Hayward

Architectural Project Designer Got a bachelors in architecture and a masters in planning focusing in transportation, community development, and urban design. My position professionally involves pure design of buildings. Building 3d renderings of the design and then working with a team of architects to outfit them with program code requirements as well as engineers so they hold up. It's a back and forth process, but at least I don't have to worry about the technicalities regularly. It's truly rewarding to see a building going up you designed. I'm hoping to bring my experience in planning more to my office though as we start taking on some major urban design projects

The heart of Chicago became one giant movie set this July. The filming of transformers 3 literally transformed Michigan and Wacker into a disaster area of toppled cars, buses, and pieces of Chicago's landmarks. While still impressive from the ground, it's absolutely incredible from above. The detail and labor that went into this is tremendous, not to mention the logistics and planning. It is estimated the movie created 200 jobs and brought $20 million in business. Not only that but certainly a boost in publicity and tourism. Businesses in the area were jammed with customers catching a bite to eat while waiting for the next scene to be filmed. I'm very fortunate to have an office in the London Guarantee Building. Lately it has been the epicenter of all sorts of filming and events. If any more cool scenes are to follow, I'll post more.

What, no rooftop shots?

Is it "not a big loss?" I would need to see close up. I saw a bunch of older photos of a pretty beautiful looking structure beneath all that mess. Well, it's gone now.

Calumet is fortunate to absolutely be dumped on with federal money since alot of it is actually a national park. Certainly a treasure worth investing in. I still want to buy a home in this area and just spend a month there. It's incredibly beautiful.

How did all that happen? Were you trying to steal from Barney's again? Wow, looks like you got into a fight with my 10 year old niece! She was the one who pushed me into the column you should punish her. She studies taekwondo. I'm afraid of with her! I never walk into that place unless they give the "Thank you for being a great neighbor" discounts. Or to take pictures of my building from Fred's and maybe order grilled cheese. As for how it happened....long story....dark...uneven pavement....narrow clearance.

Wow, looks like you got into a fight with my 10 year old niece! She was the one who pushed me into the column you should punish her.

Yeah, I hit a piece of steel on the Lakeshore bridge, just hours after you guys left.

BTW, I like that my face in that above photo is devoid of injury 36 Hours later: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4766921542_1a2afa1dcd.jpg

Obviously. You've must have done something Oak Street pulled itself out of the recession this weekend. But only this weekend did all the street's vacancies suddenly become....well.... not vacant.

MTS, the Oak Street Mall sign was flashing crazy. It sensed your presence.

Didn't Cabellas get some damage?

Since I bike to work everyday, I hate when people try to cram in with me in the FREIGHT elevator. There are 8 passenger elevators and 1 freight elevator. Why must you enter the freight elevator with no freight????????? Why must you get off on the 5th floor requiring me to adjust my bike into positions that make me uncomfortable interrupting what should have been a continuous ride to the 18th floor These aren't clueless people who have never been in the building before and don't know the difference. They are just plain lazy because they don't want to wait the 2 seconds it takes for the doors to open for a passenger elevator. There is always one waiting at the lobby...no matter what. A silent ride wouldn't be so bad but the "So you ride your bike, huh? It's really ______ [cold, hot, snowy, rainy, windy, early, dangerous,] out there. Don't you get ______[hot, sweaty, freeze, dirty, feel unsafe] kind of comments get old and on my nerves. I'm a friendly person....really, I'm incredibly approachable, but I hate elevator conversations, especially when the space is tight and steel pedal is jammed into my leg because someone is taking up space end rant.

Been awhile since I checked back here. Nothing's been demolished. Most of these buildings are just in need of a plan and sit in hiatus until someone can move things forward with a renovation. There's a church on the southside they are moving to the suburbs, but I'm not sure if that counts as demolition. Recently a dumpy 2 story building got knocked down in the Southloop. Columbia plans to expand their campus to that spot. The old Jukebox factory on Dayton got knocked down and apparently some sort of shopping mall and skyscraper will go in its place. Renderings are floating somewhere. When I get the time, I'll find renderings and take some photos. 1/4 of Wrigleyville on Clark Street will be demolished. Yes, Wrigleyville lovers, one-quarter of the buildings on Clark will be leveled. They will be replaced by a large 6 story development that is a bit too big for the neighborhood. I have my opinions. As for all the restaurants and bars, don't worry they are coming back when the project is finished. For the next 2 years, certainly the bars that remain will be rolling in the dough, it's just that there will be less places to drink and eat for the time being.

The Metropolitan must be saved. It would be a tremendous waste of public tax dollars the state used to clean and mothball the building. Indeed there are some water infiltration issues in teh wall cavities that require a good deal of replacement, but this is common and not a dooming factor. Repairs should be made with inexpensive build-outs of residential space. The building should be marketed as affordable for young indviduals looking for a "starter apartment." It's a given that the building cannot go high end condo. The floor plates are difficult, and the ceilings are very low. But it would be a mistake to let this building go.

I just had a client add me on facebook. What should I do. My facebook is squeaky clean as it should be, but I always thought that linkedin was much more appropriate for that.

Very cool rob, I love Chinatown. I have a favorite restaurant way down across from the parking garage on Wentworth. You can get a ridiculous amount of food for under $10...at least 3 full meals worth. How convenient is the ride in from Michigan city say on a daily basis. I know employees who commute to the loop from Michigan city!!

It's not posted on signs, but I recall reading it under the parks and recreation website "Please abide to speeds that are safe and prudent --15mph". In general 15 mph when pedestrians are present. I just clocked 35 mph on the lakefront trail today with wind assistance between navy pier and the Oak Street subway at 2:00 a.m this morning. I've realized the trail isn't designed for those speeds. Ever since they've begun raising the pavement on the bike lane areas, you get less turning radius. Keep in mind, I would never travel this fast daytime, but at 2:00 am all I saw out for a mile were two kids tagging the cement. Blowing past them at 35 scared the sh!t out of em. Ever since I got my bike tuned up, it runs silent. I'll have to try this again at 5:00 a.m. You can really achieve some ridiculous speeds and not have to worry about anyone being there.

The Packard plant lacks the structural capacity to continue its existence. If we were talking about a building that could actually hold itself up a few more years, then a renovation would be possible. Nearly every column and beam would require retrofitting. It'd be much more affordable to build 3 Packard plant all brand new. Saving the Packard is like trying to save a sand castle. It's simply not possible, which is why most preservationists avoid even mentioning a second life for this structure.

Last Friday my office had a Blackhawks Stanley Cup Victory party and we watched the rally from above, right at the stage. I got to my building before 7:30 yet the crowds had already formed. Here is some of the views. A few problems, but they finally got it up. Here's some other random shots

Good idea. What always drives me nuts is people hang out on the ramps that access the pedestrian subway. It's very annoying. I've recently begun doing more of the Southside leg, but typically I will only get on at McCormick. There's way too many intersections near the museum campus

Yet Chicago is still one of the few cities in the US that does not disinfect wastewater FYI for more on Chicago's pollution mitigation technologies, see The Deep Tunnel Project. http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,23497.0.html

What people perceive as clean in Chicago's rivers is only downtown. The water downtown is perfectly safe for human contact though they still don't recommend drinking it. However... The north and south branches are contaminated. Untreated sewage still get dumped into these rivers after heavy storms. Going over a few bridges, it's not uncommon to see tons of trash floating around in the river. The bleaching plants on the north side release unfriendly smells into the air and give you an idea of what's going in. I was most disgusted after hearing a kayaker talk about Chicago jellyfish floating in the river. I'll give you a clue....it's not a living thing, made of latex and is in the sewers. President Obama has proposed a long term plan to make all Chicago waterways safe for swimming. It will come at a very high cost, but all the new development and increased interest in recreation demands it. Furthermore, the deep tunnel project should help eliminate raw sewage discharge. LOL, word. It literally does scream disaster. When my parents come to visit, my mom won't do the lakefront bike trail because it's too much chaos. I'm just waiting for one of those "family cycles" to get slammed into. And those the tour de france bikers really aggrevate me. But I've seen some pulled over and ticketed for not abiding by the 15 mph speed limit. To be honest as cool as they think they are as "professional cyclists" I have way more respect for people who make bicycling a lifestyle whether it's going to work, the store, AND a hobby. These people are the most experienced riders.

If someone were to say "The Chicago Tunnel System" many people mistakenly think of Chicago's subway system, not realizing there are a variety different tunnels beneath the city streets. The different types of tunnel systems in Chicago are as followed Chicago Subway Tunnels Not named for the transit line color given by the CTA rather the streets they travel beneath. These include the state street subway and milwaukee-dearborn subway Chicago Deep Tunnel People in Chicago are generally aware of or have heard of this project, but few can recall images of what this project is like, despite that it's been well under construction for decades and incredibly expensive. Began in 1975, deep tunnel has a pricetag of $4 billion and will consist of over 100 miles of tunnel mostly 30+ feet in diameter. This project will mitigate pollution problems and improve water quality throughout the chicagoland area. Despite that the project has been on schedule and on budget, the project does have its critics claiming it's too expensive and there are better alternatives. Photo source: http://www.debrashore.org/annualreport.html Photo source: http://synergysalesassociates.com/images/cdc%20tunnel.jpg Chicago Tunnel System This is the system I'd like to focus on in this thread. Generally, the public is largely unaware of this system.....unfortunately, it could be said that this reason is what led to the The Chicago Flood in 1992. The Chicago Tunnel System or Chicago Tunnel Company operated from 1906 to 1959. Nearly 60 miles of tunnel were constructed 40 feet below the loop and surrounding area. Smaller gauge locomotives and rail cars would move freight and mail throughout the city with stations in almost every major building at basement level. An image of a typical grand union beneath a city intersection. What one of those grand unions look like today. Such a system was effective because Chicago's streets were crowded or else river traffic would cause bridge delays. Interestingly the first 16 miles of the system were constructed illegally without the city's knowledge. Dirt had to removed at headhouses disguised as legitimate businesses in order for construction work not to be detected. Service to the basement level of a building Today, the majority of the tunnel system is largely abandoned and unlit. Some of the old rail cars are still left down there but difficult to remove. A few portions of the system had been removed to accommodate the subway system while others have been converted to utility tunnel use. Initially, the system was somewhat accessible but few ventured down because of harsh conditions. As security concerns arose in recent years, all tunnels are heavily sealed off. The only portion I've personally ever been shown was a locked door in the S2 level sub-sub-basement of my office building by our security guard. No one, not even the management company of the building can get in because of a second lock owned by the city. Such a case is similar for most buildings downtown. It's highly unlikely this system will ever go back into service. Despite being a very complex engineering project, Chicago in modern times still turns to more traditional methods of speedy mail and parcel delivery by using messengers...obviously a much cheaper alternative to running trains. I urge you to check out this site which features photos taken by a former ComEd employee back in the 1980's http://users.ameritech.net/chicagotunnel/tunnel3.html This site is the source of the few photos posted above.

I hear you on that C-Dawg. It's not only convenient but an awesome experience. Flying through the city at night over bridges, through basements, under el tracks, past vibrant business districts, just something I can never explain to people. My favorite is doing 35 mph down Michigan Ave at night when traffic clears out and the lights sit green a little longer.