Chicago Neighborhoods 2015: Assets, Plans and Trends A project of The Chicago Community Trust

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1 NEAR WEST SIDE Near West Side Area Land Use Plan July 2000 Community Area: Near West Side Department of Planning and Development (DPD), Alderman Walter Burnett, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), West Loop Gate Association, West Central Association, Randolph/Fulton Market Merchants Association, Greektown Special Service Area Commission, Jackson Boulevard Historic District Association, Chicago Transportation Authority (CTA), Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, The Lakota Group, Campbell Tiu Campbell, Okrent Associates, Metro Transportation Group The Near West Side Area Land Use Plan provides the City of Chicago and community with a framework for continued development and redevelopment of this unique mixed-use community. The plan is focused on maintaining the area s land use mix and encouraging quality development through land use and design controls, increased open space and improved traffic access, parking and streetscape. The area contains 88 blocks and is surrounded by the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Illinois Medical District, the United Center, the Fulton Market and Kinzie Industrial Corridor and Chicago s central business district. The Kennedy and Eisenhower expressways are also major physical boundaries. Included in the appendix of the Near West Side Area Land Use Plan is a summary of the 16 plans, reports and/or studies that were previously conducted in the area. General Recommendations: Enhance the streetscape; Improve pedestrian crossings; Construct community gateways and identity elements; Install wayfinding signage. Specific Recommendations: Promote residential development to activate the area and create a more recognized neighborhood identity, except within the Randolph and Fulton Markets and Kinzie Industrial Corridor; Encourage all housing types to further diversify the neighborhood; Locate higher density development on the east side of the study area; Encourage single family homes and townhouses near the Jackson Boulevard Historic District; Make new development consistent with the density and character of adjacent structures and overall area; Promote neighborhood-oriented retail and service uses; Develop new businesses at the base of residential buildings; Consider new retail development along Ashland Avenue between Adams Street and Warren Boulevard, and at the northwest corner of Madison Street and Racine Avenue; Provide adequate off-street parking for new commercial sites; Develop and locate cultural uses and galleries where there would be minimal conflicts with existing uses; Continue to promote the Near West Side for office development; Prioritize industrial and service companies to ensure that they occupy a significant amount of building space and provide numerous jobs; Work with local groups and the Department of Planning and Development to physically improve companies sites and facilitate truck access and employee parking; Develop neighborhood open space and mini-parks wherever possible in the center and eastern blocks of the community; Consider the northeast corner of Adams Street and Sangamon Street for a neighborhood park; Consider the building at the southwest corner of Skinner Park for a park/community center; Consider establishing one consolidated wholesale food district that includes both markets; Target the four blocks surrounding the Halsted Street/Lake Street intersection up to Fulton Street for major redevelopment with shared parking and incorporate additional turning lanes and extensive landscaping with gateway features and identify Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Plans Synthesis Near West Side February 2015 Page 1

2 other shared parking opportunities; Explore the feasibility of a Saturday Produce Shopping Day for the public; Address the markets deteriorated physical condition; Expand Greektown to the west; Further analyze the creation of a Greek museum/visitors center on the corner of Halsted Street and Van Buren Street; Enhance Ashland Avenue with streetscape improvements and area gateway elements; Realign Ashland Avenue to be two consistent lanes north of Ogden Avenue and three lanes south of Ogden Avenue; Redevelop the triangle between Ashland Avenue, Ogden Avenue and Warren Boulevard with mixed-use development and ground floor commercial; Establish a comprehensive streetscape program for the rest of the area, such as adopting design guidelines to ensure that development is more consistent with the area s low density building scale, traditional loft district architectural character and urban streetscape; Improve traffic circulation along Randolph Street; Address the Madison Street/Racine Avenue and Halsted Street/Lake Street intersections; Further study Ashland Avenue, consolidating CTA bus stops and Union Park improvements; Optimize on- and off-street parking for a variety of land uses and time periods; Monitor the need for a new Green Line station between Morgan Street and Halsted Street; Add Greektown signage to the UIC-Halsted El station; Remove parking restrictions in the area; Build new developments at or near property lines; Locate main entrances to stores at highly visible locations; Access parking through alleys; Avoid curb cuts, and ensure that they are no wider than 24 feet; Preserve and renovate existing buildings, when possible; Maintain the general scale of an urban industrial loft district, except on properties abutting the Kennedy Expressway; Avoid solid, windowless walls; Construct new buildings of durable materials that are easily maintained and consistent with surrounding buildings; Avoid security features that are visually unattractive; Screen exterior mechanical systems from street and sidewalk views; Use pedestrian-scale cloth, retractable awnings to enhance the architectural character of a building; Use signs to enhance the visual attractiveness of the area and building; Remove billboards wherever possible; Plant interesting, seasonal and varied landscaping; Retrofit sidewalks and parking lots for ADA accessibility; Use decorative metal fencing, no more than four feet in height, where appropriate; Provide pedestrian plazas in conjunction with new large-scale development, and site plazas to maximize southern sun exposure; Incorporate decorative pavers, benches, landscaping and lighting into plaza designs. Plan Maps and Data References: Map of study area, p. 3. Highlighted Accomplishments: Built National Hellenic Museum at Halsted Street and Van Buren Street; Mary Bartelme Park developed at Adams and Sangamon Streets; Installed new dog park at Skinner Park; Established Fulton Market Innovation District by the Chicago Plan Commission (2014) at Hubbard Street/Halsted Street/Randolph Street/Ogden Avenue; Implemented West Loop Saturday Farmer s Market at 1200 W. Randolph Street and the Green City Saturday Markets at Halsted Street and at Fulton Street; Funded new Morgan/Lake Green Line El station through Tax Increment Financing; Developed diagonal on-street parking infrastructure on Morgan Street between Randolph Street and Washington Street; Completed loft-style renovations throughout to serve as outposts for tech companies including Idea, Google, Uber and Twitter; Constructed retail development on the northwest corner of Madison Street/Racine Avenue; Incorporated off-street parking facilities into new commercial development; Scheduled improvements to pedestrian plaza for after completion of flyover. Key Unfinished Projects: Develop retail along Ashland Avenue between Warren Boulevard and Adams Street; Expand Greek Town westerly; Develop a comprehensive streetscape; Improve circulation on Randolph Street; Remove parking restrictions and identify parking opportunities. Near West Side Area Land Use Plan - Part 1 Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Plans Synthesis Near West Side February 2015 Page 2

3 Near West Side Area Land Use Plan - Part 2 Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Plans Synthesis Near West Side February 2015 Page 3

4 Reconnecting Neighborhoods Adopted by the Chicago Plan Commission July 2009 Community Area: Near North Side, Near South Side, Near West Side Department of Planning and Development (DPD), Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metropolitan Planning Council, HNTB Corporation, MKC Associates The City of Chicago s Department of Planning and Development initiated Reconnecting Neighborhoods through RTA s Community Planning Program. The study makes recommendations on how the three selected study areas can be reconnected to the city through improved access to public transportation, commercial services and an improved pedestrian environment. The study area was divided into three subdistricts: Mid South, Near West and Near North. General Recommendations: Ensure that residents of mixed-income communities have access to adequate retail and job opportunities, and safe and reliable public transportation; Maximize the significant investment in the Plan for Transformation by ensuring the creation of complete communities that reduce the cost of both housing and transportation for residents; Provide alternative transportation choices to residents in neighborhoods that are ideally located near the Chicago Central Business District; Create low-cost transportation options that provide an alternative to the personal automobile and it related, rising fuel costs. Specific Recommendations: Develop a new El station at Damen Avenue on the Green Line; Improve the way finding signage and pedestrian environment to better connect the United Center with the Medical District Blue Line station; Improve bus shelters along the heavily traveled #20 Madison bus route; Return Washington and Warren Streets to a traditional two-way circulation pattern to reduce speeding; Use a public-private partnership to develop a Pink Line station at Madison Street to serve the United Center; Improve access to community anchors such as the United Center and the institutional cluster on Hoyne Avenue; Develop a strong network of bike lanes and pedestrian routes in the area with particular focus on accessing and directing users to these activity centers; Improve pedestrian crossings at key locations, particularly along Lake Street, Washington Street and Warren Boulevard at major cross streets; Establish gateway features welcoming visitors and residents to the neighborhood at key entry points along Damen Avenue and Madison Street; Develop a commercial retail corridor along Damen Avenue, and retail nodes along Madison Street at both Damen Avenue and Ashland/Ogden/Paulina Avenues; Use privately-owned parking lots surrounding the United Center as an opportunity for new development; Develop structured parking to serve both the United Center and Malcolm X College through a publicprivate partnership. Plan Maps and Data References: Map of study area, p. 3; Map of Near West subdistrict, p. W-1; Map of Near West study area recommendations, p. W-5; Near West implementation actions, pp. W-6-7. Highlighted Accomplishments: Installed dedicated bike lanes on Lake Street and Jackson Avenue; Began process of reconstructing Damen Blue Line El station; Improved bus shelters on Ashland Avenue and installed bus tracker; Completed façade and signage enhancements on Western Avenue between Lake Street and Monroe Street; Published proposed streetscape design for Damen Avenue, which includes permanent identifiers in design; Developed new retail and services near the United Center, including Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Plans Synthesis Near West Side February 2015 Page 4

5 two new sports bars and a dry cleaner; Proceeding with development of new multi-story story parking structure behind Malcolm X College; Improved access to community anchors due to new streetscape projects and dedicated or shared bike lanes; Commenced with streetscape improvements to connect Malcolm X College with the Medical District; Opened Pete s Grocery in new commercial development at Madison Street and Western Avenue. Key Unfinished Projects: Pursue a feasibility study and construction of a new Green Line station at Damen and Lake; Undertake appropriate zoning amendments to encourage commercial and mixed-use development in the desired pattern. Reconnecting Neighborhoods Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Plans Synthesis Near West Side February 2015 Page 5

6 Ashland Bus Rapid Transit August 2012 Community Areas: North Center, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, West Town, Near West Side, Lower West Side, McKinley Park, New City, West Englewood, Auburn Gresham, Beverly Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Chicago Department of Transportation, Department of Planning and Development, Federal Transit Administration Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is planned for 16 miles of Ashland Avenue from Irving Park Road to 95 th Street with implementation occurring in 3 phases. The first phase is now being designed for central Ashland Avenue from Cortland Avenue to 31 st Street. Ashland Avenue was chosen because it has the highest bus ridership of all CTA routes with 10M boardings in 2012, provides access to more than 130,000 jobs, services popular destinations and large employment centers such as the Illinois Medical District, University of Illinois at Chicago, United Center, Malcolm X College and 99 schools. It also provides access to seven CTA stations and 37 bus routes. It is expected to result in an up to 83% increase in bus speeds, save the average commuter nearly 65 hours per year as compared to the local bus and be 50% more reliable than the local bus. The Ashland BRT will feature: A dedicated center running bus lane in each direction to keep buses out of general traffic during boardings Limited stops, every 12 mile and at CTA El stations Transit Signal Priority intersections and longer green lights to keep traffic moving Potential pre-payment for faster boarding, similar to L stations Wide doors on left side of new, high-capacity vehicles Improved lighting, ADA ramps and real-time travel info Maintenance of existing medians and the addition of more than 75 blocks of new streetscaping, including medians and sidewalks To build the Ashland BRT, the following accommodations will need to be made: Eliminate one vehicle travel lane in each direction, typically leaving one travel lane in each direction Reduce parking by 8% and loading zones by 4% Remove left turn lanes Highlighted Accomplishments: Five open public meetings; 31 meetings with community organizations; 14 direct ridership outreach events. Key Unfinished projects: Proposed route and features have not been finalized. Ashland BRT Chicago Neighborhoods 2015 Plans Synthesis Near West Side February 2015 Page 6