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 09.16.2005 Metra Hears Plan for Upscale Station |
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
By Virginia Groark
Tribune staff reporter
Published September 16, 2005
Randolph Street Station, long one of the most dismal depots on Metra s system, not only has a new look but could become the commuter rail agency s finest stop, with white-coat clad bathroom attendants, fresh flowers and a new name: Millennium Park Station.
That s the vision of J. Paul Beitler, who heads the Beitler Co.
The Metra board today awarded a 20-year contract to Beitler s firm to manage the station – the downtown terminal of the Metra Electric Line to University Park and South Shore Line to South Bend, Ind. -- and to lease its 16,000 square feet of retail space.
Metra expects to receive $6.9 million over the term of the lease in addition to as much as $1 million from billboard advertising it intends to put in the underground station.
At the rail agency s board meeting, Beitler unveiled grand plans to overhaul the image of the station, which recently underwent a $22 million rehabilitation.
First, shed the Randolph Street moniker, he said. Name it after Chicago s newest tourist draw: Millennium Park, which sits above the station.
Board members praised the idea and will vote on the suggestion next month.
Next, forget about leasing retail space to an odorous chicken shack, Beitler advised. He intends to pursue vendors like a bank, bookstore and coffee shop, and fill at least half the storefronts by December 2006.
Increase awareness about the station s merchants, Beitler said. He envisioned ice cream socials during off-peak hours, and handing out umbrellas advertising the station to commuters during an April shower next spring.
Most important, dress up the bathrooms, he said. Adorn them with fresh flowers, offer mouthwash and staff them with attendants. Create a buzz that would lure people to the station.
"That, they ll talk about," Beitler said. |
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