I'll Just
Add Some More Doo Dads
The Wait
As we were all gathered in the waiting room, St. Peters Square style in anticipation of the decision from the secret chamber and a smoke signal of any color, a man walked in and stood in the entry foyer. I assumed he was a concerned neighbor, there to view and take part in The Extensive Community Review Process. I liked him right away. He was middle aged with warm dark eyes and an easy smile. He reminded me of the woodworking shop teacher I had in junior high, who was always patient and helpful as he explained for the twentieth time, why we should not add our fingers to the debris pile at the base of the table saw we were working on.
As we were finally ushered into the chamber and settled into our little chairs, I realized that he was carrying some rather large presentation boards with him. I couldn't see what was on the story boards and my immediate reaction, and still thinking he was a neighbor, was that The Bad Seed had sent an emmissary to mount a silent poster protest. Sly one, that Bad Seed is. Always finding that loophole.
Actually, I think The Bad Seed might consider practicing law. Lawyers seem to get rewarded quite nicely, thank you very much, for finding loopholes wherever they exist. I mean, isn't that why we were all there in the first place?
The Presentation
Much to my dismay, as he set his boards on the cheesy little tripod, I realized he was not the surrogate Seed but the Architect, who was there to present the "New Business" portion of the E.C.R.P. Outer Limits style, I attempted to adjust my picture and contrast controls to adjust to this new reality.
O.K. Max, focus, it's the Architect, not a Seed surrogate and start looking at the blueprints and get out your index cards and start taking notes and get your glasses on.
As all this was going on in my little corner, the Zaluc members were beginning their easy banter with the Architect and announced that he was there to submit a revised concept for the 7036 North Clark project. This peaked my interest immediately and for any of you who aren't familiar with this address, it is the building on the south west corner of Clark Street that is home to the A & T Grill.
One committee member reminded the Architect that the original concept drawings seemed flat and without much visual interest, especially along historic Clark Street. I liked him right away too. Looking at the first story board on display confirmed this concern. The blueprint depicted a flat, simple rectangled, symetrically windowed 4 story barrack wall of a building that was apparently reduced in height from the original 6.
The Architect acknowledged this concern and said with a smile that he could and would eventually, add some DOO DADS to the front of the building.
Wait a minute
Wait a minute.
Did i hear him right?
DOO DADS?
DOO DADS?
Yeah, DOO DADS. I think the Architect wanted to appear as conciliatory as possible so he yadda yadda yaddad, DOO DADS, yadda yadda yadda DOO DADS, yadda yadda yaddad DOO DADS three more times.
I'm not sure how Michael Land held his composure and maybe someone kicked Mr. Fitzgerald in the foot under the conference table but he suddenly remembered that we had not all introduced each other yet.
So we did.
The discussion took a turn around the corner, if only to redirect the attention away form any more DOO DAD talk. So other members chimed in about other issues and eventually the talk came around to the actual corner of the building itself. Concerns were expressed again about the imposing, unadorned, blank wall effect that the building cast on Clark Street.
I guess they thought it was safe to talk aesthetics again.
The Architect, ever mindful of the veto power the committee had over his project, happily offered to you know, just throw something in.
Yeah,
we can do that anytime,
you know,
we'll just jazz it up a little.
I kid you not. He yadda yadda yaddad that a couple of more times too.
Max, aren't you glad we completed our mission?
Yes 99, Thank You. This is another diabolical scheme by KAOS to take over the neighborhood with more concrete cookie cutter cracker boxes.
I know Max.
Oh. How did you know 99?
You told me Max.
Oh.
Add Some More Doo Dads
The Wait
As we were all gathered in the waiting room, St. Peters Square style in anticipation of the decision from the secret chamber and a smoke signal of any color, a man walked in and stood in the entry foyer. I assumed he was a concerned neighbor, there to view and take part in The Extensive Community Review Process. I liked him right away. He was middle aged with warm dark eyes and an easy smile. He reminded me of the woodworking shop teacher I had in junior high, who was always patient and helpful as he explained for the twentieth time, why we should not add our fingers to the debris pile at the base of the table saw we were working on.
As we were finally ushered into the chamber and settled into our little chairs, I realized that he was carrying some rather large presentation boards with him. I couldn't see what was on the story boards and my immediate reaction, and still thinking he was a neighbor, was that The Bad Seed had sent an emmissary to mount a silent poster protest. Sly one, that Bad Seed is. Always finding that loophole.
Actually, I think The Bad Seed might consider practicing law. Lawyers seem to get rewarded quite nicely, thank you very much, for finding loopholes wherever they exist. I mean, isn't that why we were all there in the first place?
The Presentation
Much to my dismay, as he set his boards on the cheesy little tripod, I realized he was not the surrogate Seed but the Architect, who was there to present the "New Business" portion of the E.C.R.P. Outer Limits style, I attempted to adjust my picture and contrast controls to adjust to this new reality.
O.K. Max, focus, it's the Architect, not a Seed surrogate and start looking at the blueprints and get out your index cards and start taking notes and get your glasses on.
As all this was going on in my little corner, the Zaluc members were beginning their easy banter with the Architect and announced that he was there to submit a revised concept for the 7036 North Clark project. This peaked my interest immediately and for any of you who aren't familiar with this address, it is the building on the south west corner of Clark Street that is home to the A & T Grill.
One committee member reminded the Architect that the original concept drawings seemed flat and without much visual interest, especially along historic Clark Street. I liked him right away too. Looking at the first story board on display confirmed this concern. The blueprint depicted a flat, simple rectangled, symetrically windowed 4 story barrack wall of a building that was apparently reduced in height from the original 6.
The Architect acknowledged this concern and said with a smile that he could and would eventually, add some DOO DADS to the front of the building.
Wait a minute
Wait a minute.
Did i hear him right?
DOO DADS?
DOO DADS?
Yeah, DOO DADS. I think the Architect wanted to appear as conciliatory as possible so he yadda yadda yaddad, DOO DADS, yadda yadda yadda DOO DADS, yadda yadda yaddad DOO DADS three more times.
I'm not sure how Michael Land held his composure and maybe someone kicked Mr. Fitzgerald in the foot under the conference table but he suddenly remembered that we had not all introduced each other yet.
So we did.
The discussion took a turn around the corner, if only to redirect the attention away form any more DOO DAD talk. So other members chimed in about other issues and eventually the talk came around to the actual corner of the building itself. Concerns were expressed again about the imposing, unadorned, blank wall effect that the building cast on Clark Street.
I guess they thought it was safe to talk aesthetics again.
The Architect, ever mindful of the veto power the committee had over his project, happily offered to you know, just throw something in.
Yeah,
we can do that anytime,
you know,
we'll just jazz it up a little.
I kid you not. He yadda yadda yaddad that a couple of more times too.
Max, aren't you glad we completed our mission?
Yes 99, Thank You. This is another diabolical scheme by KAOS to take over the neighborhood with more concrete cookie cutter cracker boxes.
I know Max.
Oh. How did you know 99?
You told me Max.
Oh.
9 Comments:
If you carefully read Moore's letter of justification, the Adelphi got torn down over doo-dads. Moore's take away from the "extensive community review process" for the Adelphi was that we neighbors wanted a clock on the corner and some affordable housing set-asides. After our "community" zoning committee took the developers to the mat and extracting these concessions, Moore blessed the demolition.
Now of course adornment and affordability are important issues, sure, but so is history, so is preservation, so is the unique character and sense of place. How did a clock or affordable units percolate to the top of our neighborhood priorities at this particular site, overruling all others? For example, is ANY project with a CPAN unit going to get a green light? Is any project on a corner lot that decorates the corner adequately a go?
That's why in a related post ("Another Episode of the Extensive Community Review Process") development guidelines are recommended. Currently, Moore's hand-picked "community" zoning committee is free to take each proposal ad hoc, and evaluate it with respect to whatever criteria happen to pop into their little heads.
hugh-
"The Adelphi Theater has no historical or architectural value. Its original façade was destroyed many years ago and replaced with an ugly and not architecturally significant façade."
propaganda. and that's being charitable. our whole community will be churned over if we allow this type of shallow thinking to decide our neighborhood development priorities.
so instead of the beautiful adelphi we get a mall clock tower and a couple of cpan units that really don't address affordable housing issues. what are the prices of those cpan units. the ones set aside at pivot point didn't seem affordable to me.
Getting 320 more votes than the next guy does not make you an architecture critic, or guaruntee good taste even.
paradise and hugh-
add this rectangle hulk and the taller building that will replace the adelphi and you get a good understanding of what's in store for noh, specifically howard street.
you would not believe what that building looked like. a completely flat top and they were tossing around face brick ideas like they were at the candy store. oh, maybe a red brick, maybe a face brick. oh well, we have lot's of time to decide on that detail.
The City web site used to have a more information on CPAN. You can use their 'search" or try this link to the table of incomes:
Affordable Condos - CPAN
Chicago Partnerships for Affordable Neighborhoods Developer
Paradise, I don't really think it is the fault of professional architects...most of the ones I know would agree with every criticism you've made lately...they usually aren't given much of a chance if they are even brought on to projects like this (with is almost never), and usually have little power - only the big famous ones have that.
But I love the idea of teaching 12 year olds CAD and seeing what they come up with...
all-
i understand the limitations that both architects and developers face in terms of proposing and constructing buildings within todays expensive land procurement and construction cost environment.
what i happen to disagree very strongly about, and this goes to the heart of the adelphi "rush to condemn as junk" misguided and unappreciative theory, is that we already own assets in this neighborhood, that with a little creativity and commitment by the alderman, could be reused and reborn as "statements" to our children, our less fortunate and our creative neighbors, that we are less concerned about pure profit and more concerned about progress.
pivot point is another example and i will write about this subject in the next essay.
the adelphi stood empty for so many years and bill morton and his group tried valiantly to try and come up with a plan. they could not. does that automatically suggest to the alderman that the theater was not worth saving. why. because the numbers couldn't work? why didn't he step in and try and craft a solution and help the process along? he should have imho. and i know why he didn't, that's why i lifted that quote from his statement.
a thinly veiled, subjective and wrong aesthetic decision designed to mask the reality of a plan to hand over the fate of the adelphi to a developer with questionable credentials to build a plan for a building with questionable value.
this really needs to stop.
> I liked him right away.
You'll be happy to hear he has never been disciplined.
hugh-
we are talking about the architect now?
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