Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about TOD ordinance

Yes, Lakeview Needs More Transit-Oriented Development

By Steven Vance | Aug 14, 2015 | 13 Comments

At a panel discussion hosted Wednesday night by the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce and Lake View Citizens’ Council, two local urban planners and a small business owner explained why they’re supporting Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed TOD reform ordinance. The new legislation, which City Council could vote on as early as September 24, would dramatically expand the zones […]

Pro- and Anti-Moreno Factions Square Off Over TOD Development Issue

By John Greenfield | Aug 5, 2015 | 45 Comments

First Ward Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno has been one of Chicago’s leading proponents of transit-oriented development. He sponsored the city’s 2013 TOD ordinance, and he’s been a strong supporter of dense, parking-lite developments near ‘L’ stops in his district. He’s also one of a handful of aldermen who don’t approve zoning changes for new housing […]

New Uptown Buildings Would Have 240 Units, Only 72 Parking Spots

By Steven Vance | Jul 22, 2015 | 5 Comments

Cedar Street Cos., the company behind the FLATS Chicago developments, which typically involve converting single-room occupancy buildings to more upscale rental units, has proposed two new apartment buildings near the Wilson ‘L’ station in Uptown. One of the buildings would be virtually across the street from the station, at 1050 W. Wilson Ave., and the other […]

Mega Mall Developer Adds Housing, Reduces Number of Car Parking Spots

By Steven Vance | May 5, 2015 | 16 Comments

The company that’s redeveloping the Discount Mega Mall site in Logan Square has released a reworked proposal that adds much needed housing and dials back the number of car parking spaces, which makes the project a better fit for the walkable, transit accessible neighborhood. Terraco Real Estate and 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack are hosting a public […]

Like TOD Ordinance, Less Restrictive Zoning Can Help Lakeview Businesses

By Steven Vance | Apr 16, 2015 | 35 Comments

The Lakeview Chamber of Commerce is concerned that restrictive zoning, car parking requirements, and changing household types may hinder growth in the high-demand neighborhood and negatively affect local businesses. The chamber, along with Special Service Area #27 (map), published a report this week [PDF] that shows that not only is Lakeview’s housing supply failing to keep […]

Our TOD Bike Tour Showcased Chicago’s Parking-Lite Building Projects

By Steven Vance | Apr 14, 2015 | 4 Comments

A score of Streetsblog Chicago readers joined John Greenfield and me last Saturday to pedal to 12 sites where developers are taking advantage of proximity to train stations by building dense housing with fewer parking spaces than usual. The buildings, in different phases of approval and construction, are all near Chicago Transit Authority ‘L’ stops. In […]

Join Us for a Bike Tour of Transit-Oriented Development Sites on April 11

By Steven Vance | Mar 24, 2015 | 4 Comments

Want to hear developers talk about why they’ve chosen to build “parking-lite” residential projects near ‘L’ stops? We’re leading a bike ride around the city to visit sites where firms are taking advantage of Chicago’s 2013 transit-oriented development ordinance. Here’s the skinny: Streetsblog Chicago’s TOD Bike Tour Saturday, April 11 1-4 p.m. Leaving from Daley Plaza, 50 West […]

Parking-Lite Residences Sprouting All Across Chicago

By Steven Vance | Dec 29, 2014 | 27 Comments

The resurgent downtown economy and the growing demand for car-lite living, both in Chicago and nationally, have spurred an apartment-building boom that’s transforming neighborhoods citywide. Many of these apartments are rising along the Chicago Transit Authority’s rail lines, partially thanks to a recent change to the city’s zoning ordinance that has made it easier to […]

Montrose Green TOD Actually Fits Its Neighborhood Just Fine

By Steven Vance | Dec 18, 2014 | 4 Comments

Developer David Brown wants to bring a neighborhood restaurant to a site right outside the the Chicago Transit Authority’s Montrose Brown Line station, along with 24 apartments, a small office space, and 10 car parking spaces. The city’s zoning ordinance would ordinarily require him to fill the entire ground floor of his proposed five-story Montrose […]

Actually, Logan Square’s Neither Traffic-Choked Nor Overcrowded

By Steven Vance | Nov 11, 2014 | 47 Comments

Late last month, over 100 people crowded into a public presentation to hear about a proposed development of 254 housing units, plus 72 car parking spaces and retail, on what’s now a vacant lot around the corner from the California Blue Line ‘L’ station in Logan Square. The number of parking spaces proposed is 182 fewer than […]

Proposed River West Towers Would Be Better With Even Less Parking

By Steven Vance | Oct 24, 2014 | 48 Comments

Security Properties from Seattle recently received Plan Commission approval to build 14- and 15-story buildings on the site of the Gonnella bakery at 1001 W. Chicago Avenue, near the busy intersection with Milwaukee and Ogden avenues and the Blue Line’s Chicago stop. 363 apartments and 35,000 square feet of retail would fill the two towers, helping […]

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