Another One Bites the Dust

By Alicia Dorr in News on May 3, 2007 5:56PM

An infamous Lincolnwood "landmark" — the Purple Hotel — will most likely be meeting its demise fairly soon, in lieu of new residential and retail space.

<Before the hotel was closed in January, inspectors found that there was truth in a litany of compaints from guests, including mold growths so bad that that burned your eyes when you walked in and a lack of water in most of the rooms.

News that the recently shuttered hotel at 4500 W. Touhy Ave. would probably soon have a date with a wrecking ball brought all sorts of people out of the woodwork with stories, fables and tall tales about its past. Did you know its parking lot was the scene of the untimely demise of one of Jimmy Hoffa's mob associates? No, but did you hear that Barry Manilow and Roberta Flack used to frequent its swingin' lobby? No, but did you ever notice anyone staying there recently? Or cleaning it?

We actually do think it is sad when a Chicago landmark, officially or only to those who knew it or heard the stories, falls into disrepair. Frankly, we agree with Myles Green that its a shame no one ever took it over, spruced it up, made it a viable business again. Must every nice hotel be downtown? Sure, we wouldn't stay at that one hotel that used to be above the Indian place on Sheffield and Belmont, or any of the hooker motels on Lincoln Ave., but, still, there has to be some kind of happy medium.

Actually, that's exactly what everyone's always arguing about, isn't it — maybe there really isn't a happy medium between sprucing up a neighborhood and gentification.

Image via elfquest.com.