“Retail district” sounds ambitious, but a healthy smattering of small shops and a few restaurants aren’t out of the question. Wilson Avenue west of Broadway hasn’t exactly turned into Oak Street, but it certainly has turned a corner. So has Clark Street just to the north, where Andersonville has pushed south of Foster, but up there, a giant utility facility, a cemetery and other necessary obstructions will arrest development.

I’m wary of endorsing locations, but my guess is that anyone who buys on these blocks in this down market will probably see a nice return as the pocket comes around.

That stretch of Clark is not going to be Southport.

Now on Southport or a similar “walkable” street I would detest that building. Even on Clark it strikes me as rather “suburban” looking.

That being said right there are no “sidestreets” there for people to park on. At least on the west side of the street.

It will likely draw the type of commercial where people drive in and out with rapid turnover. Maybe a Kwikee Mart to celebrate the Simpsons movie.

I generally loath the suburban type strip malls with no residential above. Near me there are several. SW Corner of Montrose and Clark is a perfect example. Blech!

Another larger montrosity is across from the Uptown Post office on the 4900 block of Broadway. Horrible waste of residential above commercial potential.

Realistically, there has to be some places in the city with parking out front of retail. I prefer it like that with residential above than just the retail.

In a perfect city we would have a world class public transportation system and people would walk and bike. This ain’t the Netherlands

I wish it was. Plus I dig 5′10″ blonde women. Don’t ask whether they “dig” me.

Parking in front usually just rapes the urban fabric. and draws a different type of street-level usage.

The only thing that takes some of the sting out of this is that there’s no real possibility of a viable retail district on this stretch of Clark St, so this won’t be as damaging as it might be elsewhere.

It’s a horrible compromise. I’m not saying don’t have any parking (although some of Chicago’s most successful retail districts have nothing but street parking, how about them apples?) but don’t put them between the pedestrian and the store.

it has commercial space. Seems to me it needs to have some parking up front. From the rendering it seems the parking for the condos will be accessed from the back.

Not a bad compromise.

Vis Vitae is across the street from Carol’s – Carol’s is on the southeast corner of Clark and Leland. I’ve been there many (too many?) times. My impression is that it’s a lot less rough than it used to be – it’s mostly hipsters in there these days.