The city’s proposal to spend $3.2 million to promote a gay pride theme along a portion of North Halsted Street received mixed reviews Sunday during a festival in that neighborhood, where many gays and lesbians live.
Some business owners and residents in the North Side area praised the streetscape plan, which calls for widening the sidewalks and planting 180 trees along Halsted between Grace Street and Belmont Avenue.
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Decorating the area would be two 25-foot structures in the middle of Halsted and almost 200 steel towers along the sides, all ringed with lights reflecting the colors in the gay pride flag.
“I think it’s wonderful the mayor has chosen to identify this as a center for the gay community and to back that up by helping improve our business district,” said Randy Franks, owner of Bad Boys, a clothing store at 3352 N. Halsted St. “Now, when people come into our community they’ll see that the city recognizes this street as the vibrant center of the gay community.”
Others though, fear the move could send an exclusionary message.
“Halsted Street has always been a gay street and now it’s going to be a gayer street and I don’t think that makes it accessible to everyone,” said Harold Mandel, owner of the Flashy Trash clothing store at 3524 N. Halsted St. “I think the project could scare away straight people who could see it and fear this is a gays-only community.”
The city’s proposed face lift for Halsted was unveiled this weekend during the Northalsted Market Days. Hundreds of festival goers offered their opinions verbally and on questionnaires that will be collected and analyzed by city officials.
“It’s beautiful. It just screams `Welcome to Boys Town,’ ” said Halsted area resident Sean Simmons, referring to the area’s popular moniker.
“Welcome to Boys Town. Hell, welcome to Disneyland,” said his friend Sara, who asked her last name not be used. “I think it’s really obnoxious.”
The street beautification project–designed by DeStefano & Partners and Richard Gibbons & Associates–will run along Halsted Street’s business district between Grace and Belmont. Construction is expected to begin in March 1998.
Two massive, steel, flying saucer-like structures will anchor the project and serve as gateways to the community. Each corner in the project’s 10-block span will feature steel towers, trees and antique-looking street lights. And the sidewalks will be widened to promote foot traffic.
The Rainbow Flag–a symbol of gay pride–is a central theme of the project. The two main structures and the rows of pylons will be ringed with a rainbow of lights in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
Gloria Shoff, executive director of the Northalsted Merchants Association, a group that worked closely with the city on the plan, said “We wanted to do something to help bring daytime business back into this area. We wanted to create a pedestrian-friendly feel so people from all over Chicago will come down here to do business.”
Mark Johnson, with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington, D.C., said this is the first time officials in any city have recognized a gay and lesbian community by proposing a multimillion-dollar street beautification plan that, in part, promotes gay pride.
“But I can guarantee it won’t be the last time,” he said. “Now that the City of Chicago took this historic step, others will likely follow.”