More News About the Ickes Homes

Earlier in the week we read about the Ickes Homes and today the Skyline blog on Chicagotribune.com had a piece about the demolition that begins on Monday. The tone of the story is similar as it talks about the 'glory' days at the buildings and talks about how things have changed.

Also of interest and given that there was a lot of discussion on Sloopin about whether or not gentrification happened in the neighborhood we thought people would be interested in this excerpt:

Ickes is near downtown, close to the lake and blocks away from McCormick Place and U.S. Cellular Field. The housing development also is accessible to public transportation and the Kennedy and Ryan Expressways -- all of which make it fertile ground for redevelopment. The signs of gentrification are obvious.

The Opera Lofts, just behind Ickes on South Dearborn Street, advertise the area as "on the southern edge of the South Loop at the gateway to historic Bronzeville." Developers of the lofts, which feature large balconies and Egyptian marble countertops, also note the proximity to the proposed multibillion-dollar 2016 Olympic Village that would serve as a permanent 37-acre residential community after the games, if Chicago is awarded the bid Oct. 2.