Alderman Reilly is very pleased to announce that the final recommendation for landmarking the Quincy Elevated Station at 220 S. Wells Street was recently approved at the September 7, 2017 meeting of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.<\/p>\n
Opened for service on October 3, 1897, the Quincy Elevated Station has served generations of Chicagoans and visitors to the City, and remains the best example of an original Loop “‘L’ Station.<\/p>\n
With the exception of a hiatus for restoration in the 1980s, the\u00a0Station has been in daily service for 120 years.<\/p>\n
The massive riveted steel elevated structure is a tangible symbol of the Industrial Revolution which involved major changes in construction and transportation. The structure also displays fine architectural detail, including Neoclassical-style pressed-metal ornamentation, and pressed metal and oak finishes in the station houses.<\/p>\n
The Loop ‘L’ and Station was designed by engineer John Alexander Waddell, an authority on steel construction who designed bridges across the globe.\u00a0The ‘L’ has become an iconic feature of the city.\u00a0 Its encircling perimeter so clearly defines the central business district that it gave downtown Chicago its famous nickname, the Loop.<\/p>\n
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) requested the designation as part of its 125th anniversary<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0of the Loop ‘L’ service in Chicago.<\/p>\n A renovation project for Quincy Station is also underway to make the 120-year-old station fully wheelchair accessible, while preserving its historical appearance. The $18.2 million project is the largest renovation in nearly 30 years for\u00a0Quincy, which serves more than 2.2 million riders annually via the Brown, Orange, Pink and Purple lines and is a major transfer point for 10 CTA bus routes, Union\u00a0Station\u00a0and the LaSalle Street Metra\u00a0Station.\u00a0 The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.<\/p>\n The Commission on Chicago Landmark’s recommendation will be introduced to City Council in October, and be referred to the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards.\u00a0 At the Committee meeting where designation is considered, the public can make oral or written statements for the Committee’s consideration.\u00a0\u00a0 Upcoming Committee meeting agendas are posted on the City Clerk’s\u00a0website<\/strong><\/a>. After Committee, the\u00a0landmarking\u00a0will require a full City Council vote.<\/p>\n