They had some more information about a proposed on/off ramp from Lake Shore Drive at 15th or 16th street. It's definitely a controversial move, but from a city planning standpoint we could see the benefit. It's not easy to get to this area via car. However, we're sure residents like that this is the case (makes it sleepier and quieter). Anyway, read the article here.
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| via Google Maps |
Meanwhile, in another sign of activity in the area, former state Sen. Annazette Collins said last night that she plans to open a 1,000-square-foot liquor and wine store at 80 E. Cermak Road, at South Michigan Ave.Good news and hope the succeed!
The shop would be called Pink Olive, according to Ms. Collins, who said she’s negotiating a three-year lease with the building’s owner.
Finally, there was also an article talking about the PDNA's opposition to the idea of DePaul building a stadium in the neighborhood. Not a ton of new news here, but if you're into this story it's worth a read.
43 comments:
Pink Olive is horrible for the south part of the south loop. There is a reason why the city closed down the liquor stores that were there to set the stage for a better neighborhood. These guys are just trying to sell alcohol and is not a real wine store. They even said "You don't make money on the wine, you make money on the spirits". I understand selling alcohol within a high-end convenience store in a better part of the south loop, but not Cermak and Michigan (not yet at least).
What a terrible development for this area! The only people rejoicing are the bums who loiter between Clark St and McCormick Place. This just ensured that the Cermak Corridor will become more "Bronzeville/Englewood" and less "South Loop/Printers Row."
I concur. I thought we were cleaning this area up by getting rid of liquor stores? What is she going to open up next door? A currency exchange? Just wait until this liquor store is just steps from the new Green Line Stop, it'll be nothing but trouble.
I agree I think the way the representative for this business kept throwing around the term "tastings", they are clearly trying to make this place look like a liquor store, but they will probably run it like a bar/event space.
Hmm...the few wine/spirits stores that were toward the Roosevelt end of Michigan couldn't make it despite being respectable and close to thousands of residential units. But this desolate stretch will draw them for tastings? There is only one market here, and it is the same one that made up the market for the Liquor Store that was shutdown. There are already plenty of places to buy beer, wine, and "spirits" at grocery stores in the south loop. We don't need this, again.
hard for any liquor store to compete with jewel and binnys prices right here.
Minority runners businesses can cut through a tremendous amount of red tape. There is your answer on how a liquor store is going in an area that will attact a horrible element
The liquor store concept could work. It would have to cater to the convention crowd staying at the current hotel(s).
Also, if they make Motor Row a pedestrian street with no open container laws a liquor store could do really well.
Im hoping for a Bourbon/Beale St concept.
Censoring a comment that minority run businesses can navigate through red tape easier is ridiculous. Not a troll post. Contributing to the thread. Blog is a great forum. Don't be the word police
it seems to be a more upscale business, which is appropriate for the area. They wont be selling the 40s and the 5ths etc, I dont envision winos hanging around. I have no problem with it and wish them luck.
What is "upscale" about that area? That one block stretch consists of: an empty lot, a boarded up building, a white castle, a section 8 dumping ground, homeless bums loitering and begging for change at the stop lights, and a soon-to-be constructed green line stop. Throw in the new liquor store (and the currency exchange that is sure to follow), and you just described any corner in Englewood.
I say give them the chance. Isn't that what entrepreneurial spirit is all about. I really doubt they're going to cater to any bums.
You're right. Liquor stores never cater to, or attract, bums. Keep telling yourself that.
the blind faith of some on this blog is utterly laughable. To think in this bum-infested corridor that a LIQUER STORE wont attract more of the same is absolutely niave beyond belief.
Why are some people this DUMB?
liquor store is the last thing we need in this stretch of the neighborhood! Many of us know there are bums hanging out there (from Dearborn homes down south or from Hilliard?). It's totally catering to these bums instead of wine-drinking slooper who already has Binny's! I know I would rather go to Binny's for my wine needs. I hope this doesn't pass.
the facts are there are still alot of tree hugger folks on here that happily ignore the bum problem. Once in a while such gems will be said such as--
1. "its the city there are poor people get over it"
2. racist, racist, racist!!
3. What bums, those are artist from pilsen halping to gentrify the area..
The amount of sheer ignorance on this blog can be intense at times. Between this and the bozos who oppose British School I cannot help but laugh out loud.
HAHA
bums bums bums bums, englewood, bronzeville, bums bums bums.
god some of you people are a bunch of pretentious pricks who have no grasp of reality.
south loop is comparable to englewood because of a liquor store??? bronzeville = englewood??? bwahahahahaha.
you move into an area and think you are gods gift and can control the entire area with your uppity bs attitude, exclusive ways, and suburban mentality.
there arent that many bums anymore anyway since ickes was torn down. there also arent that many businesses over there period. so who cares, more business equals more pedestrian traffic, more new businesses, and more tax revenue for the area. go to binnys where you will be safe or whatever.
ill walk down there and buy where its more convenient. if theres more stores around maybe ill stop by there too.
get over yourselves. the amount of sheer ignorance from people who complain about sheer ignorance is sooooo damn sad to me I must shake my head. SMDH.
I think it's ignorant not to concede that there is a huge difference between "good" foot traffic and "bad" foot traffic. Good foot traffic = north Michigan ave; bad foot traffic = Roosevelt Road.
With the addition of this liquor store (and the currency exchange that is sure to follow), you are going to attract the WRONG kind of foot traffic. Trust me.
CARL = bum apologist. Too bad, I was looking forward to a new, younger, more intelligent wave of residents in the south loop. Oh well...
HAHA
Again, you're right. Liquor stores attract an intelligent wave of residents. Again, keep telling yourself that.
Putting a liquor store on any corner in almost any community is not going to be well received whether it's in the city or in the burbs. If they are looking to revamp this area and make it more convention friendly w/ new hotel, they should be looking at full service restaurants, Walgreens or CVS(every traveler forgets something), and retail shopping, not Pink Olive. Especially if their reps stated "You don't make money on the wine, you make money on the spirits".
But whether a liquor store goes in or not, it won't make the neighborhood Englewood. lol. If you are preaching that nonsense, head to the nearest church for you might be a lost soul.
oh and to IGNANTanons @ 11:43 am , you are calling people dumb, but you can't spell the word liquor correctly? That's pretty bad when the word is in the title of the post. Never mind your name, it sounds like a perfect descriptor of yourself not others.
12:09 thanks. I would not be too hard on Ignant or whoever that was - he was still saying what you were saying in that this is a bad idea.
Conventioneers and business travelers are never going to choose to stay in Motor Row as opposed to Mag Mile or River North. I live in the sloop and I would never tell my colleagues to stay here verses a place in River North with tons of dining, shopping, and entertainment just steps away. The shuttles that we provide to our employees and clients gets them to McCormick Place in 15 mins from the downtown hotels.
A bum-infested liquor store popping up on Cermak Rd definitely isn't going to sway my opinion.
^^^^ or a bum infested corridor in general. Motor Row will never achieve the hype that many of these dummies attach to it----
How many times do we have to do this.. IF UNIQUE RESTAURANTS, BARS and HOTELS are developed {which convention people want} NEAR MCCORMICK place, they will want to stay in Motor Row. Keep in mind, depending on the time of year and if someone has already visited Chicago; they don't need to stay near downtown or River North (where it is sometimes difficult or hassle to get reservations) also the requirement that they are bused back and forth at specific times... many of these folks just want to stay nearby McCormick and go to Chinatown, hit a restaurant or bar nearby. I live in the South Loop as well and would not tell someone to stay in the South Loop as there is only one real hotel (Hyatt) and not much to do yet. In the future, people will be able to stay at a hotel near McCormick, hop on the green line, take a bus or taxi to Roosevelt and visit downtown, museums, soldier Field or just stay put & visit a restaurant/bar in Motor Row.
wow...so u think people will choose to goto dirty-a$$ chinatown for oysters and a "massage" instead of actually seeing the parts of chicago i.e. resturants on the river, night clubs, lounges, etc.
Every bum apologist or motor row apologist has to rely on the DREAM that "if/when all these great hotels and resturants go up blah blah blah". Please---get over it. Its not happening anytime soon.
Maybe 15-20 years, sure. But wow the absolute IGNORANCE to assume that stretch of deserted, dumpy land will soon be the an entertainment district
WOW----please stop being so naive
3:15pm - are you 24 years old or younger? River North was a no man's land. Take a look at the South Loop, West Loop not even 10 years ago. You are short sighted and will never make real money in anything you do as you will only look at a finished product. Look up some old youtube videos of how developers built up River North area and you will see what we are talking about. You yourself are saying maybe in 10 years. The POINT IS THAT IT IS AN AREA THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED.. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHEN.. JUST THE FACT THAT IT IS AN AREA TARGETED FOR REAL DEVELOPMENT.
@ 417....YOU ARE AN IDIOT
River North parcels and even some west loop parcel are way more enticing than south cermak and 26th and california you numbskull, haha. Please stop you incessant blathering about how this lowly southside corridor is the next atlantic city to the conventioneers.
"oh boy its gonna be great, just like river north and west loop. Were gonna have bars and resturants and all sorts of great foot traffic"--- said nobody ever about this area. get over it, wow
Wow...reading through all the comments...I see that some people think they are awesome atreal estate planning/development (stop playing SimCity...this is the real world).
Liquor store...who cares. If someone wants to waste money opening a store that's not going to make it...that's their choice. Same as those people who opened a mattress shop at Roos. & State.
For the person who waqs touting all the restaurants on the river...there aren't that many. There are far better choices spread out all over the city. China Town is awesome for authentic Chinese, Thai, etc food. The problem is that there are still projects and low income housing/section 8 or whatever you want to describe these homes as around Cermak and from there soutward. Get rid of those...sell the remaining units left in all the remaining high rises that went up and from there we can dream of more commercial real estate projects, shops, entertainment, etc going up on the southern end of the Sloop.
Sloop to Hyde Park could be developed as the north side was. Has the same access to the lake, parks, and downtown as Lincoln Park etc...just newer. It'll take time but there's only so much you can expand west (Do you really want to live around the United Center?) and why would you since there's nothing really out there?!
Restaurants have tried to take advantage of proximity to McCormick coventioneers before (e.g. Quatro and Room 21) - it just doesn't work out. Way too many negatives (e.g. Hilliard and Long View) that outweigh the geography. Plus, even with an expanded Hyatt, the amount of hotel rooms in this area will NEVER COME CLOSE to rivaling Mag Mile or River North. In fact, the next big "hotel hot spot" in Chicago is the West Loop, with SoHo house and a couple other boutique hotels opening in next year or two.
Forget the west loop. Population density there with SFH, and low rise building will never be what the South Loop eventually will. Natural of South Loop makes it prime, certainly ahead of anything west. As previous posters said, Lincoln Park was nothing 30-40 years ago nobody wanted to live there. River North has been completely redone from nothing and still has a long way to go, it is currently being completely redeveloped much of it will be torn down. The Sloop with highways, millenium park, lake, museums, mccormick place etc along with infrastructure being NEW has unlimited potential which is starting to be realized. It is not a matter of IF but WHEN will it reach its full potential. But yes to this post, the timing of that liquor store is HORRIBLE with all the trash still down in that area of the Sloop but will have no effect on the end game.
Say what you want about what "will" or "could" be here many, many years in the future. The sad thing is: look what is here now. And guess what is being added?: a data center and a liquor store. Oh joy!
the data center is not happening. that idea had been dead for a long time. you know nothing. yes the liquor store is coming in way too early but will not affect the inevitable development of prime real estate.
I have had a business on Cermak for many years .......I can be the first to tell you that development will happen, but not soon. Not soon at all---- in fact to assume it will (as some foolishly do) is rather ignorant
USA USA USA USA
Development has happened.. now it is in the next stage. It took certain steps to clear the slate. Ickes is gone, liquor stores gone, Chef Luciano and Velvet Lounge spending hundreds of thousands of dollars getting their places modernized, Green Line Station, Broad Shoulders Brewing, the Lexington Condos finally opened for rental, 2300 South Michigan building now open for rentals, 2100S Indiana building being rehabbed for rentals, 6 million in TIF funds for the motor row streetscape alone, many other developments being planned. I agree, the only thing holding back the area are the two buildings on South Michigan - I think it is 2001and 2105. Hilliard is no longer a major issue as it is now over 50% asian ladies.
Call me when Hilliard and Long Grove are demolished. Until then, I'll spend my evenings (and my $$) north of 18th St.
Also, did last anon actually say that the area is getting better because "liquor stores gone"? Did he/she miss the whole point of this thread??!!
The positive thing about this corridor: location.
The negative thing about this corridor: location.
Being close to McCormick and the 5 or 6 really "major" conventions that still come here for a long weekend every year is no comparison to bring close to Hilliard, LongGrove, etc and all the folks who live/sqat there all year round. The days when McCormick sits dark far outweigh the days that it is bustling with conventioneers. Moreover, I think many of you naive neighbors would be shocked to know that a lot (most) business travelers like to get away from the convention site on their downtime (hint: this is why McCormick had worked for so long despite being isolated from most of the city).
Anyone wondering why Sloop/Motor Row will never evolve into a shopping/dining destination district? Take a peek at the display by hundreds of south side youth at the intersection of Chicago and Michigan this evening. It's disgusting. Just think: all these young criminals traveled up north on the red line just to start a mob action. Imagine how many more of them there would have been if all they needed to do was crawl into the Sloop rather than all the way up to mag mile.
Top it off with the news that there were 20 reported shootings in the city between Fri evening and Sun morning. Worst part of all: no body in custody and no one is cooperating with authorities investigating. Thus, these killers continue to roam the streets and our tax dollars are wasted on fruitless police investigations. Ahhhh, gotta love Chicago!
The overnight vandalization of 20 cars in the neighborhood last evening should do wonders for business prospects in the area!
How can anyone realistically look at this business proposal (a liquor store in a strip mall on Cermak) and think it's good for the neighborhood? C'mon!!!
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