South Streeterville Neighborhood Design Initiative

Commonly referred to as "the Big Picture in South Streeterville", this effort is focused on bringing a cohesive look and sense of place to the south Streeterville area and streetscape.  Led by Alderman Reilly with the direct support of SOAR, this effort brings together interested individuals from the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association (GNMAA), the Streeterville Chamber of Commerce, the City's Planning Department and Department of Transportation as well as local developers.

The project began with an initial vision meeting to determine the target look and feel for the south part of the neighborhood.  Early on the group determined that the look and feel should embrace the cutting edge aspects of contemporary design, be eco-friendly, spark interest, and incorporate water as a theme.

The vision phase was continued with a developer charette in which all of the south Streeterville developers along with their building architects and landscape architects came together to develop ideas for the most challenging parts of the area.  A summary of this effort is available.

The next step is to translate the visionary into that which can be implemented.  An Idea Book is being developed to highlight potential options for various components of the design (e.g., lighting fixtures, bicycle racks, etc.)  In concert, streetscape sketchings are being prepared to highlight how potential ideas can be incorporated into the streetscape.  The intent is to create a nearly 3-D rendering of the vision for use with developers, city planners and government officials.

If you are interested in more information or are interested in participating in this initiative, please contact SOAR's Neighbors Action Task Force.