March 14
At its meeting, the City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards approved a change request that would, in effect, ban a banquet hall from operating at 6244-50 W. 63rd St. by rezoning the area for a “residential single unit,” or detached house. Introduced by 13th Ward council member Marty Quinn, the request represents the neighborhood’s opposition to that type of facility, he said. Three public commenters opposed a proposal to rezone property at 3301-3315 W. Division St. to make way for affordable housing; speakers said the community was against the rezoning in part because the proposed structure would be too high and have insufficient parking. Among the zoning changes considered was for 501-03 W. 26th St. from residential single units to a neighborhood shopping district to allow for an after-school center serving Chinese American families. Another rezoning proposal would allow the upper floors of a property at 746-748 W. 103rd St. to be renovated into six residential units. Alderperson Pat Dowell (3rd Ward) called the renovation an investment in the community. Alderperson Ronnie Mosley (21st Ward) also spoke in favor of the change.
March 16
Residents voiced concerns about 911 response times and ranking procedures during a meeting of the 3rd Police District Council – Woodlawn/Park Manor/South Shore. The parking lot of a 75th Street Jewel grocery store was specifically mentioned. Community members said they are frequently harassed there by “loiterers.” One woman related an experience in which a man did not allow her to exit her car, making her afraid to go into the store. CPDC chair Kenya Franklin said she was frustrated by the ongoing issues at that location and encouraged community members to continue to call police when they encounter problems. Attendees advocated for a tour of the city’s 911 facilities to see how calls are ranked and what callers need to say to get the response they need. An attendee reminded the meeting participants that the grocery store under discussion was technically on the 4th Police District side of the street. The council encouraged individuals to call police in both districts.
March 18
The Local School Council Advisory Board (LSCAB) heard a presentation about capital engagement concerning CPS facilities from Ivan Hansen, the system’s chief facilities officer. CPS facilities need significant repairs, and schools in communities with increased hardship should be prioritized, Hansen said. The average age of the 522 CPS campuses is eighty-four years. The campuses are home to 803 buildings and cover sixty-two million square feet. Repairs and improvements would cost around $14.4 billion, with $2.2 billion designated to meet critical needs over five years and $5.5 billion earmarked for longer-term projects over ten years. However, the 2024 budget designates $155 million for facility repairs. Kimberly Watson, the chief of staff to the CPS chief operating officer, dove into specifics. Prioritized needs include roofs and building envelopes, mechanicals, electrical, and plumbing. The capital budget for 2025 focuses on updating facilities condition assessments, improving transparency, and community engagement, including input on priorities.
March 19
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Board of Commissioners heard updates from CEO Tracey Scott about a serious weather-related electricity outage at Las Americas Apartments, a senior public housing complex in Pilsen. The electrical issue, which displaced 185 households, was reportedly due to a ComEd emergency. Some residents heard wires “pop,” generators failed, and the building’s residents were exposed to extreme cold. CHA staff relocated residents to hotels and provided meals and basic necessities. Scott also explained that approval of the federal budget was critical to the authority. Current plans call for one thousand new mixed-income projects, 760 of which are expected to be ready by the end of 2024. Public commenters expressed concerns about dangers to blind seniors, especially during fires, and diminished services, including the lack of a working laundry room at one facility.
March 21
The Chicago Plan Commission signed off on plans for a four-story apartment building in Woodlawn, subject to the commission’s review. The building will have eight market-rate apartments and is expected to cost $1.2 million. It’s located less than a mile south of the Obama Presidential Center site. The developer, Renaissance Properties-IL LLC, has previously developed properties in the area.
March 22
“We are in full and effective compliance, and we are now out from under the consent decree,” City Inspector General Deborah Witzburg told the City Council Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight at its meeting. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is the first Chicago government department to achieve full compliance with the 2017 federal consent decree’s requirements for police accountability and reform and is no longer subject to monitoring. Other departments lag behind. The Chicago Police Department (CPD), for example, has reached six percent compliance as of 2023. The consent decree was issued after the police killing of LaQuan McDonald and a federal investigation that found Chicago police officers repeatedly violated the rights of Black and brown Chicagoans. Other matters discussed at the meeting were the committee’s streamlined intake process for investigations, including about forty initiated by the committee and how the committee reviews and takes action on reports of misconduct in connection with CPD and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
This information was collected and curated by the Weekly in large part using reporting from City Bureau’s Documenters at documenters.org.