10/18/99
Today the Chicago Transit Board authorized the sale of surplus CTA property located at 860 Chicago Avenue in Evanston. The City of Evanston will purchase the 2,320 square feet of property, which is located one-half block away from the CTA's Main Street Purple Line 'L' Station, for $175,000.
The CTA has agreed to invest an amount equal to the sale price into station improvements at various 'L' stations throughout Evanston.
The small brick building located at this site formerly housed the Main Street Newsstand, a store renowned for its wide variety of obscure national and international newspapers. The building was last occupied in 1993. Both the CTA and the City of Evanston were unable to rent the site and in 1996 it was declared surplus by the CTA.
Chicago Transit Board Chairman Valerie B. Jarrett said, "Both the CTA and the City of Evanston will benefit from the sale of this property. The CTA will no longer need to maintain property that is not crucial to our operations and the City of Evanston can make the improvements long-desired by neighborhood residents."
CTA President Frank Kruesi added, "Our Evanston customers will also gain as they begin to experience the benefits from the planned rail station improvements."
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