Check out one of the newly renovated entrances to the Howard Street Station (above photo: "repowers" on Flickr). Look at how bright and clean the terracotta is and how welcoming the exterior lights look. Now compare this to our filthy, crumbling Wilson L station:
The design phase has been at "30%" for how long now? This is EXACTLY what TIF funds are designed to fix...Update: If you are like us, you marvel at the ornamentation on so many of Uptown's historic buildings and wonder "how did they make it?" Check out this video, showing "Gladding, McBean" a company that still uses the same techniques to manufacture terracotta for rehabs and new construction. It gives us hope that with enough money, the parapet that once sat atop our Wilson L station could return someday.
Too bad there isn't some sort of property tax based financing thingie that could help out blighted areas like this.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad day when Joe Moore makes your alderman look like a chump.
The "North Shore Line" designation on the Howard L station refers to an old "inter-urban" line that also stopped at Wilson/Lawrence. It ran from Chicago to Milwaukee until some time in the 1960s, and featured such upscale amenities as plush upholstered seats and a diner car!
ReplyDeleteWilson L stop is a complete disgrace. Shiller should be ashamed.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I pass the Addison stop (the Cubs), I think just a fraction, of the amount of money that was spent on this L stop, would make the Wilson stop so much better.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering why the temporary station at Belmont is much better than the permanent station at Wilson?
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