State Street makeover? Downtown business group hires design firm to recommend changes

Is the State Street corridor in need of a makeover?

That is the question that an urban design firm will tackle in the coming months before releasing a report this fall with recommendations that are expected to touch on a variety of issues ranging from the aesthetic to the practical.

A sample of topics that are up for discussion: Are old-fashioned lamp posts and ornate street-level entrances to CTA Red Line trains still a good look? Would dedicated bicycle and bus lanes be a good idea?

The Chicago Loop Alliance, a group made up of downtown businesses, announced Monday that they commissioned the report.

There’s little chance the report will seek to close the iconic corridor to motorists.

Such an experiment was carried out in 1979 under former Mayor Jane Byrne, who turned the downtown street into a bus and pedestrian mall. The street was torn up again and reopened to traffic 17 years later.

“We’re not looking to tear it up again,” said Alliance spokeswoman Jessica Cabe, noting that, ultimately, any changes to State Street would be done in partnership with the city.

Ernie Wong, head of Site Design Group, which has been tasked with compiling the report, will kick off the effort with a keynote speech at the Alliance’s annual meeting next month — a ticketed event at a downtown hotel.

Members of the public who want to keep tabs on the report’s progress and learn how they can weigh in should go to www.loopchicago.com/statestreet.