Chicago Central Area Action Plan Message from the Mayor
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DRAFT DECEMBER 2008 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHICAGO CENTRAL AREA ACTION PLAN MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR <<LETTER TO BE ADDED>> Chicago Central Area ACTION Plan December 2008 Page ES-1 Draft GREAT PLANS FOR A GREAT CITY n the City of “Make No Little Plans,” tinued well into the mid-2000s. Dra- Ithe legacy continues. In 2003, the matic growth continues in all sectors, City adopted the Central Area Plan in reinforcing the image of Chicago on response to the remarkable transfor- the world stage as a great place to mation of Downtown Chicago over work, live, learn and play. the last 20 years. It was the fi rst plan This exciting expansion is expected for Downtown produced by the City to continue for many years to come. since 1958, and it detailed the Central However, a number of critical proj- Area’s potential for growth over the ects are necessary to support this tra- next two decades. jectory, and this Central Area Action Under Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Plan provides the next step toward leadership, the extraordinary times realizing the vision and goals of the for Chicago’s Central Area have con- 2003 Plan. Image ES-1: Central Loop and West Loop Page ES-2 Executive Summary Draft THE PLANNING PROCESS his Central Area Action Plan is the The City of Chicago Department of Tproduct of a 12-month planning Planning and Development (DPD), in and prioritization effort by a broad consultation with the Department of group of dedicated Chicagoans. Transportation, provided direction for Mayor Daley assembled a Steering the planning project and coordinated Committee of 29 business and civic the development of the Plan with leaders to create an actionable plan other government agencies includ- to achieve the vision defi ned in the ing the Department of the Environ- 2003 Central Area Plan. The Cen- ment, Chicago Transit Authority, the tral Area Action Plan is the result of Chicago Park District and Chicago the Committee’s work and extensive Public Schools. Major stakeholders input from three Task Forces that in the public and private sectors were addressed Land Use and Economic consulted throughout the planning Development; Transportation and In- process. frastructure; and Urban Design, Wa- terfront, and Open Space. Figure ES-1: Subdistricts Subdistricts The City of Chicago’s Department North of Planning and Development di- vides the Central Area into twelve Cabrini Near planning subdistricts. In some cases Halsted Area North the policies and projects contained within the Action Plan are located Chicago entirely in a single subdistrict; how- River North ever, in most cases, the projects Streeterville span several subdistricts. Detailed recommendations for each of these Lake subdistricts are provided in the Near West Central Action Plan Report organized in West Loop Loop North, Central and South districts. Ashland Congress South Loop South- Roosevelt west Loop River South River Near South China- town Interstate 55 Chicago Central Area ACTION Plan December 2008 Page ES-3 Draft DEVELOPMENT GROWTH AND BENCHMARKS his Central Area Action Plan pro- Table ES-1: Annual Growth Benchmarks by Sector, 2008-2020 Tvides a road map for the con- Base Case Opportunity tinued implementation of the 2003 Scenario Scenario Central Area Plan. This Plan envisions Population 5,400 6,400 that the Central Area will expand its Employment 6,000 9,400 role as the core of the regional econ- Office (SF) 1,600,000 2,200,000 omy and a center for cultural and rec- Retail (SF) 250,000 350,000 Residential (Units) 3,300 3,900 reational amenities. Student Housing 150 180 In general, the development bench- Hotel (Rooms) 600 700 marks that the 2003 Plan was based upon were met or exceeded. Resi- of the Central Area if the policies and bonds people to place. dential development far surpassed projects of the Plan are implemented. Through the year 2020, the Central expectations. More retail space, hotel The Plan recognizes that transporta- Area has the potential to add an an- rooms, student housing, and cultural tion improvements are the foundation nual average of 2.2 million square feet facilities were added to the Central for expanding employment, growing of offi ce space, 350,000 square feet of Area than projected, and offi ce devel- the residential population, accommo- retail space, 3,900 housing units, 180 opment was on target. dating more tourists, bringing more dormitory beds, and 700 hotel rooms. New development benchmarks for shoppers, and supporting more stu- This development pace will be ac- 2020 are defi ned in this plan. The dents. Meanwhile, sustainable urban companied by growth in employment, base-case scenario assumes that pres- design, open space, and waterfront population, and visitation. ent trends continue, and an opportu- improvements must continue to en- nity scenario envisions the potential hance the attractive environment that Image ES-2: Millennium Park Page ES-4 Executive Summary Draft ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE POLICIES ine land use and economic de- portation and Urban Design policies Nvelopment policies are outlined and projects that follow enable Chi- to support growth in the region and cago to attain these economic devel- Chicago’s Central Area. The Trans- opment goals. Maintain Chicago’s Position as the Economic Engine of the Region While Expanding its Global Reach. Total employment in the Central To reach this potential the Central Area is estimated to reach between Area must maintain its majority mar- 750,000 and 817,000 by 2020. These ket share of regional offi ce growth by employment estimates represent an continuing to invest in transit and by increase of 19% to 25%, respectively, strengthening its unique competitive over 20 years, or an average growth advantage of access to the knowl- rate of 6,000 to 9,400 jobs per year edge-based workforce. Further, po- (0.9% to 1.3% annually). tential offi ce sites in the Central Loop and West Loop must be preserved for employment-generating uses. Image ES-3: New High Rise Residential Support the Continued Pace and Density of Residential Growth to Enhance Urban Vibrancy and Fully Utilize the Existing Urban Infrastructure. From 2000 to 2007, the population Zoning Ordinance that went into ef- of the Central Area grew by nearly fect in the Downtown districts in No- 54,000 to reach approximately vember 2004 must be maintained to 165,500, and population projec- enable the growth projections upon tions for 2020 range from 231,000 which this Plan is premised. to 252,000. Densities in the Chicago Image ES-4: Riverfront development along the North Branch Chicago Central Area ACTION Plan December 2008 Page ES-5 Draft ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE POLICIES Create Sustainable Development with Cutting-Edge Environmental Practices and Innovative “Green” Building Techniques. Implementation of environmentally modes. Key policies include encour- responsible practices will continue aging compliance with green building Chicago’s role as a leader in sustain- standards for building construction able urban design. Sustainable land and neighborhood development, use and economic development prac- designing and implementing sustain- tices will promote an effi cient plan for able infrastructure, concentrating de- Image ES-5: Dearborn Center Green Roof infrastructure growth, conserve ener- velopment along high-use corridors gy, reduce materials consumed, miti- and transit lines, promoting the use gate negative environmental impacts of public transit or other alternate such as air pollution or storm water modes, and designing walkable, runoff, reduce automobile trips, and mixed-use environments. encourage alternate transportation Enhance Parks, Corridors and Waterfronts for Residents, Workers, Students and Visitors. Key projects will expand the amount tail, hotel, institutional and offi ce—will of open space to keep pace with the benefi t from high quality streetscap- needs of Central Area patrons. All ing, waterfront and parks projects. development sectors—residential, re- Image 6: Navy Pier Page ES-6 Executive Summary Draft Better Connect Visitors, Residents and Businesses to the World through O’Hare and Midway Airports as well as the Regional Rail Network. Express train service to O’Hare and improvements in and around Union Midway airports, continuation of Station will enhance Chicago’s inter- airport expansion programs, and national and regional gateways. Strengthen Chicago’s Ties to the North American Economy Through Effi cient Freight Delivery. Chicago’s role as the largest inland rush-hour passenger capacity and international container port in North effi cient freight movement. It is vital America must be protected, and Chi- to continue to improve viaducts and cago’s global competitiveness must roadways that accommodate freight be maintained with railroad enhance- movement. Requiring off-peak deliv- ments. In partnerships with State and ery hours and encouraging loading Federal initiatives and the CREATE zone management will improve the program, Chicago can reduce con- effi ciency and minimize impacts of fl icts with Metra trains to ensure both freight delivery. Image ES-7: West Loop Transportation Center December 2008 Page ES-7 Draft Invest in an Effective Transit System to Support the Growth that is Envisioned by the Plan. The connection between transit and projects with priority for capacity economic development is clear. enhancements. Signal upgrades, Investments in transit are essential passenger information systems, to maintain and grow the Central continued station modernization, Area’s role as the economic engine CTA line extensions, intermodal of Chicago, the region, and the (train to bus) facilities, and dedicated Midwest. This Action Plan identifi es transitways are among the necessary very specifi c transit needs and projects. Frame a City/State Capital Investment Plan Supplemented by Private Participation. The nearly $20 billion in capital ex- opment tool, this Action Plan recom- penditures identifi ed in the Central mends a number of policies related to Area Action Plan will require funding the use of TIF revenues.