The company went on to contact the Audobon Society and swear off loudspeakers. Damen Ave.īut traffic wasn’t the only concern among neighbors, some of whom pressed the Drive Shack team about noise, light, bird safety and river banks.Īltamiranda, of Drive Shack, said the site’s year-round polyester netting would be netted so tightly that birds would be unable to get stuck or fly through they’d “bounce off” the netting. is proposing a driving range, restaurant and indoor activities project inside the old Vienna Beef Factory in Bucktown at 2501 N. Credit: 32nd Ward / Provided Drive Shack Inc. The team behind Drive Shack told neighbors the company hired an engineer at Kimley-Horn, a nationwide consulting group with a Chicago office, to perform a traffic study.Īs a result of the study, Drive Shack’s only entry way point will be on Elston Avenue (Vienna’s existing access point on Damen Avenue would be eliminated). RELATED: Bottleneck At Damen, Elston And Fullerton ‘No More,’ Rahm Says

They don’t want the nightmare traffic scenario to return. The long-dreaded Damen-Fullerton-Elston intersection finally underwent a $22.5 million reconfiguration in 2017, neighbors pointed out. Especially with Chick-fil-A and Panera slated to join the busy intersection. Several neighbors expressed concerns about the project adding traffic to an already congested intersection. The community meeting drew a crowd of a few dozen neighbors from Bucktown, Hamlin Park and other nearby neighborhoods. If all goes to plan, Drive Shack will open Labor Day weekend of 2021, attorney Paul Shadle said. Louis Altamiranda, Drive Shack’s real estate development manager, told neighbors the project would create 250 construction jobs for a 12-14 month period.ĭuring operation, he said, the company will hire about 400 people 80 percent of whom will work part-time.

RELATED: Plan To Turn North Branch Bend Into A Driving Range, Riverwalk Questioned By Neighbors met with Waguespack and neighbors to present plans for a 102-bay, climate-controlled driving range at 2501 N. Last fall, the team behind Drive Shack Inc. The plan still needs to be approved by the City Council Zoning Committee before it moves forward.

He also said he was impressed with the company’s decision to consult with the Audobon Society to ensure netting used for the range will not hurt birds. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said that he was “skeptical” of Drive Shack’s proposal at first, but that the developer had been “proactive” about solutions to traffic concerns. Noah Szafraniec, a planning examiner with the Department of Planning and Development, said on Thursday the driving range aligns with the city’s goal for the area, which is to replace industrial sites along the river with commercial and mixed-use developments.Īld. In a unanimous vote, members of the city’s Plan Commission approved the creation of a waterway planned development agreement for Drive Shack, Inc.Ĭity leaders were required to approve this plan because the project is within 100 feet of the Chicago River. BUCKTOWN - A plan to replace the Vienna Beef Factory along the North Branch of the Chicago River with a $40 million riverfront driving range cleared a major city hurdle Thursday.

Vienna beef factory store photos