Thursday, May 30, 2013

A Different Perspective On The Wilson L Rehab

CTA: Rendering looking south on Broadway from Leland
We've all seen the new renderings of the future Wilson L station. What you probably HAVE NOT seen is how having no support columns in the middle of Broadway will affect the streetscape just north of the station. The CTA has been less than transparent when it comes to showing how the rehab will change the face of Broadway and Leland. Check out the grainy rendering above. The "Barry Building," now home to Spoil Me Salon, is visible on the right. We are hearing that nearby businesses are not thrilled with how the columns will be placed on the sidewalks directly in front of their businesses and how this view of the project was never displayed to the community. What do you think of it?

Here's a letter detailing what residents were told, and what the CTA actually plans to do:

20 comments:

  1. Too bad everyone voted down the subway option for the redline/purpleline modernization plan in the community outreach sessions. I would have preferred to see the redline buried all the way to Loyola.

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  2. I would love to see a buried Red Line too and knew that would never happen. What bothers me most about this is the cost of rehabbing it.

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  3. They'll bury the redline only after they've buried me. I'll chain myself to the tracks before I agree to climb down into a cave every morning.

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  4. Unless someone has a few extra billion dollars around the Red Line is not and was never going to be "buried" on the north side.

    Too damn expensive.

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  5. Building the 4 track and purchasing property through eminent domain to straighten the route will be almost as expensive as building the subway to Loyola. The project will cost $4 billion no matter what.

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  6. Back to the point of this article I think it actually looks kind of cool...

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  7. If we want the supports to be removed from the middle of Broadway, something is going to have to support that span of the EL.

    While I hope that the property owners and businesses can work with the CTA to reach an acceptable resolution (that might include taking under Eminent Domain), I am not about to cry foul on the whole project.

    Preliminarly renderings are going to change...




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  8. This looks 100 times better than what is there today. Hopefully some compromise can be found with the placement of the beams in respect to the businesses, but I doubt it will be much. Not everyone will be happly all the time. I just wish the CTA would start this project SOON. If they postpone it past this fall (the current projected start), I'll lose all hope. We've waited far too long.

    Now if the blighted, east side of the 4600 block of Broadway would only follow suit and clean up its act...

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  9. Agreed - Anything shown in the drawing looks to be an improvement over the blighted obstacle course that currently exists.

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  10. This is completely ridiculous that the building owners were not made aware of the support columns being moved right next to their buildings. Seems like a bait and switch to me. Yes, the community wanted the changes, but to promise improvements at the expense of the building owners, without their knowledge is NOT cool. Also, this goes beyond that the fact that anything is going to "look" better than what is there. The buildings are going to be affected by NOISE and VIBRATIONS caused by the move. Which can cause major issues for their businesses, one of which is a sound studio!!

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  11. Whereas I really do feel for the business owners, this is a 'greater good/greater safety issue" for the community at large. Fewer traffic accidents, fewer cars into the pylons, fewer pedestrians getting clipped. Hopefully the owners will get some say in this and can reach a compromise where everyone is happy, but from a COMMUNITY safety standpoint, this is a huge win..

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  12. I'm confused why the Denny's are so upset. So there will be a new beam coming down at the corner of Leland and Broadway (SW corner). Then another right in front of the ACE, which correct me if I am wrong - there is already columns there - and the Denny's building sits further back along Clifton. I hardly see how the current sound or vibration is going to be any worse. Heck, it may be less if done right. If anything, I would be pissed if I lived in the Barry building on that corner and had to look out my window and see the beam blocking my view, but it is what it is.

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  13. Jeff, sounds like the Denny's are not alone in being upset about this and that it's also an issue with the guy next door who also has an attorney on the case.

    I guess the big issue is why is the CTA changing plans without sharing with the community? Sounds like the local Historical group did not sign off on this and input should be given before moving forward using tax payer dollars.

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  14. Jeff, based on the letter, it sounds like other business owners have gotten lawyers involved too.

    The most distributing thing about this issue is that the CTA went ahead and changed the plans without input from the community or local historic preservation group. As a community we deserve transparency about where our tax dollars are being spent.

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  15. The design is clearly not attractive, it is heavy, visually obstructive and takes away from this part of broadway being a inviting commercial venue
    I am sure an alternative engineering solution could be found
    - for example maybe using the technique of suspended bridges- which could add an interesting architectural element ??

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  16. The design should clearly have been presented to the community
    It is unattractive, heavy and visually obstructive.
    It does not contribute to a engaging and warm commercial Broadway venue
    I am sure to any problem can be found a better solution; what about looking at bridge engineering- such as suspension bridges to support the long passage over Broadway.
    This would add a new and original design that would possibly free the surrounding areas from those " in-you-face" columns

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  17. There aren't that many options unless you bury it. That being off the table, I prefer the columns on the sidewalk. It is dangerous the way it is now. I have almost hit a pedestrian with my car because I couldn't see him behind the current supports. Also, the current supports are deteriorating into dust. I think the new idea is fine, given the circumstances. It will open up and brighten that corner. I am all for the new design.

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  18. Here is an option, either a cable stay or suspension support system above the track to support it (depending on engineering reports). Not only cheaper, but it would give a unique gateway into the uptown entertainment district

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  19. Great idea, dmambrose, to add an uplighting bridge in Uptown's heart.

    Great lighting & energy ideas in a lot creative bridge designs these days—for ex., the Melkwegbridge by NEXT architects & Rietveld Landscape and others (scroll to end): http://bit.ly/14ltsQ8

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  20. Wow, some of the comments here range from wrong to completely idiotic, and I rarely call others names online.
    @involvedneighbor :"The buildings are going to be affected by NOISE and VIBRATIONS caused by the move. Which can cause major issues for their businesses, one of which is a sound studio!!" Ummmm, try the opposite. The raised metal and deteriorating concrete rattle more than the new structures will. If you bothered to ride the Red or Brown Lines through Belmont and Fullerton in the past 3 years, you'll notice an audible difference between the poured concrete structure and the rusting and riveted Kimball branch.

    As for a suspension bridge, seriously? You think this would mean LESS supports and CHEAPER?? Wrong. The 4-lane North Avenue bridge over the Chicago River cost $24MILLION according to the Tribune. Another suspension bridge, the new 2-lane Halsted bridge, cost $13.6 million. Last example, the 5-lane Fullerton Ave lagoon bridge cost just $11.6 million, despite being the larges of them. So what have we learned? Concrete is cheaper than some extravagant suspension bridge.

    The last examples I'm gonna use aren't gonna help my own point. The Green Line has two large spans, one across Post Place and the other across Ogden. They both have large horizontal girders and vertical posts. The Ogden bridge is in an industrial area, so those posts are larger than Post Place. I'm sure the CTA will be more considerate about size of the beams, but this is structural engineering, not magic. Bridges need to be held up in a way that's feasible and logical.

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