At the recent Open House meeting for the Fulton Market Innovation District, the Chicago Department of Transportation presented these gateway marker concepts for Fulton Market Street.
As these plans are still a work in progress, feedback is still welcome. Please feel free to either leave your thoughts as comments below, or if you’d like to email us directly, we can pass along your feedback to CDOT.
Here are the renderings:
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omg, NO!!! You are making it look like Disneyland. This is a REAL, Working Neighborhood. Seriously. STOP it.
Please, no Gateway Structures, Sculptures, etc. Gentrification … Meh.
The idea of adding a gateway is an absolute abomination. It makes a mockery of the neighborhood by trying to “brand” something that already has a deep and rich history. Please, do NOT add anything like this to the neighborhood. I second the “Disneyland” comment.
Thanks for commenting, everyone. In lieu of a gateway, then, what would you do prioritize instead for the Fulton Market Innovation District?
And if you are for – or against – the gateway concepts, would you mind emailing info-at-neighborsofwestloop-dot-com with more specific thoughts? (And if you could include any indication of where you live in the neighborhood, that would be even more helpful!)
I’m not a fan of any of these markups, the allure of this neighborhood is that it is still very much a working neighborhood and the charm is the packing houses themselves. Arches seem a bit cliche and the boxes make it look like an oldies drive up. My vote is to leave it as is, or some simple/out of the way basic pillars indicating that it is Fulton Market.
Megan: Something like up in North Center? (http://www.chicagoimagegate.com/North-Center/Thumbs-NorthCenter/08May11_North%20Center_046-thumb.jpg)
Like others have said, PLEASE don’t let this stupid arch make its way to realization.
Are arches even relevant design features anymore? The few arches shown in the plan are all VERY dated and to use the Pike Place Market sign as an example is a real stretch. To boot, $500,000!!! Do you know how much asphalt can be purchased to fill pot holes for 500k?
People have been able to find Randolph Street with no arch, what makes planners think people will get lost trying to go one or two streets north if there is no sign…it’s a COMPLETE waste of money and an absolute detractor from the authenticity of the area.
Umm, as you can tell, I’m not a fan.
Totally agree with the others…these concept archways are inappropriate. Does not make sense at all and a waste of money.
Not a fan of any of these designs and I work in design. Don’t light it up, so tacky.
The black wrought iron with the name in the center as an arch is simple and timeless.
These look very cartoon like and Disneylandish. NO!
How about adding more park space, we have a need for more green space for humans, animals etc.
Instead of an arch.