Say what? Our favorite no-name gas station, National Car Wash (Ainslie and Broadway), finally has a branded gasoline supplier!
A keen-eyed reader noticed the signage and branding Thursday and snapped these photos.
As she says, and we agree: "I hope Shell preserves the amazing vintage signage."
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| Angela Clay (right) seen here at her campaign kick off event (Facebook) |
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| City Club Apartments at 3636 N. Lake Shore Drive |
Permits were just pulled on the 3636 N. Lake Shore Drive project from City Club Apartments. The project lists the 619 W. Waveland address. You might recall the project includes one 19 story building with 183 units. The 6 story building south of the midrise has not been permitted and that area will likely be used for staging during construction.
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| Kimberly Walz (left) and Angela Clay (right) |
From East Lake View Neighbors:
"East Lake View Neighbors 46th Ward Runoff Candidate Forum
East Lake View Neighbors will host a forum for the 46th Ward Alderperson Runoff Candidates on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 from 7:30pm to 9pm. in the lobby of Thorek Hospital, 850 West Irving Park Road.
This forum will be in-person. Please bring any questions that you wish to pose to the candidates. We look forward to seeing you then!"
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"A candidate in the 46th Ward aldermanic runoff has filed a revised statement of economic interest with the Chicago Board of Ethics after Crain's asked why she apparently failed to disclose nearly $42,000 in federal Payroll Protection Program loans to a hair-products firm she owned.
In a letter yesterday to Ethics Board Chairman Steve Berlin, candidate Angela Clay said she inadvertently disclosed financials on one newly formed company that she said paid her $9,000 as president, Saij, when she should have listed another that was formed earlier in 2014, Pink Ribbon Hair...
Clay's campaign website makes no mention of the companies she ran or what income she derived from them, terming her a "community leader" who was the youngest president ever of nonprofit Voice of the People in Uptown."
There will be filming taking place in the heart of Uptown tomorrow.
On Wednesday, March 15th, between 6am and 2pm, there will be no street parking allowed:
You may have never heard of Sheldrake, the TV show, and there's a good reason for that: it doesn't exist. It's the code name for another series you may be more familiar with: The Bear.
We return to Daylight Saving Time this weekend (2am Sunday, to be exact), so set your clocks to spring forward an hour on Saturday night. |
| 5035 N. Sheridan from DLG Management (48th Ward Office) |
Ald. Osterman's office just released a rendering showing the residential building with retail space that will rise eight stories on the NE corner of Sheridan and Carmen. A total of 77 residential units with 40 parking spaces is planned for the site, with demolition/construction slated to begin the week of March 13. The site is being developed "as-of-right" with no zoning change requested. There will be no affordable units.
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| The current retail buildings at 5033-45 Sheridan (UU) |
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| Kim Walz will face Angela Clay |
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| Joe Dunne will face Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth |
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| 4655 N. Broadway proposal, viewed from Leland side (Yu & Associates Collaborative) |
The current retail-only building at 4655 N. Broadway (home to Dalia Food Mart and the former 'Style House') has been on the market for a while now. Developer Wemi Properties LLC proposes adding a 3 story addition to the existing 2 story retail building.
In total, 24 units of housing would be created featuring a mix of two bedroom, one bedroom and studio units. The ground floor retail would be renovated and become 2 retail units. Similar to what we saw at Hack Haus to the south, the glass block windows on the second floor would also become actual windows. (Hooray!)
Because a zoning change from B3-2 to B2-5 is being requested as part of the proposed renovations, the city's affordable requirement ordinance kicks in, requiring 5 units designated as affordable. The site currently provides no market-rate or affordable housing, so this is a net gain.
Local block club Truman Square Neighbors as well as Uptown United will provide feedback to Ald. Cappleman. The project is under the $10 million dollar threshold, so it would not require consideration by the 46th Ward Zoning & Development Committee.
Uptown United is planning to work with the current retail owners on relocation during construction.
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| The current view of 4655 N. Broadway (Google) |
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| Max's Place at 4621 N. Clark (provided by Micah Hilgendorf) |
A classic Clark Street dive bar, Max's Place, is getting a second shot at life under new ownership.
It wasn't so long ago that Ed Warm bought Carol's Pub and invested even more in the interior and exterior of the bar, still keeping most of the "charm" neighbors had grown to love over the years. It has turned into a very popular spot for folks from all over.
Now, another often unnoticed bar on the same block of Clark is ready to do the same.
Micah Hilgendorf and his partner purchased Max's Place at 4621 N. Clark along with the building housing it. If you haven't been, Max's is a true Chicago dive bar, named for previous bar owner Maxine and featuring a group of "regulars," great drink deals, and dive bar ambiance for miles.
Mr. Hilgendorf plans an interior renovation that stays true to Max's dive bar roots while making the bar more welcoming from the exterior. Plumbing and electrical in the vintage building are being upgraded and the roof will be replaced once the weather cooperates. Expect facade repairs to begin soon.
If you are worried that the nostalgic Old Style sign will be removed, fear not! It has already been refurbished with more energy efficient LED bulbs and will be staying as a Fully Krausened beacon for all.
They plan to apply for a back patio license with lighting, landscaping and seating.
Finally, those of us who have enjoyed the Max's experience over the years will be happy to know that longtime bartender and soon to be great-grandmother Teresa is still bartending.
Hilgendorf recounts the first time he entered Max's:
"A bartender from The North End suggested I check out Max’s back in August. I’d driven past it hundreds of times and never noticed it. I stopped by that afternoon and instantly fell in love with the place. There was this gorgeous mahogany and stained glass art deco bar tucked inside, and a colorful collection of regulars. It was my 50th birthday, so I bought a beer and the customers and staff eagerly told me the history of the bar and neighborhood with all its ups and downs. I knew the building was in rough shape, worn and neglected, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities. We decided to buy the building and closed mid-December. I haven’t met Maxine, but after hearing the tales of her storied life at the bar I couldn’t change the name.
It’s going to stay Max’s Place, a neighborhood dive bar. It does need some updates and repairs but we’ve already made good headway with the sound, tv’s, and lighting."
Hilgendorf is no stranger to the Chicago bar scene. He, along with business partner Brett Swinson, own Atmosphere (5355 N. Clark) as well as The North End and The Lucky Horseshoe, both on Halsted.
Lots of changes on Clark, for sure, and this is a good one!
Since filing date passed, we have watched every available forum, read the campaign literature, studied the candidates in detail. We have been impressed by several of the candidates, including Ms. Walz, Mr. Nagle, and Ms. Williams. We think that any of the three will make a good alderperson for the 46th Ward. But the one candidate that stood above the others (and garnered the most votes in our internal poll) was Ms. Walz.
Ms. Walz has received an impressive slate of endorsements from Governor Pritzker, Senator Dick Durbin, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Congressman Mike Quigley, Senator Sara Feigenholtz and State Representative Ann Williams, Alderman Tom Tunney, and others in local government. She is connected with the folks who make things happen, and as we have seen, that is important and often necessary in getting the 46th Ward (Uptown's largest) the funding and services needed. However, she also has an impressive interest in governmental reform, with a history of real world accomplishments in the ethics and budgetary realm..
Beyond her experience in government and connections, our editors believe that it is important to have a socially responsible and forward thinking candidate. It is clear Ms. Walz has the social and personal bona fides, espousing a bevy of good ideas coupled with a long history of real world work on social issues that affect the 46th Ward.
Of particular relevance to the 46th Ward, Ms. Walz knows the challenges of substance abuse and mental illness firsthand, with a close family member struggling with those challenges, and she knows the ins and outs of the system well. She has worked on extending health insurance to low-income working families and the uninsured as part of her work (in a high level position) in a non-profit health insurance co-op. She has been an active volunteer with the House of Good Shepherd (supporting mothers and children living at the shelter), serves on the board of Kids Above All, a non-profit helping children and families who have survived trauma, and is a member of the leadership council of the Haymarket Center, a group that helps individuals and families suffering from the effects of substance abuse and mental illness. And in her professional life, where she serves as a liason between Walgreens Corporation and local governments, she has a real life track record of work that helps advance public health, equity for people of color, non-English speakers, and the undocumented population.
What about the others? Patrick Nagle got one vote in our internal poll. We think that Mr. Nagle has good potential, a long track record of civic service, and would make a good alderman. Ms. Walz ultimately got more votes because our editors believe it is time for a female voice to lead the Ward.
Like Mr. Nagle, Ms. Williams received a single vote in our internal poll. She is an impressive candidate with an interesting background and some important endorsements. We expect that she would do well as Alderwoman even if we didn't end up voting for her.
Neither Marianne Lalonde nor Angela Clay garnered a vote in our internal poll. We still remain gobsmacked about how Ms. Lalonde conducted herself in the last campaign, including refusing to concede the election to James Cappleman. We expect that from candidates in the Republican party, but it was a petty move and provided a good window into Ms. Lalonde's psyche.
For her part, Ms. Clay has little track record and has bound herself closely to former Alderman Helen Shiller, who was on hand when Ms. Clay announced her candidacy. Ald. Shiller is effectively looking for someone to pass the baton. In our view, a vote for Ms. Clay is effectively a vote for Helen Shiller and her favorite organizations to regain power in the 46th Ward.
We have witnessed a neighborhood that has made tremendous strides in public safety and livability over the past 12 years under Alderman Cappleman. If you asked us what we expected to see in 2011 when he was sworn in for the first time, we were most hopeful for a change from a status quo that was willing to accept regular gang shootings and street crime as part of the "fabric" of the neighborhood. That change has happened, in large part, due to the work of police, the Alderman and his office, neighborhood groups, and Uptown's citizens, who have worked together to make Uptown a safe, clean and desirable location.
We started this blog in 2007 because we were sick of the way Uptown was in the thrall of special interests who had no interest in the neighborhood ever improving. The status quo (and worse) were acceptable, as was the loss of life and subhuman living conditions that accompanied it. We don't want to return to the way things were under Helen Shiller, which is what a vote for Ms. Clay (or Ms. Lalonde) would bring.
In 2007, we would have never envisioned an Uptown that now makes worldwide best neighborhood lists, and we want the neighborhood to continue to progress, rather than regress, over the next 4 years. Our editors think Kim Walz is the best choice to move the 46th ward forward, while ensuring no one gets left behind.
We encourage you to read more about her impressive resume at her website or in the Tribune's interview before you vote in the upcoming election.
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| 4745 N. Beacon (NXT Realty) |
According to a post on its Instagram, NXT Realty announced they were thrilled to begin a complete renovation on this building. Building permits for the property mention removing non-load bearing walls, so expect a fresh and modern rehab.
We are thankful this building didn't meet the wrecking ball and look forward to welcoming new neighbors to Sheridan Park.
Maybe former 4745 Beacon resident Andy Thayer will move back into the rehabbed units?
