Friday, June 10, 2011

More Majestic

A reader writes in:
"I saw your Facebook status about the Majestic storefront at Broadway and Leland and ran over to see what was uncovered. I can tell you that it looks much better! The terra cotta was remarkably well preserved under the sign that I would estimate has been there 35+ years. The pigeons seem a bit confused now that their protective roost has been removed but overall, this is great progress! Thanks to Jones Lang LaSalle, the CTA, UU, or whomever was involved in getting this blight removed! Now, it just needs a good scrubdown and a good business to move in. Maybe a dry cleaner?"

11 comments:

  1. Seriously, this spot or the Wilson El stop is screaming for a Potbelly's. It totally meets their desired decor.

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  2. CTA, be sure to write to Potbelly and suggest this location. The address is 4701 N. Broadway.

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  3. The only problem with this property/space is the roof. The previous owner had a on going battle with CTA about leaks. After several discussions with him, it was reported that the CTA only fixed apart of the roof, and never reimbursed the owner of Majestic for the property damage. To this date, you can find a pool of water on the roof because CTA does not keep the drain shoots clear of debris. I've personally seed up to 6 inches of water on the roof, since I live next to that property.

    Anyone will have a battle with CTA to correct any of the problems with that space.

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  4. @Jason: Good thing there's a new alderman who is receptive to the needs of his constituents/local businesses. Just saying...

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  5. Agreed! But Potbelly's was kinda a jerk last time I asked them to relocate to Uptown since they have an Uptown sandwich !

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  6. I drove past there this afternoon and saw three city workers taking pictures. They were wearing those orange reflective vests. Surveyors?

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  7. Awesome! The birds don't look happy but they will be Ok.

    While they are at it the burglar bars could be scraped and the window space cleaned up. Unlikely anyone is going to break in tempting though it may be.

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  8. The horizontal band of glass above the grating and below the terracotta is kind of a surprise.
    Its not easy to tell in the photo but it is boarded-up on the inside. Once restored that would be a lot more natural light in the space. Its a cool design. The window has traces of gold lettering on it from a former business.
    The glass is broken to the left in the picture, a little bit of a hazard. But the copper trim (at least the part not covered by the frame for grating) is in excellent shape!

    Gotta like this....

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  9. this could be a very cool space for a restaurant or cafe,

    it has a certain ambience to it that you dont have anywhere else.

    Beautiful terra cotta,
    its like terra cotta crown moulding....

    I havent been doing my weekly trash pickups because Im no longer picking my son up from apna ghar at the broadway bank building, which is too bad, but it was fun while it lasted.

    I think the key to stabilizing this area ofcourse is shutting LAW. House down and rehabilitating it for another purpose.

    Most up and coming area of the city? UPTOWN ofcourse, that and the whole farnorth side....

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  10. I have got to photograph this......

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  11. @Jeffo

    "Most up and coming area of the city? UPTOWN ofcourse, that and the whole farnorth side...."

    You really do feel like the area is more poised for real improvement than it has been in decades.

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