We took a look at some recent condominium and mixed-use developments going up in the surrounding area suburbs. In our opinion, it looks like the more redevelopment changes any given town's landscape, the more those towns begin to look the same.
But maybe all these developers and architects are just using the same graphics software? Maybe that's why all these renderings look remarkably similar?
Addison
Lincolnshire
Berwyn
Naperville
Park Ridge
Homewood
Franklin Park
Lombard
Vernon Hills
We actually like the one in Homewood. It reminds us of the stretch along Prospect, South of the Pickwick in Park Ridge.
All of these pics were lifted off an internet forum dedicated to discussion about big, big buildings. Much of the discussion also notes how great it would be if suburbanites would just learn that density is delightful and tall buildings are terrific; we just don't seem to have that Euro-flare for density that city sophisticates do. There is also some grave concern expressed for how terribly sprawl-tastic us sub-urban dwellers tend to be.
We think big big buildings are great and tall buildings are terrific too, for big big cities like Chicago. But we don't feel everybody has to, or should want to, live in a big big city, with big big buildings that are terrifically tall. But that's just our opinion.
January 1, 2008
The More Things Change...
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5 comments:
Well, opinions are like belly buttons. Everybody's got one.
Great to be starting off the new year right with the PRU crew back in the saddle. You are a lamp unto my feet.
Money's the common denominator. High-density structures = bigger developer profits and more taxes for spendthrift public officials. A pretty tough combination to stop.
How many more of these cookie-cutter buildings will get built in Park Ridge before the voters wake up and elect officials who actually like what Park Ridge is and has been?
The voters DID elect some officials who
like what Park Ridge is and has been, but unfortunately, they just as quickly allowed these officials to be thrown out of office on the say-so of Mayor Frimark, who promised residents "smaller government" and "cost savings" if they'd cut residents' representation in half.(Remember that famous robo-call from Mayor Frimark?). Still, it's only partly Da Mare's fault. A majority of three different councils said more density was just ducky with them. Of course, some of these council members were skeptical about the height and density, but their constituents wanted more shopping and more senior care options. So what did the developers provide? We had condos masquerading as retail in Target Area 2; those of us who sat in on the faux focus groups and asked about green space and places for people were politely ignored. Now, we can look forward to condos masquerading as senior care in Executive Plaza, as Alderman Schmidt's questions about green space, etc. are not-so-politely ignored.
New Urbanism is cute retail shops with one or two stories of cute apartments above. That we could live with. But that is not how millionaire developers get richer. We allowed variances for TA2, and then, no sooner did we loosen zoning to allow for more height and density than the Exec Plaza developers demanded more laxity yet.The only green developers care about is not the growing stuff, but the folding stuff. And as long as key staff, the mayor, and a majority of the aldermen see this as "progress," we can look forward to more of same. The only way this will stop is if a majority of voters insist on it. If most don't care or are happy with the new order -- which is their right, by the way -- then Park Ridge will keep on a'changin' to be just like everyplace else.
Condos are the lowest-hanging fruit, so developers love them. The only reasons developers even toss in a ground floor of "retail" is because ground-floor urban condos don't sell, and because they have to placate the simpletons who still believe that well-known retailers really want to set up shop in Park Ridge, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
Uptown Redevelopment is a big scam - bait us with promises of "retail", then switch us to condos and townhouses until we look like Des Plaines or Mt. Prospect. Meanwhile, the developers and land speculators get richer, and our public officials get more money to waste.
Priceless.
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