Despite its undeniable audacity and importance, I have trouble working up much interest in the plans to revitalize the South Works site.
I can’t get myself past the gnawing feeling that this will be a long-running, costly failure and, for that, an embarrassment to the city. I suspect that whatever success it achieves will come at the direct expense of other South Side neighborhoods, many of which are already in desperate shape. I wish it weren’t so, but I can’t realistically imagine any other outcome.
Meanwhile, Curbed Chicago presents McCaffery Interests’ video invitation to imagine a more positive future for South Works. Head over to Curbed to check it out.
This almost strikes me as a case of central planning. I wonder if perhaps the city shouldn’t be deciding what should or shouldn’t be there. If nothing else the developers might want to decide what goes here. Perhaps that vast tract of land should be nothing but park space.
I’d focus on putting more institutions (health, recreation, educational) on the site first. That would draw people in to fix up existing housing and build on the many half-vacant blocks already there. Building hundreds of homes without community institutions or anchors won’t draw anyone to the area. Park space is fine with me, especially when home buying and building is at such a low point.