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Hippies. They're all over the place, planting flowers, calling in sick to work, staring off into nowhere for hours at a time, and generally being a nuisance to all those who are forced to come into contact with them. Seemingly, though, they're not content with the fringes of society anymore. Case in point: the proposal for the development of Block 37.
After fifteen long years, the city has finally approved a plan submitted by investors who actually won't back out, unlike the myriad of failures that have preceded them. The current plan calls for the creation of a CTA “super station,” connecting the red and blue lines, allowing for express travel to O'Hare. The plan even calls for connection to Midway through the orange line. Atop the station, the details are admittedly sketchy. What is known, as of now, is that the plan calls for three high rise buildings, with condominiums and hotel space on top of commercial space. And yet there are some who contend that such a plan doesn't effectively make best use of the open space. Despite the fact that the new plan calls for something that Chicagoans actually need and would use, the hippies remain adamant the space stay empty, acoustic guitars in hand.
The majority of these whiners maintain that a park would be the best option. After I stare sideways at the holes in their “Phish: 1995 - Passed Out in/on the Grass” tour shirt, I ask, “When did the city that works became the city that lays around in a meadow, wistfully waiting for a cloud that looks like something”? What Chicago needs to do is take an empty, useless space and turn it into something of substance. Recondition the space into something that Chicagoans can use, like quick and easy travel to the airports. There have been many suggestions before this new plan, most of which centered on office and retail space. This plan focuses on utility, an aspect so often lacking in many of the city's plans.
Personally, I have no problem with parks. In fact, it's hard to imagine any instance in which someone objects to a park. In fact, dude, we like a lot of the same things, bro: open spaces, green grass, slides, clowns, and Frisbees. In fact, fuck this whole business and working thing. Fuck cars, fuck commerce, fuck having to shower. As a major city, let's set an example and hope that the rest of the world can comprehend our foresight. Let's collectively shirk our responsibilities, and have a parade every day. Strike up the band, hire a magician, and pass the patchouli. Let the hippies win over the development of our city. |
