Dear friends,
It wouldn't be fair to reflect on 2022 without mentioning COVID and the impact it has had on all of us. We're at last climbing out of COVID, but clearly, this pandemic has left its mark on us. Businesses are still struggling, and staff shortages have surfaced in almost every type of work environment. As I said last year, we learned our world can change quickly and it's our reliance on one another to build community in the midst of difficult times that gets us through. We are a city with many heroes and we're all a lot braver than we thought we were.
When I first entered office back in 2011, my goal was to make the 46th Ward a place where a young parent with their child would feel at ease walking on any street in their community. It was a big dream given that some parts of the Ward were in the 95th percentile for violent crime. Today, we're experiencing the lowest rate of violent crime in our Ward's history.
I know better than to take all the credit. It really goes to all of us working together. Crime goes down when the police, Cook County State's Attorney's Office, our local chambers, our area businesses, and most importantly, our residents are all working together.
When word got out that the 46th Ward was a great place to live, it became a sought after community. Two weeks ago, the headline from Block Club Chicago stated, "A Wave Of Construction Is Changing Uptown's Wilson Avenue. Here Are the 4 Projects Adding 650 Apartments" and no one, not even me, would have ever imagined such a thing just 10 years ago.
Now, we're going full steam ahead with all types of projects and we are still experiencing very low vacancy rates. It certainly didn't come overnight, but nothing worthwhile happens that way. It was hard work. This newsletter includes a summary of all we accomplished this year.
Below you will find overviews on public health, community outreach events, addressing chronic homelessness, local schools, parks & green spaces, legislative updates, planning & development, and our expanded outdoor art gallery.
Best wishes for a wonderful and prosperous 2023!
|
|
COVID-19, MPOX, RSV, & FENTANYL
Just a few years ago, most of us had never heard of most of these health scares. Our world is different and our new normal is adjusting to all of it. Dr. Allison Arwady, the City's Commissioner for the Department of Public Health (CDPH), has been in the national spotlight for the work that she and her team have done to address all of these serious medical issues. Other cities across the country have looked to Chicago due to its timely responses to what's hit us. We continued to coordinate on city-wide outreach and strategies to address the waves of the COVID pandemic, MPOX, and RSV. Unfortunately, the rapid introduction of fentanyl into street drugs caught many by surprise. Deaths involving synthetic opioids increased by 80% over a 2 year period across the nation. It forced us to view addiction in a different light. The 46th Ward was the first ward in the City to partner with CDPH to provide Narcan, a drug that can save the life of someone who has experienced an opioid overdose emergency, to anyone who requests it; no questions asked. All judgement has to be suspended. This is all about saving lives. Click here to view a video put out by CDPH that speaks to the value of Narcan for saving someone's life.
|
|
COMMUNITY OUTREACH & EVENTS
 2022 was a year of gathering for events large and small! We were so grateful to resume the Chicago Pride Parade after a two-year hiatus. Our annual Shred-A-Thon had great turnout once again, along with flu and COVID vaccine events at Truman College and Saint Mary of the Lake Church. Along with our annual clothing, toiletries, and winter gear collections, our office served as a site for neighbors to support new arrivals who had been bussed in from other parts of the country. Thank you for all of your support for fellow neighbors! This year’s Clean & Green targeted public trash baskets throughout residential and commercial corridors as staff cleared out the bottoms and rims of each basket. We hosted and joined webinars, resource fairs, and school open houses and hosted Green Forums to provide a platform for constituents to voice their environmental concerns, learn more about what local programming exists in the community, and meaningfully engage with their neighbors on action items. Thanks to everyone who attended events this year!
|
|
ADDRESSING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
BUDGET SEASON VICTORIES
I made it clear to the Mayor and my colleagues that my support of the 2023 City Budget was dependent on funding for addressing chronic homelessness in Chicago. The budget allocated funds to several key areas and reframed our principles when it comes to homelessness support in the City of Chicago:
- We will be getting 1200 units for rapid rehousing, which is an increase from 400 units in 2022. Best practices around the country demonstrate over and over again that more affordable housing with wrap-around services is key to addressing homelessness. It's not enough to provide housing; it must be done in a manner that provides people with additional supports to keep them housed.
- Funding was made available to rehab many of our shelters so that they can be converted to non-congregate shelters, which will incentivize people experiencing homelessness to say yes to a shelter placement. We've learned from speaking with people experiencing homelessness how important it is for them to have a sense of privacy and safety that comes with having their own room away from others.
- We will get $12M to pilot a stabilization housing program for individuals with complex health conditions such as untreated serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders who cycle frequently through emergency rooms, jail, 911 services, and the shelter system. Funding for a housing stabilization project will help save their lives while also saving taxpayer dollars in the process.
- We will at last get a low barrier shelter on the Northside with personal storage options. This will be a shelter for those who would otherwise refuse care because they have a substance use disorder, or have pets, or have an unmarried partner. Best practices show that low barrier shelters are key for those most reluctant to go to a shelter.
- We now have a commitment to use the 7 principles outlined by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. This was a must-have for me because other U.S. cities that rely on these 7 principles have documented great success with getting people off the streets and into permanent housing.
$100,000 MICROGRANT PROGRAM
Each of the 50 wards was allocated $100,000 to assist with improving their respective wards through a microgrant program of their choice. The 46th Ward was the only ward that focused the entire amount on addressing chronic homelessness. My goal was to try out evidence-based, best practice interventions that had been used in other parts of the country, and afterwards, replicate this project throughout the City of Chicago. Three organizations received microgrants to try out different outreach initiatives: Trilogy Inc., Heartland Alliance Health, and Cornerstone Community Outreach. Trilogy’s funding went toward offering short-term motel stays to support stabilization and engagement with services. Nineteen participants accepted a motel stay opportunity and engaged with mental health services. Five participants were connected to permanent supportive housing. Heartland Alliance Health and Cornerstone Community Outreach partnered on offering short-term housing while linking participants to resources and permanent supportive housing. Six participants transitioned to permanent supportive housing after accepting short-term housing stays. The microgrant program allowed our office to explore innovative outreach efforts while coordinating with active supportive services already working in the 46th Ward. We continue to work with our microgrant recipients and the Department of Family and Support Services on expanding these best practices for more outreach.
CO-RESPONDER MODELS EXPANDED
My colleagues and I successfully secured increased funding within the 2023 budget to increase service areas in Chicago for which a CARES team can be deployed to aid individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or a substance use crisis. In 2023, funding will allow for the CARES team to move to a 24/7 operation. Presently, it only operates 40 hours a week, Monday - Friday.
HOMELESSNESS WEBINAR & NEWSLETTER
Presented by the Dept. of Family and Support Services and community social service agencies, this webinar explored homelessness and best practices that assist people who are unhoused to get back into permanent housing. Click here to view this very informative webinar.
In July, we released an extensive newsletter with regard to folks experiencing homelessness in the 46th Ward. Read more here.
|
|
SUPPORTING & CELEBRATING OUR SCHOOLS
COURTENAY LANGUAGE ARTS ACADEMY CELEBRATES A PLAY SPACE FOR ALL
When the balloons were released and students rushed to start playing on their new playground, you could see tears in the eyes of adults there in attendance. It took many years of planning and hard work that involved Principal King, school staff, and the community to pull this off, and we all knew the hard work was worth it when we saw the children's eyes light up when the playground opened up. It signaled that COVID was losing its grip on the students and they were starting to feel normal again as they enjoyed a fully renovated playground and outdoor nature walk space for all ages and abilities.
UPLIFT COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
Friends of Uplift High School, a not-for-profit group, started this year to help boost the enrollment of this hidden gem, which was part of the problem.... the school's presence from the street didn't stand out and match the great things going on inside the school. Working with Uptown United, plans were drawn up to help make the outside match the beautiful interior of the building. Expect to see some great plans in early 2023 using TIF funding. It's long overdue to give this school some much needed love.
SCHOOL SUPPORT
Our 46th Ward schools were excited to welcome back students to the classrooms for a return to in-person learning. Our office continued to work with the Uptown Schools Collaborative on new ways to support and engage students and families. This past August our office cohosted the Uptown Block Party at Uplift Community High School where students and families from all of our schools were able to connect with fellow students, the Park District, government offices, and health professionals to learn more about support during the school year and information about vaccines. Thank you to the students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and community stakeholders who support and cherish our local public schools.
|
|
PARKS AND GREEN SPACES
CLARENDON PARK COMMUNITY CENTER
This September’s groundbreaking marked the official start of the Clarendon Park Community Center renovations! The groundbreaking was an opportunity to celebrate this milestone with the Clarendon Park Advisory Council, neighbors, and Chicago Park District Staff. Because the funding for this came from TIF, and due to a requirement that the Park District could no longer borrow against the TIF’s projected revenue, I worked with the Dept. of Planning and Development to have the developer of 811 Uptown contribute two-thirds of the $15.8M TIF before it was able to accumulate revenue from property taxes, and split it so that half of it went to 2 programs that provide housing to people experiencing homelessness, and the other half went to the Chicago Park District to fund the Clarendon Park Community Center rehab. This arrangement allowed the Clarendon Park Community Center to get its TIF funding sooner so that it wouldn't have to face demolition due to ongoing damage caused by its roof that was leaking. After this overdue rehab is completed, this community center can continue to serve the Uptown community as it has for over 100 years, but now with full ADA accessibility, a brand new front lobby, and more meeting and community spaces. Click here to view plans for the center.
CLARENDON TENNIS COURT REPAVING
Ward menu funds sponsored the repaving of the Clarendon Park Tennis Courts. These brand new courts will be painted for both tennis and pickleball for everyone to enjoy along with the full park renovation!
FIRST TEE GREATER CHICAGO - 2ND PHASE
This is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, they create active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do. The first phase located just south of the Sydney Marovitz Golf Course was completed in 2021. The second phase opened this year at a cost of $2M for the 60,000-square-foot facility. First Tee is a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides programs, coaching and camps for children to learn golf at courses throughout Chicago and its suburbs.
UPTOWN COASTAL AREA
As part of the Chicago Park District’s ongoing restoration and preservation work, the Uptown Coastal Natural Area project began this year in the green space bordered by Marine, Lawrence, DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and Wilson. The ecological restoration project is replacing existing turf lawn with native prairie and savanna plantings. This work is a continuation of the community initiative that began in 2016 to request more native planting in Uptown. Click here to learn more about the project and timeline.
REMEMBERING MONTY
Monty, one of the Piping Plovers that made Chicago home, passed away at Montrose Beach this year. Monty and his partner Rose brought attention to their species' habitat loss on the shores of Lake Michigan. A memorial was held in May at Montrose Beach and active preservation efforts continue for all of the plovers that choose to nest there.
NO CONCERTS IN THE PARK
Monty and Rose brought home the need to address the noise coming from loud concerts in the park. If you noticed there haven’t been any outdoor concerts in the last few years, there was a reason behind it; it’s for the incredible wildlife we have in the parks that must be protected. In addition, the Park District has approved a measure adding 3 acres of beach space favored by the piping plovers to the Montrose Dune Natural Area. I will be working with Bob Dolgan, who created the film Monty & Rose, to look further into ways that we can protect our precious Lakefront and highlight this incredible habitat that deserves our protection.
REDEDICATING WINTHROP FAMILY GARDEN
In October, Mayor Lightfoot and I gathered with descendants of the Winthrop Family, local residents, Uptown United, and others to rededicate the Winthrop Family Historical Garden. The space honors the legacy of the Winthrop ‘Family,’ a community of Black residents who fought racist segregation to make Uptown their home along the 4600 Block of Winthrop. The garden has long been a gathering space for Black families who were redlined and restricted from the rest of Uptown. This was a wonderful way to reflect on the history and strength of the Uptown community and to celebrate a rededicated space where Uptown neighbors can come together for years to come!
|
|
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
ABORTION RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
After nearly 50 years of precedent, the Supreme Court Overturned Roe v Wade. I stand with the rest of my colleagues in affirming the rights of bodily autonomy and family planning. A City Council’s resolution recognized the critical role that Chicago will play in safeguarding abortion access and family planning services. The 2023 budget also included appropriations for the Chicago Department of Public Health to meet the growing demands on our healthcare system.
BIKE SAFETY ORDINANCE
This ordinance empowers the Department of Finance (DOF) with the ability to tow vehicles that block the bike lane. Currently, the municipal code allows only Streets and Sanitation to tow vehicles in the bike lane. This ordinance expands towing authority so that the DOF could tow just as it currently does for certain parking restrictions - most notably for busy streets with restricted hours. The ordinance also provides more guidelines for vehicles that need permit access to the bike lane public way by requiring signage on the whole block which would give cyclists more forewarning of the bike lane blockage in these instances.
6 MPH SPEED CAMERA THRESHOLD NEAR PARKS AND SCHOOLS
In City Council, a proposed ordinance to increase the ticketing threshold from 6 mph to 10 mph over the speed limit was deferred in July. Ald. Cappleman voted 'no' in order to keep the existing threshold of ticketing over 6 miles per hour to help protect pedestrians and cyclists by encouraging slower vehicle speeds.
CONNECTED COMMUNITIES ORDINANCE
The Connected Communities Ordinance was adopted by the City Council in July as a policy plan to advance Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD). The ordinance prioritized Chicago’s economy, safety, and affordability with 3 key goals and provisions:
- Grow the economy by allowing more homes and businesses near transit.
- Make streets safer for Chicagoans who walk, bike, roll and ride
- Encourage more diverse and affordable housing in every neighborhood
Learn more about the new ordinance and how it might impact our community in the section THOUGHTFUL URBAN PLANNING section below.
NEW 46TH WARD BOUNDARY
 The remapping was a long and arduous process. Many compromises were made to get to the 41 votes necessary to avoid a costly referendum. With various factors at play in the formation of ward boundaries, there will always be some degree of gerrymandering to allow the appropriate amount of representation. A primary factor at play is the state voting rights requirement aimed at protecting Black, Latino and Asian constituents. Following this requirement ensures the continued endurance of majority minority wards and their representation on Chicago's City Council.
Voters will rely on the new ward maps for the municipal elections in February 2023, with the new ward boundaries going into effect right after the May 2023 inauguration.
|
|
THOUGHTFUL URBAN PLANNING
The 46th Ward continues to have the highest percentage of affordable housing in Chicago’s North Side and Far Northside. It may sound counterintuitive, but valid and reliable research asserts that the very best way to help stabilize rising rents on the entire Northside is to build more of any type of housing. With apartment vacancy rates at an all time low, I continue to seek out ways to build more housing to meet the high demand for more apartment units. If we block developments with moderate and high-income units, it hurts people further down the income spectrum because moderate- and higher income households end up driving up rents on units that would otherwise be relatively affordable.
Here’s what was done in 2022 to help with sound urban planning that included ways to promote more affordable housing:
- Affordable Housing Webinar: Last March, an affordable housing webinar provided an explanation for all the many different types of affordable housing across the City of Chicago, and gave greater detail about the revised Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO) that helps to provide more affordable housing. While the ARO only provides around 2% of all the City's affordable housing, the vast majority of affordable housing is the City's "naturally occurring affordable housing" (NOAH). Rafael Leon, the executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation and Daniel Hertz, the Director of Policy, Research, and Legislative Affairs at the Dept. of Housing for the City of Chicago, both provided their expertise for this presentation. Click here to view the taped webinar.
- ETOD Webinar & Uptown Case Study: Our office co-hosted an Equitable Transit Oriented Development (ETOD) presentation with Uptown United to share how ETOD expands upon existing planning and development guidelines for projects near major transit. Uptown United also commissioned a site development study for the southeast corner of Wilson/Broadway with the Lakota Group to identify areas of broad agreement about the future of parcels near the Wilson CTA Station and how ETOD legislation could affect Uptown. Click here to view the presentation on ETOD by Elevated Chicago and the Chicago Department of Housing, and an overview of the site development study by Lakota Group.
- Clark Street Study: Known as Clark Street Crossroads, this commissioned plan from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development was carried out in coordination with four aldermanic offices, various neighborhood groups and chambers, and residents along Clark Street from Montrose to Foster. The plan examined residential and commercial market conditions to identify opportunities for new development, zoning enhancements, public realm improvements, and transportation safety planning. The final plan and its recommendations will be released early next year.
- 46th Ward Menu Funds: Our ward allocated the $1.5 million dollars from the Chicago Department of Transportation toward street, sidewalk, and alley repaving, throughout the ward. We also commissioned traffic studies for additional safety enhancements along major thoroughfares including Leland, and additional bike lanes to connect existing bike networks including Kenmore. See the full list of menu allocated projects by clicking here.
- Protected Bike Lane Work: Along with menu funding, our office continues to coordinate with the Chicago Department of Transportation on bike infrastructure planning both in the ward and the city as a whole. New protected bike lanes on Clark Street from Irving Park to Montrose will be installed along with shortened pedestrian crossings, bus improvements, and a 20MPH speed limit. Click here for the June 28 presentation on this project. The existing protected bike lanes along Broadway from Montrose to Wilson will be getting enhanced with pre-cast concrete curb barriers that will more effectively block vehicles and other barriers from entering the bike lane.
Chicago Recovery Grant for Community Development Recipients
This year the Department for Planning and Development held three rounds of Chicago Recovery Grants focused on catalytic local development. These grants are focused on strengthening local business corridors and enhancing neighborhood vitality through commercial and mixed-use developments with strong local impacts. The 46th Ward had 5 recipients:
- Chicago Market - $5,800,000
- CircEsteem - $3,697,425
- People’s Music School - $90,750.00
- Marina’s Cafe - $135,525
- Chicago Center for Photojournalism, LLC - $17,200
|
|
DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE 46TH WARD
NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED IN 2022
4502-04 N. Beacon: a 9-unit condominium building located in Sheridan Park. Built on a former parking lot, this provides desperately needed housing to meet the high demand for more housing in this neighborhood.
4533 N. Clark: Originally built as a warehouse, this building was converted into 24 residential, with 3 onsite affordable units. Click here for more information.
4526 N. Sheridan: This is a vintage mid-rise apartment building that has gone through a gut rehab and was beautifully restored. No zoning change was requested for this development that has 111 units. Click here to view one of the apartments.
UPDATES ON CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS
In addition to the 3 developments that were completed this year, there are 21 other projects that are currently underway within the 46th Ward. Looking at all the developments finished this year and those that should all be completed within the next 2 years, there will be a total of 2,093 units built on 21 different sites. Of this total number of added units, 1,895 units will be built on property where no housing previously existed. A total of 9 developments qualified for the Affordable Requirements Ordinance, which added 120 onsite affordable units and in-lieu fees totaling $4.6M.
4611 N. Broadway: With the completion date set in a couple of more months, the building will be known as "Platform 4611" and it pays homage to the Wilson L platform just steps from its entrance. The first floor corner retail will be the new home to Stan's Donuts, with 8 additional floors for 200 residential units, along with amenity spaces. There are 5 onsite affordable units for people earning 60% of the AMI and an in-lieu fee of $1.5M that will provide housing to people at highest risk for homelessness (Individuals with incomes too low to afford an onsite affordable unit). Directly east will be Double Door, a music venue with an incredible Chicago history, and directly west of it will be the new Chicago Market that will also open later in 2023. The game changer for all this new development was due to the $203M rehab of the Wilson CTA Station, which made the area much more attractive to people wanting to live in a walkable neighborhood near great mass transit and great retail. In 2020, TimeOut Magazine named Uptown as the 24th coolest community on the planet.
4753 N. Broadway: Located in the Uptown Square Historic District, Bridgeview Bank is Cedar Street's most ambitious adaptive reuse project to-date. The 40,000 square feet of office space within the building was recently completed, and the residential portion should be ready for occupancy by the first quarter of 2023. This project will deliver 176 multifamily units, residential amenities, commercial office space, and co-working in the historic grand lobby. No zoning change was needed for this rehab.
4511 N. Clark: This will be 56 units of residential apartments that will include a live-in/work space on the ground floor. Ten percent of the units will be affordable at 60% of the AMI.
4537 N. Clark: This will be a 4-story, 14-unit masonry building with retail tenant space on the ground floor. The developer is Longford Construction, Inc. and this will be built as of right with no zoning change being requested.
4645 N. Clark: This 8-unit condominium building is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. It will be the third condo building completed within the last few years. No zoning change was needed for this development.
3501 N. Halsted: In March of this year, I was joined by some of my fellow elected officials for the groundbreaking of Howard Brown’s new five story clinic at 3501 N. Halsted. This five story building will replace the currently standing clinic along the Northalsted Business Corridor. With the larger spaces available, Howard Brown will be able to offer expanded services to new and established patients, as well as serve as Howard Brown’s first dental clinic on the Northside. Here is the link to their press release.
4447 N. Hazel: This will be a 32-unit apartment building with 10% of the units as onsite affordable. It will be completed later this year.
640 W. Irving Park: This development allows for the preservation of three historic buildings on this property that will be converted into 245 apartments, with 20% of them set aside as affordable. A 22-story tower for seniors will be located in the parking lot behind the former school and will contain 108 independent living units, 60 assisted living units, and 32 memory care units, with 20% of the units in the high-rise being set aside as affordable. There is no start up date for construction, but this development will be occurring.
3636 N. Lake Shore Drive: This new construction will consist of two residential and mixed-use structures that will fill the site. The first tower will have 19 floors, while the second structure will be a shorter six-story building. The two will hold a combined 333 residential units with a 5,000-square-foot restaurant space at the intersection of N. Lake Shore Drive and W. Waveland Avenue. With all the necessary zoning in place, construction is now expected to start later in 2023. Ten percent of the units will be affordable for people earning 60% of the Area Median Income.
4600 N. Kenmore: This Cedar Street development is expected to be completed in February 2023. With a total of 62 units, ten per cent of the onsite units will be affordable for people earning 60% of the AMI.
920 W. Lawrence (Heiwa Terrace): This 100% affordable 204-unit building received a major interior and exterior rehab with new floor-to-ceiling windows. The work should be completed by the end of next month. This building is situated on two parcels that were zoned differently, so a zoning change was required to allow for refinancing that provided the funds for this overdue rehab.
1039 W. Lawrence (Lawrence Lofts): This is an 80-unit SRO going through a complete gut rehab with move-ins starting in March. The rehab should be completed by June. The SRO Preservation Ordinance was enacted for this historic building.
4607 N. Magnolia: Attempts to save the Queen Anne home that was on this property were not successful, so a new single family home is getting built on this property as of right. The new owner made sure that the home was designed to make good use of the family's love of gardening.
4526-30 N. Malden: These parcels of properties will be built in 2 phases; 15 condos on the north end of the property that will start construction later this spring, and the other 15 condos will be built at a later date. These properties are getting built as of right.
4706 N. Malden: A single family home was demolished and it is anticipated that a 6-flat will be built on this property as of right.
4600 N. Marine Drive: Construction has started for this 12-story apartment building that will have 314 residential units. Proceeds from the sale provided Weiss Memorial Hospital with needed funds for their programming. The ARO Ordinance kicked in for this development, with 8 units set aside as affordable at 60% of the AMI, and the developer contributed an additional $3.1M to complete the financing needed to build Sarah’s Circle’s 100% affordable building located a few blocks away. The advantage to the in-lieu fee is that it provides desperately needed rental assistance to women at highest risk for experiencing homelessness.
4840 N. Marine: A $13.5M construction permit was granted earlier this month to do an extensive rehab primarily on the exterior for Montrose Behavioral Health, which will be an acute behavioral health care facility that is part of Acadia Healthcare.
4102 N. Sheridan: This 32-unit apartment building is getting built as of right with no needed zoning change. Permits have been recently pulled to demolish the strip mall store currently at this spot.
4501 N. Sheridan: The 5-story building that will contain 59 rental units and ground floor retail. The building is getting built as of right, so no zoning change was needed.
4745 N. Sheridan: This is Sarah’s Circle’s 100% affordable housing that received the needed $3.1M from the 4600 N. Marine project to make the financing of this building possible. There will be 28 units of affordable housing for people earning as little as zero income. Construction is anticipated to start later in 2023.
835 W. Wilson: The 6-story 100% affordable senior building will contain 73 units of housing. The building will offer 44 parking spaces, but given its close proximity to the Wilson CTA station, numerous bus lines, and proximity to local stores and Weiss Memorial Hospital, the area will be very walkable for residents.
PROPOSALS IN THE REVIEW PROCESS
4701 N. Clark: The proposal is for a 5-story 37 unit rental building on the NE corner of Clark and Leland where a drive-through bank is currently located. I am asking the Department of Housing to determine whether or not the ARO units should be onsite or if the developer should pay an in-lieu fee for at least 3 of the units instead. If a decision is made for in-lieu fees, that funding would help another development a few blocks away to provide rental housing at 30% of the AMI.
4642 N. Magnolia: After listening to the Magnolia-Malden Block Club, I will be supporting an upzone that would allow a 6-flat to be built on this lot that has been vacant for several years. The City’s Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards Committee will hear and vote on the proposal on January 17th at City Hall.
1359 W. Wilson: The developer is entertaining two scenarios: one would be an upzone and the other would entail building as of right. A decision is expected within the next few months.
|
|
UPTOWN'S BOOMING ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT NEWS
UPTOWN THEATRE - 4816 N. BROADWAY
The owner is working with the City to revise the Redevelopment Agreement due to a 30 - 40% increase in costs since 2019. Per the owner, the plan is to start rehab work before the TIF expires at the end of 2025.
THE RIVIERA - 4746 N. RACINE
This beautiful theater is in the midst of a total restoration to retain its rich history, with a new lobby, bars, and washrooms. Concerts will also be more enjoyable with new air conditioning throughout the building.
DOUBLE DOOR - 1050 W. WILSON
Less than a block away from the Wilson CTA Station, the theater is going through a major renovation with plans to open up toward the end of 2023.
THE ARAGON - 1106 W. LAWRENCE
This beautiful building is going through a total rehab on the outside of the building. Permits were recently pulled for major roof repairs.
PRESTON BRADLEY CENTER - 941 W. LAWRENCE
Uptown’s Preston Bradley Center (PBC) is getting a much-needed renovation and conversion into a nonprofit community hub after being sold in October for the first time in its nearly 100-year-history to Daniel Ivankovich, an orthopedic surgeon, philanthropist and blues musician known as Chicago Slim. From 1926, when Dr. Preston Bradley launched the center as a beacon of hope that “may always be an open door to the downtrodden and the broken and the bruised and the bleeding”, PBC has been an oasis for the forgotten - on issues concerning social justice, poverty and civic wrongs. Unfortunately, due to building code issues, the City closed the facility for occupancy in June. Ivankovich plans to rehab the church, cultural center and social services building into a home for his and other nonprofits. The building would act as an office space for the organizations and a community space for hosting health clinics & seminars, cultural arts programs and eventually concerts. The Peoples Church will continue to use the Preston Bradley Center as its headquarters to offer social services to neighbors in Uptown.
|
|
WE EXPANDED OUR OUTDOOR ART GALLERY
We thought 2021 was the year for murals until 2022 rolled around! Uptown United's Third Annual Uptown Art Week in early June had interactive art activities for all ages. Take a peek at some of the new murals that were created around the ward! Find the full list of public art in Uptown here.
|
|
|
|
