Updated plans have been revealed for the upcoming mixed-use development of ‘Old Town Canvas’ at 1610 N LaSalle Drive in Old Town. Earlier this year we covered the project’s latest update as it continued to deal with the fervent opposition of a few neighbors in the surrounding high-rises, with views, density, and especially traffic as their main concerns.
Updated rendering of Old Town Canvas by GREC Architects
Due to this, developer Fern Hill has hosted another community meeting to present their recent plans and highlight the positive work the project will do towards improving the surrounding roadways. This will include multiple crosswalk bump-outs, adding turn only lanes on LaSalle, optimizing traffic light times, adding bike lanes and more seen below.
Updated road conditions of Old Town Canvas by GREC Architects
Impacts of road upgrades of Old Town Canvas by GREC Architects
The traffic plan was prepared by local traffic engineering firm KLOA with an independent peer review by Dr. Joseph Schwieterman affiliated with the Transportation Research Forum and DePaul University. In a report to the Alderman’s office, Dr. Schweiterman considered “the holistic view taken to evaluate the traffic and pedestrian impacts and proposed improvements to be a welcome change from that of other projects.”
Updated road conditions of Old Town Canvas by GREC Architects
This will all work towards a reduction in turning time and pedestrian crossings in order to help reduce overall traffic delays in the area. To improve the flow of cars into the new tower, the latest plans by GREC Architects call for a new off-street motor court along LaSalle for all users of the parking garage and for all loading purposes. An extension of the archway podium facade will continue the street wall with metal filigree infill paying homage to the neighborhood’s signature metal archways on Wells.
Updated rendering of Old Town Canvas by GREC Architects
However, the developer has not confirmed if there will be any changes to the project’s program parking garage as it was partially chopped for the motor court. The most recent plans called for 450 parking spaces split into 300 for Moody Church and 150 for residents. The residential element should remain the same at 500 units, of which 100 will be considered affordable.
Updated ground floor plan of Old Town Canvas by GREC Architects
The ground floor will still contain a large retail space for a relocated Walgreens, but will shrink the secondary smaller spot on the corner with LaSalle. Overall, the building will keep the same exterior design with a brick-clad podium and multi-colored tower.
Updated rendering of Old Town Canvas by GREC Architects
The efforts from the developer to improve traffic and address neighborhood concerns highlights not only their commitment to building the project, but also the flawed system of both alderman prerogative and local input working against building housing especially in Chicago. This is especially important at a time when Chicago not only needs the tax money, but is trailing all major U.S. cities in unit delivery.
At the moment no formal construction timeline is known.
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Get this built already – welcome addition or existing rents in area will continue to climb. All this nitpicking is crazy.
Why the alderman is not throwing his full support behind this is baffling. A small handful of “fervent” opponents (vocal minority), shouldn’t derail development progress for a city in dire need of housing options and new development initiatives. If this proposal was in the 27th Ward, it would have already been approved.
So let’s put it in the 27th ward then. We don’t want Old Town to look like West Loop. Once you let the developers build one the flood gates are opened.
The flood gates are opened? Old Town doesn’t have nearly as much available space as the West Loop. Where else is something of this scale going to get built in the neighborhood?
This wouldn’t be flood gates, within two-blocks of this are 11 towers of similar height built in the 70-80’s alone. Many of these are the same height. Increase that radius by one block and that number is significantly higher.
This is one of the densest areas in the nation, a single new high-rise decades after the rest should be applauded.
My man it already looks like the west loop. How will this change the area in any significant way? There are already highrises all over Old Town Especially closer to the lake. What will this change for anyone?
“Preserve the old town” folks from the neighboring ugly huge outdated 70s high rises condominiums are truly pathetic. Of course they don’t want a brand new beautiful tower next door. The question is why the hell they have any say on the new development at the time of housing shortage and bankrupt Chicago budget. Wild. Sure, let’s keep the ugly homeless central Walgreens instead so we can keep charging 3k a month for one bedroom because there’s no housing alternatives in the neighborhood.
bingo. the primary reason the neighbors here (and elsewhere, like 1840 Marcey) don’t want more housing is because they profit from scarcity. restricting competition means higher rents and higher resale values for their outdated and aging apartments and condos. but it sounds less self-serving to say it’s all about traffic because no one likes traffic.
Yes, why hasn’t Hopkins weighed in favor? We’re letting a few naysayers try to hijack new development, which is so sorely needed in this city. This project makes sense, that Walgreens is a hole. Let’s get the shovels in the ground!
He was likely waiting on the traffic study/improvements. Now that is done, there’s no reason to delay a decision (for or against) any longer. I would assume Hopkins says yes because there’s no viable reason to be against.
why does it look like the solution is just lest cars?
Is there a website that shows all future community meetings about developments? Because I’m going to start attending. I’m tired of NIMBYs ruining almost everything in this city.
Blah, blah, I’m entitled to live where I want, pay what I want and have my own precious little bike lane. Why don’t you just do what I say? Stomp, stomp, waa, waa.
There is an existing bike lane on Wells both north and south of North Ave. And it is heavily used 9 months a year in an area with density and limited/expensive parking. Why is this an issue to provide 2 ft of width on the roadway for bikes.
Please provide a reference for your statement that Chicago trails all other major cities in unit delivery. We absolutely need development and if it is more difficult to build here than elsewhere that must change.
Hi Jim, it’s been reported in a few places. Heres a link: Apartment List
Absolutely hilarious that a single building near downtown is taking almost a year going thru community opposition just to build. And we wonder why Chicago is last place when it comes to building.
you’re not wrong
This is a fine development and looks much better than those 70’s Sandburg Villages block towers. Give it approval Ald Hopkins.
Alderman Hopkins may note that the recent thumbs down the council gave the 1840 Marcey project got a lot of bad comment online (which is what passes for the real world these days). He might not want to suffer the abuse Ald. Waugspack got over that decision.
I Hope they just build this already. This building will definitely spruce up the area a bit. All those 60’s-70’s-80’s highrises look so tired. Hopefully this project will inject some life into the area. I don’t quite understand what traffic impacts 500 units will cause given the fact that the building is situated on an intersection with two 8-lane roads.
Indeed, and if they don’t want as much traffic impact, build less parking. It’s as straightforward as that.
Chicago had a population of 3.6 million 75 years ago. In the 75 years since then, we have lost almost 1 million people. That is over 1,000 people a month leaving the city, for 900 straight months. What is wrong with these aldermen? Approve everything and rebuild our population and tax base to pay for the highest pensions in the country!