What Do You Think of The Sale of U.S. Steel's Land?


Cautiously optimistic it will positively impact the community and continue to grow the bike community and infrastructure. 

U.S. Steel has reached a deal to sell the 440-acre South Works site along the city's south lakefront, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced.

Emerald Living will buy the land with views of the Chicago skyline from U.S. Steel and build a mixed-use development that will include up to 20,000 housing units, Emanuel said.

The partnership, which brings together the WELink Group of Hong Kong and Barcelona Housing Systems of Barcelona to build environmentally friendly modular housing, now starts a five-month review of the site and terms of the deal before final closing.

“This agreement is a major milestone towards converting an unused stretch of land that represents Chicago’s industrial past into a vibrant community that will contribute to Chicago’s economic, cultural and recreational future,” Emanuel said in his announcement. “I look forward to seeing the community’s dynamic vision for this site become a reality."

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20170801/bush/us-steel-finds-buyer-...

Views: 390

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Barish on August 1, 2017 at 5:17am

I just  stopped at that  site this past Saturday for the first time on  a bike ride to  Calumet Fisheries. We got off  our bikes and walked around a bit. It looked like a scene  out  of  a Sara Paretsky novel.  One guy climbed the wall to  take some photos.  It was a pretty cool location but I  have  no idea  what  environmental issues exist for such  a project.  Residents at any future  development would  have  great cycling options for  getting  to the  loop and of course there is the smoked fish just a few blocks away.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on August 1, 2017 at 5:45am

I was just there this weekend on my way back from Pierogi Fest. I hope they keep or make the entire shoreline public parks with the developments to the west. I wonder if they'll do something with the remnants along the North Slip.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on August 1, 2017 at 6:42am

My understanding has been that the ore retaining walls have for some time been intended to remain intact as historic urban industrial ruins. Besides the cultural value, the cost of demolition is considered prohibitive. Personally, I would prefer that they are not "adaptively re-purposed" but remain as our own south side Stonehenge. 

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on August 1, 2017 at 9:10am

Wow, terrific photos.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on August 1, 2017 at 11:30am

Thanks. I didn't think of it until I reviewed these photos later, but the lack of graffiti and trash, especially in that "tunnel", really shows how off the beaten path this stuff is. Its a huge blank canvas and easily accessible, even the fenced-off portion.

The bike lanes already on US-41 are great, but I do hope they keep the actual shoreline portion of this land as green space open to the public.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on August 2, 2017 at 2:48am

Is it easy/obvious how to access this area?

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on August 2, 2017 at 2:58am

"How off the beaten path this stuff is" -- maybe if you're a northsider.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on August 2, 2017 at 5:46am

It's easy. I was riding north on US-41 and noticed this and decided to check it out:

But when I got to the shoreline I discovered I could have got there by riding down 87th Street to Steelworkers Park. You can easily carry your bike around the limited fencing when you reach it.

As far as "off the beaten path", I just meant that the immediate surrounding area is a little empty by city standards. Not on the radar of the taggers or homeless I guess.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on August 1, 2017 at 6:36am

Although this stretch of "Lake Shore Drive" (the realigned US 41) IS a favorite passage, I don't quite understand this as "cycling news." And I DO love this roll through the old South Works.

While it does lie along the Lake Front Trail, as far as it providing "a great cycling option for getting to the Loop" for future residents, it is 13.7 miles to State & Randolph, which is over an hour for the average cyclist. For comparison, it is 12.7 miles from Howard and Sheridan to State and Randolph.

As to the proposal, (as far as I have read) it sounds like the best proposal yet for the redevelopment of this historic property and the surrounding community. The concept that the "modular housing units" will be fabricated onsite and then used as the building blocks of the new residential community sounds like a creative approach.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on August 1, 2017 at 6:40am

yeah, Curtis, you got me on the bike news point. A few loose tie-ins... reminded me of the South Shore velodrome and of the great bike path potential through there. I hope it does bring a great new community - it's such a good opportunity to do it right. 

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on August 1, 2017 at 9:13am

I think it's cycling-related in the sense that, right now, to get from the lakepath to the Burnham Greenway on bicycle you will almost certainly ride past this site. In my limited experience, the traffic is not high on weekends and the ride past the site is quite pleasant. But further development could change that. So let's hope cycling infrastructure comes with the development.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on August 4, 2017 at 7:32am

Follow up program on WTTW:

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017/08/03/works-new-life-440-acre-s...

Check out the preliminary plans (pics)...

RSS

Groups

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service