Gentrification speading from Core: South Side & West Side (Chicago: condos, crime)

[edsg25]

When it comes to gentrication and redevelopment on the South Side and the West Side, it seems largely a product of spreading out from the downtown core. Thus South Side growth reaches siouth to McCormick Place and Chinatown and arguably into Bridgeport and Bronzeville. On the West Side, such develOpment reaches the Medical Center and the Unied Center.

My question here is this: where do you see gentrification continuing on these two sides? Do you see redevelopment spreading southward from the newly minted McCormick Square neIghborhood, arguabLy down to Hyde Park, this being prime lakefront location with already redeveloping lake shore parks and improving lakefront access. On the West Side, the gap from the UC/med ctr to Oak Park city limits isn't that far; wIll it too fill in? How about the Southwest Side? What do you see happening from Pilsen to Midway?

Chicago's downtown core remains one of the most dynamic and growing. How does that bode for future south and west redelopment?

[emathias]

Originally Posted by edsg25

When it comes to gentrication and redevelopment on the South Side and the West Side, it seems largely a product of spreading out from the downtown core. Thus South Side growth reaches siouth to McCormick Place and Chinatown and arguably into Bridgeport and Bronzeville. On the West Side, such develOpment reaches the Medical Center and the Unied Center.

My question here is this: where do you see gentrification continuing on these two sides? Do you see redevelopment spreading southward from the newly minted McCormick Square neIghborhood, arguabLy down to Hyde Park, this being prime lakefront location with already redeveloping lake shore parks and improving lakefront access. On the West Side, the gap from the UC/med ctr to Oak Park city limits isn't that far; wIll it too fill in? How about the Southwest Side? What do you see happening from Pilsen to Midway?

Chicago's downtown core remains one of the most dynamic and growing. How does that bode for future south and west redelopment?

Bronzeville seems to finally be holding steady and slowly re-populating. It has a long road ahead of it, but it seems to be on the path. Because it is missing a lot of infrastructure, it will turn more slowly than areas like Bridgeport that have largely intact infrastructure. But I think it will turn.

On the West Side, the area between the United Center and Western is already showing conversion. East Garfield Park will eventually turn, although how quickly will largely depend on jobs in the Loop and the Medical Center. McKinley Park is sort of at the point where it's treading water, but if Bridgeport and Pilsen prices continue to climb, McKinley Park will solidify. It has decent intact infrastructure and arguably better 'L' access than Bridgeport, plus the park there is beautiful. These edge areas depend a lot on the crime stats. If CPD can get crime back to trending downward it will do a lot to keep gentrification edging outward. If crime continues to climb, it will concentrate people in "known safe" areas, slowing gentrification, but densifying the existing central areas, which has its own benefits.

[MillennialUrbanist]

Originally Posted by emathias

Bronzeville seems to finally be holding steady and slowly re-populating. It has a long road ahead of it, but it seems to be on the path. Because it is missing a lot of infrastructure, it will turn more slowly than areas like Bridgeport that have largely intact infrastructure. But I think it will turn.

How so? Bronzeville seems to have plenty of infrastructure. There are historic buildings, there's a Metra Electric station, there's the Green Line, there are parks and the lakefront. What's exactly missing?

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by MillennialUrbanist

How so? Bronzeville seems to have plenty of infrastructure. There are historic buildings, there's a Metra Electric station, there's the Green Line, there are parks and the lakefront. What's exactly missing?

Lots of old housing is missing. That explains all the vacant lots.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

Lots of old housing is missing. That explains all the vacant lots.

This. Housing.

[MillennialUrbanist]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

Lots of old housing is missing. That explains all the vacant lots.

Oh I see. I thought "infrastructure" only referred to road and rail, utilities, and public venues. But this makes sense. The only bad part about the new construction is that it will most likely be those generic red brick condos, a far cry from ornate limestone facades you see all over Kenwood and Hyde Park (that presumably used to exist in Bronzeville too).

[OyCrumbler]

I think it'll spread at a steady but fairly slow pace as development slowly oozes out from the Loop and a lot of money is concentrated on development or redevelopment of the north and northwest. I feel this is a case of needing infrastructure investment to guide more development on the West and South Side and feel that the portion of Crossrails Chicago that converts part of Metra to frequent rapid transit like service to be key to this especially in linking Hyde Park. A combination of that, allowing Chicagoans to board South Shore Line trains under CTA fares and re-extending the Green Line branch back to 63rd Street to connect with the 63rd St rapid transit-ized 63rd St Metra Electric station would probably drive a lot of development.

[Tonytime224]

With the Pilsen boom currently going I'm thinking that it'll spread into Little Village. Little Village's 26th street generates nearly a billion dollars a year alone, second in Chicago to Michigan Avenue and I think gentrification in Pilsen will spread into Little Village

[compactspace]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

I think it'll spread at a steady but fairly slow pace as development slowly oozes out from the Loop and a lot of money is concentrated on development or redevelopment of the north and northwest. I feel this is a case of needing infrastructure investment to guide more development on the West and South Side and feel that the portion of Crossrails Chicago that converts part of Metra to frequent rapid transit like service to be key to this especially in linking Hyde Park. A combination of that, allowing Chicagoans to board South Shore Line trains under CTA fares and re-extending the Green Line branch back to 63rd Street to connect with the 63rd St rapid transit-ized 63rd St Metra Electric station would probably drive a lot of development.

This.

IMO, the places to gentrify will be Bronzeville south to Hyde Park, Pilsen, Little Village, Humboldt Park. I really don't think EGP is going to gentrify any time soon, sadly.

[JTE1969]

I wish with gentrification I could get a 2 bdr 900 sq ft apt for $750, but I guess that's not happening.