Street Trolleys, Large Sidewalk Cafes Brainstormed for Clark Street

Neighbors and developers gathered Wednesday evening brainstorm ideas to make Lake View’s Clark Street corridor more vibrant, with organizers bringing concepts like street trolleys and permanent sidewalk bump-outs for cafes to the table.

The open house forum at the Century Shopping Centre at 2828 N. Clark St. had residents buzzing about the possibilities, giving feedback to project designers The Lakota Group about some of the options for the stretch between Diversey Parkway and Barry Avenue.

And there certainly were a variety of ideas presented to get people talking. Along with trolleys and bump-outs, The Lakota Group showed elements seen in other successful urban districts around the globe, like turning alleys into outdoor cafes, introducing murals and artwork, showcasing unique lighting options and even making a streetcar-only roadway.

The Lakota Group’s Vice President, appropriately named Kevin Clark, says the whole point of Wednesday’s event is to get a strong feeling from people regarding their wants and needs.

The plan to bring streetcars or trolleys to Clark was described as a “grandiose idea” by both Clark and Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Maureen Martino, but it was still a valid option. Martino said they would potentially talk with other wards to make the streetcar a reality not only in Lake View, but all the way downtown.

Like the other ideas, it was presented simply to get feedback.

“What we’re doing here tonight is really trying to listen,” Clark said. “The whole point is to get input. … The next workshop will be in a month or two where we bring ideas (generated from tonight’s feedback).”

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Surrounding the room were various stations where neighbors could react to the project, like a display with historic photos, a slideshow of the existing problems, boards with potential ideas and an “ideas board” where others could submit their own suggestions.

It was all capped off with a huge map of the specific stretch of Clark where residents could place color-coded stickers representing issues like green space, building improvements and transportation.

While the most common complaint centered on the small width of the sidewalks, other issues arose, like the large, bulky and unattractive building that houses Marshall’s, DSW and Michael’s.

“It’s just a poorly designed building,” said Lake View resident Liz Zoller Cohen as she placed stickers on the map.

Another neighbor Lee Crandell noted the parking lots near Walgreens and Caribou Coffee creating a “sea of asphalt” that creates a mess for drivers and discourages shoppers from continuing down Clark. That’s combined with his concern for the intersection of Barry Avenue with Halsted and Clark streets, an area Lakota officials say is on their radar.

Clark funding for the project has yet to be identified, but city and capital improvement grants, along with special taxing districts already in place by the Lakeview East Chamber are options.

The Lakota Group will now create feedback-based designs for Clark based on Wednesday’s comments.