I'm curious to know how far they think they are going to stretch the $3 million in TIF funds. $3 million should improve things a bit, but I doubt this is enough to make it ADA compliant - which I think is something sorely needed there (and along the rest of the Red Line heading north).
I am curious how much was spent renovating the Belmont stop as well as all the Brown Line stops north of Belmont (Irving, Paulina, Southport, etc.)? Three Million doesn't seem like that much considering the overall condition and scope of the Wilson stop.
The Federal Government may supply the funds for ADA compliance. If you are familiar with the Red Line stops between Addison and Howard then you know the platforms are likely already too narrow for elevators. At Berwyn the staircase barely has room for one side of the stairs to go up and one side to go down.
I'd like to think one of the fine elected officials in the area has secured funds to study ADA compliance for the Red Line stops that asks if it is even possible to add elevator access and if so, at what cost.
The 3 million is the price of lipstick.
The Brown line station and track renovation was a 530 million dollar project.
the Brown Line renovation was over $500 million dollars. Since little track work was done just divide the roughly 15 stations by say $400 million dollars. Some stations serve more than one line.
That's roughly $30 million a station and the cost of the Fullerton and Belmont red line stations was upwards of $80 million per station.
Utilize the wonder of the google and bask in the three million dollars going to be spent at Wilson.
I once renovated a 24 unit building in Ravenwood and in todays dollars the cost would be over 3 million. Three million ain't diddly squat for a station renovation. Shit, 3 million is just a cost overrun on the Belmont station job.
Three million is like putting lipstick and a wig on a crack whore. At the end of the day you still have a crack whore with lipstick and a wig. Hell, you probably don't even have the wig as another crack whore likely stole it.
I think this will backfire if it is politically motivated. All it is doing is showing that she spent a ton on low income housing (and potentially a fish farm) while spending a few bucks to try to appease the masses who are tax paying residents wanting change in the urine soaked pan-handling streets of Uptown. (People were told something different than what your delivering Helen....your on record saying it.)
Unfortunately for her there is a serious backlash going through politics right now for all incumbents. I sure wouldn't want to be one. Especially one that blatantly ignores her constituents and and then in the same breath turns around and blames them for wanting a better neighborhood.
She knows she is done....and Daley is scared he is too. She will retire and maybe even try to point the middle finger at the machine on her way out. What a saint.
You can spend $100 million on that station, but until you hold people accountable for their actions (pissing the the stairwells, vandalism, drug dealing - need I go on), its a total waste of money. That being said, I would rather see the money go here vs. a Fish Farm if we are just going to go blow through the TIF without getting at the root of the problems in Uptown.
I hate to be a naysayer, but I have walked around Wilson and Broadway and it is hopeless until we provide real opportunities for more people, take a zero tolerance stance on crime (however so minor) and decrease the concentration of mentally ill from an area that clearly does not have the resources or infrastructure that will lead to a desirable, functioning community for all (not to mention that warehousing special needs populations is at the root of so many problems to begin with).
headline: Uptown on the way up dateline: May 11, 2007 Reporter: CELESTE BUSK cbusk@suntimes.com
Context: Holsten, the Wilson Yard developer, says plans are under way to remove the blight from the L stop. The architecturally significant structure will be completely restored on the outside and completely new on the inside.
"It will be brand, spanking new, so more people will use it," Holsten said. "The more people, the lesser the crime." That project is expected to be completed by early next year. he said.
Remember this? It is an article that appeared at this web address at one time. http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/wilson.htmlStation
The station has been on various rosters for renovation for several years. As far back as the 1970s, the station was listed as being in CTA's® capital plan of stations to be rebuilt. By the next decade, capital funds had been programmed for design engineering of the new station, although construction funds were not programmed. By the 1990s, a new station had indeed finally been designed. Somewhat resembling an Orange Line station in layout, the proposed facility would have been on the south side of Wilson Avenue, roughly where the auxiliary entrance and adjacent storefront are. The 1923 station house would have been vacated by the transit authority, perhaps completely converted to commercial space. This plan was not executed, however due to a lack of construction funding. As part of the CTA's® 2004-2008 Capital Improvement Plan, funding is provided for the design and reconstruction of Wilson station and the associated track work to the north and south. The rehabilitation of historic Wilson station moved closer to reality with the approval of a contract for the design of the renovated station at the Chicago Transit Board's monthly meeting on January 12, 2005. Through a competitive bid process, CTA® named Wilson Transit Associates (WTA) a Joint Venture as the recipient of the $1.75 million design contract, which covers the first phase of design. The design work is being carried out in three phases. The first phase included refining three design alternatives for the Wilson station to 10 percent completion. Phase II will take the selected alternative and develop it to the 30 percent design level, and the third and final design phase will develop the concept to the 100 percent design level. WTA a Joint Venture is a partnership between Parsons Transportation Group, Inc., McDonough Associates Inc., and Architrave, Ltd., of Chicago. On October 18, 2006, the Chicago Transit Board approved funding for the second phase of design work for Wilson station. The $2.3 million contract amendment provides the necessary funding to take the design concept from the 10 percent design phase to 30 percent. The approved amendment brings the total design contract for Wilson Station to $3.5 million. Phase II design is expected to be complete in 2007. The third and final design phase will be addressed when funding becomes available. Plans for rehabilitating Wilson station currently include the addition of modern amenities while preserving the station's historic architectural features. The renovated station will be fully accessible to people with disabilities and offer upgraded customer amenities, such as new platforms, signage, overhead heaters and an elevator. The 1923 station house, listed as a contributing structure in the Uptown Square Historic District, will be preserved, rehabilitated, and integrated with the new station facility in some manner. Construction on the new station and track improvements is scheduled to begin no sooner than 2008, with the exact date depending upon the availability of capital funds.
Despite the expected skepticism and general negativity that typically fills the comments of most any post here, I'm remaining optimistic about this renovation.
At the December 2, 2009 North Red and Purple Line Vision Study meeting held at Truman College, the CTA reps said that they did not have funding to renovate the Wilson station. They have chosen one of the three designs created by the Wilson Yard Associates -- WITHOUT UPTOWN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT -- but are only seeking funds for the line renovations that will cost hundreds of millions.
Why does that number $128,000,000 stick in my head? I think it was because Helen was spinning her image saying that unless all the hundreds of millions of dollars are granted the the CTA there was simply nothing poor little Helen could do to improve the hell hole conditions at the Wilson station.
The $3 million of Wilson TIF money being spent on the Wilson station this year, when the leases expire, is just there way of throwing Uptown a bone after Helen and Holstein decided to take additional millions out of the Wilson TIF for his development instead of applying them to the CTA station remodel as originally promised. (Sort of like that horrid industrial paint job on the crumbling Wilson Avenue and LSD overpass in lieu of an actual new bridge funded by Illinois infrastructure or stimulus funds.)
Even at that meeting, CTA reps were makng the point that the $3 million being spent in 2101 is simply a stop gap to make repairs to stop further deterioration. TIF laws forbid expending TIF funds on routine repairs instead of improvements but everyone seems to be twiddling their thumbs and looking the other way when it comes to following TIF laws.
I'm curious to know how far they think they are going to stretch the $3 million in TIF funds. $3 million should improve things a bit, but I doubt this is enough to make it ADA compliant - which I think is something sorely needed there (and along the rest of the Red Line heading north).
ReplyDeleteThe only way to read this document is: "Helen is running for reelection."
ReplyDeleteI am curious how much was spent renovating the Belmont stop as well as all the Brown Line stops north of Belmont (Irving, Paulina, Southport, etc.)? Three Million doesn't seem like that much considering the overall condition and scope of the Wilson stop.
ReplyDeleteThe Federal Government may supply the funds for ADA compliance. If you are familiar with the Red Line stops between Addison and Howard then you know the platforms are likely already too narrow for elevators. At Berwyn the staircase barely has room for one side of the stairs to go up and one side to go down.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think one of the fine elected officials in the area has secured funds to study ADA compliance for the Red Line stops that asks if it is even possible to add elevator access and if so, at what cost.
The 3 million is the price of lipstick.
The Brown line station and track renovation was a 530 million dollar project.
Butternut,
ReplyDeletethe Brown Line renovation was over $500 million dollars. Since little track work was done just divide the roughly 15 stations by say $400 million dollars. Some stations serve more than one line.
That's roughly $30 million a station and the cost of the Fullerton and Belmont red line stations was upwards of $80 million per station.
Utilize the wonder of the google and bask in the three million dollars going to be spent at Wilson.
I once renovated a 24 unit building in Ravenwood and in todays dollars the cost would be over 3 million. Three million ain't diddly squat for a station renovation. Shit, 3 million is just a cost overrun on the Belmont station job.
Three million is like putting lipstick and a wig on a crack whore. At the end of the day you still have a crack whore with lipstick and a wig. Hell, you probably don't even have the wig as another crack whore likely stole it.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
I think this will backfire if it is politically motivated. All it is doing is showing that she spent a ton on low income housing (and potentially a fish farm) while spending a few bucks to try to appease the masses who are tax paying residents wanting change in the urine soaked pan-handling streets of Uptown. (People were told something different than what your delivering Helen....your on record saying it.)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for her there is a serious backlash going through politics right now for all incumbents. I sure wouldn't want to be one. Especially one that blatantly ignores her constituents and and then in the same breath turns around and blames them for wanting a better neighborhood.
She knows she is done....and Daley is scared he is too. She will retire and maybe even try to point the middle finger at the machine on her way out. What a saint.
Mount Saint Helen.
You can spend $100 million on that station, but until you hold people accountable for their actions (pissing the the stairwells, vandalism, drug dealing - need I go on), its a total waste of money. That being said, I would rather see the money go here vs. a Fish Farm if we are just going to go blow through the TIF without getting at the root of the problems in Uptown.
ReplyDeleteI hate to be a naysayer, but I have walked around Wilson and Broadway and it is hopeless until we provide real opportunities for more people, take a zero tolerance stance on crime (however so minor) and decrease the concentration of mentally ill from an area that clearly does not have the resources or infrastructure that will lead to a desirable, functioning community for all (not to mention that warehousing special needs populations is at the root of so many problems to begin with).
Keep the pressure on people...
Remember this?
ReplyDeleteheadline: Uptown on the way up
dateline: May 11, 2007
Reporter: CELESTE BUSK cbusk@suntimes.com
Context: Holsten, the Wilson Yard developer, says plans are under way to remove the blight from the L stop. The architecturally significant structure will be completely restored on the outside and completely new on the inside.
"It will be brand, spanking new, so more people will use it," Holsten said. "The more people, the lesser the crime." That project is expected to be completed by early next year. he said.
Remember this? It is an article that appeared at this web address at one time.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicago-l.org/stations/wilson.htmlStation
The station has been on various rosters for renovation for several years. As far back as the 1970s, the station was listed as being in CTA's® capital plan of stations to be rebuilt. By the next decade, capital funds had been programmed for design engineering of the new station, although construction funds were not programmed. By the 1990s, a new station had indeed finally been designed. Somewhat resembling an Orange Line station in layout, the proposed facility would have been on the south side of Wilson Avenue, roughly where the auxiliary entrance and adjacent storefront are. The 1923 station house would have been vacated by the transit authority, perhaps completely converted to commercial space. This plan was not executed, however due to a lack of construction funding.
As part of the CTA's® 2004-2008 Capital Improvement Plan, funding is provided for the design and reconstruction of Wilson station and the associated track work to the north and south. The rehabilitation of historic Wilson station moved closer to reality with the approval of a contract for the design of the renovated station at the Chicago Transit Board's monthly meeting on January 12, 2005.
Through a competitive bid process, CTA® named Wilson Transit Associates (WTA) a Joint Venture as the recipient of the $1.75 million design contract, which covers the first phase of design. The design work is being carried out in three phases. The first phase included refining three design alternatives for the Wilson station to 10 percent completion. Phase II will take the selected alternative and develop it to the 30 percent design level, and the third and final design phase will develop the concept to the 100 percent design level. WTA a Joint Venture is a partnership between Parsons Transportation Group, Inc., McDonough Associates Inc., and Architrave, Ltd., of Chicago.
On October 18, 2006, the Chicago Transit Board approved funding for the second phase of design work for Wilson station. The $2.3 million contract amendment provides the necessary funding to take the design concept from the 10 percent design phase to 30 percent. The approved amendment brings the total design contract for Wilson Station to $3.5 million. Phase II design is expected to be complete in 2007. The third and final design phase will be addressed when funding becomes available.
Plans for rehabilitating Wilson station currently include the addition of modern amenities while preserving the station's historic architectural features. The renovated station will be fully accessible to people with disabilities and offer upgraded customer amenities, such as new platforms, signage, overhead heaters and an elevator. The 1923 station house, listed as a contributing structure in the Uptown Square Historic District, will be preserved, rehabilitated, and integrated with the new station facility in some manner. Construction on the new station and track improvements is scheduled to begin no sooner than 2008, with the exact date depending upon the availability of capital funds.
lipstick and a wig on a crack whore! YAY!
ReplyDeleteDespite the expected skepticism and general negativity that typically fills the comments of most any post here, I'm remaining optimistic about this renovation.
Once the project is complete, then I'll judge it.
At the December 2, 2009 North Red and Purple Line Vision Study meeting held at Truman College, the CTA reps said that they did not have funding to renovate the Wilson station. They have chosen one of the three designs created by the Wilson Yard Associates -- WITHOUT UPTOWN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT -- but are only seeking funds for the line renovations that will cost hundreds of millions.
ReplyDeleteWhy does that number $128,000,000 stick in my head? I think it was because Helen was spinning her image saying that unless all the hundreds of millions of dollars are granted the the CTA there was simply nothing poor little Helen could do to improve the hell hole conditions at the Wilson station.
The $3 million of Wilson TIF money being spent on the Wilson station this year, when the leases expire, is just there way of throwing Uptown a bone after Helen and Holstein decided to take additional millions out of the Wilson TIF for his development instead of applying them to the CTA station remodel as originally promised. (Sort of like that horrid industrial paint job on the crumbling Wilson Avenue and LSD overpass in lieu of an actual new bridge funded by Illinois infrastructure or stimulus funds.)
Even at that meeting, CTA reps were makng the point that the $3 million being spent in 2101 is simply a stop gap to make repairs to stop further deterioration. TIF laws forbid expending TIF funds on routine repairs instead of improvements but everyone seems to be twiddling their thumbs and looking the other way when it comes to following TIF laws.