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| Pic taken in either September or October 2009 |
An idea to revitalize this building recently hit me! This could be one way to identify the Chatham community for the many who either ride the Dan Ryan L or drive on the Dan Ryan especially if they come South. Besides if they're heading north it's unlikely that they'll notice that building in their rearview mirrors.
I see looking around downtown Chicago that many old buildings have been revitalized. Even old facades have been restored to what they used to look like when they were new a hundred or so years ago. However, the insides of these buildings were built brand new in recent years.
One day it hit me that like some of those old buildings downtown, there ought to be a restaurant in that old building. And the vacant lot right on the corner of 79th & State could be used as an outdoor cafe of some sort with even a well landscaped garden with flowers.
Over at the CAPCC blog they discuss using this vacant lot as a specialty hot dog stand. Surely an idea like that could be incorporated into the site.
What other uses would you like to see this building restored to?
This building is owned by Carter Temple. The building was once used by the car dealership that sat at 79th state. The building has housed some retail. It once had a video store that didn't last very long. Again with CAPCC they assume that they can "gangster" someone 's property and do what they want. But the fact is that they do not have any funds to do anything. Secondly, the church does not have the money to redevelop the property or pay off the demolition lien on the adjacent property and I do not feel the lien should be waived especially when a finacially qualified developer was available to purchase the property and they blew the opportunity to have Starbucks lease a significant portion of the building.
ReplyDeleteI proposed as a board member of CAPCC that we notify the church that we had no confidence in their ability to redevelop and that they should strongly consider selling or we would recommend that the alderman recommend that the city start eminent domain proceeding so this land can be redevelop. As a private citizen I again call for this to happen.