Walking past Aldi today we noticed that the "display boxes" now feature the Uptown banners and not the Arai students artwork as was planned. Only five of the boxes contain the banners since there were only 5 banner designs, so a few boxes on Broadway remain empty and the 3 boxes on the northside of the building remain empty. We can only come to 2 conclusions on this development: One, the artwork is not coming and our elected officials scrambled to fill them with something, or two, like everything with the Wilson Yard project, the artwork is delayed and they needed something to fill them. We personally think the banners don't look half bad, although windows and an entrance in place of these "boxes" would have looked even better. Oh wait, then Aldi would not be able to sell liquor because the entrance would be too close to Grame Stewart school. How soon we forget.Update: We did pass by Aldi last night and the lighted display boxes look ridiculous with the banners since all you see is a black outline. Thanks for pointing that stroke of genius out, IrishPirate.
Surely there's someone from Uptown Chicago Commission, UNC, or the block clubs that works with Uptown youth, and can get some local artwork...
ReplyDeleteThe boxes aren't lighted. At night all you see going by is the dark outline of the banners.
ReplyDeleteAnd the light is extremely harsh, almost like flourescent bulbs. Wait, maybe they are just flourescent bulbs!
ReplyDeleteI just walked by there. Those cases would normally throw off a bit of light onto a very dark sidewalk.
ReplyDeleteBut the banners block what light there might have been.
Nice job.
Ok, dumb question here, but is the proximity to school truly the reason for Aldi's entrance positioned where it is--so they can still sell liquor? (I mean, that would explain a LOT, but I hadn't heard that)
ReplyDeleteAldi doesn't sell liquor.
ReplyDeleteIt KILLS me that this buiding was exempted from the city's new zoning ordinances which requires retail buildings along the sidewalk to have a certain percentage of their sidewalk wall not only glass, but also allow views directly into the store from the sidewalk. Was this HELLen's doing? Anyone know? The rear parking lot entrance I could have lived with, had there been windows along Broadway. Its funny to note many old retail buildings all over the cith that once bricked up their windows are now putting the glass back in. Not in Uptown, things must continue to look fortified to keep the nasty, mean city out.
ReplyDeleteThis building only looks somewhat ok right now because its brand new and clean....just wait a few years how horrible it will look then.
Anyone taking bets Wilson Yard will look exactly the same 1 year from now? 5 years from now? Why the heck do they rip up the old Aldi parking lot and leave the asphalt chunks just laying there for months on end? Something is very wrong with this project. Maybe it is due to final word from Target they are refusing to be a part of such a horrible project? Would explain the unknown delays. Holsten is back to the drawing board with the plans. Probably adding another ultra-low-income tower as we speak. Will there be a satellite police station at Wilson Yard housing projects? It is going to need one. Forget walking down Broadway after dark past Cabrini Green north after it is built.
ReplyDelete