Just a few months behind schedule, the Argyle Streetscape project is finally complete and ready to welcome pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers to Chicago's very first shared street. Located on Argyle Street, between North Broadway and North Sheridan Road, the project has turned the Uptown thoroughfare into a giant sidewalk, dotted with trees and colored pavement, which indicates where bikes and cars can travel.
Alderman Harry Osterman will lead a parade along the shared street on Thursday, August 25 at 5pm, according to the 48th Ward newsletter. The procession will celebrate the opening of the Argyle Streetscape and end at the final Argyle Night Market of the season, located at Sheridan Road and Argyle Street. The free market runs from 5–9pm and features Uptown vendors as well as performances by the Chinese Mutual Aid Association dancers and local hip-hop act Kuumba Lynx.
The opening of the Argyle Streetscape marks the end of a project which began construction in July 2015, at a cost of more than $3 million. Inspired by European plazas, the Streetscape is intended to make Uptown a more welcoming place for pedestrians, creating a community gathering space that highlights local businesses.