Thursday, September 3, 2009

The Need For Speed




A reader sends in the following photo showing the speed at which Target is being completed at Broadway and Sunnyside. He noticed that the bricks where installed in large sheets.

28 comments:

  1. it looks like the target on peterson. kinda

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  2. I'm thinking the brick is actually veneer or thin brick anchored to the concrete, rather than block built. Virtually no large commercial buildings are built out of honest-to-god brick anymore--they're either poured concrete, tilt-up (where they ship the slabs of pre-poured concrete on big-ass trucks, then put them in place) or CMUs (i.e. cinderblocks).

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  3. That's how virtually all of the Northbridge (Nordstrom) development went up downtown...
    Pre-fab slab facades.

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  4. I can't imagine this won't be open for the holiday shopping season. Target traditionally opens October and July. Can't imagine they'll wait until July.

    Any news on this?

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  5. I'm not excited about the impending traffic, but it does really give the area a much needed face lift.

    If the Salvation Army building actually becomes a farmer's market (and not a fish farm) that would really make this a destination. I was in Columbus recently and was really impressed by they're permanent farmer's market. It's in line with the holistic character of Uptown. I just hope it doesn't turn into a bizarre like the Wilson Mall.

    Being that this is the only Target accessible by public transportation, I expect traffic (foot and car) to jump. Sad that it will take people from other neighborhoods to make a difference, but a difference will be made. There isn't nearly enough parking though.

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  6. Sunnyside, those of us in the insane Wilson Yard TIF are also paying for hundreds or thousands, cant remember which, of parking spaces exactly one block away at Truman College.... which is also yet ANOTHER reason to deny the WY TIF extension, stating they need parking.. what , people cant walk a block?

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  7. Uptown Superhero, I too live in the
    TIF. There's no need to be snarky.

    I just was thinking that the Truman parking doesn't seem like enough parking. It's for the school and for the store. Most Target parking lots are bigger and packed.

    I don't drive, but people will be wanting to drive to Target because the purchases are large. And people like to drive.

    Just wondering if there was expanded plans for parking. Will it be a paid lot? Concert nights might fill it up and a secure parking lot might (optimistically) deter loitering. Will it be open 24/7?

    Just looking for more information on the parking since it is scarse.

    Like it or not, parking will be a major issue once the target is open.

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  8. and my comment about taking other people to make a difference means. Sure we're paying for it, but it's the attention from visitors that will get the area to clean up. Sadly not our Alderwoman who has been isolated within the bubble of Uptown. Most people don't know what's going on because people don't visit here so she can get away with a lot.

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  9. Why would they need more parking? Didn't your hear Peter and Helen claim the traffic study (undoubtedly conducted by an Uplift Special ed class) proved there would be an insignificant impact on traffic.

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  10. Sunnyside - if Shiller gets $54 million in additional TIF funds, don't hold your breath about the Salvation Army being a farmer's market. That's just a sham. In Shillerspeak, "farmers market" means low income housing, just as "mixed income housing" means low income housing..... and so on....

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  11. Bradley-While I understand your frustration and disbelief with the findings from the traffic study, lets not disparage special education students, okay? It's unkind and it only serves to reinforce the very division Helen Shiller counts on to exist within our community.

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  12. Bradley, that is uncalled for and you ought to be ashamed of yourself. That is a disgraceful comment and only gives Helen and her group more ammo.

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  13. I apologize for offending; that was absolutely not my intentention. I've grown up with developmentally a disabled family member and in no way would I inentionally belittle her or her classmates. But let's be honest, do you think it's right to task someone with zero competence to perform a traffic study (or for that matter design an entire development)? I should have just said second grade class project. Again...my apologies for offending.

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  14. the panels Spinner and larrynow are referring to are called precast and they are the current standard for most commercial buildings. Simply concrete cast to look like brick. cheaper, faster and better longevity.

    as for the parking, i'm convinced that additional parking is either below the Target or mixed into the parking behind the residential buildings or both. there is certainly going to be dedicated Target parking. Has anyone EVER seen a Target w/o parking? it would be like a cow w/o utters.

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  15. Brad,

    Brad,

    Brad,


    You apology is accepted. Even ze President has made jokes that he has had to apologize for.

    I seem to remember a "special olympics" comment.

    Life will go on.

    The sun will come up tomorrow.

    Riots in Uptown will be filmed.

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  16. Target? There's a Target coming to Uptown? Do you have proof of this? Is there a document you can procure and display somewhere? Truthful confirmation from someone or something we can trust? Or is this heresay? Political rhetoric? Proof is in the pudding. I'll believe it when I see it and not a moment more. Right now it's just a midnight crack den.

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  17. Didn't the Chicago Police Department do a study of traffic for the WYTIF that said it was going to be trouble?

    The only other traffic study was performed in November of 2003 on weekdays.

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  18. Traffic on Montrose is already a nightmare. The infrastructure can't handle this, not during rush hour or weekends, during Cubs games. No one is going to park a block away in Uptown to get to Target, not when they can park at Peterson so easily. I wonder how a Target will affect the Jewell?

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  19. There is parking directly at the Target.

    Whether it is enough I don't know.

    As for traffic it is going to be an unholy mess on weekends in the summer and around the holidays.

    Not putting an additional entrance/exit on Montrose was criminally stupid.

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  20. An entrance on Montrose would be its own nightmare! Any eastbound car wanting to take a left into the Target garage would kill all the traffic behind it. Montrose just isn't wide enough to support the additional entrance.

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  21. Anyone notice how the trucks will be delivering to Target? I'm sure that won't have aaannny (spelling for sarcastic affect) effect on Montrose traffic.

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  22. Chuck,

    If I recall, you're a Shillerista, so I take your sarcastic comments as mockery of those who didn't believe the target was coming.

    As with all Shilleristas, you miss the point. If Shiller had the letter of intent all along, why not show it to the community? Why stick with the "I have no documentation, but you gotta trust me on this one" mentality. Given her history, no sane person would trust Helen Shiller, hence we didn't trust her on this one.

    Looks like she was right, but why couldn't she have averted all the rumors and just provided the letter of intent that everyone was asking for?

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  23. Actually WCE...

    Chuck's comment reflect his true beliefs. He can be quite obstinate at times. He's definitely no "Shillerista" as we supported James last time around and intend to redouble our support next time around.

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  24. Being that this is the only Target accessible by public transportation, I expect traffic (foot and car) to jump.

    what? No other Targets in the city are accessible by public transportation? How do I get to that one on Peterson, then?

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  25. Bradley,

    Ok, now I'm pretty confused, because its pretty clear at this point that Target intends to come to Wilson Yard. No way they'd let anyone use their logo like that without permission. So is Chuck still trying to deny the fact that they're coming?

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  26. Like Doubting-Thomas, I don't think Chuck will truly believe Target is opening until he has a receipt that says Target on it.

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  27. Didn't the Chicago Police Department do a study of traffic for the WYTIF that said it was going to be trouble?

    The only other traffic study was performed in November of 2003 on weekdays.


    Brennan,

    Read it and weep:

    http://www.fixwilsonyard.org/files/press_material_police_review_2005_07_12.pdf

    The police, like every other reasonable voice, have been ignored throughout this debacle.

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