CCAC eNews
September 2014
CCAC eNews is the monthly newsletter of the Chicago Central Area Committee. For more information about the CCAC or to inquire about membership, please contact Kelly O'Brien at (312) 602-5148 or kobrien@ccac.org.
CCAC Calendar Updates!
Please take note of the following important changes to the CCAC meeting calendar:
  • The November meeting date has been changed to Thursday, November 13;
  • The November host and location have been chaned to Bryan Cave LLP, 161 North Clark Street, Suite 4300, Chicago, IL
  • The December host and location have been changed to Sidley Austin LLP, 1 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL.
Download the revised CCAC calendar for full meeting details

Download the Revised Calendar (PDF)
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Let us feature your newsworthy organizational stories here in CCAC eNews.Send them to Kelly O'Brien at (312) 602-5148 or kobrien@ccac.org.
CCAC Hears from US Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District at September Monthly Lunch
The CCAC would like to thank the US Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District for hosting the September 9 lunch meeting at District headquarters in downtown Chicago. Members greatly enjoyed hearing a presentation on the history and regional activities of the Corps from Col. Christopher T. Drew, Chicago District Commander, Lt. Col. Kevin J. Lovell, Deputy Commander, and Roy Deda, Deputy for Project Management.
The Chicago District is defined by the presence of the major waterways of the Chicago region, and is part of the larger Great Lakes & Ohio River Division. The District has four main business lines: Flood Risk Management; Ecosystem Restoration; Navigable Waterway Management; and Support to Civil Authorities (Disaster Relief). Highlights of activities include:
Flood Risk Management
  • McCook Reservoir—When finished, the reservoir will collect combined sewer spillover prior to treatment.
  • Chicago Shoreline Restoration—Restoration of nine miles of original timber cribs on south and north sides to avoid flooding and encroachment, using stair-step revetments of concrete and steel instead of traditional rubble mounds.
Ecosystem Restoration
  • Bubbly Creek—A potential project on the south branch of the Chicago River to mitigate organic waste leftover from the stockyard years.
  • Northerly Island—A part of the Chicago Park District’s 2010 Framework Plan, the Corps restored wet prairie, ponds, and emergent marsh, including habitats for fish, insects, birds, small animals.
  • Jackson Park—Also in in partnership with CPD, the Corps created marsh, meadow, savannah, and woodland.
Navigable Waterway Management
  • Chicago Lock Rehabilitation—The Corps built a new lock house, gates, and breakwaters, and works closely with MWRD in emergency situations to backflow the lock into Lake Michigan to avoid flooding in downtown Chicago.
  • Chicago Loop Flood—The Corps worked with the City of Chicago to plug the breach in the old utility system that led to basement flooding in downtown Chicago in 1992 that caused $1 billion in damage, and used FEMA monies to de-flood tunnels.
  • The Corps is also involved in the mitigation of invasive species including Asian Carp.
In general, every $1 dollar of investment by the Corps prevents $6 in potential damage. Since 1986, the Corps is required to have a cost-sharing partner for major projects. Typically a 50/50 cost-share is required for feasibility, with a 35% match required for construction. Cost of real estate can count for the non-federal share.
In addition, the Corps needs private-sector partners to accomplish its work (including in the areas of architectural engineering and design, horizontal construction, vertical construction in a limited amount, dredging, and the purchase/rental/leasing of supplies.)
Annually, about half of all Corps contracts are set aside for or have gone to small businesses. The District intends to bid out approximately $100-$115 million in 2015. Opportunities can be found on the Federal Business Opportunities website (https://www.fbo.gov/) using the Chicago District’s keyword, “W912P6”. Members can also contact Regina Blair, chief of Contracting, at 312-846-5371. Women Owned Businesses (WBOs) are particularly sought in order to meet WBO set-aside goals.
CCAC Invited to Participate in Planning Charrette on Future of Old Cook County Hospital Site
In August, Cook County President Tony Preckwinkle officially invited CCAC to participate in "Unlocking the Value", a planning charrette to help determine the future of the decommissioned Cook County Hospital building and its surrounding site. Through the charrette process, the County seeks to uncover viable concepts that leverage existing site assets to build value through development and potential re-use. CCAC was invited to participated based upon our strong track record of success involving previous charrette efforts including last summer's IMD Charrette (see the January 2014 eNews) and this year's Gary Airport charrette (see the May 2014 and June 2014 editions of eNews.)
In response, CCAC convened a charrette team comprised of leaders from member organizations and other partners including:
  • Mike Szkatulski (RMC International)
  • Adair Schwartz (Cushman Wakefield)
  • Erik Andersen and Tyler Meyr (Forum Studio);
  • Michael McMurray and Zygmont Boxer (Globetrotters Engineering Company);
  • Adam D’Auguste and Richard Rodriguez (Lend Lease);
  • Gordon Soderlund (Lend Lease Healthcare);
  • Gina Berndt, Tom Kasznia, Thomas Mozina, Jim Giebelhausen, and Ralph Johnson (Perkins+Will);
  • Andrew Moddrell and Brandon Biederman (PORT Architecture).
On Tuesday, September 23, team representatives presented initial ideas at a public kick-off forum held at Hektoen Auditorium on the Stroger Hospital Campus. The CCAC team will make a final presentation detailing  a comprehensive program of ideas for the site at a public reception to be hosted by the Chicago Architecture Foundation on Tuesday evening, October 7. Details of CCAC's submission will be featured in the October 2014 eNews.
CCAC Convenes Stakeholder Steering Committee to Further Examine Central Area Connector Proposal
As a result of strong interest expressed at the July 16 Central Area Transportation Workshop, CCAC has convened a stakeholder Steering Committee comprised of private, institutional, and civic leaders to further examine the Central Area Connector proposal. The Connector is a proposal for a new transit service to ameliorate access issues affecting Navy Pier, the West Loop, and Museum Campus, and is an idea inspired by City of Chicago’s 1990s plan for a downtown circulator.
Organizations serving on the Steering Committee currently include the Center for Neighborhood Technology, The Field Museum, The Habitat Company, Hines, LVD Architecture, McCaffery Interests, RMC International, SOAR, SB Friedman Development Advisors, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Streeterville Properties, and the UIC Urban Transportation Center, as well as transportation consultants Ed Zotti and Mark Walbrun, and others. The Committee is currently considering a White Paper, to be written within the next three to six months, to elaborate the Connector proposal in greater detail. 
If you are interested in serving on the Connector Steering Committee, please contact Kelly O'Brien at 312-602-5148 or kobrien@ccac.org.
SAVE THE DATE: Next CCAC Meeting Is Tuesday, October 14
Join us on Tuesday, October 14, for a presentation on UI Labs with Lawrence B. Schook, PhD, Vice President for Research, University of Illinois

UI LABS is an independent, not-for-profit research, training, and commercialization corporation that spun out of the University of Illinois. UI LABS leverages the collective assets of the University and the city in order to tackle big technological challenges through applied research, while offering opportunities for students and faculty to work in a highly collaborative environment. The University of Illinois partnered with a UI LABS consortium of more than 500 partners and supporting organizations and was awarded a $70 million Department of Defense grant to establish the Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation Institute (DMDII). In total, over $320 million in private and public funding was raised. Research conducted at the DMDII is anticipated to create thousands of jobs in advanced manufacturing, enhancing the competitiveness of the U.S. economy and generating billions of dollars of value for the U.S. industrial base. UI LABS and the DMDII will move into a 94,000 square foot facility on Chicago’s Goose Island in early 2015. 

 
 
 

DATE:

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

 

TIME:

Noon—1:30 p.m.

 

LOCATION:

University of Illinois at Chicago
UIC Student Center East
Cardinal Room, 3rd Floor
750 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60607 (map)

 

HOSTS:

Michael Redding
Executive Associate Chancellor of Public and Government Affairs
University of Illinois at Chicago

Martha Gutierrez
Senior Director
Office of Public and Government Affairs
University of Illinois at Chicago

 
 RSVP TO:
(312) 602-5148
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