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The Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center site is being considered for redevelopment as the Olympic Village, moving the proposed site west off the lakefront. Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler Inc. has already received bids on the land, which Medline Industries Inc., Michael Reese's parent company, is trying to unload. The hospital is in discussions with Cook County to form a potential partnership, although no formal agreement has been reached yet.
Among the benefits of moving the proposed site away from the trucking marshaling yards for McCormick Place include building the new construction into the street grid and connecting the Olympic Village to Bronzeville, integrating it more into the neighborhood. Although it isn't more than just speculation at this point, Michael Senner, a senior vice president at Colliers Bennett, summed it up to the Sun Times pretty succinctly: "They haven't said to us, 'This is where we want to put the Olympic Village,' .... If they paid enough, sure." According to the Sun Times, only seven of the 17 buildings on the site are currently in use.
Fourth Ward Alderman Toni Preckwinkle has suggested that building the Olympic Village on the Michael Reese site would be both more cost effective and create a more coherent and connected development in relation to Bronzeville. "It's easier to build on the ground than it is to build the physical infrastructure you need to build housing above. It would be less expensive," she told the Sun Times in January. Building on the McCormick site, as originally proposed, would require heavy structural investment, while breaking up the trucking yards.
Of course, with the state budget fight still dragging on and funding for regional mass transit hardly a sure thing these days, the viability of Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid remains unclear. Regardless, officials have said that they will go forward with the $1.1 billion project even if Chicago doesn't get the nod to host the Olympics.
Image via Derek Wiebenson.
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with my limited knowledge of this change, i think its a boneheaded idea. sure, they dont want to go over budget creating a deck like millenium park...at the same time i dont think 200 trucks in a staging area will be seen as an appealing view for any future athletes/residents
"Regardless, officials have said that they will go forward with the $1.1 billion project even if Chicago doesn't get the nod to host the Olympics."
Good to see that the money the city promised not to spend on the Olympics is going to get spent on the Olympics even if we don't get the Olympics. I love this city.
E,
Private developers are slated to do the development. That was in the Tribune. Perhaps it was not in the Sun-Times, which Kevin Robinson cited. A $1.1 billion development in the South Loop seems like a stretch unless people can get mortgages again, but letting a private developer do it is fine by me.
8:21,
The marshalling yards are crucial to the operation of McCormick Place. McCormick Place is crucial to Chicago's economy. Thus, any deck over the yards would need to be built to preserve the yards. The Tribune article on this indicated that this was a real architectural/engineering challenge. Better to have unsightly yards than no functioning McCormick, regardless of whether Chicago gets the Olympics.
Fair enough. It looks like the city's involvment would mostly be excercising eminent domain, which might be somewhat reasonable if we're actually getting the Olympic nod, but fairly outrageous if we're not. Especially if there's a buyer interested in the property. Olympics or not, I have a feeling this Olympic village is going to be a big albatross hanging on this city for a long time.
Actually, the Chicago Tribune citation is in my post.
It's the second link.
Oops. Sorry Kevin. You are exactly right.