Someone had asked whether at one time there was a gas station on the current day Wilson Yard site. The answer is yes. Check out the photo above from "Forgotten Chicago." You can see a bus turning around the north side of the now demolished Azusa building with a "Martin" gas station visible on the right.Update: For more info on the Wilson Yard shops, click here.
got an active link for the wilson shops? and the busses were electric too?
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy to make transparencies for as little as 100.00 dollars each....or even less at this size...It's ridiculous not to have them up there because they tell the world that this is a GROCERY STORE!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's a good idea for Aldi's
And if they want to show art they can get a neighborhood Fast signs or some such place to produce them...
I'm in the business of having them made by other people...it's not expensive.
I think you meant this to be posted on the next thread? Good point though.
ReplyDeleteThat gas station is likely ANOTHER reason why the ground in Wilson Yard is toxic.
ReplyDeleteThe Wilson Yard is a toxic pile of dirt. Gas station, CTA paint facility and a dry cleaners have dumped a toxic cocktail into the soil.
ReplyDeleteAnd what happens if you build all low-income housing on top of a toxic ground?
I'm really surprised there isn't a lawsuit being filed to stop this atrocity before 100's of poor people are exposed to severe health issues.
And to an earlier poster regarding the contamination - no, it hasn't been remediated. There were some very minor work done (and only $25,000 or so in the budget), but even a simple gas station requires a LOT more work than that. There's a lot of dirt that needs to be removed or oxygenated before the site's clean. But, no, it's not going to happen without a lawsuit.
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong on that a lot more work needs to be done. Across the nation States and the Federal Government have relaxed soil remediation on former Gas Stations sites.
ReplyDeleteNow they just do basic remediation such as removing old tanks and maybe some soil.
A lot of lots in the city with wood sided houses are contaminated from lead paint as well.
I hope you waste money filing a lawsuit. LMFAO.
Can't you all just let it go.
Maybe Cappleman can get enough residents together and you can all go dig with shovels to clean the soil up.
Can't you all just let it go.
ReplyDeleteNope. And people who say "get over it" just make us more determined.
LMFAO.
It's our tax dollars, so NO, we don't have to let it go.
ReplyDeleteWonder where our little terra cotta building that was supposed to be preserved to maintain the historic continuity of the street is these days. They say it is in storage. But the drawings don't even show a bad facadectomy with the front left intact.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's with the Aldi's? Weren't we promised that the new buildins would maintain the historical contintuity of the McJunkin building. All it see is the JUNK part with the cheapest frontage they can slap up next to the street - IF THEY EVER GET AROUND TO BUILDING IT.