Landmarking Hypocrisy, part 923.
So the most recent RANCH newsletter decries the fact that everyone's favorite bureaucrat, Brian Goekin (the Chicago Commision on Landmarks guy who thinks that everything built in Chicago from the Great Fire through 1930 must be preserved precisely as-is, unless a Mayor or powerful alderman/city bureaucrat above him thinks to the contrary) has decided that the Armitage el station facade need not be redesigned to historical standards. Apparently, it will be really really expensive to maintain the facade to historical standards, and the CTA doesn't want to drop the cash to do it.
Well, duh.
Dan O'Donnell, one of the local business owners, hits the issue square on the head: "cost is not an excuse individual property owners can use to sidestep historic guidelines," so why does the CTA get to follow different standards?
Great question Dan. My cynical answer is that certain folks find it very easy to demand that other people spend money a certain way, but when it comes to their own money, the canary sings a different tune. It is a question of accountability, really. Property owners who are forced by unaccountable bureaucrats at Chicago Landmarks Commission to disproportionately spend money on landmarking-based costs, they can't fire Brian Goekin. But the CTA gets to decide if they want to listen to him or not.
Our stellar Alderman Vi Daley is on the case, though, promising to discuss things with everybody. Well. That makes us all feel better, doesn't it?
One other interesting little nugget: after the last RANCH newsletter complained about how the small business just can't compete on Armitage with rent costs, etc., RANCH hilarously publishes the fact that the owner of the new store, 1154 Lill, which just opened on Armitage, was forced to drop $7000 to get rid of the new windows she installed; since her property is historical, she had to go back and repair the old ones.
Seven thousand bucks to satisfy Mr. Goekin's window aesthetics. She's gonna have to sell a lot of purses to cover that loss. What a friggin waste.
posted by The Grants @ 10:03 PM
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