According to an article published by the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago’s Near West Side will do just fine without the Oprah Winfrey Show. Ever since Oprah announced she is closing down her show, the feeling among business, civic, and political leaders is that the end of the show will not have an adverse effect.

Eric Sedler, vice president of the West Loop Community Organization, said “No one can discount the extra benefit the West Loop had from Oprah being here, but it’s a very mature neighborhood now.”

It is still not clear whether Winfrey will leave her production company, Harpo (located at 1058 W. Washington) or what she will do with the real estate in the area. Mayor Daley Oprah told him that she’s “going on to a new business venture,” but that she’s “keeping quite a bit of her operation here — the studio and other things,” Daley said. “. . . I don’t know the details.”

Local Alderman Walter Burnett said Harpo executives have told him they intend to move Oprah’s “show but not her operations” out of Chicago. Burnett said the plan is to keep the studio open for production of syndicated programs.

The Near West Side is active enough to thrive on its own, according to Lee Bey, executive director of the Chicago Central Area Committee. “I don’t want to say the impact is minuscule, but it’s relatively small because there’s so much momentum,” Lee Bey.

But Oprah will still be missed. Joel Nickson, co-owner of the nearly two-decade-old Wishbone restaurant at 1001 W. Washington, said, “I’ll miss her for sure.” Oprah audiences and staff members have frequented his restaurant, including Winfrey herself. “When she does her show, when they’re actually taping, it’s always 15 to 20 percent [of our business],” Nickson said.

Article Source: Harpo Studio just a part of vibrant Near W. Side (Chicago Sun-Times)