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What the 'L,' Logan Square? Glowing Letter in Lot Raises Questions

By Darryl Holliday | January 23, 2015 12:26pm | Updated on January 26, 2015 9:22am
 Check out process photos from the overnight 'L' construction.
What the 'L'
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LOGAN SQUARE — People have been wondering this week while passing the 22-foot, glow-in-the-dark “L” that sprang up at Milwaukee and Talman avenues seemingly overnight:

Is it an art installation?

A clever developer strategy?

Creative marketing?

“Honestly, the answer to that is yes,” said Noah Gottlieb, senior managing director of Property Markets Group. “We’re not a normal company, so this is definitely not going to be a normal building. We think it should be branded and marketed in artistic and cool ways.”

The building he's referring to is the L project, a residential, transit-oriented development that Property Markets Group has planned for the lot at 2211 N. Milwaukee Ave. in March. The lot sold for $3.4 million in December 2013, went through a community meeting process in June 2014, and is expected to open with 120 units in spring 2016.

 What is that 22-foot-tall, glowing 'L' installation doing at the corner Milwaukee and Talman?
What is that 22-foot-tall, glowing 'L' installation doing at the corner Milwaukee and Talman?
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Noah Gottlieb

Ergo, "Whatthel": an art-as-marketing installation for the upcoming residential development of the same name.

Gottlieb said he and two friends built the 3,000-pound L by hand over the course of 12 hours on-site Sunday night.

The structure, built for under $1,000, is “really like 10,000 Christmas lights inside this translucent plastic frame,” he said.

“We’re happy and proud of that," Gottlieb said of L.

“Its ‘L’ for Logan Square, it's ‘L’ for the train, ‘L’ for life, laugh and love,” he added.

L, the installation, will be on display until L the building breaks ground in March, Gottlieb said, adding that the group may also add installation features as work on the building progresses.

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