It looks like the end of the line for The Majestic Store at Broadway and Leland.
A reader notes that the Sheriff has posted a seven-day eviction notice from the CTA on its window.
Let's hope there's a happy ending - a rehab of this lovely old building - rather than just another empty storefront on Broadway. It deserves better, and looks particularly shabby next to its newly spiffed-up neighbor, the Uptown Broadway Building.
There's one serious problem: This building belongs to the CTA and they have had an abysmal record of rehabbing their retail property in Uptown.
ReplyDeleteI do hope that the renovators will keep at least part of that lovely "retro" sign! There was a similar design on a drugstore in Bucktown that was unceremoniously removed by renovators a few years ago and replaced by generic schlock.
ReplyDeletePlease mow it all down with a bulldozer. The CTA should be absolutely ashamed of their inaction with these properties they leave to rot and create more blight in Uptown.
ReplyDeleteI keep hearing that this is a lovely old building and architecturally special, but don't see it.
ReplyDeleteSeems to be a simple shop with marquee to me. Uptown is full of wonderful architecture and I just don't thing this one merits all the attention.
It would be a lovely stretch if the B
Uptown Broadway building ever fills. Maybe a great spot for a cafe with some side walk tables.
Really, D? I think it's got the potential to be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteDetailed colored terra cotta trim and a black marble base. Rumor has it the developer of the UBB next door wanted to buy it to renovate it, like he did the UBB, but the CTA wouldn't sell. I hope Jones Lang Lasalle, the biggest property manager in the world, sees all the wasted potential there and gets the CTA to do something great with it.
Seeing the neglect of the Wilson El, along with Lawrence, Argyle, Sheridan, etc... I wouldn't hold my breath for the CTA to rehab the Majestic building. Too bad, it could be kinda cool.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they will ever sell it as it is directly/completely under the tracks. They probably want to keep ownership rights.
There is plenty of vacancy in Uptown - I would not be heartbroken if the CTA decided to knock it down and decrease "supply" in the short and medium term.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Holy Moley. CTA can't even maintain the El Tracks, what makes you think that they can maintain their properties?
ReplyDeleteThe reason why the old man was evicted is because he had been in a fight with CTA for years over the fact that they would do a half ass job fixing the leaky roof, which in the end damaged a majority of the product that he had.
The CTA and/or Jones Lang LaSalle recently spruced up a storefront in the State & Lake redline stop (underground by the stairs that are in front of Jamba Juice on the West side of State). They put a big new "for lease" sign on the store. Why can't they do that in Uptown? At least try. They also have empty ones in the Berwyn redline stop in Edgewater, and it seems as if they make no attempt to market them. My guess was that JLL doesn't focus on them, b/c their commissions would be very small on a retail lease that small.
ReplyDeleteCTA should really create a department to focus on filling and maintaining these retail spaces. If not, they should be forced by the city/state to relinquish them to someone who will give a damn. I get lack of money may be the issue but if they actually filled these storefronts, wouldn't they make money off of them? I just don't get why it's ignored by the CTA and that the city and state allows them to keep these blighted stations.
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