(Above) Rendering of Wabash Lights, a public art project planned for Wabash Avenue. (Click on image to view larger version.)

August 12, 2015 – Wabash Avenue in the Loop will start to get brighter and more colorful this fall, as a one-block stretch that passes Palmer House will be fitted with programmable LED tubes.

It will be a test of a public art project that hopes to someday have thousands of tubes installed along a two-block stretch of elevated L tracks. For now, a 48-foot-long prototype between Adams and Monroe Streets will help test the lights against vibration, traffic, and weather.

Jack Newell and Seth Unger announced on Tuesday they have raised $55,000 from 918 investors, using a 30-day Kickstarter campaign that ended on July 26.

Over the next six months, they will troubleshoot the design and develop an interactive website and mobile app to allow the lights to be programmed by the general public.

“The lighting sculpture will bring life and awareness to the largely neglected strip of Wabash Avenue,” says Unger. “Creating this new destination in the heart of the Loop will increase annual visitors to Chicago, increase tourism, and encourage the growth of local business.”

They have been working on their “Wabash Lights” proposal for four years.

• Previous story: ‘Wabash Lights’ project to raise money for first 48 feet
• Website: Wabash Lights