April 2006 Archives

It's that time of year to come out and get your neighborhood looking good!  Many local Uptown Block Clubs will be hosting events that clean up the litter and get local gardens ready for summer.

Graceland Wilson Neighbors Association will be hosting a Coffee & Event at Uptown Sweets before heading out to work. 

Graceland Wilson Neighbors Clean & Green Event
May 13, Saturday--9:30 to 11:30 A.M.
Meet at Uptown Sweets for Coffee & on Wilson Ave., just west of Racine (by the Fire Station)

For other block club event information, please contact your local block club for details.

The buzz from the April UNC meeting on Wilson Yard has lots of people asking, "What can we do to help make sure the Wilson Yard plan is the vibrant and cohesive development promised?

With that thought in mind, UNC invites you to a social event with your neighbors at Nick's Uptown on May 4.  Join us for a cocktail while sharing ideas on Wilson Yard and learn how you can help make a difference in Uptown.

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Food for the social is sponsored by David Weiss of Koenig & Strey GMAC Real Estate.  Looking to buy or sell property in Chicago?  Check out Dave's on-line access to the Chicago Multiple Listing Service, the most complete database of property for sale in Chicago.  It also has prices of recently sold property, too!

UCC's Third Annual Kentucky Derby Party!!

Location: Crew Bar + Grill - 4808 N Broadway

When: Saturday, May 6 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

RSVP: (773) 784-2739

Come for the races... stay for the fun. Be Creative - There's a HAT contest! Meet your Neighbors. See old friends and make some new. There'll be Yummy Food and Great Prizes.

Cost: $25 (includes food/beer/wine AND a 1-year membership to UCC)

David Roeder of the Sun Times has written an article that we think everyone should read.  There have been many changes to the Wilson Yard plan, both physical and financial.  Mr. Roeder notes the latest change.

Shiller on tightrope over development plan in Uptown

April 12, 2006

BY DAVID ROEDER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Ald. Helen Shiller (46th) is a defiant warrior. Elected in 1987 with the backing of Mayor Harold Washington, who needed another vote in the City Council, Shiller has proven herself as a political survivor, toning down her old leftist rhetoric as her ward has gentrified but without alienating her core support, lower-income voters for whom Uptown has been a refuge.

She's being put to the test now with Wilson Yard, a development site at Montrose and Broadway that is empty. The emptiness scares residents on either side of the gentrification issue. It's only about 5 acres, yet it contains 500 acres worth of neighborhood aspirations, jealousies, political agendas and developer calculations.

In an agreement larded with government subsidies, the city sold the former Chicago Transit Authority property to a partnership headed by Holsten Real Estate Development Corp. Or at least it once was a partnership; others have dropped out and now Holsten is pretty much all that's left.

A respected builder of mixed-income housing, Holsten has been unable to get a project started there, despite the grease of city- and state-backed loans. Work on the site has started for an Aldi grocery store, a separate land deal, but Holsten cannot begin construction on the housing because his part is all one big design. He's negotiating details of commercial space with Target, but no contracts have been signed.

Last week, a group organizing around the new wealth in the ward, the Uptown Neighborhood Council, drew about 300 people to a meeting about Wilson Yard, an impressive feat. Shiller and Holsten were invited but didn't show. The group's president, Randy Lehner, assailed the project for its reliance on subsidized rental housing, the lack of definition for its retail component and its dependence on public money to allegedly shove something down the public's throat.

Most in the crowd agreed. They were mostly young, educated and some spoke of being fairly new to the neighborhood. There was talk about writing protest letters and registering to vote for the aldermanic election next year.

Shiller's ears must have burned in absentia. She knows an aldermanic candidacy is lurking in the tweeds.

In an interview, she offered two reasons for not showing up: a family responsibility and certainty that it was a kangaroo court. She said council members adopted a bullying tone in trying to get the appointment with her staff. "I would have been at their meeting if they hadn't threatened me, if they had stopped their lying about this project," Shiller said.

Chief among her objections is their use of the term "low income," or close variations, to describe the housing. It's meant to conjure images of Chicago Housing Authority high-rises. "The CHA won't rent to people who earn more than 30 percent of median [Chicago area] income," she said. "This project will rent to people with 30 percent, 50 percent and 80 percent of median income."

She said a family of four can qualify for the apartments with an income of up to $54,000, twice as much as the upper limit for living in public housing.

Shiller also insisted that the retail aspect is financially secure, with the Target deal as good as cinched. Despite numerous alterations to the project, "Target is still at the table, spending money. Their commitment is there," she said.

The alterations took place because a movie complex was added to the mix, then it dropped out on rising costs. Critics of Wilson Yard wanted the theaters and also think they've been sold a bill of goods on the housing. Endless planning meetings and "charrettes," the favored term of those who confuse dialogue for decisiveness, produced agreement on "mixed income" housing for Wilson Yard.

That implies some market-rate homes. But Holsten's partner as a market-rate builder, Kenard Corp., exited the deal. Holsten said it was because the costs "didn't pencil out." With the level of subsidies in this deal, $35 million in tax-increment financing for a $115 million project, it's hard to imagine why.

Aldermen, with extraordinary power over zoning, can steer projects to their liking. And I've talked to developers who bypass Uptown because of the hazards of dealing with Shiller.

She insisted that she's true to her promises of giving Uptown's diverse groups something, but not all, that they want out of Wilson Yard.

Her goal, she said, is to foster "development without displacement."

Her critics will portray Shiller as showing tolerance for conditions many other neighborhoods would rise up against. The neighborhood group's meeting last week displayed the contrasts: privilege and property ownership inside the Wilson Avenue meeting space. Outside, vagrants and a transient hotel owned by a Shiller supporter that in past elections has been a convenient receptacle for suspicious voter registrations.

I asked Shiller if she will run again, as many residents I encountered were unsure of her plans. "Yes," she said. "I made the decision more than a year ago. I need another term to finish several important projects."

Crime is down, she said, and for those who complain about the panhandlers, "we have less of that than downtown does," she said.

Shiller will have to take that stance to voters who, like those in many Chicago neighborhoods, often feel there's no real alternative between pricing out the poor or living with drive-bys and board-ups.

How can we keep up the momentum we've experienced in the past week? We have three action items we are working on at the UNC, and we need you to participate in all of them:

1. Voter Registration - Make your voice heard at the ballot box!
2. Letter Writing/Faxing Campaign - Let your city officials know that you support the UNC and our cause regarding Wilson Yard.
3. Fund Raising - Voter registration drives, community meeting room rentals, and political advocacy require financial backing. Help us by giving a few dollars.

From our Tuesday night meeting, we had several "Action Items" that we were focused on:

• Voter Registration
• Our Letter Writing and Faxing Campaign to Lori Healey, Mara Georges, Ron Humberman, William Holland, and Helen Shiller
• Getting Involved (and donating some money to the cause)

Please take the time to do all three, and pass along the URL of this site to family, neighbors, and friends.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has... Margaret Mead

Uptown's Hull House was stretched to capacity with a 200-plus crowd filling the main gallery for the Uptown Neighborhood Council (UNC) hosted, Wilson Yard Community meeting on Tuesday evening.

Invited guests Alderman Helen Shiller, developer Peter Holsten, and Commissioner Lori Healey were no-shows at this community meeting.

The Wilson Yard TIF Development remains the top-hot-topic in Uptown, as people gathered to hear Randy Lehner, UNC President, give an update on what's going on with this controversial development that sits in the heart of Uptown's decaying retail area.

This project started 10 years ago when the CTA bus barn burned to the ground at Montrose and Broadway.  In 2001 the Wilson Yard TIF was established to revitalize this blighted area by using property tax contributions collected from property owners in the TIF boundaries, see www.uncchicago.org, Wilson Yard for map and more details.

Lehner began with the written goals of the 2001 Redevelopment Plan that include: "Creating a vibrant and cohesive mixed-use, mixed-income development...Consistent with the McJunkin building (3 stories) in terms of height, style, and setbacks."  For more detail see the entire presentation at www.uncchicago.org, Wilson Yard Presentation.

In 2004, the Alderman and plan developer, Peter Holsten, stunned the community by unveiling a plan that veered from the original goals with:

• Two 10-story towers with only low-income housing in a neighborhood already struggling with a 40% poverty rate. (Source--Loyola CURL Study, 2000 Census)
• Movie theaters
• Target
• Aldi's
• Parking for 900+ cars

In 2006, the plan moves further away from the original goals by increasing the low-income housing to almost 200 units and the buildings grow to 13-stories.  The sidewalks are narrowed and the Broadway frontage becomes a sheer wall of masonry instead of the walkable, pedestrian-friendly retail area people wanted.

Lehner pointed out the housing and plan changes are gobbling up more TIF dollars, or taxpayer contributions, without any community input.  The taxpayer contributions increased from $27 million to $35 million as the project budget grows to $130 million.  Additional funding comes from the City issuing $30 million in loans and $28 million in bonds.  Who pays for these if the increased property taxes don't cover this amount when they come due?

In February 2006, the plan suffers a huge loss when Kerasotes Theaters pulls out of Wilson Yard.  They cited escalating costs associated with changing the theaters' location to accommodate housing, Target and parking needs.  Not only did the community lose the #1-requested tenant, but the project lost the projected $18 million for the property sale to Kerasotes.

The Wilson Yard "vibrant and cohesive plan" now consists of the 200-units of low-income housing, an Aldi's and a Target....maybe. 

Dave Roeder, in his Sun Times column dated March 29, 2006, see www.uncchicago.org for the article, shares his conversation with Peter Holsten on Target coming to Wilson Yard.  Seems that Target has not even signed a letter of intent at this time.  Target is the top retail request from the community.

So what's the "vibrant and cohesive" Wilson Yard development look like right now?  Lehner reviewed what's included today:  A new Aldi's, almost 200-units of low-income housing in two thirteen-story buildings, and a shaky commitment from Target.

But the story doesn't end there.  Seems that the Chicago Police have filed a report stating their concerns over the Wilson Yard development. The report outlines the existing problems with homelessness and crime in the surrounding area, and the increased traffic that would put a strain on police response to increased crime and accidents, and the seniors' safety issues.

The dubious traffic study was Lehner's next point. Why was a traffic study conducted in November 2003, instead of during the peak traffic period summer months when people are heading for the lakefront?

Lehner concluded by asking everyone to get involved and take action.  UNC continues to push for a return to the original goal of "creating a vibrant and cohesive mixed-use, mixed-income development".  Efforts will also continue for full disclosure of all the Wilson Yard development funding, documents, and plan changes.  We are also requesting the establishment of a TIF Oversight Committee with authority to direct and influence how TIF projects and money are allocated. And that's were the community can make a difference....

Action Items--Get Involved today

• Visit www.uncchicago.org and download the community letter to Lori Healey, sign, fax, or mail the letter to all the people listed on the website.  Do it today.
• Forward this email to your block club members and neighbors, get them informed about what's going on with Wilson Yard.
• Interested in volunteering with UNC? Contact us at unc.chicago@gmail.com and help support our work
• Visit www.uncchicago.org and join/make a donation to support UNC's work
• Register to vote.  We'll have more voter registration opportunities in the near future
• Contact UNC and send your ideas, suggestions, and letters to the Editor at unc.chicago@gmail.com.  Selected letters will be published on the Website

Thanks for your continued support...this is just the beginning!

Uptown Neighborhood Council

Revitalizing the Uptown Community through balanced economic development, arts & cultural enrichment, and sensible community planning

It has been requested that we post the slide presentation from Tuesday night's Wilson Yard meeting.  Ask, and you shall receive...

You can find the presentation here in Adobe PDF format.

At the Wilson Yard community meeting tonight, a letter was made available for concerned residents to sign and have sent to Lori Healey, the City of Chicago's Commissioner of Planning and Development, as well as other government officials.

If you were not at the meeting, or would like to have an electronic copy of the letter, an Adobe PDF version can be found here.

Please take action today!

Fax or mail a signed copy of the Wilson Yard letter to Comissioner Lori Healey and the other government officials. Let them know what action you want taken to assure the community's concerns are addressed on this imporant community development.

Fax or Mail Letters to:

Lori Healey
Commissioner, Department of Planning & Development
121 N. LaSalle St. Suite 1111
Chicago, IL 60602
Fax 312-742-9899

Mara Georges
City Hall Corporation Counsel
121 N. LaSalle Room 600
Chicago, IL 60602
Fax: 312-744-8538

Ron Huberman
City Hall
121 N. LaSalle St. Room 509
Chicago, IL 60602
Fax: 312-744-7557

William Holland
Illinois Auditor General
160 N. LaSalle St. Suite S-900
Chicago, IL 60601
Fax: 312-814-4006

Alderman Helen Shiller
4544 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
Fax: 773-878-4920

Wilson Yard Report Card

How well have our City officials, the Alderman and the Wilson Yard Developer done in honoring the Wilson Yard TIF Redevelopment Goal & Objectives as outlined in the agreement?  As a TIF taxpayer, here’s a report on how your property tax contributions are being spent as of April 2006.

Goals & Objectives

Goal:  Create a vibrant and cohesive mixed-use and mixed-income development

Objectives
Facilitate the assembly, preparation, and marketing of vacant and underutilized sites for new retail, commercial, light industrial, and residential development, and off-street parking areas, and provide for corrective actions to address environmental problems to permit development and redevelopment, as needed and appropriate

Grade: F, Complete lack of mixed-use components that clearly lays out a sensible plan for retail, commercial or light industrial development. 

Facilitate the redevelopment of the CTA Wilson Yard site in accordance with the Redevelopment Plan in a way that fits within and enhances the overall attractiveness of the community in terms of architectural style, Broadway-oriented street frontage, and pedestrian orientation, and is consistent with the McJunkin building (3-stories) in terms of height, scale and setback.

Grade:  F, This massive, 130’ structure completely overpowers the surrounding neighborhood, the stark design closes out the community with a sheer masonry wall without store-front windows, the narrowing of the sidewalks negatively impacts pedestrian safety and the Montrose/Broadway corner does not serve as a gateway to a vibrant retail street.

Support the preservation and rehabilitation of existing multi-family and affordable housing throughout the R.P.A. and support the development of new for-sale and rental housing that could include a mixture of market rate units and units for moderate, low, and very low income households

Grades:  F, No preservation or rehab of existing residential housing
F, No for-sale housing
F, No market rate housing
F, No mixture of market-rate and low-income
A, Low income housing

Coordinate the goals of this redevelopment plan with the goals and objectives of other underlying redevelopment plans and planning studies where appropriate, and coordinate available federal, state, and local resources, as appropriate

Grade: Incomplete and doubtful, No funding or discussion of rehab of the dilapidated Wilson El station as part of a broad-based transportation plan; no coordinated effort with Lawrence/Broadway TIF

Encourage the preservation and rehabilitation of retail and commercial businesses, institutional uses, and architectural and/or historically significant buildings or districts in the R.P.A.

Grade: Incomplete, Unclear if preservation or rehabilitation will be done

Retain the economic and cultural diversity of the population in the R.P.A. and support the preservation of existing community residences and businesses by ameliorating the potential negative impacts, including displacement, that new development may have on existing community residents and businesses

Grade: Not applicable for residents, since not one residence was displaced.  Incomplete, for businesses, as existing businesses have all been relocated.

Support the relocation of the CTA facilities on the Wilson Yard, as appropriate, to carry out the other objectives of the Redevelopment Plan

Grade: A, the CTA has moved out

Facilitate the improvement and expansion of existing public facilities as needed, such as Arai and Stewart Schools and area parks

Grade: C, Closing of Kenmore in front of Stewart School to create park.  No funds projected for the rehab of the dilapidated Clarendon Field House.

Encourage the improvement of the physical condition along Broadway between Wilson and Montrose Ave. including the rehabilitation of commercial buildings, the development of vacant and underutilized properties, provision of streetscaping and beautification elements, and the removal of driveways and curb cuts where possible and appropriate

Grade: Incomplete, but no plans have been presented to the community to rehab existing deteriorating buildings

Encourage streetscaping, landscaping, and screening/buffering elements to visually link the area’s diverse land uses and create a distinct identity for the area, as appropriate

Grade: Incomplete, but no detailed plans have been presented to the community to address this objective

Replace or repair infrastructure where needed, including sidewalks, streets, curbs, gutters, underground water and sanitary systems, and viaducts to improve the overall image of the neighborhood and support new development and redevelopment of the R.P.A., and provide resources for the extension of Sunnyside Ave. west of Broadway

Grade:  Incomplete

Encourage improvements in accessibility for persons with disabilities

Grade:  Incomplete

Promote opportunities for women-owned, minority-owned, and locally owned businesses to share in job and construction opportunities associated with the Wilson Yard R.P.A.

Grade: Incomplete

Support job training programs and increase employment opportunities, including welfare-to-work programs for area residents and individuals working in area businesses.

Grade: Incomplete