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53rd Street Vision Workshop Part II: Bringing Hyde Park's Downtown to Life. May 3, 2008 This page is presented by Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference, its Development Committee, and its website hydepark.org. Official reports on this workshop will appear on line. Final report of the December 8 2007 Workshop I is found in http://www.vision53.org. |
On May 3, 2008 108 assembled at Kenwood Academy, 5015 S. Blackstone, Chicago to consider goals for 53rd Street, Hyde Park, Illinois, part of the 53rd Street Commercial Tax Increment Financing District. The workshop was the second of 4 planned for the corridor (the first being December 8 2007, attended by nearly 200. The workshops will continue November 15, 2008 with a block exercise developed by the Corridor Housing Initiative of Minneapolis.
The workshops are convened by Alderman Toni Preckwinkle (4th) of Chicago, the 53rd St. TIF Advisory Council to Ald. Preckwinkle, City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, CMAP Metropolitan Planning Agency, Coalition for Equitable Community Development, Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference, Interfaith Open Communities, South East Chicago Commission, and The University of Chicago.
The following notes are by Gary Ossewaarde and are completely unofficial.
By Gary Ossewaarde:
General thoughts: Those remarking thought it much more interesting than the December one, with more opportunties to give your views and rub up against what is really there, despite the cold of the walk.
Personal observation about the pictures-- how can anyone interpret what the mean-- is this something the taker likes, does not like, or sees as an opportunity?
General remarks from the walkers: "I didn't realize 53rd was getting to be so run down!" Biggest problem as reported by teams at the plenary session: Discontinuity, broken up, no consistency, the newer, short structures look the worst and aren't pulling their weight.
Want to share yours? hpkcc@aol.com.
9:00 am- Welcome, Alderman Toni Preckwinkle
9:05 am- Overview- Erin Alderman and Stephen Ostrander of CMAP: How did we get here? Agenda overview
9:15 am- Introduction of guest experts and their take on What is the most important issue in creating a vital neighborhood center? What is the biggest challenge?
10 am- choose a tour:Main Street/Global Village with Tod Cabanban of Zifkin Realty & Dev. and Barry Schain, Next Realty
Land Use, Density/Zoning with G. Benjamin Ranney of Terra firma and Joanne Trotter of Metropolitan Planning Council
Accessibility, Walkability, Connectivity with Mary DeBacker of Parsons Brinckerhoff and Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and Kiersten Grove, Chicago Department of Transportation Pedestrian Planning Coordinator
Urban Design, Aesthetics, and Neighborhood Character with Andre Brumfeld, Dir. Urban design and Planning with EDAW Chicago and Eleanor Gorski, Asst. Commissioner, Landmarks Div., Chicago Dept. Planning and Development.
10:30 am- Tour 53rd with cameras
11:15 am- Return to Kenwood for team discussion and questions, top 3 observations
11:30 am- Plenary presentations of each group's top 3 observations
11:50 am- Preview of November 15 workshop, Corridor Housing Initiative block exercise
(Individual names are not given here.)
It must provide unique experience(s).
Must persuade nationals to think outside the box.Clear goals in line with economic, physical and other realities
Enabling retailers to make the most of the site taking into account how they operate. (Recognize that development and growth are organic and slow - few will be pioneers but will go where there is already action.)The center needs to be a whole and consistent, continuous corridor.
Opening up to the whole mid South market- including existing businesses making more distant deliveriesProviding density, class A space, making tie-ins and key investments
Seek a mix of affordable and diverse land uses. Hyde Park has the passageway bones but needs to accommodate all modes- car, bike, pedestrian, transit.
Vibrant street life
Diversity of users for all the income levels
Creating a unified, continuous corridor including east of the MetraRetaining old uses and buildings, welcoming the new
(Cameras were turned in; those who used their own were to email pics.)
Main Street/Global Village:
Continuity is needed
Accessibility in all modes is needed and some redirections of traffic et al
A balance of quality retail
Walkability
Needs physical work
No parking in front of stores
More bike racks
Share facilities among modes, such as striping bike or ped paths in streets
Need themes and guidelines for canopies, facades, signs
Density
Need more mixed use options
Street frontages need to be open
No consistency on heights
The one-story modern structures are not attractive and not pulling their weight.
Design/aesthetics
The corridor is disrupted and broken up, especially by surface parking lots.
Hyde Park distinctiveness is a graceful simplicity in architecture, which should be followed in commercial buildings.
The pocket parks are problematic and need a further look.