Aon observatory delayed again, downtown condo-buying boom + more news

Plan to build $185 million observation deck and thrill ride atop the Aon Center is delayed, again: "There's a second delay in the project to add a $185 million observation deck and thrill ride to the top of the Aon Center. The office tower's owner, 601W Cos., initially planned to start building the tourist attraction overlooking Millennium Park in fall 2020. The latest delay means the observatory won’t break ground until next year, Aon Center general manager Matt Amato said." (Chicago Tribune)

Reopening frenzy could fuel downtown condo-buying binge: "Slammed by the twin crises of 2020—the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people to work at home and the spasms of social unrest—the condo market in the Loop and adjacent neighborhoods was left behind in the big surge of homebuying and fast-rising home prices that has characterized the real estate market in the first half of 2021. Inventory swelled and prices dropped downtown—the opposite of what was happening virtually everywhere else in the Chicago area. Now, as Chicagoans and out-of-towners rediscover the many downtown delights that were closed or curtailed for more than a year, the homebuying opportunities near all those pleasures haven't been better in at least a decade." (Crain's Chicago Business)

FAA seeks public comments on $2.2 billion O'Hare Global Terminal project designed by Studio Gang: "The Federal Aviation Administration is scrutinizing Chicago's monumental plan to build a new global terminal at O'Hare International Airport, punch a hole in its west side and add two new concourses. The review will assess whether the proposal is likely to significantly affect the environment—and you have an opportunity to chime in. Comments from the public are being accepted now through July 9. The result could trigger a more detailed environmental impact statement or the FAA could conclude there's no significant issues." (Daily Herald)

Opinion: Planned demolition of modernist Cenacle Sisters Retreat and Conference Center in Lincoln Park exposes weaknesses in Chicago's landmark laws: "The Catholic order that owns the complex has applied for a permit to demolish and redevelop the campus. The matter landed before landmarks commissioners last week because the retreat sits in the city's Mid-North Landmark District. But commission members voted to allow demolition. Not that they were especially happy about it. Several commissioners expressed discomfort at losing this neighborhood gem. One uttered the forlorn, not-entirely-convincing hope that maybe some of the stunning brickwork could be saved." (Chicago Sun-Time)

The city has received applications to build more than 160 ADUs. Will they help solve Chicago’s affordable housing shortage? "Applications to build coach houses, basement units, and attic apartments poured in during the first month of a pilot program in Chicago, as the addition of units became legal in the city for the first time in nearly 65 years... The results of the pilot program over the next three years will determine whether and how additional dwelling units, known as ADUs, will be expanded, or whether the program will be scrapped." (Chicago Tribune)

State tax breaks could help developer break ground on 495-foot rental tower at 900 W. Randolph this summer: "On May 31, the last day of the spring legislative session, state lawmakers passed a sweeping housing bill with property tax incentives for developers that set aside some units in their projects for low- to moderate-income residents. One Chicago builder, Related Midwest, already is pushing to break ground this summer on a 43-story apartment tower in the Fulton Market District that could receive tax relief under the bill." (Crain's Chicago Business)

Up to 200 birds die crashing into McCormick Place each night. Turning off some of the lights could help save them: "Turning out half the lights at McCormick Place could result in a nearly 60 percent drop in birds crashing into the windows and dying during migratory season, a new analysis found. David Willard, the collections manager emeritus at the Field Museum, spent more than 40 years investigating bird collisions at the famous convention center. A newly published study using decades of data shows that on nights when half the windows at McCormick Place were dark, there were 11 times fewer bird collisions during the spring migration season and six times fewer collisions during the fall migration." (Block Club Chicago)

Lakeview's Tenenbaum True Value Hardware store closing after 98 years, to be replaced by five-story development with 33 apartments: "After nearly a century of personalized service to its Lakeview neighbors, including emergency deliveries to Wrigley Field, Tenenbaum True Value Hardware is preparing to shut down and sell its Belmont Avenue store... [The owners] have a deal to sell the single-story building at 1138 W. Belmont Ave. to Chicago developer SNS Realty Group. They declined to say how much they'll receive in the sale, which is contingent on SNS securing zoning approval for its plan to erect a five-story apartment building with retail on the site. (Chicago Tribune)

Chicago skyline to be illuminated red in honor of Juneteenth—now an official Illinois state holiday: "Chicago's skyline will light up in red later this week in honor of Juneteenth, the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County announced, calling it historic. Juneteenth commemorates the date in 1865 when the last enslaved Black people in the U.S. learned from Union soldiers in Texas that they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The day is also known as Emancipation Day and Freedom Day." (NBC 5 Chicago)