Monday, November 16, 2015

New Proposal for Development of Maryville Site

Proposed corner of Montrose and Clarendon (2015 plan)
Proposed corner of Montrose and Clarendon (2015 plan)
Nearly two years ago, JDL presented a plan for developing the long-empty Maryville site at Clarendon and Montrose. For various reasons, mostly monetary, it didn't happen.  JDL put the proposal on hold, but renewed its option with the religious order that owns the property and wants to sell it to JDL.

Today Ald. Cappleman announced that a new proposal is under consideration:

"The former Maryville site at the NW corner of Clarendon & Montrose is back on the drawing board. After many months of negotiations with the City's Department of Planning, JDL Development and Harlem Irving have released documents for their new proposal, which will be presented to the 46th Ward Zoning & Development Committee on Nov. 30th. Click here to view the plans.

This area is a TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) district with the primary purpose of generating the tax revenue necessary to assist with rehabbing the Clarendon Park Community Center located at 4501 N. Clarendon. Back in 2010 when this TIF was created, $69 Million was estimated as the increment amount needed for a project at this site. The current proposal is $15.8 Million.

In this new proposal, no funds are provided to the developer until the project has already generated the tax revenue, placing the financial burden on the developer if the project is not successful. The developer must provide $4.6 Million for the Clarendon Park Community Center within 8 months of the start of the project. Click here for more basic information about TIFs.

The 46th Ward Zoning & Development Committee previously approved this project to move forward in February 2014, but it was delayed by the Dept. of Planning due to the financing of the project. The total project cost is estimated at over $121 Million. When all is said and done, a development at this site will improve the blight created by the hospital vacancy and assist with the needed funds for the Park District to complete a rehab of the Clarendon Park Community Center.

Please review the information for this proposal on our website and provide feedback to your zoning representative. If you are not sure which organization represents you, please email my office at info@james46.org or call 773-878-4646."

For comparison, the 2013 plan's proposed corner of Montrose and Clarendon

Montrose and Clarendon today

Montrose and Clarendon today

6 comments:

  1. I really want to see this corner developed but what they are proposing is just so ... blah, ugly. Can't they come up with a facade that's slightly less cookie cutter?
    I also wish they or someone would preserve the adult hospital as it is. The children's is just weird but the adult hospital is pretty cool with the big curve. I'm sure the cost to retrofit is probably not worth it, but that is such a cool building.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know that the development could be better, but it's most likely the best that site will get. I'm excited for the progress this would provide for the community. On a personal note, the hospitals are objectively hideous, and you are correct that it would be more expensive to retrofit than to knock down.

      Delete
    2. Please just stop, armchair architects. Stop. You don't own this land, and no one gives a wet fort for your opinion. This should have been approved years ago, but it wasn't because the alderman mistakenly believes that non- stakeholder opinions matter. There is no hospital here, just some nice stained glass to pilfer.

      Delete
    3. Please build this ASAP. This land cannot sit vacant anymore and needs to be returned to the active tax payrolls. The new building fits in well enough with the Lake Shore skyline. The former buildings may have been cool in the prior years, but cannot re reused under today's building codes and the environmental cost from the hospital cleanup only adds to the mix. These buildings are tax sponges and this city needs the revenue without raising taxes further.

      Delete
  2. @Anon Feisty!! I can want development here but still not like the building design. It's an opinion. It's allowed.

    ReplyDelete