Shelters at Jefferson Park terminal boarded up after man uses drill to damage art panels
by BRIAN NADIG
Two warming shelters that are often used by the homeless at the Jefferson Park CTA Transit Center, 4917 N. Milwaukee Ave., are boarded up following a Feb. 27 incident in which a man reportedly used a drill to vandalize decorative glass panels on the structures which could take months to repair, according to the transit agency.
A witness reported that he saw a man drilling into the glass at one of the shelters at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, and several officers responded and took a suspect into custody, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
A CTA representative agreed to sign a criminal complaint against the man, police said. Information on possible charges was not immediately available.
The shelters include decorative images designed by artist Jamie Pawlus. The CTA commissioned Pawlus to design the artwork in 2017 as part of a $25 million renovation of the terminal that included demolition and rebuilding of the old bus bays, new redesigned canopies, new concrete, new paint, rehabbing train platform canopies and other improvements.
The CTA issued the following statement regarding the vandalism and repair:
“Unfortunately, an offender vandalized two of the bus shelters at our Jefferson Park transit facility Sunday night. As you may recall, these shelters featured an art glass installation known as ‘Center of the Universe’ created by artist Jamie Pawlus.
“The offender damaged one large glass panel in one shelter and a small glass panel in another shelter. CPD was able to make an arrest in this matter.
“As a measure of safety for our customers and to also protect the remaining panels and structure from any further damage, both shelters are being temporarily covered until repairs can be made. At this time, there is no estimate for repairs. CTA is still investigating options for replacing the damaged art glass panels, which can then take several months to procure and install.”
