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UPTOWN — A sign and pagoda that have adorned Uptown’s Argyle district for years will come down this week — and will likely return in new locations.
Crews working on the Red Line overhaul will remove the “Asia on Argyle” sign and the pagoda above the Argyle station starting Tuesday, according to the CTA. The sign and pagoda will come down as crews continue demolishing the old Red Line tracks and stations as new rail infrastructure is rolled out.
Workers began removing the signage late Tuesday morning. The work will close Argyle Street between Broadway and the Red Line tracks until 7 p.m. Wednesday, the CTA said in an alert to neighbors.
The sign and pagoda’s removal could mark the end of an era for Uptown’s historical Asian district. The pagoda dates back to the early 90’s, while the controversial “Asia on Argyle” branding and sign were installed in 2013.
Neither are likely to vanish from the neighborhood entirely, however.
Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Credit: Woojae Julia Song para Block Club Chicago/CatchLight Local ChicagoCTA officials confirmed the sign and pagoda will be removed by contractor Walsh-Fluor and stored off-site during the remainder of the Red Line work, set to wrap in 2025.
After that, the pieces will likely find new homes in the area, officials said.
The pagoda is heading to a CTA-owned facility following its removal and the transit agency will work with Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth’s 48th Ward office to “discuss a final plan and location” for the artifact, said Stephanie Cavazos, CTA spokesperson.
The “Asia on Argyle” sign will be stored in a facility secured by Walsh-Fluor, Cavazos said. Since the sign was installed by the Chicago Department of Transportation, the CTA will work with the transportation office to “coordinate a new location” for the sign, she said.
It is unclear if the sign would be reinstalled on Argyle Street or elsewhere. A spokesperson for the city’s transportation department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Both the pagoda and sign were installed to beautify and develop the Argyle Street corridor that for decades has been a hub for East and Southeast Asian culture and businesses.
Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Credit: Courtesy CTAThe Chinese-style pagoda was installed by businessman and Argyle Street booster Charlie Soo, who in 1991 added the piece to the station after placing a winning bid in a CTA adopt-a-station program, according to the Tribune. The pagoda pays homage to the architectural style of tiered or layered roofing often found in Asian countries.
The “Asia on Argyle” sign was installed just east of the Red Line tracks in 2013.
It was installed as a re-brand of the commercial strip, honoring the influence Asian residents and business have had on the area and helping entice visitors. The sign preceded a streetscape overhaul of Argyle, which removed curbs and other infrastructure to make the street more accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians.
Almost immediately, however, the “Asia on Argyle” sign was met with harsh reviews, with some neighbors slamming the lettering and lack of capitalization. The city defended the $260,000 project, even though renderings of the proposed sign differ from the finished product.
Neither the pagoda or the sign will factor into the to-be-rebuilt Argyle Red Line station.
Credit: Screengrab courtesy CTAThe new Argyle station will include Asian design elements and new signs that draw on the area’s identity, CTA officials said in 2021. Renderings released at the time show Argyle signs accompanied by red lattice.
The CTA is working with local design firm Ink Factory and neighbors to come up with art specific to the Argyle station that will draw on the area’s culture.
A new Argyle Station is slated to open in 2025. Until then, temporary Argyle stations are accessible via new structures at Foster Avenue and Winona Street.
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