Opposition Voice Heard on Recent Sloop Projects

Thought we would share a couple quick links for you this afternoon in case you didn't already see them.

First, as we posted about last week, the bike lanes on Dearborn were striped and are reportedly on schedule to be up in running sometime mid-December.  The city is apparently getting some negative feedback on this project and Mayor Emanuel took to the mike to defend his biking plan (via the Sun-Times):

Image from Sun-Times

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday defended his decision to constrict traffic on a popular street that runs through the heart of Chicago’s congested downtown area — by installing 12 blocks of protected bike lanes along Dearborn between Polk and Kinzie. 

“I made a pledge that we were gonna do 25 miles of protected bike lanes throughout the city each year, so we could [reach] 100 miles by the time my term was done. And we’re on course to achieving that,” the mayor said.

The article goes onto to give some more rationale as well as a quote by the Mayor saying it was partially a play to recruit start-ups and entrepreneurs to the city.  Seems like a stretch to us, but it's fine...we like bike lanes here at Sloopin.

In other news, more controversy and complaints are being directed at the discussion around a new proposed stadium in Motor Row.  The primary use is for the DePaul men's basketball team.  We've tried to keep our finger on the pulse on the topic (see post two weeks ago) and also linked to a survey that the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance was conducting about this proposal.

Well the results of that survey are in and the Chicago Tribune provided some city wide amplification for the group:

The prospect of a DePaul University men's basketball arena being constructed on land just north of McCormick Place is drawing strong opposition from the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance, a South Loop residents' organization, according to a letter released Tuesday. 

A survey of 700 neighbors of the site, conducted by the community group, found more than 70 percent oppose construction of a Blue Demons arena there, Tina Feldstein, president of the organization, stated in the letter.

Does the city or DePaul care what the neighbors say?  Who knows...