What's up with Uptown? (Chicago: to buy, income, taxes)

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by Venom

Yesssssssss

So, why don't the employed, taxpayers, business owners, etc bind together and get Schiller tossed? Surely there have got to be more people in the ward who want 'change' for the better compared to the number of bums and winos willing to actually show up and vote for Schiller.
I just find it hard to believe that there aren't a significant number of Uptown residents whom would vote for someone else just to make sure Schiller isn't reelected.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by lenniel

So, why don't the employed, taxpayers, business owners, etc bind together and get Schiller tossed?...

She almost lost last election.

I think the transient nature of a certain number of people that live there (this is by no means restricted to Uptown-it occurs in many other popular high density neighborhoods as well) works against her defeat.

I know plenty of transplants that have lived in Chicago a few years and NEVER VOTE in Chicago (or where they are from for that matter.) They keep their voter registration back home for some strange reason. Yet this includes people that plan on living in Chicago for a long period of time.

What gives?
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People move in and out of the lakefront wards all the time...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by lenniel

So, why don't the employed, taxpayers, business owners, etc bind together and get Schiller tossed? Surely there have got to be more people in the ward who want 'change' for the better compared to the number of bums and winos willing to actually show up and vote for Schiller.
I just find it hard to believe that there aren't a significant number of Uptown residents whom would vote for someone else just to make sure Schiller isn't reelected.

This ward is highly polarized, and Shiller hate runs quite hot. The problem is that she has a built in constituency of people who fear gentrification, the crazy cult Jesus People USA, and social service workers who vote for their jobs. And she's been good at pulling the wool over the eyes of older high-rise residents along the lakefront in Uptown and northeastern Lake View. She made a brilliant move in the last election by making the life safety ordinance--which would have cost high-rise condo owners millions of dollars--a major issue in her campaign. Someone living at Grace and Lake Shore Drive could care less about the low-income housing in Uptown.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

...Someone living at Grace and Lake Shore Drive could care less about the low-income housing in Uptown.

But they should care about the low-income housing near Grace and Broadway as well as a couple of other places close to Grace and L.S.D.

This is how she will be defeated in the next election.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

But they should care about the low-income housing near Grace and Broadway as well as a couple of other places close to Grace and L.S.D.

This is how she will be defeated in the next election.

I was sure Shiller would go down in 2007. It was one of the biggest political disappointments of my life when she won that election.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I was sure Shiller would go down in 2007. It was one of the biggest political disappointments of my life when she won that election.

I think it will happen this time for sure. I only hope it does.

Avengerfire for Alderman!

[alwaystraveling25]

So, because I live on a certain street, I had to go to Uptown today to get my moving signs for my big move on Saturday (moving a whole .5 miles away, whoo hoo).

Anyways, I totally agree with what everyone says about Uptown missing out on Gentrification. I talked with a friend who has lived in Uptown for a few years (he lives off Lawrence/Broadway area), and he told me that Schiller voted against the new development off Wilson of Target and those other stores, and she wanted to put in LOW-INCOME HOUSING! Is this true?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by alwaystraveling25

...he told me that Schiller voted against the new development off Wilson of Target and those other stores, and she wanted to put in LOW-INCOME HOUSING! Is this true?

There is going to be low income and "affordable" housing there. Take that in whatever way you want.

As far as the Target and any anything else: his or anyone's guess is as good as mine.

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Btw the only reason that part of Lake View is in Shillers ward is to rein in the Gill Park Co-Op and the Hotel Chateau votes as well as have the power of the Faith Tabernacle Church in her ward.

Faith Tabernacle Church, Chicago, IL : Reviews and maps - Yahoo! Local
Uptown Update: Gill Park Co-op Fire
Uptown Update: Still Charred And Boarded Up
Gill Park Co Operative, Chicago IL 60613 -- MerchantCircle.com
MAHC Coop Photos
hotel chateau chicago - Google Maps

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Here are bits of the original plan in 2004.

"A rental building for low-income senior citizens would be constructed at the corner of Montrose and Broadway. Terra cotta from the existing building would be removed and reinstalled on the new building, or it would be exactly replicated (depending upon condition of the original terra cotta.) The structure would be a mid-rise, with approximately 90 one-bedroom units. Residential parking, drop-off space and green space were not addressed in the current plan. These needs must be adequately addressed as the plan moves forward."

"To the west of this structure would be another residential mid-rise. 90 units with 1-2-3 bedrooms would be available as "affordable housing" rentals for the 1st 15 years (managed by Holsten) and converted to co-op ownership thereafter. No clear information was given regarding whether the residents would be working families, or families on public assistance. UCC has strong opinions regarding the further concentration of low-income families in Uptown. However, if these units are available to families with earned income, there is not likely to be wide community opposition. Residential parking, drop-off space and green space were not addressed in the current plan. These needs must be adequately addressed as the plan moves forward. "

http://www.uptownchicagocommission.org/e_news_3_04.html

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This is what Shiller reported on the project as of Nov. 2008:

"The project will also include two rental buildings with affordable units managed by the Holsten Management Company. One residential building will offer 80 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. An accompanying seniors complex will feature 98 one-bedroom units. Both residential complexes will feature on-site property managers and stringent tenant selection processes. "

http://www.aldermanshiller.com/content/view/507/169/

[Lookout Kid]

The original Wilson Yard proposal had a Target store, other retail, and a movie theater operated by Kerasotes. The movie theater pulled out already. Target has yet to officially state a firm commitment to the project. And Lord knows what the other "retail" could end up being. Many spots touted as "retail" seem to be already reserved for social service agencies...

In terms of the housing, the community was promised mixed-income housing with an eventual ownership component. This is NOT what is getting built. The housing component has now been confirmed to be ALL low-income rental housing for people with low, very low, and extremely low incomes (according to documents at the IHDA). And the ownership component has disappeared. Wilson Yard has been a HUGE bait-n-switch, and the community has been intentionally left in the dark when changes were made to the plan. Shiller and Peter Holsten have been VERY sneaky with the whole affair, and are now being sued by residents who claim mis-use of TIF funds (see www.fixwilsonyard.org for more details on this). The project has been a major debacle, and Shiller should be investigated for wrong-doing in my opinion.

[Chicago60614]

I live at Broadway and Buena in Uptown, bought there from Lakeview about 8 months ago.

It's a quirky area, Uptown. In Lakeview the area around Grace up to Iriving Park is a little scuzzy along the Broadway corridor, but then in Buena Park that whole area from Irving Park to Montrose is actually really amazing. Very impressive residential stock, and a very nice area..

I think people come from the south and see what goes on along Grace and Broadway, and they know Wilson and Broadway, and just assume that everything in between is the same. It's not, I LOVE Buena Park. It took awhile to get my friends to come hang out north of Irving Park, but they've all been surprised. Anyway, I've drifted from topic, since Buena Park and Uptown have very different meanings in most people's minds.

A LOT of it is because of the social services around Wilson/Broadway as "ground zero". It's funny how everything on all sides of Uptown is perfectly nice and fine, but then you just have this hole right in the middle that refuses to turn. I blame the alderman for spending decades trying to pile as many social services as humanly possible on top of each other right around Broadway/Wilson.

I don't understand why she won't learn what this does to the community to gather everyone and their mother with problems and throw them in a little area. Hello. Cabrini Green? Robert Taylor?