A famous sidewalk landmark in Chicago’s North Side neighborhood of Roscoe Village, known as the “rat hole,” has been removed by city officials after it was discovered that the section bearing the imprint of an animal was damaged and needed to be replaced. The imprint, which resembled the outline of a rat, had been a quirky feature of the residential block for years, but gained fresh fame in January when a Chicago comedian shared a photo of it online. However, the attention it received led to complaints from neighbors about visitors coming at all hours and leaving items scattered on the sidewalk.
Erica Schroeder, a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Transportation, announced that the square of sidewalk containing the famous rat hole imprint has been placed in temporary storage. The ultimate decision of where the slab of sidewalk will end up is expected to be a collaborative decision between the city departments and the mayor’s office. The rat hole section, along with other damaged portions of sidewalk on Roscoe Street, were removed by Department of Transportation crews and replaced with new concrete on Wednesday morning, following an inspection that deemed them unsafe for continued use.
Neighbor Georgina Ulrich captured video footage of the crews using a concrete saw, forklift, and truck to remove the rat hole slab, expressing disbelief at the amount of effort involved in removing a simple sidewalk imprint. Complaints received by Alderman Scott Waguespack’s office prompted the decision to address the uneven sidewalk and the disturbances caused by people gathering to look at and photograph the rat hole. The combination of the uneven sidewalk and noise created by visitors at all hours led to the removal of the damaged section and replacement with new concrete, ending the era of the famous rat hole in Roscoe Village.
In response to the complaints and disturbances caused by the presence of the rat hole imprint on the sidewalk, city officials took action to remove the damaged section and replace it with new concrete. The attention surrounding the rat hole, which some argue was actually caused by a squirrel, led to excessive gatherings and disturbances in the residential neighborhood. Alderman Scott Waguespack’s office had been receiving complaints for months about the uneven sidewalk and the inconvenience caused by people congregating to view and photograph the rat hole, prompting the decision to address the issue and replace the damaged portion of the sidewalk.
The removal of the rat hole landmark marks the end of an era for Roscoe Village, where the quirky sidewalk feature had been a source of fascination and contention among residents. Despite efforts to fill in the rat hole with white plaster in January, fans quickly dug it out, indicating the level of interest and attachment to the unique imprint. Moving forward, the decision on the final destination of the slab of sidewalk containing the rat hole imprint will be determined through collaboration between city departments and the mayor’s office, ensuring that the iconic feature will be preserved in some form. The removal of the rat hole highlights the impact of a seemingly insignificant sidewalk detail, and the challenges of balancing public interest with neighborhood concerns in urban communities.
