Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Majestic Store Continues To Crumble

The building housing the Majestic Store at Leland and Broadway continues to suffer due to poor maintenance. The chipping terra cotta that we noticed last March has now completely fallen and disappeared.


And now a large chunk of the original black marble facade is gone, leaving a wood base behind it to face the elements.

The detailing indicates that this building was probably once as fine as its next door neighbor, the Uptown Broadway Building. Rumor has it that Thaddeus Wong, who bought and restored the Uptown Broadway Building, wanted to buy and restore the Majestic Store building as well.

But the owner wouldn't sell, and the poor old Majestic Building continues to deteriorate. The rumored owner of the building who refused to sell to someone who was ready and willing to rehab the poor falling-apart Majestic Shop?

None other than the cash-strapped CTA.

5 comments:

  1. " . . .if an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi." Richard R. Powell summarizes by saying "It (wabi-sabi) nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabisabi

    Based on that viewpoint, the Majestic Store is totally wabi-sabi. Enjoy--the photos are tremendous!

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  2. Well, I think it's at least somewhat understandable that the CTA would want to retain control of the property on which its tracks lie. Now, if he had attempted a long-term lease, that would be different. I don't think the CTA can really be expected to sell chunks of its track.

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  3. ahh couldn't stand having one nice post about the CTA, huh? ;)

    i would suggest going to CTA tattler and posing a question about the building because apparently Kevin from that site is having some sort of coffee with Huberman this weekend and he's accepting questions.

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  4. Let's just say, somegirl, that the rank-and-file rocks! But the management has done no favors for Uptown.

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  5. Why dont we just knock on Ron Hubermans door, as he lives here in Uptown, and ask him what is up... or... more civilized.. invite him to some uptown block club meetings

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