Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila
Right now, Friends of Goose Island is planning to do private fundraising. They believe they can do it for a price between $4M-5M, which is comparable to a new-construction bridge. Don't rule out the possibility of a TIF grant that covers some of the cost, although it would likely also come with city bidding requirements that could increase costs.
The bridge house would be kind of pointless since the bridge would become totally fixed. Without a good use for a bridge house, it just becomes a liability... but maybe they could turn it into a coffee stand or something. The current bridge house is totally compromised but it originally looked like the Cortland St one, with clapboard siding and a pitched shingle roof.
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Great!
Is $4-$5 million what an actual new construction bridge costs? Figured that it would be higher than that. I would be totally behind the use of TIF funds for this. The city should use more TIF money for historic renovation/preservation, in addition to its primary focus of incentivizing new development.
Yes you are right, the Division St bridge houses look to be in bad shape, and not really worth salvaging. Perhaps they can save and use the ones from the now doomed Chicago Ave bridge? The historic, masonry construction bridge houses are half the splendor of those old movable bridges. Even if they just sat empty (and locked up of course) it would really add to the aesthetic of the relocated Division St bridge itself as well as the surrounding area. Monetizing them, such as having them host a coffee shop like you said, or something to that effect would be even better. They could even serve as a station/stairwell for a potential river taxi stop as well?