By the spring of 2003, Metra commuters may not recognize the Main Street station.
Its brown cement walls soon will be colorful Renaissance-style murals. Its alleys will showcase bricks that date back to 1908. And actors will stage comedies and dramatic performances nearby.
Custer Street Fair Inc., a nonprofit arts organization, is leading a yearlong, $2.8 million restoration project to turn the Main Street Metra station into an “Evanston Arts Depot.” The Illinois Historic Preservation Commission will oversee the project, which will begin in the spring.
John Szostek, Custer Street Fair’s executive director, will coordinate the Evanston Arts Depot project.
Szostek, artistic director for a local theater and 1984 Emmy winner, said he wants to retain as much of the station’s current appearance as possible.
“It is important to conserve our historic buildings,” he said. “We are considering this project as if (the station) were a landmark.”
Szostek, who has been involved with Custer Street Fair for 20 years, said he wrote grants for the restoration of the station because the city has neglected it for years. Szostek believes that commuters and residents will benefit from the project.
“There is currently not a cultural center in South Evanston,” he said. “The station marks a gap between the two business districts of downtown Evanston.”
The alley on the station’s east side will be torn up to show the original brickwork, Szostek said. An outdoor art gallery also will be created.
More than $260,000 will be used to install a theater in a section of the station, Szostek said. The Piccolo Theatre’s approach to acting closely follows Renaissance traditions, but the company also stages contemporary plays. The theater specializes in a Renaissance acting form called commedia dell’Arte, and most Piccolo plays will feature familiar comic characters.
The station will have a new dining area, an expanded waiting area, better lighting, and a handicap-accessible elevator and ramp.
The Main Street station will be open during construction, although several offices have been moved out of the building. Snack bar hours will be cut back.
The Main Street Metra station is the oldest in Evanston, Szostek said. Approximately 1,000 people cross its platform each day.
Charles, a Loyola University student and Metra passenger, said the Main Street Station has a more traditional look than other stations. It is nice but needs improvements, he said.
“There is only one bench outside, and the building is usually locked,” he said.
