Thursday, February 4, 2010

Wilson Yard Target Opening On July 25, 2010!!!

All your Target questions have been answered! Ask and ye shall receive!

A reader contacted Jeff DeMoss, the District Team Leader for Target, and asked him some questions about the Wilson Yard location. The reader forwarded on the following:

Target Opening On July 25, 2010!!!

24 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting this, UU, and thanks to the reader who took the initiative to call Target and find out the opening date and other things the community might be interested in. Very informative. Transparency and information, what a concept! It's just one more example of Uptown residents having to be proactive if we want to know anything about how our money is being spent by the alderman. It might be nice for the alderman to tell residents when the Target we paid for is opening, but Helen and her staff seem to prefer dealing in darkness and secrecy. It's so much easier than being open and honest with the folks who pay for her follies to the tune of $112,000,000.00.

    (Of course, what can you expect of an ace aldermanic team that still has a sidebar link to 2009 Chicago Events on its website in February of 2010? Incompetent and secretive, now that's a winning combo!)

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  2. There is something in this great interview that is HUGE and no one caught it yet!

    Alderman Shillers office is working with Target to get access DIRECTLY FROM AN EL STOP... that means, she will have NO REASON to clean up the Wilson EL stop OR Broadway.. This will extend the platform in some way to go directly to the store!

    This is TERRIBLE! And, it will add ZERO to the local businesses as the rest of the residents will completely by-pass them!

    It will be as though Uptown does not exist for the rest of the city... THIS IS A TERRIBLE DEVELOPMENT IF ALLOWED TO HAPPEN..

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  3. Great Q's. Great A's as well! Thanks for your effort!

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  4. It really sucks how this all went down. But...I can't wait for the Target to open. I think it will be great for all residents, area businesses, and the Wilson el stop. I think extending the el platform directly to the Target would force them to clean up the rest of the station. What percentage of customers do you think will solely take the el to Target? Maybe 10%. Let them extend it, it would feed directly into it, but rather the general area of it.

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  5. I've learned more about the new Target in the 60 seconds it took to read this posting, than all the info gathered from the 46th ward office over the past years.
    It could, and probably will be wonderful, and I look forward to walking to Target.
    That said....for me, it doesn't make the failed model of W.Y. any easier to swallow.

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  6. We hope you are all firing off emails to Jeff about getting Target involved with rehabbing our rundown Wilson L station and any other projects you'd like to see them take part in:

    jeff.demoss@target.com

    They need to hear from the community.

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  7. Lets all focus on how great this is, but also not fall for her re-election tactics either. Coincidence that it opens 7 mos before voting??? I think not. I hate to be the pessimist, but I will take the Target and a NEW Alderman at the same time thank you very much.

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  8. Well with the Target opening I think it's time we cleaned up the ward.

    Therefore, today February 4th, 2010 I'm staying away from any hookers from now on. It's been a difficult time in my life.

    Furthermore, based on the stunning victory of pawnbroker and alleged wife/hooker abuser Scott Lee Cohen in the Democratic Lt Governor primary, I am also announcing my candidacy for Mayor of Chicago.

    I swear that I have never tried to decapitate any hookers or taken any steroids.

    Next week, after the Superbowl, I will hold a press conference at the Statue of Lincoln behind the Chicago History Museum announcing my run. A veritable cornucopia of "horizontal entertainment specialists" will attest to my character and fitness to lead this great city.

    IrishPirate in 2011. Why the F--- Not!

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  9. EYE....I think (hopefully) it's a given.
    Uptown's future will have a sweet new Target store, AND a new Alderman!

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  10. Wow - this is great news. Think of how many people will be employed by this store. Think of how many people from Lakeview, Uptown and Edgewater will come to spend money at this store. This is a good thing people. If I had a nickel for every negative "Target isnt coming" post/comment.....

    Uptown Super Hero, again, why all the negativity?? You seriously think Target will accept a rickity extension from the current Wilson el stop? I dont even know that that would be possible. If direct access were to happen, I would see some sort of major upgrade/overhaul having to be made. Lets not all get in an uproar over what should/could be a good thing until we know all the facts.

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  11. jtizzle, etc... I am not hating on Target. If I were them, I would want an el extension too, so I did not have my customers walk through the urine soaked Wilson El and pass by the Methadone clinic across the street...

    That is my point. If they extend the El platform, there will be NO impetus by Shiller to clean up the El station OR TO CLEAN UP BROADWAY...in addition, the small businesses that have been counting on foot traffic with this, would be completely ignored.

    So next time, before jumping on a man, read the comment...even when, like jtizzle, you are a Shillerista in disguise.... (grin)

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  12. It was mentioned that a new Alderman and a New Target will be a good thing for the Ward. I could not agree more. Schiller won the last election by only 700 votes. The sad thing is that only 11274 people in the Ward voted. I'm not sure what the number is that follow this blog, but I would think that if each one of us made sure to vote, we could see that number increase and actually see results in the next election. To see the results of the last election, here is the link: http://chicagoelections.com/wdlevel3.asp?elec_code=65

    Once there, use the drop down box to select the 46th Ward.

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  13. I agree with Uptown Superhero!.

    While I'm still not convinced we need a big box retailer like Target on that stretch of Broadway, at least we could look forward to the increased pedestrian traffic the store would attract. It is the same notion as the "positive loitering" movement. More well behaved citizens on the streets = less cover for criminal activity.

    It doesn't matter if it is a rickety extension of the platform or a fancy schmancy moving walkway, I don't think this is a good idea.

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  14. In order for Shiller to be defeated, we need to make sure EVERY voter south of Montrose is away of what is happening in her ward. The last time she was re-elected, the newly expanded ward south of Irving was not really aware of her antics. I lived at Park Place Tower and there are over 800 evil condos there. If everyone of those evil condo doers voted against Hellen , there is your 700 votes needed to over turn.

    Those South of Irving do not think they are in Shillers ward of uptown and consider themsleves park of Lakeview.. The ward with prosperity. Little do they realize slowly that the crap of Uptown can seep down with delayed infrastructure improvements, lack of care of security and safety. We need to hammer home the blight, the increased section 8 projects, the crime, the riots and scare the freak out of the condo owners.

    It won't take much the easiest way to go after her is scare the mothers of small children and the large established condo owners in the gay community.

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  15. Oh my, a direct link from the L to Target in Uptown! How awful!

    What does Target think it is - the old Carson Pirie Scott or Marshall Field's/Messy's, that have direct links to the subway from their bargain basements?

    For shame! Everyone who goes shopping in Chicago should be forced to stand for 20 minutes in inclement weather, with restless children and heavy packages, before boarding the CTA! Yeah, That's REALLY consumer-friendly!

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  16. uptown superhero, you're silly. A shillerista, really (chuckle)? Hardly, but I wasn't jumping on anyone in particular. Just stating I think Target is going to be super.

    I don't think they will have some red carpeted path to Target and ignore the rest. I think that if they extend the platform to there it will be a whole station uplift. Maybe I am a bit optimistic, but I always side that way. Also the extension would extend to that general area not right into the store. Most people will drive or walk to Target anyways.

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  17. 950Leland - I could not agree more. I was astonished at a past Pride Parade that I atteneded when people around me, friends even (shame on me), who lived in that area were not aware that Shiller was their Alderman and knew nothing about the woman.

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  18. Gayle, Marshall Fields/Carsons did not use MY tax money to build their buildings. As Target, and Shiller, did... I expect this to be about a larger neighborhood plan...

    .. and I guess you are saying that people shopping at Target should be able to get special priviliges as you are complaining about waiting in the weather? Wow, that is pretty discriminatory against all the Mom and Pop businesses in the area.... interesting..

    Also... I see that Target has given donations to those organizations that were "Suggested by Alderman Shiller" As I actually live in the TIF district and Shiller does not, I will be expecting Shiller to share with us what 'organizations' she asked Target to donate too.... I sure hope she comes through quickly and 100% so this does not look like a BRIBE...

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  19. "They (Target) have provided grants to a few projects suggested by Alderman Shiller's office."

    I'd love to know what those "projects" are.

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  20. 950 Leland: I too have witnessed the seeming identity crisis that occurs south of Montrose with regards to knowing your representative.

    As cliche/tacky as this sounds, I almost feel like a successful campaign needs to put signs up in these "confused" areas that say "Welcome to South Uptown, sponsored by Hellen Shiller" or something to that extent to make them realize that there is no invisible fence keeping the "fisticuffs" at bay. My issue with this, of course, is that it gives a negative connotation to Uptown, but it's not like these people don't already think that.

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  21. Given the demo of Uptown, and as an evil condo owner who lives close enough to Broadway to get my gangway pee'd on, I will still be shopping at the peterson target. I know this makes me a fascist, but I dont need to buy "crazy" at Target, I can get it for free at home.

    However, the idea of an el stop at Montrose makes a great deal of sense. Given that there's a jewel and gym there, an east west bus that connects to the blue line at jefferson park, a better demo, and the less crazy end of broadway, it could work. It's not like the red line doesnt already bunny-hop up the line: wilson, lawrence, argyle, berwyn, bryn mawr, the stops are so close together you can almost leap from one to another.

    However, give the usual CTA antics, I'm doubtful this will ever happen in my lifetime.

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  22. If you want to know what projects Target has provided funding for...why not email Jeff?

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  23. Target to Demote 8000?

    http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/02/04/target-to-demote-8-000-ouch/?icid=main|compaq-laptop|dl4|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fjobs.aol.com%2Farticles%2F2010%2F02%2F04%2Ftarget-to-demote-8-000-ouch%2F

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  24. with Target coming to Uptown. That's great. it will continue to gentrify the neiborhood. If 10% doesn't go down to the street of the CTA does extend the platform. that's fine. considering the amount of business it will bring to Uptown. Maybe now Uptown will now do something about Blood Alley. especally because the CYA has already closed Popes, and a small store that's was under the L station on Wilson. Two other businesses moved out some time ago as well. But, all the same. Queational people hang out there. And that would make people use the suggested platform extension because they'd be concerned about getting off in that situation. I know I would. Especially with a disability.
    Just something to think about.

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