Good afternoon, today I’ll be live tweeting the @ChicagoDPD Community Development Commission’s meeting for @CHIdocumenters and @city_bureau. Live feed here - https://vimeo.com/426349018
Just two agenda items in the new business section today: https://t.co/IpkZsvyQrN
12:56 PM Jun 9, 2020 CDT
The second item concerns the El Paseo garden https://elpaseogarden.org/ currently managed by @NeighborSpace
The city wants to enter into a negotiated sale with @neighborspace for the garden, where they will sell it to the non-profit after advertising the sale and considering alternate proposals for the land, if they are submitted. More on negotiated sales here: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/doh/provdrs/developers/svcs/negotiated-sale-of-city-owned-land.html
To be clear, I don’t believe @ChicagoDPD is selling the community garden land to @NeighborSpace today, just advertising that they will sell it unless they receive other proposals, which may or may not come.
Chair Jorge Perez begins the meeting at 1:03
Here are the commissioners: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/community_developmentcommission.html
Newsome here
Butler here
Brooks here
Bufford, absent
Sepeda absent
Cox absent
Curtis present
Davis here
Griggs Absent
Rose here
Thomas here
First item - request of authority to acquire the following properties (pic) in Goose Island and Near North TIF districts, for improvement of public way. https://t.co/4PHCemkJwQ
Soliman Khudeira (https://www.chicagobuildexpo.com/speakers/soliman-khudeira) from Department of Transportation is presenting the proposal. He has a nice voice. https://t.co/NDXEh4oWM1
The bridge over the river is ‘functionally obsolete’, with constant ‘traffic jams’. The bridge over the canal, is a temporary bridge and requires replacement. The roadway needs to be widened to ameliorate traffic. https://t.co/8hS8JqeB8n
They intend to build a temporary bridge to accommodate traffic while building the enduring bridges.
They need a temporary easement of nearby properties to build the temporary bridges. Temporary easements mean that they need to use property from nearby property owners. Khudeira explains that there are no occupants who need to move - it’s grassland and parking lots. https://t.co/do6AYjL469
Khudeira is showing maps of the temporary property acquisition and temporary easement. Purple is land they will take; green they will borrow temporarily. No buildings will be effected. https://t.co/B0pIan9YdI
Jorge Perez concludes - @AldermanBurnett commenting now, says it’s a worthy project. He is wondering if any of the businesses were upset by the changes to the bridge and road expansions. Khudeira explains that a local businessman called and asked, but was fine with the expansion
Comms. Butler asks the width of bridge sidewalks. Khudeira, at least 7.5 ft on both sides, allowing east west movement.
Vice Chair Newsome asked if there would be any improvements to temporarily borrowed land. Khudeira says, in short, no.
Comms. Thomas asked if there are other projects where DOT built temporary bridge; He says, yes, on a north avenue project.
Comms. Curtis wonders if any businesses will have to close during the construction period. Khudeira says none will have to close.
Chair Perez asks how long has this been in the works. Khudeira says that the engineering phase started 6-7 years ago. These are state historic bridges that need to be destroyed, and the river bridges are coast guard run. They weren’t initially keen on losing moveable bridges
Now on to El Paseo Community Garden. Nelson Cheung, Coordinating Planner of public open space group DPD is explaining the garden layout. https://t.co/U7eBiH6N5X
I paused this meeting, and now cannot rewind. It skipped about ten minutes forward. All the commissioners approved the proposal to enter into a negotiated sale. I’ll rewind later, when @ChicagoDPD posts the recording. Meeting concludes at 2pm.
You can check back to find notes and full details here: https://www.documenters.org/assignments/community-development-commission-1165/
And check back on this thread for when they post the meeting. Sorry about this folks. I’ll in those notes about the community garden.
https://twitter.com/ChicagoDPD/status/1270430362242613249?s=20 - @chicagodpd announced the sale of the garden to @NeighborSpace for $1.
Advertisement for sale of land to NeighborSpace for $1, unless other proposals advanced. Unanimously approved. Now back to celebrating the career of Robert Wolf of DPD.
That’s all. Thanks for tuning in folks.
@aldermanburnett wants @ChicagoDOT to sit down with him in a private meeting to make sure that minority contractors are working on the project. Wants to do a joint contract with a joint contract with a minority group. Khudeira says that construction beginning has not begun yet.
Now, on to El Paseo Garden. Nelson Cheung of DPD.
City disposition of 947 W cullerton st in Pilsen TIF district to NeighborSpace.
Cheung giving some history of the garden. It was initiated in 2009, and has evidently revitalized the land.
El Paseo partnered with UIC architecture students to build a play space. https://t.co/1yUSkkUtjn
The new land was found by IL EPA to have lead in the ground in 2012. Then it was a Superfund site. Now cleaned up. https://t.co/rR5cNkKNuz
The new land will be developed in a community led way, with communication facilitated by @neighborspace. https://t.co/WEbKXUsf06
Residents want exercise stations, public art, kids space, senior space, ADA space.
Commisioner Curtis is asking about the extent of the land. It’s just the yellow property that they’re considering today. https://t.co/i8nGUy4g8w
Advertisement for sale of land to NeighborSpace for $1, unless other proposals advanced. Unanimously approved. Now back to celebrating the career of Robert Wolf of DPD.
That’s all. Thanks for tuning in folks.
Summary: DPD approved two projects, one a large infrastructure project to improve and expand old Bridges around Goose Island; another, a negotiated sale of vacant city owned land to @NeighborSpace for $1.
The first project is aimed at improving traffic flows and making safer bridges; the second is to expand a Pilsen community garden.