Ald. Solis is holding a community meeting to discuss McCaffrey Interests' (the Roosevelt Collection owner) proposal to eliminate the public open space currently required by law at 9th & Financial/Wells Streets and to replace it with a private school. The meeting is on March 5th at 6PM in the St. Ignatius cafeteria, nearly 2 miles away from this area of the South Loop (and not even in the 2nd ward as it exists in 2013).(Hat tip: SC!)
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Ald. Solis Holding Community Meeting on McCaffrey Interests' Proposal to Eliminate Public Space on March 5th
For those in the community who are concerned or curious about the British School of Chicago coming to the neighborhood and preventing the promised "public space" at 9th and Financial Streets you should probably attend this meeting. A friend of the blog sent us this:
St. Ignatius Church? St. Ignatius College Prep? Can you be more specific about the address?
ReplyDeleteprivate school>public park...walk a little further to that little patch of grass known as grant park.
ReplyDeleteThe alderman's office now says the March 5 meeting at St. Ignatius is a different meeting. No time or date has yet been set for the meeting regarding the Roosevelt Collection park site.
ReplyDeleteI agree, McCaffrey has done the best job they could.. they created a playground area in the center, planning to bring in solid retail, a PRIVATE SCHOOL is much better than just having a piece of grass for renters in the area. Also, they took over a dead in the water project with a promise from the previous ownernship. You have so many smaller parks in the area that you dont need a park at Roosevelt Collection.. they are going to make it a great area to go and relax with the outdoor seating, shops,etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen this was promised it was with the understanding the RC would have real owners in the building, now it is 100% renters who do not have a say in this.
ReplyDeleteMcCaffrey bought the land knowing full well what was required there. It's quite simple - it is not their land to develop with a private school. If they want to do so anyway, they are going to have to come up with a much better plan than what's been presented so far. I think public park + private school is the best option... and there's plenty of land available for both.
ReplyDeleteDennis - So the public notice of this meeting just arrived in the mail and NOW it's not happening? What's going on here? Do you have any other details about this sudden change?
ReplyDeleteUnless I misunderstand, the notice that "just arrived in the mail" was regarding the 62 acres south of Roosevelt Road, and made no reference to a March 5th meeting or to the British School. No meetings are scheduled regarding the Riverside Park zoning change, and we're still waiting to hear when a meeting will occur concerning the British School. Please speak up if the letter says otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThe March 5th meeting at St. Ignatius Prep School Cafeteria is regarding ABLA Homes.
Hmmm... This contradicts what I was told by Alderman Solis' staff just last week. I was told there was a meeting on March 5th at St. Ignatius and that the main/only topic to be discussed was the British School/park proposal.
ReplyDeleteI'd really like to know what's going on. Either that is a poorly run ward office or there are some shenanigans afoot.
What a surprise.
ReplyDeleteWho: Neighbours
ReplyDeleteWhat: Community meeting
When: Tuesday March 5, 2013 at 6:00pm
Where: St Ignatius College Prep Academy cafeteria 1076 West Roosevelt RD
Why: Proposed British School at Roosevelt Collection
Please join us to discuss this exciting new project.
Members of the development team will be present to discuss the project and awnser any questions.
Please contact Theodore Novak at 312-268-4037 or the 25th Ward Office at 312-744-6845 with any questions.
Thank You
Is Solis the one whose father was involved in the illegal immigration sting and was providing fake documentation for the illegal immigration ring?
ReplyDeleteI live right next to this site and never received notice of this meeting in the mail, as promised. With all the confusion here and the out of neighborhood location, it seems like they don't really want to hear from the community. What a surprise. You're off to a great start Solis!
ReplyDeleteAnon 6:53 - What building do you live in that is right next to this site? Target? The open land behind it? or the rental building AMLI? Unless you live in that one building on Polk/Wells or for gods sake River City.. you dont live next door to this.
ReplyDeleteI think I know where I live and where notice of this meeting is supposed to be sent. But thank you for your concern.
ReplyDeleteJust to add to the confusion...
ReplyDeleteThe Solis site says that he is holding a "New Ward Night" at his office (2439 S Oakley Ave) 6-8 PM on March 5:
http://ward25.com/event/new-ward-night/2013-03-05/
And the South Loop Neighbors sent out this cranky partisan message in their newsletter:
Giving up our Park for a Private School?
Tuesday March 5, 6 PM
Please come and let your voices be heard at the New Ward Night meeting, hosted by Ald. Danny Solis, location to be determined. South Loop Neighbors will stand together to defend what was promised by the builders of Roosevelt Collection: open land, a park, north entrance with a grand staircase to the mall, all of which should have been finished back in 2011. The current developers now want to build
a private school there, and do away with what was promised. Please check Ald. Solis website for the exact location http://ward25.com/.
I literally just spoke with Ald. Solis' office. I was told the meeting to discuss the British School is still on March 5th @ 6PM at St. Ignatius, as provided in this post.
ReplyDeleteI encourage you to call them for yourselves (312 744 6845) and find out what all this confusion is about.
I just spoke with Ald. Solís to clarify the confusion. Although they agree the location is inconvenient, because the developer has already sent the letters out, the Roosevelt Collection Park/British School meeting will take place Tuesday, March 5th, 6 pm, St. Ignatius Prep School cafeteria.
ReplyDeleteWard Night takes place every week and doesn't require the alderman's attendance.
I also live right next to this site and wasn't notified.
ReplyDeleteTo the Anonymous with posts #4, 5, and 14 - your comments seem to indicate you have some sort of problem with "renters" and "rental" buildings....what's going on there? This isn't some exclusive, prejudiced north shore suburban enclave that's hostile to renters and rental buildings. This is downtown Chicago!! Knock that attitude off already. The fact is that over the coming 5 years, there will be a much needed shift in downtown Chicago away from owner-occupied residential units and toward rented units, most notably in new all-rental buildings. There was a vast overshift toward homeownership in the late 90s and naughts downtown which of course interplayed with the condo bubble. Now we need to get back to a sustainable homeonership percentage in greater downtown, which I'd estimate should be no larger than 40-45% or so. So here come the renters and rental buildings!! It's really good news actually.....for business, for urbanity, for the street life. And, further, the South Loop has some of the greatest potential for a broad, sustained push toward greater renter-occupied percentage in residential units. While there may only be 3-5 large rental projects in the south loop in the pipeline at the moment, rest assured this number will easily double over the course of 2013!! More great news.......Oh, and by the way, the british school in place of the park is a horrible idea, keep the park, and add a couple rental towers to the north side of the presently built-out portion of RC, and now you're talking!!
ReplyDeleteTo the anonymous that is the 12th post, you're surly thinking of Ricardo Munoz, not Solis
Anon 11:58 - Renters are great for the area don't get me wrong, but if they don't have a say in their own building - why would they have a say in the neighborhood?? It should be the developers, owners, alderman and city making the decisions. If they chose to make the area nicer (park vs school) to attract renters, that's great.
ReplyDeleterenters should have 0% input in what goes on in the neighborhood. They have ZERO invested so they in turn should have ZERO say.
ReplyDeletebeside most of the renters are the same bufoons saying fine dining doesnt belong in sloop....those idiots mean nothing to this neighborhood
I disagree. I haven't been a renter in 7 years, but if they have interest, then I think they should have input into a neighborhood, especially in this day and age when most are unable or have no interest in buying a place. Just because they can pickup and move, doesn't mean they will. I see renters stay in one place just as long as owners.
ReplyDeleteAnon@2:12PM would love to see what magic powers you have to know that the anons posting that fine dining shouldn't exist are renters. Can you also give me the lottery numbers for tomorrow?
anon @ 4:19 your wit is lacking...
ReplyDeleteMy correlation between renters and the hacks complaining about Acadias prices happens to be "BEING CHEAP".
Also, there is a difference between renters having interest in what goes on in the 'hood and having INPUT. If one group has a financial investment and possible gains to be made----I want that group to have the input. The columbia liberal kids and the other renter nimbys can stand by as I tell them what is going to happen.
To anon at 8:39, 2:12, 1:58 etc. I'd recommend some basic municipal and american civics classes. Residents have the exact same input into what goes on in their neighborhood, whether they are renters or homeowners. This shouldn't be too difficult of a concept to understand. What matters is if you're a resident. Personal financial interest should at best be ignored in determing 'relative levels of input' as you see it. I actually think that residents should have fairly minimal say in what happens in neighborhood development - ie I don't believe in the Chicago tradition of aldermanic prerogative, which is what gives neighborhood residents - often nimbies - political influence. I believe in planning professionals guided by economically liberal but urban and pedestiran-centric zoning guidelines and principals. So, I argue for generally minimal political influence on the part of neighborhood residents (who by and large are not urban planners). However, what's crucially important in the context of what you're talking about here, both equally minimal influence from renters and homeowners - one doesn't get more say than the other because of what you seem to describe as potential personal financial gain or loss. That's not how government works - or at least how it certainly never should work. Whatever the political influence of area residents (and you can certainly argue about how much this should be at all) - it needs to be perfectly equal among ALL residents - whether renters, homeowners, whatever.
ReplyDeleteRenters have a right to know, not be heard (PERIOD). The person who OWNS THE UNIT has a right to be heard. For example: If a building was going to install a security system, who is going to pay for it? The owner of the unit, not the renter. Anon 8:33am thanks for playing, move on to the next blog or neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteWhat in the world are you talking about, anon at 8:51? You seem pretty confused, so as a good neighbor I'll try to help. It's almost as if you don't understand at all the difference between the private sector, its actors and related decisions and the public sector and government decisions. If a private property owner - whether a institutional rental tower owner or a condominium association or whatever is taking a decision to somehow alter its property that doesn't involve government approval or hearings, then yes - only those with an ownership interest by definition have say. However, anytime planning authority, zoning board, city council, and in Chicago most importantly the local alderman, are required to approve the development or change in the development or technical amendment, all citizens - all RESIDENTS - of the neighborhood, ward, city, etc have (and rightly so) precisely the same input, opportunity therein and right to have their voices heard as each and every other resident. No more, no less, but rather precisely equal, absolutely without any regard for real or perceived personal financial stake. Really not a difficult concept at all to grasp - I trust you now not only get, but feel somewhat silly for not getting earlier......but you shouldn't - I'm happy to help!
Deleteanon @ 452
ReplyDeletestop crying so much, you are the one who isnt getting it....
No one is saying that renters are not allowed to be involved! rather--- its just the opinion of many folks that some 18 year old hippie brat kid from columbia not be involved in the neighborhood dealings where I have my 500,000 dollar town home. If you need a power trip as a renter then move up north and join an advocacy group .
People if your poor wittle feeling get hurt, please dont produce 5 mile long paragraphs on here with "big words"-----its not nessesary. Just learn to live in a world where most people think your a crackpot
Do you really expect some "18 year old hippie brat kid from columbia" that's only here for a few years to care about what happens to the neighborhood to actually participate in any planning activites? If they do, then good for them! Maybe they plan on sticking around after they graduate and someday buying a 500K townhome.
ReplyDeleteanon @ 1138
ReplyDeleteSorry if the truth hurts too much !
"For example: If a building was going to install a security system, who is going to pay for it? The owner of the unit, not the renter."
ReplyDeleteUntil the lease is up, in which case the owner of the unit will increase rent to offset their increased costs. That's generally how the market economy works - if the current renters don't want to pay for the enhancement, they'll move out. Also a good metaphor for why you want renters input on neighborhood issues - if you ignore them and do things they don't like/want to pay for, they'll move out, leaving you fewer residents, which, in turn, would give you less development for retail and a depressed housing market. In the meantime, feel free to continue to bash the people that are helping build up your neighborhood. Also interesting how you have no problems giving input to people who buy as an investment, but don't actually live in their unit(s), which potentially means they feel no impacts from any decisions they make about the neighborhood.
Annon at 8:51, thanks for playing, move on to the next blog?
So did anyone (renters, owners) actually go to this meeting?
ReplyDeleteDid anybody read that awful article in the Gazette about this issue?
ReplyDeleteSummaries with pictures here:
ReplyDeletehttp://greatersouthloop.org/2013/03/05/revised-british-school-and-park-renderings/
http://www.southloopneighbors.org/Article.asp?EntryID=1729&ReturnTo=Home.asp
Since the weather was so poor on Tuesday night, they are going to be holding at least one more meeting, at a time TBD. If you are interested in attending, contact Alderman Solis' office.
ReplyDeleteI think the new renderings look great, and it sounds like they've really taken the neighborhood concerns into consideration. Let them have the school. What they're offering for the park is sufficient, and if you disagree, I'd like to hear exact details on why.
ReplyDelete