomingdale Trail just west of Milwaukee Ave. near Winnebago Ave and the Blue Line Train. In the past, this particular lot was doomed for unsuccessful development and has been vacant inappropriately. A passage between Bucktown and Wicker Park should have a little more going on in my opinion. Then again, this is all but one man's opinion.

Studio Job

2007-10-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Studio Job is a love-'em-or-hate-'em Belgian-Dutch design duo. Critics reject the pair's penchant for pricey, obscure pieces over affordable, functional objects. Museum curators and gallery owners praise them as leaders in the hot Expressionist-design movement. The face-off can continue this month, in Milan, when the team behind Studio Job—Job Smeets, above left, and Nynke Tynagel—unveils its latest lightning rod: Silver Ware, a line of "monumental" pieces. "To give you an idea of scale," explains Smeets, "the teapot is 2 meters high." The studio's delft-inspired mantel clock, painted with critters, or its crystal-studded table lamp would probably be a better fit for most homes.

Largest leases in downtown Chicago.

2007-10-29T11:17:00.001-07:00

Citigroup Inc. tops the list of largest leases in downtown Chicago with its move from Sears Tower to a newer West Loop building. In January, the banking giant signed an 18-year lease for 245,000-square-foot space in the AT&T Corporate Center at 227 W. Monroe St.

The largest suburban office lease was for the new corporate headquarters in Long Grove of Fenwal Inc., a blood transfusion business Baxter International Inc. sold to two investment firms in February. Fenwal moved into the 144,526-square-foot space this summer.

Sears Logistics Services Inc. signed the largest industrial lease with its 814,848-square-foot deal in Romeoville.

The lists includes new leases and renewals with expansion completed between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007.

Developers of condo project sue alderman

2007-10-27T23:54:00.000-07:00

(Crain’s) — The developers of a South Loop condominium project have gone to court to block a zoning change by Alderman Robert Fioretti that would shrink the 490-unit development, which some neighbors have criticized as too large.

Affiliates of Kargil Development LLC have sued the 2nd Ward alderman, arguing that his proposal to change the zoning for the property at 1712 S. Prairie Ave. is illegal and comes too late. Though the City Council last year approved a project with two towers — one about 450 feet tall and the other 310 feet — the change would cut their height to a maximum of 225 feet, forcing Kargil to remove about 100 condos from the development, called the X/O Condominiums.

“I believe this a clear abuse of aldermanic power,” says Kargil Principal Keith Giles. If the measure stands, “it would be a horrible precedent.”

Mr. Fioretti’s office said it would issue a statement on the lawsuit later Friday.

The alderman, whose ward includes the project, introduced the zoning change in July, but on Thursday he asked the City Council’s Committee on Zoning to postpone consideration of the proposal, a sign that he knows he doesn’t have the votes to pass the measure, Mr. Giles says. Contending that the delay has fueled uncertainty about the project, Kargil wants a judge to stop the alderman from delaying the vote.

The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court, also goes a step further and asks a judge to rule that the proposed zoning change is illegal. Courts have generally ruled for developers in similar cases if the developers can establish that that they spent a significant amount of money on a project before the city passed more restrictive zoning.

Mr. Giles argues that he has a strong case, noting that Kargil has already spent more than $28 million on the development, a figure that includes bank debt, marketing costs and land acquisition costs.

Yet amid the uncertainty, sales at the development have been stuck at about 200 units since July.

“His filing of this ordinance has caused us harm in the marketplace,” Mr. Giles says. “People don’t understand the situation and have been reluctant to buy from us. Our competitors are using this against us.”

Two neighborhood groups support the XO project, which was designed by renowned Chicago architect Lucien Lagrange. But a third group formed to oppose the project, contending that its two glass towers don’t fit with the neighborhood. The development would sit across the street from the landmark Glessner House in the Prairie Avenue Historic District.

new chicago listings - wicker park area -

2007-04-10T18:16:00.001-07:00


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$237,900

Attached Single

Status:

ACTV

MLS #:

Parking Type:

Garage

# of Cars:

Apx. Sq. Ft:

860

Beds:

Baths:

Rooms:

Type:

Condo

Taxes:

NEW

CHICAGO, 60622 call 773-366-2840

$257,000

Attached Single

Status:

ACTV

MLS #:

Parking Type:

None

# of Cars:

Apx. Sq. Ft:

Beds:

Baths:

Rooms:

Type:

Condo

Taxes:

NEW

CHICAGO, 60622 call 773-366-2840

$299,000

Attached Single

Status:

ACTV

MLS #:

Parking Type:

None

# of Cars:

Apx. Sq. Ft:

900

Beds:

Baths:

Rooms:

Type:

Condo

Taxes:

NEW

CHICAGO, 60622 call 773-366-2840

$299,000

Attached Single

Status:

ACTV

MLS #:

Parking Type:

Space/s

# of Cars:

Apx. Sq. Ft:

1000

Beds:

Baths:

Rooms:

Type:

Loft

Taxes:

$2,887

CHICAGO, 60622 call 773-366-2840

$349,900

Attached Single

Status:

ACTV

MLS #:

Parking Type:

Garage

# of Cars:

Apx. Sq. Ft:

1400

Beds:

Baths:

Rooms:

Type:

Condo, Penthouse

Taxes:

$4,271.51

Chicago City Hall Green Roof

2007-03-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

Merit Award -- Design

Chicago City Hall Green Roof
Chicago, Illinois

Conservation Design Forum, Inc.

David Yocca
Senior Partner, Conservation Design Forum
375 West First Street
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Rooftops are vastly underutilized spaces in the urban environment, yet it is possible for any landscape, plaza, or garden to be installed on a building or structure. In Europe, over the past thirty years, rooftops have become the focus of a quiet but steady revolution through the application of green roof technologies. It is significant that properly designed green roofs can emulate natural processes. Even the thinnest green roof can effectively absorb most rainfall events, reverse the urban heat island effect, and provide wildlife habitat. They also insulate buildings, extend the life of the roof membrane, increase property values, and vastly improve urban aesthetics. While Europeans have been enjoying these benefits for years, Americans are just beginning to embrace them. Green roof technology is so new to America, that there is far too little data published to guide landscape architects in the design process.

One way that green roofs differ from other rooftop gardens, per se, is that they are not generally designed as accessible space. Green roofs are appropriate for many applications, including warehouses, commercial and office structures, public institutions, and even residential roofs. Green roofs also differ in that they only add 17 (dry) to 30 (wet) pounds per square foot to a roof's load, where roof gardens can add 100 pounds per square foot or more. These relatively light loads keep construction costs down while providing significant environmental, aesthetic, and social benefits. Under Mayor Richard M. Daley's direction, the City of Chicago's Department of Environment took the initiative to start an aggressive green roof pilot project by hiring a team of landscape architects, architects, structural engineers, and ecologists to design and implement a green roof for Chicago's City Hall. Centrally located in downtown Chicago, City Hall is one of the most visible and recognized structures in the city. The primary purpose of the City Hall Green Roof Pilot Project is to provide a green roof demonstration that serves to facilitate research and educational outreach within the context of a midwestern climate.

Completed in 2001, the rooftop garden was designed to test different types of green roof systems, heating and cooling benefits, success rates of native and non-native vegetation, and reductions in rainwater runoff. The three systems integrated into the design include lightweight soils at 4, 6 and 18 inches in depth. These varying green roof systems are recognized respectively as Extensive, semi-intensive, and Intensive green roofs. Soils were fabricated using lightweight soil mixture guidelines developed in Germany over the past 20 years.

Although the rooftop is not normally accessible to the public, it is visually accessible from 33 taller buildings in the area. The design form is intended to be read from these various vantage points. The plantings are organized in a sunburst pattern, which respects the symmetry of the historic City Hall and provides a format for arranging groups of plants over the three different roof systems. Though green roofs are typically planted with only sedums and low grasses, the planting palette has been expanded significantly to accommodate research related to the viability of over 100 species of plants. The variety of plants include native prairie and woodland grasses and forbs, hardy ornamental perennials and grasses, several species of native and ornamental shrubs, and two varieties of trees. Plants are organized by bloom color. As the season progresses from spring through fall, plants bloom across the sunburst pattern. The radiating bands of floral color are segregated by similar bands of grasses. The long bands provide opportunities for the same plant material to be applied over various depths of soil, ranges of slope, and drainage patterns.

Since City Hall's flat roof is over 100 years old, previous layers of waterproofing were left in place and a new liner water proofing system was installed. The relatively flat roof surface had gently sloping drainage lines that were left in place. Rectangular skylights (that are no longer used) had been covered and reinforced to increase weight support up to 60 pounds per square foot. The unified undulating ground surface was achieved by installing layers of lightweight insulation boards to elevate the soil layer 12"-24" inches above the waterproofing layer.

Monitoring will begin in 2002 and continue as the rooftop serves as a living laboratory. Early results are very encouraging with respect to summer air temperatures above the green roof surface. Studies indicated that the ambient air temperature was as much as 78 degrees cooler than the air temperature measured on the traditional black tar roof membrane which still exists on the Cook County half of the building.

Client Statement: The City of Chicago Department of Environment (DOE) initiated the City Hall Rooftop Garden Pilot Project as part of the Urban Heat Island Initiative with the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The rooftop garden was designed to test its cooling effects and its ability to sustain a variety of plants in three different depths of growing media. Monitoring of the plants, birds and insects is underway. Results from monitoring the cooling effects during the garden's first summer showed a roof surface temperature reduction of 70 degrees and an air temperature reduction of 15 degrees.

another amazing design by....

2007-03-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

new news? or past prediction...

2007-01-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

Has housing market bottomed out?

Sales of existing homes fell in 2006 at fastest rate in nearly 20 years

CNBC VIDEO

• Has housing market hit bottom?
Jan 24. – Home sales figures released Thursday confirmed that 2006 was the worst housing market in 17 years. CNBC asked two economists where they think the housing market is headed from here.

CNBC

THE HOUSING BUST

• Is the worst over for housing?

• Is your market hot or not?

• Setting the stage for quick home sales

• Latest mortgage rates

• Mortgage calculator

Chicago Develops.....

2007-01-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

Do you want to know what's going on in and around the city?
New developments from Palatine, Barrington all the way southwest as Plainfield and Romeoville .
Maybe the Chicago metropolitan area is what your interested in.

As real estate professional I am up to date on all new developments which can benefit you in ways such as pre-construction pricing customizable interiors and first time buyer incentives.

To view all the developments in the the city of chicago and suburbs such as condos, townhomes, single family homeas and multiunits
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style,design,urban development,real esate and technology....

The Trail.

Studio Job

Largest leases in downtown Chicago.

Developers of condo project sue alderman

new chicago listings - wicker park area -

Chicago City Hall Green Roof

Chicago City Hall Green Roof Chicago, Illinois

another amazing design by....

new news? or past prediction...

Has housing market bottomed out?

Sales of existing homes fell in 2006 at fastest rate in nearly 20 years

Chicago Develops.....

Chicago City Hall Green Roof
Chicago, Illinois