Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by David Roeder2023-03-28T17:09:18.206-05:00https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/david-roeder/rss2023-03-28T17:09:18.206-05:002023-03-28T17:24:22-05:00Long-planned redevelopment of former Michael Reese Hospital site kicks off
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A rendering of a streetscape in the future Bronzeville Lakefront development.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Skidmore, Owings & Merrill</p></div></div>
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<p>Bronzeville Lakefront, a $4.3 billion redevelopment of the old Michael Reese Hospital property south of McCormick Place, has been planned for years and will take many more to execute. But it will observe a milestone Wednesday with the formal launch of construction.</p><p>“We’re ecstatic to be in the ground right now,” said Regina Stilp, principal at Farpoint Development, one of several firms with a piece of what’s conceived as 7.8 million square feet spanning residential, office and retail uses.</p><p>Chicagoans eager to see buildings sprout at the former city-owned property will have longer to wait, however. The developers have not set a timeline for above-ground construction.</p><p>What’s happening now, Stilp said, is infrastructure work and the extension of Vernon Avenue through the roughly 48-acre site. She said crews also will build a surface parking lot to be used temporarily during later construction.</p><p>The extension of roads and utilities is backed by a city pledge of up to $60 million from bond issues. City officials made that commitment in 2021 when it agreed to sell the property for $96.9 million, arguing that eventual development would pay off for taxpayers long term.</p><p>The Wednesday groundbreaking is expected to feature outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is highlighting development deals that advanced during her four years in office.</p><p>The developers call it the largest mixed-use project undertaken in Chicago. Despite the pending election of a new mayor and an alderperson who will influence the process, Stilp said the project has broad community support and should not suffer delays because of politics.</p><p>She had no comment on a lawsuit in federal court against her firm and top city officials, accusing them of scaring off potential buyers of land near the Reese property so the developers could eventually get it cheaply. The suit was filed by owners of 6.5 acres at the northeast corner of 26th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.</p><p>Spokespersons for the mayor likewise declined to comment.</p><p>Stilp said the infrastructure work amounts to “the first part of the first phase” of the project. When work on structures gets going in earnest, it’s expected to include a building for offices and research labs called the Bronzeville Innovation Center. The work will be near 31st Street and Lake Park Avenue on the southern end of the site.</p><p>The building’s anchor tenant will be Israel’s highly rated Sheba Medical Center, which plans a research center called Chicago ARC — for “accelerate, redesign, collaborate.” Stilp said developers are working to sign up other users.</p><p>Phase I plans calls for apartments and townhomes, including about 200 units of senior housing, a park and the reuse of the Singer Pavilion, the only part of the Reese complex left.</p><p>Partners in Bronzeville Lakefront include McLaurin Development Partners, Loop Capital Management, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives and Bronzeville Community Development Partnership.</p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/3/28/23660784/long-planned-work-at-michael-reese-site-beginsDavid Roeder2023-03-28T00:01:00-05:002023-03-28T15:51:40.326-05:00City backs 3 subsidized housing plans for La Salle Street corridor
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<img class="Image" alt="The building at 111 W. Monroe St. would be converted to housing with a hotel on lower floors under a plan from Prime Group and Capri Interests." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3e5cd56/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F0tNqw6TIUbt1jtd-7-RhSJ9oAPE%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24541266%2F111_W._Monroe.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/60e3a8f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F0tNqw6TIUbt1jtd-7-RhSJ9oAPE%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24541266%2F111_W._Monroe.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The building at 111 W. Monroe St. would be converted to housing with a hotel on lower floors under a plan from Prime Group and Capri Interests.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file photo</p></div></div>
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<p></p><p>Leaving her mark on a downtown redevelopment effort in the final weeks of her administration, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is naming three plans for mixed-income housing as eligible for city subsidies.</p><p>The decision advances ideas from two prominent developers to revitalize aging buildings along or near La Salle Street that have grand architecture but have fallen out of favor for office use. Taken together, the projects call for more than 1,000 housing units and more than $550 million in investment.</p><p>The plans the administration favors include two from developer Michael Reschke involving a building at 208 S. La Salle and, with co-developer Quintin Primo III, one at 111 W. Monroe St. The third project is from developer John O’Donnell and is for 135 S. La Salle, former home of Bank of America. Both of the La Salle buildings are city landmarks.</p><p>The developers have agreed that more than 300 of the new housing units will be affordable under the city’s rules. The teams the city picked “represent a diverse group of Chicago’s best,” said Samir Mayekar, deputy mayor for economic development.</p><p>The affordability requirement was a main tenet of Lightfoot’s La Salle Street Reimagined initiative, which invited developers to submit proposals for reducing vacancies in office and retail space in what was Chicago’s nerve center for finance. Developers have a big incentive to play along: the city is dangling millions of dollars in tax increment financing as potential subsidies.</p><p>“The La Salle Street corridor is a vital economic engine for our entire city, and we must ensure it remains that way by transforming it from a homogenous office district into a thriving, mixed-use community,” Lightfoot said in remarks prepared for Tuesday’s announcement. “By converting underutilized office space to residential units, we will make the Loop a safer, more dynamic and vibrant place to live and work.”</p><p>The affordable housing would be rented to people who earn an average of 60% of the area’s median income. Under current federal rules, that means an income limit of $50,040 for a two-person household.</p><p>The three winning developments have made public TIF requests totaling $188 million, but how much they get will be negotiated along with other details. Work could start in 2024.</p><p>The negotiations will proceed under a new mayor, but Mayekar said that should make little difference. He said the next administration will advance the work to help downtown’s economy recover from the pandemic.</p><p>A new mayor “is going to face the same post-pandemic challenges that we faced,” Mayekar said. Meanwhile, “There’s a tremendous amount of excitement on the La Salle corridor based on these announcements,” he said.</p><p>But the projects are expensive, involve redesigning whole floors and come along as banks are growing nervous about commercial real estate. Some experts believe values will decline as offices shrink from the work-from-home trend. And the federal rescue of Silicon Valley Bank has made other lenders look at the risk in what they own.</p><p>Asked about that, Mayekar said, “We have a high degree of confidence that these [projects] will move forward.” He said each is from a proven developer who offers ample evidence of financial backing.</p><p>Also, the projects could draw on a variety of subsidies, including tax credits for affordable housing and for preserving landmark buildings.</p><p>The three winners were drawn from <a class="Link" href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/lasalle-street/proposals.html" target="_blank" >six short-listed responses to the city’s call late last year for La Salle</a>. The city’s Department of Planning and Development scrutinized the entries.</p><p>In favoring the two projects submitted by Reschke, the city backed a developer already with a winning hand. He worked out a deal with Gov. J.B. Pritzker last year to bring Google into the Thompson Center at La Salle and Randolph and move state government employees to 115 S. La Salle, giving the Loop a shot in the arm.</p><p>Reschke, who could not be reached for comment, has become a leading spokesman for downtown’s revival even as the West Loop and Fulton Market have drawn the newest attention. </p><p>O’Donnell, CEO of Riverside Investment & Development, has built high-rises at 110 N. Wacker Drive and at 320 S. Canal St. for banks that left La Salle. He declined to comment.</p><p>A summary of the three proposals:</p><p>111 W. Monroe St.</p><p>Reschke’s Prime Group and Primo’s Capri Interests propose 349 residences, 30% affordable, with a new hotel on lower floors that would be developed without city help, and underground parking. Cost: $180 million. TIF request: $40 million. Key fact: The former Monroe Club on the top floors would be revived as an amenity for residents and hotel guests.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="208_S._La_Salle.png" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/38618bc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/876x492+0+129/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FEiV_hkDLOvzpxZSh8AE-jz16TQI%3D%2F0x0%3A876x749%2F876x749%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28438x375%3A439x376%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24541271%2F208_S._La_Salle.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/31025fe/2147483647/strip/true/crop/876x492+0+129/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FEiV_hkDLOvzpxZSh8AE-jz16TQI%3D%2F0x0%3A876x749%2F876x749%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28438x375%3A439x376%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24541271%2F208_S._La_Salle.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The building at 208 S. La Salle St. is a city landmark.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div>
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</div><p>208 S. La Salle</p><p>Prime Group would build 280 units, 30% affordable, with a dog run, fitness center and tenant lounge. The residences would be between the JW Marriott hotel on lower levels and the La Salle Hotel on upper levels. Cost: $130 million. TIF request: $33 million. Key fact: It’s the last building designed by renowned architect Daniel Burnham.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="135_S._La_Salle_entrance.jpg" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ba43303/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+156/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FvZbg7Q-YwHO2eSqWY9QZtTQ5Kgk%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x1996%2F3000x1996%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x998%3A1501x999%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24541298%2F135_S._La_Salle_entrance.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5f639f4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+156/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FvZbg7Q-YwHO2eSqWY9QZtTQ5Kgk%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x1996%2F3000x1996%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x998%3A1501x999%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24541298%2F135_S._La_Salle_entrance.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The landmark building at 135 S. La Salle St., formerly the Chicago base for Bank of America.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Time</p></div></div>
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</div><p>135 S. La Salle</p><p>AmTrust Realty joined Riverside Investment to propose turning some office floors into 430 residences, 30% affordable, with new lobbies, retail and event space. Cost: $258 million. TIF request: $115 million. Key fact: The project addresses the space vacated when Bank of America left the building for the West Loop.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/3/28/23659301/city-backs-3-subsidized-housing-plans-for-la-salle-street-corridorDavid Roeder2023-03-27T18:48:27.061-05:002023-03-27T18:48:28-05:00Lightfoot picks Hub 32, an affordable housing project, for Lake and Kedzie site in East Garfield Park
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<img class="Image" alt="A rendering of the project dubbed Hub 32 in East Garfield Park." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7f328c1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5000x2806+0+109/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FdW_pq0eAIP37C5K2uMY7mX5PU3w%3D%2F0x0%3A5000x3023%2F5000x3023%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282500x1512%3A2501x1513%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24540547%2FHub32.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8ddcb6e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5000x2806+0+109/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FdW_pq0eAIP37C5K2uMY7mX5PU3w%3D%2F0x0%3A5000x3023%2F5000x3023%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282500x1512%3A2501x1513%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24540547%2FHub32.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A rendering of the project dubbed Hub 32, to be built at Lake Street and Kedzie Avenue in East Garfield Park.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div>
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<p>A $47.2 million apartment building with 100% affordable units will be built next to a Green Line stop in East Garfield Park, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.</p><p>Her administration selected the winner from three development proposals submitted for the site at 132 N. Kedzie Ave. The nearly half-acre property at the southwest corner of Kedzie and Lake street has been city-owned since the 1990s.</p><p>The winning proposal calls for a seven-story, 63-unit building. Investors in the project include the Michaels Organization, KMW Communities and TruDelta Real Estate.</p><p>As the chosen development team, they will be eligible for city help, including subsidies available from tax increment financing. Details must be negotiated, and the project has to go through the city’s standard zoning review process.</p><p>“The inclusion of design features and amenities that reflect the desires of the community, along with the development team’s demonstrated history of successfully executing catalytic projects, made this proposal stand out,” Lightfoot said in a statement prepared for the announcement. “I am confident that this development will revitalize the site and its surrounding area and serve as a much-needed affordable, transit-oriented housing option for East Garfield Park residents.”</p><p>Called Hub 32, the 78,000-square-foot building will offer apartments with rents affordable to those earning up to 60% of the area’s median income. Under current rules, a family of four could earn no more than $62,520 a year to be eligible to move there.</p><p>Designed by Brooks + Scarpa and Studio Dwell, the site will include ground-floor retail space, 16 exterior parking spots and a public plaza for outdoor dining and gathering. Officials said <a class="Link" href="https://www.jerkyjerk.net/" target="_blank" >Jerky Jerk Caribbean</a> restaurant and <a class="Link" href="https://www.vietfive.com/" target="_blank" >Vietfive Coffee</a> are expected to be retail tenants.</p><p>Construction could begin in early 2024.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="A vacant lot at Lake Street and Kedzie Avenue where a $47.2 million apartment building with 100% affordable units will be built." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d54e3ef/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FyKGwRWx06fDxxlwimETUY6Xn3Js%3D%2F0x0%3A6122x4083%2F6122x4083%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283061x2042%3A3062x2043%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24540156%2FLAKEKEDZIE.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/39e5b31/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FyKGwRWx06fDxxlwimETUY6Xn3Js%3D%2F0x0%3A6122x4083%2F6122x4083%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283061x2042%3A3062x2043%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24540156%2FLAKEKEDZIE.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A vacant lot at Lake Street and Kedzie Avenue where a $47.2 million apartment building with 100% affordable units will be built.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>Lightfoot announced the decision at the Hatchery, a food and beverage incubator across the street from the upcoming development site. She was joined by city officials, members of the winning development team and community members. </p><p>The outgoing mayor touted the survey that the city used to help determine which project to green light and urged local residents to follow its developments.</p><p>“I won’t be here, but you will be, so be sure to hold us accountable and make sure it gets done,” she said. </p><p>The project is one of several pending development matters Lightfoot’s aides are trying to push ahead in the final weeks of her administration.</p><p>“This cadence of economic progress was always part of the plan by the mayor,” said her deputy for economic development, Samir Mayekar. He said complex projects take time to finalize, and announcements planned during the next few weeks “are a testament to the gears that the mayor has gotten in motion.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
<div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div>
<ul class="RelatedList-items">
<li class="RelatedList-items-item">
<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2023/2/16/23584412/vacant-lots-city-owned-transit-developments-housing-retail-feedback-garfield-park-woodlawn" target="_blank" >Brewpub, day care — along with new housing — among proposals to transform vacant lots on West, South sides</a>
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<p>The city’s planning department solicited proposals from developers for the East Garfield Park site in 2022, receiving more than 30 responses that were winnowed to three finalists.</p><p>Hub 32 will improve a transit-oriented site and be a model for more mixed-use investment in East Garfield Park, said Ald. Jason Ervin, whose 28th Ward includes the property.</p><p>The city said it would remain in contact with developers of a runner-up proposal for the Lake and Kedzie property. The team of Imagine Development Group and Evergreen Real Estate Group proposed building 60 units, and officials said they will talk with them about bringing their plans to a nearby property.</p><p>Among those attending Wednesday was Mike Tomas, president of the Garfield Park Community Council, who applauded the surveys the city conducted but said the process could have been improved. </p><p>“We just wish the community engagement happened earlier on in the process,” he said. “The community was brought in to react to what the city came up with.”</p><p>He also expressed some concerns about how the next mayoral administration will handle the project.</p><p>But, he said, residents are excited to see the area potentially become what it once was. </p><p>“It’s neat that what’s being proposed is bringing that back in the 21st century,” he said, “with modern design but still those essential retail services we need.”</p><p><i>Michael Loria is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via </i><a class="Link" href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/" target="_blank" ><i>Report for America</i></a><i>, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South Side and West Side.</i></p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
<div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div>
<ul class="RelatedList-items">
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<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2023/2/16/23584412/vacant-lots-city-owned-transit-developments-housing-retail-feedback-garfield-park-woodlawn" target="_blank" >Brewpub, day care — along with new housing — among proposals to transform vacant lots on West, South sides</a>
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https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/27/23658900/hub-32-affordable-housing-vietfive-coffee-roaster-jerk-restaurant-kedzie-east-garfield-parkDavid RoederMichael Loria2023-03-27T05:30:00-05:002023-03-26T19:14:41-05:00At S&C Electric, keeping the grid in good order is empowering
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<img class="Image" alt="A welder at work at S&amp;C Electric in Rogers Park." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0ccf392/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4000x2245+0+334/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FhvFnsfcL2TygMurfwbOoZJFUM-Y%3D%2F0x0%3A4000x2667%2F4000x2667%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282499x1456%3A2500x1457%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24532541%2FS_C_welding.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6b2059c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4000x2245+0+334/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FhvFnsfcL2TygMurfwbOoZJFUM-Y%3D%2F0x0%3A4000x2667%2F4000x2667%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282499x1456%3A2500x1457%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24532541%2FS_C_welding.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A welder at work at S&C Electric in Rogers Park.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div>
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<p>When you think of old-line Chicago companies, the names Sears, Motorola or Wrigley might come to mind. Probably not S&C Electric, although it’s hardwired into our lives.</p><p>S&C makes the equipment that makes the electric grid smarter and more reliable. Many of the megatrends in our world are converging to help its business. Think of the move to electric vehicles, all the data centers to serve our insatiable online appetites and more instances of severe weather and wildfires.</p><p>It all compounds the normal pressure on utilities to modernize grids. Add it up and you get high-powered demand for the fuses, switches, software and other products that employee-owned S&C provides. After several years of higher volumes, including 20% revenue growth last year, a company known for its workplace culture is hiring in a big way.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-floatRight>
<div class="RichTextSidebarModule-title">Chicago Enterprise bug</div>
<div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><h3><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-enterprise" target="_blank" >Chicago Enterprise</a></h3></div>
</div><p>President and CEO Anders Sjoelin said the company has 350 open positions, including about 200 it will hire for a new operation in Palatine, where it has acquired a 275,000-square-foot building at 200 Sellstrom Drive. The new building is on what was a Weber Grills campus. Sjoelin said he hopes to have production at the site in early 2024. The company <a class="Link" href="https://www.sandc.com/en/careers/" target="_blank" >has posted job openings across its operations</a>, including assembly, fabrication, cybersecurity and engineering. Worldwide, S&C has about 3,500 employees.</p><p>S&C is moving some capacity and employees from its longtime base in Chicago’s Rogers Park at 6601 N. Ridge Blvd. But Sjoelin said S&C isn’t cutting back in the city. “This is not a zero-sum game,” he said. The Rogers Park site is landlocked and the expansion to Palatine will free up space that can be redesigned for efficiency and more output.</p><p>“We want to continue to be a resource to promote manufacturing in Chicago,” Sjoelin said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Anders Sjoelin has been president and CEO of S&amp;C Electric for three years." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7ee49af/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4128x2317+0+218/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FuHKF_ZaEGgd9hR7Pbv1g-AwbuDg%3D%2F0x0%3A4128x2752%2F4128x2752%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282064x1376%3A2065x1377%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24532544%2FAnders_Sjoelin.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2a65572/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4128x2317+0+218/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FuHKF_ZaEGgd9hR7Pbv1g-AwbuDg%3D%2F0x0%3A4128x2752%2F4128x2752%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282064x1376%3A2065x1377%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24532544%2FAnders_Sjoelin.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Anders Sjoelin has been president and CEO of S&C Electric for three years.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div>
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</div><p>More than 2,000 S&C employees work in Rogers Park on a 47-acre site said to be the biggest industrial operation in the city limits other than the Ford Motor Co. factory on the Southeast Side. S&C is deeply but discreetly planted in a residential area; shrubs, lawns and flowering trees on the perimeter signal intentions to be a good neighbor.</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/sc-electric-co/" target="_blank" >The company goes back to 1911</a>, the early days of widespread electricity use when utilities had a nettlesome problem of fires at substations. Commonwealth Edison asked Edmund Schweitzer and Nicholas Conrad to create a safer fuse. Their design included a tube filled with carbon tetrachloride that could snuff out its own fire before it became a problem. </p><p>It was a breakthrough and they started the company on the product. Today, about 80% of S&C’s business is with utilities but Sjoelin said demand also has grown from commercial and industrial users. </p><p>Among the company’s products is a system called EdgeRestore for underground residential circuits that isolates faults and reroutes power in less than a minute. Florida Power & Light has relied on the system and other S&C equipment to restore service more quickly after hurricanes. The utility has said the technology helped reduce customer complaints even as the number of connections in its territory grew.</p><p>“S&C will continue to be a key partner for ComEd when it comes to transforming our grid with innovative digital technologies that will contribute to record-breaking reliability and better service for our customers,” said Bill Fluhler, vice president of engineering at ComEd. Fluhler said S&C’s expansion allows for more collaboration around the goal of clean energy. </p><p>The company has won several “top workplace” awards. Its reputation in the area comes mostly from the commitment of John Conrad, son of co-founder Nicholas Conrad. John Conrad ran the company for decades, was determined to keep it out of the hands of Wall Street and felt a responsibility to his workers. After his death in 2005 at age 89, the company converted to employee stock ownership.</p><p>Even in his 80s, Conrad was known for zipping around the facilities in an electric cart, saying hello to people and making sure everything was just right. Company executives say S&C has never laid off an hourly employee. Sjoelin, who joined S&C three years ago just as the pandemic hit, said he’s heard stories about times when orders were slow and Conrad, rather than let people go, had them paint a building or otherwise spruce up the place until things improved.</p><p>As companies in the tech field dismiss staff or cut employee perks, S&C offers benefits like a roughly two-week break for the year-end holidays in addition to regular vacation. Sjoelin said there’s usually extra time off around July 4. </p><p>Sjoelin said employee ownership has made a huge difference. “I see a deeper commitment to the company. I see people are more invested in S&C. They care and understand that its success is their success,” he said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="An aerial view of S&amp;C Electric’s plant in Rogers Park, with downtown Chicago in the background." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/dcc6aa6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/998x560+0+320/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FbIr-U76rUjJa6x-Dwvae_SUWvHw%3D%2F0x0%3A998x1200%2F998x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28499x600%3A500x601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24532545%2FS_C_Electric_overhead.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/012dac0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/998x560+0+320/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FbIr-U76rUjJa6x-Dwvae_SUWvHw%3D%2F0x0%3A998x1200%2F998x1200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28499x600%3A500x601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24532545%2FS_C_Electric_overhead.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>An aerial view of S&C Electric’s plant in Rogers Park, with downtown Chicago in the background.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div>
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https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/27/23654300/electric-grid-rogers-park-manufacturer-hiring-expanding-fuses-circuits-cybersecurityDavid Roeder2023-03-24T15:43:03.202-05:002023-03-24T15:43:04-05:00Chan Zuckerberg life sciences hub to open in Fulton Market
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<img class="Image" alt="The building at 1375 W. Fulton St." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d635ec5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1403+0+247/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FhBJUR8xVw8OXH29YyzukwIAbTEU%3D%2F0x0%3A2500x1898%2F2500x1898%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281250x949%3A1251x950%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24534454%2F1375_W._Fulton_Market.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6e9c823/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1403+0+247/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FhBJUR8xVw8OXH29YyzukwIAbTEU%3D%2F0x0%3A2500x1898%2F2500x1898%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281250x949%3A1251x950%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24534454%2F1375_W._Fulton_Market.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The building at 1375 W. Fulton St.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div>
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<p>The biohub research venture of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and wife Dr. Priscilla Chan is setting up in Chicago’s Fulton Market, its first location outside of its original center in San Francisco.</p><p>The operation will unite researchers in academia to study inflammation in human tissue and its role in diseases. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will work with scientists from the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.</p><p>Called CZ Biohub Chicago, the venture has leased nearly 26,000 square feet at 1375 W. Fulton St., part of a two-building research hub developer Trammell Crow has established. It is expected to occupy the space this spring.</p><p>The longterm lease brings the 300,000-square-foot Fulton building to about 85% occupancy, said Dan Lyne, executive vice president of real estate firm CBRE, who was a broker in the transaction.</p><p>The deal further certifies the Fulton Market office and residential district as a draw for tech-centered operations, ranging from new ventures to units of established companies such as tractor maker Deere. Since Google opened in the area in 2015, Fulton Market has become one of the busiest downtown development areas in the country.</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
<div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div>
<ul class="RelatedList-items">
<li class="RelatedList-items-item">
<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/2/23622311/chan-zuckerberg-biohub-chicago-research-lab-facebook" target="_blank" >Zuckerberg, Chan invest $250 million in new Chicago research lab</a>
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<p>CZ Biohub said it will convene researchers to solve medical challenges on a 10- to 15-year time frame. The president of the Chicago operation is Shana Kelley, professor of chemistry and biomedical engineering at Northwestern.</p><p>In a statement from the Zuckerberg initiative, Chan outlined the goals in Chicago. “This institute will embark on science to embed miniaturized sensors into tissues that will allow us to understand how healthy and diseased tissues function in unprecedented detail. This might feel like science fiction today, but we think it’s realistic to achieve huge progress in the next 10 years,” she said.</p><p>“I look forward to the advances in science and technology that this new Biohub will spur in studying how tissues function to understand what goes wrong in disease and how to fix it.”</p><p>The venture has $25 million in capital funds from the state, authorized by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The governor, a major investor in tech companies before he was elected, issued a statement welcoming the news of the Chicago site.</p><p>“Biomedical research will be taken to a new level at this facility with the help of the brightest minds from local universities, and I look forward to seeing their new discoveries help people around the world,” Pritzker said.</p><p>Pete Farley, a spokesman for the initiative, said around 30 to 50 people are expected to work at the Chicago site. He declined to say how many more centers it plans to build, but estimated several more in a few years. </p><p>The San Francisco hub opened in 2016 and has been involved in mapping cells of humans and other species.</p><p>Aside from the building on Fulton, what Trammell Crow calls its Fulton Labs Campus also includes a 425,000-square-foot building at 400 N. Aberdeen St. that opened last year. Tenants on the campus include Celadyne Technologies, Portal Innovations and Vanqua Bio.</p><p>“Our goal when we first sought to build Fulton Labs was to create a state-of-the-art environment for the incredible talent Chicago has always produced to be able to bring their ideas and patient-saving products to life here at home,” said John Carlson, principal at Trammell Crow’s Midwest office. “We are energized by the progress our city has made as a leading life science cluster and we are looking forward to delivering more world-class facilities to support the continued growth.” </p><p>The company is building life sciences labs in Hyde Park near the U of C and in Evanston near Northwestern. Both are designed for startups that faculty and researchers at those schools may be launching.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/3/24/23655374/chan-zuckerberg-life-sciences-hub-open-fulton-marketDavid Roeder2023-03-21T14:38:54.933-05:002023-03-21T14:38:58-05:00Notebaert Nature Museum workers want to unionize
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<img class="Image" alt="The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is at 2430 N. Cannon Drive." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8ddb02d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2832x1589+0+1794/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F9FlyR29EsdrRZF8X-D0p49tIy50%3D%2F0x0%3A2832x3934%2F2832x3934%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281421x2589%3A1422x2590%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24526331%2FPeggy_Notebaert_Nature_Museum.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a22ebb2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2832x1589+0+1794/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F9FlyR29EsdrRZF8X-D0p49tIy50%3D%2F0x0%3A2832x3934%2F2832x3934%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281421x2589%3A1422x2590%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24526331%2FPeggy_Notebaert_Nature_Museum.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Employees of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park want to unionize.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Sun-Times files</p></div></div>
</figure>
<p>Employees of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park are calling on colleagues to support their campaign to unionize with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.</p><p>The organizing campaign was made public Tuesday in a letter signed by 19 employees of the museum. It asks fellow workers to support the effort and urges museum managers to “honor our legal right to organize a union without facing intimidation or coercion.”</p><p>The drive to join AFSCME’s Council 31 follows the local’s successful organizing at the Field Museum, Newberry Library and the Art Institute of Chicago and its school.</p><p>AFSCME said the proposed bargaining unit would represent 45 employees at either the museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, or a collections facility in Ravenswood.</p><p>There was no immediate comment from the museum, which also uses its original name, the Chicago Academy of Sciences. The pro-union workers are calling themselves Chicago Academy of Sciences Workers United.</p><p>The museum “must support and sustain the talented community of staff that make our mission possible,” the letter states. “All employees deserve a voice in the decisions that affect us, better wages and benefits, transparency around compensation and advancement and safe working conditions.”</p><p>Unions typically need to show via signed cards support from a substantial majority of workers before scheduling an election with the National Labor Relations Board. An employer can voluntarily recognize a union, but most want an election that will give them time to make anti-union arguments to the workers.</p><p>While known for representing government workers, AFSCME also counts more than 10,000 members at museums nationwide.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/3/21/23650613/notebaert-nature-museum-workers-union-afscmeDavid Roeder2023-03-21T12:04:13.836-05:002023-03-21T12:04:15-05:00Illinois ranks low on taxpayer ROI, WalletHub study finds
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<img class="Image" alt="The Illinois State Capitol." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/36b71ed/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1123x630+39+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FZuSEbCg69PZMBLM6hPdpQ2Rzbzw%3D%2F0x0%3A1200x630%2F1200x630%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28600x315%3A601x316%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F16146421%2Fillinois_state_capitol__daytime_.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/28c8761/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1123x630+39+0/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FZuSEbCg69PZMBLM6hPdpQ2Rzbzw%3D%2F0x0%3A1200x630%2F1200x630%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28600x315%3A601x316%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F16146421%2Fillinois_state_capitol__daytime_.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Illinois ranks 36th for taxpayers’ return on investment in a new WalletHub study.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>AP file</p></div></div>
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<p>Weighed down by relatively high burdens for property and sales taxes, Illinois fares poorly in a new study that measures whether taxpayers are getting value for their money.</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://wallethub.com/edu/state-taxpayer-roi-report/3283" target="_blank" >A report by the personal finance website WalletHub</a> places Illinois 36<sup>th</sup> among the 50 states in overall return on taxpayers’ investment. The closer to No. 1, the better the ranking for the states.</p><p>Drawing on data from several nonpartisan sources, the report starts with each state’s overall tax burden and factors in measures of the quality of public services in areas such as education, health, safety, environment and infrastructure.</p><p>Illinois has a better showing on quality of services, ranking 21<sup>st</sup> in the WalletHub study. But its overall ranking is hurt by the state’s relatively high tax load.</p><p>A prior WalletHub report that drew heavily on data from the Tax Policy Center showed Illinois residents pay an average of 9.7% of their personal income toward state and local taxes. The burden was relatively highest for property and sales taxes, less so for income taxes. Residents in only nine other states paid more in the analysis.</p><p>In the ranking of overall value to taxpayers, Illinois finished worse than nearby states such as Missouri (5<sup>th</sup>), Iowa (11<sup>th</sup>), Wisconsin (13<sup>th</sup>), Kentucky (14<sup>th</sup>) and Indiana (29<sup>th</sup>).</p><p>The results cover only broad data for each state and do not distinguish between urban and rural communities or areas where access to services may differ. In addition, the study considers factors such as crime rates that may reflect more on social conditions than on the quality of public services.</p><p>Carol Portman, president of the nonpartisan Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois, said the study may have drawbacks but still provides valuable comparisons. “It’s certainly true that by many measures Illinois’ tax burden is relatively high,” she said.</p><p>But Portman said service quality is hard to measure and tax burdens can vary widely depending on a person’s residence and income situation. </p><p>Retirees, for example, fare well in Illinois. The state is one of three in the U.S. that charges an income tax but excludes any form of retirement income, such as from pensions or 401(k)s. A group of senior business leaders in Chicago <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2023/2/8/23590162/income-tax-surcharge-needed-to-pay-down-pensions-business-group-says" target="_blank" >has called for an end to that blanket exclusion</a>, but the idea has drawn little support from lawmakers.</p><p>The WalletHub report concluded that taxpayers in “red states” — those that voted Republican in the 2020 presidential election — get a better deal than those in “blue states,” which voted Democrat. Illinois voted Democrat.</p><p>It said the overall ranking for return on investment in the red states was 21.52 versus 29.48 in the blue states.</p><p>The states delivering the best value to taxpayers were New Hampshire, Florida, Alaska, South Dakota and Texas, WalletHub said.</p><p>Those with the best overall scores for public services were Virginia, Minnesota, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2023/3/21/23650344/illinois-taxpayers-return-investment-wallethub-property-sales-tax-burdenDavid Roeder2023-03-20T16:31:25.408-05:002023-03-20T17:28:47-05:00Developer revises plan for a mixed-use tower in River North
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A rendering shows the proposed building at 330 N. Clark St. to the right of the Reid Murdoch building (foreground with the clock tower).</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided</p></div></div>
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<p>A River North property owner wants to add residential units as a possible use for a high-rise proposed alongside the landmark Reid Murdoch building on the riverfront.</p><p>Developer Albert Friedman owns Reid Murdoch and the development site next to it at 330 N. Clark St. In 2016, the city gave him zoning authority to build a combined office and hotel tower on the Clark Street property.</p><p>Friedman was unable to start construction, and the pandemic threw the hotel market into turmoil. So he said Monday that he wants the city to amend the zoning to add residential units, giving him another optional use for the building.</p><p>The proposed change also buys Friedman time to get financing for the project. Without any change, the “planned development” zoning category approved in 2016 is due to expire in September, said downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who mentioned the issue in an email to constituents.</p><p>“We’ll see what happens in the market,” said Friedman, chairman of Friedman Properties. “I don’t give up on the city of Chicago.” He said his proposed change would preserve office and hotel uses as possibilities.</p><p>Friedman said he has no groundbreaking date yet in mind. The building’s architecture is by the firm HKS.</p><p>“The hotel market is starting to come back. It really depends on what happens to the convention business,” he said. </p><p>Other elements of the project would be unchanged. His original plan called for a building of about 31 stories that on its lower floors would connect to Reid Murdoch. A three-story building on Clark Street would be demolished for the new tower. The rest of the site has a parking lot.</p><p>Reilly said in his email that even if the zoning is amended, the developer still would have to pay for traffic signal improvements near Clark and Kinzie streets and next to the building’s proposed driveway if a study shows they are warranted. He asked constituents to provide feedback about the project in a survey.</p><p>The alderman could not be reached for further comment.</p><p>The revised zoning must be considered by the Chicago Plan Commission before going to the City Council for a vote.</p><p>With Chicago River frontage stretching from Clark to La Salle streets, the Reid Murdoch building has been a Chicago landmark since 1976. It’s known for its red brick façade and clock tower.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/3/20/23649113/developer-mixed-use-tower-in-river-north-chicago-hotel-residential-housingDavid Roeder2023-03-19T05:00:00-05:002023-03-20T20:04:10-05:00Chicago businesses adapt to COVID: ‘Agonizingly slow’ recovery 3 years after shutdown
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<img class="Image" alt="Brendan Schmidt (left), part of the family that runs Atlas Stationers, shows fountain pens to Hal Weir (center) and Chase Rigby, visitors from Austin, Texas." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/411eac2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4092x2297+0+576/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F18XPbGp46Cxqvq3TRQf2PnVfpVw%3D%2F0x0%3A4092x3379%2F4092x3379%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282204x1724%3A2205x1725%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24516058%2FAtlas_Stationers_Brendan.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/72076f9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4092x2297+0+576/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F18XPbGp46Cxqvq3TRQf2PnVfpVw%3D%2F0x0%3A4092x3379%2F4092x3379%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282204x1724%3A2205x1725%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24516058%2FAtlas_Stationers_Brendan.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275"
data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/411eac2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4092x2297+0+576/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F18XPbGp46Cxqvq3TRQf2PnVfpVw%3D%2F0x0%3A4092x3379%2F4092x3379%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282204x1724%3A2205x1725%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24516058%2FAtlas_Stationers_Brendan.JPG" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4="
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Brendan Schmidt (left), part of the family that runs Atlas Stationers, shows fountain pens to Hal Weir (center) and Chase Rigby, visitors from Austin, Texas.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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<p>Even on a bright day in the middle of a workweek, downtown Chicago can’t shake the gloom.</p><p>Prime corners in many places are vacant, and the surviving restaurants, if they’re smart, have window or sidewalk signs declaring themselves open. Except for the commuting or lunch rushes, any day can seem like a drowsy Sunday from before the pandemic hit, now three years ago.</p><p>The businesses are in a “long COVID” fight of their own. Some have changed their hours and competitive approaches. But few who run them are certain about the rhythms of urban life they depended on. The pandemic, while receding as a health threat, has had a lasting effect on where people want to work and, therefore, spend.</p><p>For Atlas Stationers, a family-run business in the Loop that dates from 1939, new thinking had to happen in short order. When the shutdown hit in March 2020 — three years ago this week — a business that served fully staffed offices around them found income down to zero overnight. So President Don Schmidt, with cajoling from sons Brian and Brendan, implemented a plan.</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
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<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2023/3/17/23633738/covid-pandemic-changed-lives-jessica-tapper-tamale-guy-brenda-parker-melissa-smejka-cso-kupchynsky" target="_blank" >These are some of the lives forever changed by COVID-19</a>
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<p>The store’s still at 227 W. Lake St., but visitors who haven’t been there for a while will do a double-take. They might remember its old look — stacked to the ceiling with notebooks and accordion files like an office supply warehouse. It now sparkles like a jewelry store, but not to show off rings and watches. Fancy fountain pens and stationery are on display.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Don Schmidt (right), president of Atlas Stationers, talks with David Oscarson, a designer of luxury fountain pens." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/780f018/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4630x2598+0+245/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FfWXKE1XMpdwlqguf5hXZ4YyUq8s%3D%2F0x0%3A4630x3087%2F4630x3087%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282315x1544%3A2316x1545%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24516080%2FAtlas_Stationers_Don.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d506009/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4630x2598+0+245/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FfWXKE1XMpdwlqguf5hXZ4YyUq8s%3D%2F0x0%3A4630x3087%2F4630x3087%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282315x1544%3A2316x1545%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24516080%2FAtlas_Stationers_Don.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Don Schmidt (right), president of Atlas Stationers, talks with David Oscarson, a designer of luxury fountain pens.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>They form the core of Atlas’ new business, 75% of which consists of online orders sent throughout the U.S. The store’s active social media presence encouraged interest in old-fashioned pen-and-paper writing that emerged as people with time at home took up hobbies, the Schmidts said.</p><p>Don Schmidt said it took a year for Atlas to reach its pre-pandemic revenue. Now, it’s doing three times that level of business and has added five staff members in recent weeks, bringing the total workforce to 16. </p><p>“I think that total is a peak for us,” Schmidt said.</p><p>The store itself has been redesigned to put fewer items on lower shelves with more attractive displays, catering to tourists and walk-ins who discovered its niche online. </p><p>“Saturdays have become our busiest day,” and the family looks forward to warmer weather bringing people to the Riverwalk near the store, Schmidt said.</p><p>He said the online presence makes even first-time visitors feel like they know the place. A sense of welcome and some in-store events can help retailers survive, Schmidt believes. At Atlas, in the middle of valuable floor space is a table where people can test pens and some of the store’s 600-plus ink colors, and Schmidt said people love it.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Customers browse products at Atlas Stationers, Inc. in the Loop, Thursday, March 16, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7720913/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5273x2959+0+278/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FvuVPc0eRo_Q3vhnO7jfOXQxyX20%3D%2F0x0%3A5273x3515%2F5273x3515%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282637x1758%3A2638x1759%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24518625%2FCOVIDLOOP_03XX23_14.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8521bb0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5273x2959+0+278/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FvuVPc0eRo_Q3vhnO7jfOXQxyX20%3D%2F0x0%3A5273x3515%2F5273x3515%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282637x1758%3A2638x1759%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24518625%2FCOVIDLOOP_03XX23_14.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Customers browse products at Atlas Stationers in the Loop last week.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
</figure>
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</div><p>He’s been able to track downtown’s comeback and how it differs from other areas. “You look at Fulton Market. That place is rocking. It’s packed,” mostly by younger people working from home, Schmidt said. “But the Loop itself, it’s better. It was empty, but it’s steady now.”</p><p>Like other merchants, Schmidt believes the old habit of five days in the office is gone. “I think the Monday, Friday [office visits] might be questionable for the foreseeable future,” he said.</p><p>Similarly, Mike Flanagan, chief growth officer at Chicago-based Arch Amenities Group, has found opportunities out of the pandemic but knows risks abound. His company is a private-equity-backed firm that has acquired weaker competitors in the business of handling workout rooms, lounges, coffee bars and other services for office landlords and hotels. It’s even set up bowling alleys and virtual golf simulators.</p><p>It has more than 400 sites around the country, including 52 in Chicago and another 10 in the suburbs. Flanagan said Chicago’s downtown recovery is ahead of those in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. But while office landlords think about how to make buildings more fun to draw users back, some are slow to commit to expensive work.</p><p>“What used to be a four-to-eight-month decision process has become two years,” he said. As a result, Arch has furloughed a few workers.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Pedestrians walk by a vacant storefront at 10 S. La Salle St. in December. City officials are looking at ways to revitalize the Loop." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/09e6ef5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FNXUeilXbYZawuEqZIVL0Qf-JTog%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24515915%2FLa_Salle_Street_vacancy.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8cbec67/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FNXUeilXbYZawuEqZIVL0Qf-JTog%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24515915%2FLa_Salle_Street_vacancy.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Pedestrians walk by a vacant storefront at 10 S. La Salle St. in December. City officials are looking at ways to revitalize the Loop.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>Flanagan said improving amenities can cost a building $25 million to $30 million. Often, office building owners face an expensive call of whether to convert ground-floor space that ordinarily commands high rents into a tenant amenity, he said.</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://www.kastle.com/safety-wellness/getting-america-back-to-work/#" target="_blank" >Weekly data from Kastle Systems</a>, which tracks the comings and goings in buildings where it has security equipment, has shown that starting in late January, around 50% of downtown Chicago office workers were in the space daily. The proportion has increased just slightly in recent months, marking a rebound that Michael Edwards, head of the Chicago Loop Alliance, has called “agonizingly slow.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
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</ul>
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<p>A key component of downtown life, the hotels, have fared better and anticipate more bookings as convention business picks up through the year. With tourism this summer also expected to improve, hotels are slowly raising average rates, according to data from research firm STR as provided by the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association.</p><p>But things might not get back to pre-pandemic normalcy for at least two more years, said Michael Jacobson, the association’s president and CEO.</p><p>Broader measures of the economy show its resilience and the stabilizing effect of federal government aid. They also show that a job, even if it is work from home, is still a job. State government’s <a class="Link" href="https://ides.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/ides/labor_market_information/where_workers_work/2022.pdf" target="_blank" >annual count of private sector employment found</a> that through March 2022, there had been little overall change in job totals in Chicago’s central area since 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.</p><p>Overall, Chicago remains slightly below its pre-pandemic record of 1.2 million private sector jobs in 2019, the data shows.</p><p>Other research by the <a class="Link" href="https://illinoisepi.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/ilepi-pmcr-the-impact-of-covid-on-illinois-workers-final.pdf" target="_blank" >labor-backed Illinois Economic Policy Institute</a> covering job growth or decline through 2021 showed that most post-pandemic gains were in high-paying occupations that could be done remotely in such areas as management and financial services. Occupations that fell the most included administrative support roles, as well as in restaurants and similar food services, all jobs tied to being at a site.</p><p>Meantime, while some business leaders push for at least a part-time return to office work, many staffers resist, still choosing a couch over a workstation. It might not matter if the office has free pizza. Preference for remote work could even benefit suburban office buildings, where brokers report an increase in leasing activity by companies tempting workers with a shorter commute.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Atlas Stationers, Inc., located at 227 W. Lake St. in the Loop, is seen in this photo, Thursday, March 16, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fec9f5b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4800x2694+0+253/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FBfgVWnxWI-BHmhfVtOih9I1iekY%3D%2F0x0%3A4800x3200%2F4800x3200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282400x1600%3A2401x1601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24518628%2FCOVIDLOOP_03XX23_1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4fa65f2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4800x2694+0+253/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FBfgVWnxWI-BHmhfVtOih9I1iekY%3D%2F0x0%3A4800x3200%2F4800x3200%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282400x1600%3A2401x1601%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24518628%2FCOVIDLOOP_03XX23_1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Atlas Stationers storefront at 227 W. Lake St. in the Loop.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>Whether more downtown workers return could depend on worries about crime, said Atlas Stationers’ Schmidt. He said that during the unrest after the police murder of George Floyd, his store’s windows were smashed, but nothing was taken. <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-cta-riders-on-delays-safety-filth-smoking/00289237-4e60-4d9a-b355-8923fe433449" target="_blank" >A survey by WBEZ</a> showed riders cited crime, unreliable service and filth as reasons for not using the CTA more often.</p><p>To revive downtown, “it comes down to crime and taxes,” said Arch Amenities’ Flanagan.</p><p>Schmidt and Flanagan both favor city-led efforts to bring more residences downtown, such as with a program to offer developers incentives to improve the La Salle Street corridor. It could take unfashionable office layouts off the market but requires expensive renovations. But there’s nothing rah-rah in their outlook, just realism.</p><p>“I don’t think the city has an alternative,” Schmidt said.</p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/3/19/23643986/covid-19-chicago-business-adapt-recoveryDavid Roeder2023-03-18T10:46:30.599-05:002023-03-22T12:47:44-05:00United Center concessions workers win new contract after walkout
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<img class="Image" alt="Concessions workers picket in front of the United Center during a one-day strike for a Chicago Bulls game March 5. The union has approved a new deal." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1b14c6f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3367+0+316/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FWNc2fMi7uSfrsAfr6TszNqvAkFU%3D%2F0x0%3A6000x4000%2F6000x4000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283000x2000%3A3001x2001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24518533%2Fuc_PICKET.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3e6fe88/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3367+0+316/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FWNc2fMi7uSfrsAfr6TszNqvAkFU%3D%2F0x0%3A6000x4000%2F6000x4000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283000x2000%3A3001x2001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24518533%2Fuc_PICKET.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Concessions workers picket in front of the United Center during a one-day strike for a Chicago Bulls game March 5. The union has approved a new deal.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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<p>Concessions workers at the United Center have overwhelmingly ratified a contract that their union said establishes new standards in wages and benefits for stadium employees.</p><p>Unite Here Local 1 said the contract expands health insurance coverage, provides higher wages and introduces a pension plan. It said concessions contractor Levy will contribute 50 cents per each worker’s hour to a union-run pension plan.</p><p>The union said 98% of workers voting on the contract approved it Friday night. It did not provide a count of the “yes” or “no” votes. Local 1 represents about 700 United Center employees who serve food and drinks and clean the arena.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-floatRight>
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</div><p>“To have health insurance through my employer means that I will now be able to go to the doctor and get the medical care needed without having to spend $400 a month out of pocket for private insurance,” Jamie O’Neill, a worker for 30 seasons at the United Center, said in a union-issued statement. </p><p>The agreement expires June 30, 2025, replacing a contract that expired in 2020 but was extended during the pandemic.</p><p>The union said wages will rise up to $4.50 per hour and up to $6.60 per hour by Jan. 1, 2025. It said workers also would get paid parental leave and the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth as paid holidays.</p><p>The workers had authorized an open-ended strike and on March 5 staged a one-day walkout that limited food and beverage service at a Chicago Bulls game. The strike threat <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/3/8/23630320/united-here-union-contract-united-center-big-ten-tournament" target="_blank" >loomed over the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament</a> at the United Center last week until a tentative deal was announced March 12.</p><p>The expanded health coverage involves giving staff eligibility for hours worked at Guaranteed Rate Field and Wrigley Field, where Levy also has contracts.</p><p>“We reached an agreement with Unite Here Local 1 that benefited our team members, which was our goal from the onset,” said a spokesperson for Levy, which is part of Compass Group. She said the company fended off several union demands, including that it contribute to a union-run health fund for workers in hotels, an industry in which Local 1 has a large membership. </p><p>Local 1 President Karen Kent said the workers achieved their goals by sticking together. “Their deep commitment to their principles, to one another and to their union inspires all of us,” she said.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/3/18/23646241/united-center-concessions-workers-approve-contract-pension-wage-hikesDavid Roeder