Second Phase Of Cedar Street Development on Clifton to Replace Parking Lot

Lawrence & Clifton (Google)

With construction on 4725 N. Clifton under way, Cedar Street (Flats) is moving forward with their long-planned phase two. 

Per documents filed with the City, Cedar will build a new building at 4735 N. Clifton to fill the parking lot northward from the new 4725 building, spanning the remainder of Clifton to Lawrence.

Plans call for another 5 story building with 99 units of housing, compared to the 40 units of housing under construction at 4725.  There are two (2) ground floor retail spaces planned as well, presumably along Lawrence. We also know the same architect used for 4725 Clifton (Hirsch MPG) is designing the second phase at 4735 Clifton. No renderings were available at the time of this post but we will update as soon as they are released.

Plans also mention indoor parking spaces as well as a rooftop amenity space with dog run. 

To answer the inevitable 'why so short' question, an informed source says Cedar Street is building both of these developments "by right." Filing under the current zoning on the lot will avoid dealing with Ald. Clay's office and City Council. 

We are ecstatic to see this parking lot finally filled with buildings and housing after nearly 40 years of being vacant. No rendering available as of this posting but we will update once it is released.

UU Note: The last time a building occupied this lot was back in the early 1980s. You can see the same vantage point below, showing a building spanning the space along the tracks south toward Broadway.

August 18, 1978 (Mart Studios Chicago)

Uptown Farmer's Market Moves Indoors For The Winter To Uptown Taproom

Uptown Taproom, 1265 W. Wilson (at Malden)

News from the Uptown Farmer's Market:

"We’re excited to host the first winter edition of the Uptown Farmers Market, held at the Uptown Taproom (1265 W. Wilson). This will be a small (but mighty!) market with 5-6 vendors filling the space every Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM, starting November 14th. 

We're proud to say that our winter market accepts SNAP and offers Link Match (which doubles the purchasing power of SNAP benefits).

Winter Market Schedule:

November 14 and November 21 

Closed the week of Thanksgiving

December 5, December 12, and December 19

Closed Christmas weekend and New Year’s weekend

Then every Saturday from January through April

This schedule runs right up until the outdoor Uptown Farmers Market returns on the first Wednesday in May. We hope this gives neighbors reliable access to fresh, local food throughout the winter and a little extra community joy, even though it’s smaller than our regular outdoor market.

Vendors:

• Hebron Farms - produce, meats, eggs, microgreens, and honey
• Banter Bakery and The Blooming Baker - covering baked treats from bread to cakes to brownies - these two bakers have everything you need from savory to sweet!
• Yoberri Gourmet - hand-Crafted frozen yogurt, sorbets, and Ice Cream. Made fresh daily using locally sourced Ingredients -- they also have some amazing cold-pressed juices!!
• Homegirl Hummus - handcrafted gourmet hummus (and tasty chips too!!)
• Plus a rotating selection of pop-up vendors throughout the season

We also want to thank the Uptown Taproom for partnering with us and opening their event space. 

In addition to the market vendors, neighbors can enjoy the Taproom’s excellent menu and local craft beers - something we hope many people discover (or rediscover) this winter. Farmers markets are fundamentally about bringing community together, and the Uptown Taproom does that year-round, so we’re genuinely excited about the partnership.

A special thanks to Andy (owner), Ben & Rhea (managers), and the entire Uptown Taproom staff for supporting local farmers and small businesses through the colder months!!

One last note: We still have our final outdoor market this Wednesday, November 4th. We’ll have our usual 30-ish vendors, plus a pumpkin smash. If you have a pumpkin that’s finished its Halloween duties on the porch, bring it by - we’ll have a designated smashing area. Waste Not Compost is partnering with us to compost everything, so nothing goes to waste. No pumpkin of your own? No problem - I’m buying some from our farmer partners so everyone can smash one."

Don't Forget We "Fall Back" Tonight

The good news? You get an extra hour to celebrate Halloween tonight.

The bad news? You (and your kids, and your pets) get your semi-annual time reset.

Daylight Saving Time ends tonight at 2:00 a.m. and that means we set the clocks back. And darkness falls earlier....

Enjoy your extra hour. We'll flip the clocks forward again on Sunday, March 14, 2027.

Could This Finally Be The End of the Road for Lincoln Towing? A Record $2.8 Million Judgment Says Maybe

The infamous Lincoln Park Pirates (aka Lincoln Towing, aka Protective Parking Corporation aka Scum of the Earth) may have finally met an opponent it can't beat: the consequences of its own actions.

If you've been around Uptown more than a minute, you may remember former 47th Ward alderman Amaya Pawar doing his best to get Lincoln Towing's license revoked. 

And for good reason: after a years-long investigation of its business practices, in 2018, the Illinois Commerce Commission declared that the company was unfit to hold a license, citing 462 unauthorized tows performed by the company in an eight-month period, and 362 tows during that same period by drivers without a valid operating permit.

But then, in 2020, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Neil Cohen bought a Hail Mary argument by Lincoln Towing's lawyers and unrevoked its license, claiming Lincoln Towing's rights had been violated. 

The company changed its sign to read "Protective Parking Services" and continued on with its questionable business practices.

Fast forward to October 12, 2022.

A man named Jermall Harvey had parked his car in the CVS lot at Ashland and Division. Legally. He even had a pass given to him by CVS stating that he was permitted to park in the lot while he worked at his nearby office.

He was alerted that a Lincoln Towing truck was about to tow his car, and came down to show his pass to the driver and straighten things out.

But that's not how the Lincoln Park Pirates roll.

This is what happened instead:

• While Mr, Harvey was standing in front of the tow truck, it accelerated, throwing Mr. Harvey on top of the hood.
• The truck took off down Division Street, into moving traffic, with Mr. Harvey clinging to the hood.
• A passenger in the truck, a Lincoln Towing employee, produced a handgun and pointed it at Mr. Harvey through the windshield, screaming at him to "get the f--- off the truck."
• After 90 harrowing seconds, Mr. Harvey was able to roll off the hood into the street.
• Even after the police arrested the passenger with the handgun, Mr. Harvey had to pay Lincoln Towing $218 to get his car back from its tow yard on Clark Street.

In 2024, Mr. Harvey filed a lawsuit. It appears Lincoln Towing refused to settle, and the case went to trial instead. A Cook County jury found them guilty! 

According to the Cook County Jury Verdict Reporter story on the verdict, "The award, with $1,050,000 in compensatory damages and $1,800,000 in punitive damages, is a record for the highest reported punitive award in Cook County municipal districts...the previous high was $467,057 in 1994."

We reached out to lawyer friend CH, a fancy big law firm lady who Knows Things, and this is what she said--

• "It's highly unlikely this was covered by insurance. If it was, the insurer would cover the compensatory up to the limit of insurance. So if they had $500K in insurance, that $500K would be paid and LT would be on the hook for the difference ($550K). I'll explain that in a sec.

• The punitive award is not covered at all. So the $1.8M is all on LT.
  
  The only way they could cast the compensatory verdict off on an insurance company is through a 'bad faith' letter. You have your client send that to the insurance company before trial demanding that the company pay full policy limits to settle. That way if the verdict comes in over limits, you can then sue the insurance company for 'bad faith' in failing to settle and hopefully can collect from them rather than be exposed to the verdict.
  
  Reading about the negotiations in the news (they only offered 10k to settle!), I think it's pretty unlikely they sent a bad faith letter. At best they would get the limits of coverage from the insurance company.

• Because these actions by the driver were deliberate, I don't think it's likely that the insurer was in this at the time of trial.
  
  In my experience, the insurer likely denied coverage. They would say they didn't have an obligation to cover anything because these were deliberate acts by the driver and not related to the job of being a tow truck driver or towing cars. Most policies have bad acts clauses that allow them to deny coverage. And policies universally say they won't cover punitive damages at all.
  
  So, in my opinion UU, Lincoln Towing is likely stuck with the $2.8M, or most of it.
  
  Also, although I'm not an appellate lawyer, LT has problems on appeal. In order to appeal, I think Illinois law says they have to put up the entire judgment plus 50% while the case goes through appeals. So $4.2M."

Could this record-setting jury verdict be the end of the reign of terror of the Lincoln Park Pirates? They've snatched victory from the jaws of defeat before. 

Stay tuned.

P.S. and did we manifest this into existence? Look at the bottom...

46th Ward Math

The former Leland Hotel at 1207 W. Leland 

A short time ago, Alderwoman Clay's office announced the funding of a project we've known about for some time now, the renovation of the Leland Hotel property at Leland and Racine. 

After years of mismanagement, Heartland Alliance stepped away from the building, which was poorly maintained and home to rampant drug and alcohol abuse problems that often spilled onto the surrounding streets. After a foreclosure and a tour through housing court, Mercy Housing agreed to acquire and renovate the building to continue use as affordable housing. 

As part of the deal, Mercy gets $20,000,000 in city taxpayer (TIF) funds from the City.

You might recall that this same building received $2,000,000 in TIF in 2004 as part of a $15,000,000 renovation in 2005.

Now, after two decades of poor stewardship by Heartland, Mercy is set to receive 10 times the 2005 TIF amount.

Per Alderwoman Clay's announcement, the renovated Leland Hotel will offer 107 units to low income residents (down from the current count of 137). The cost?  A cool $59,200,000. 

That's $59 million for RENOVATIONS. NOT a new building.

To break that down, the renovation cost is:

Total cost ($59,200,000) / 107 units = $553,271 per unit.

Yes. You read that right. 

Adding all the numbers up, by the time this new "renovation" is complete in 2028, this building will have received a total of $74,200,000 in "renovations" in 20 years, or $693,458 per unit. 

Where is the money going?

After our eyes stopped watering, our team got to digging a little more.

Just for fun, we looked up the funding status of the Sarah's Circle building coming to Clarendon and Sunnyside. The estimated cost there was $34,000,000 for 54 units of housing. 

Using those estimates:

Total estimated cost ($34,000,000) / 54 units = $629,630 per unit. 

So the going rate for new construction is $629,630 per unit, and the twice rehabbed Leland is $693,458. Hmm...

While we understand the need for affordable housing, these costs are truly insane, particularly in the case of the Leland Hotel.  

By way of reference, Homes.com data says the median price of a one-bedroom condo in Chicago in 2025 was between $250,000 and $266,500. 

So, for the current $93,200,000 tied up in these two projects, the City could buy 351 condos at $266,000 per unit. That would house more than double the number of people these two projects will provide.

The issue of insane affordable housing costs has been explored in depth by others, so we don't have much more to add. The City needs affordable housing, no question. But since the days of Helen Shiller, it's been mantra that Uptown must be the home of all affordable housing, regardless of cost, and it appears to be more of the same under Ald. Shiller's hand-picked successor Angela Clay.  

Affordable housing is certainly anything but "affordable" to build (or renovate). 

End of a (Drug) Era

If you haven't seen it, the "outdoor patio" in front of Gigio's is gone.

The structure was illegal under the City's ordinances and got significantly worse when the owners blocked all ability to view behind the structure. The tarps were eventually removed when neighbors complained, but the area in and around the structure became a center of drug sales and illicit activity in the neighborhood. 

All of this was reported to Gigio's ownership and clearly obvious to anyone with eyes, but they seemed not to care. Drug dealing was good for business, it appeared.

But its gone now. Good riddance.

From reader emails, we are aware numerous complaints were made to 311 and to BACP, but this has persisted for over two years. Things move slowly in the City, and we are told the City, with support from the Chicago Police, finally had enough and ordered the patio removed.

Gigio's has been around a long time, but history in the neighborhood doesn't earn them a free pass for bad behavior. 

If you see drug activity continuing in front of Gigio's or in the parking lot across the street, call 911 and report it. Also call 311, and feel free to email us (link on the right) if you want to share with us as well.

And make sure to support the businesses around Gigio's (Tiffany's, In On Thai and Sky's Beverage Depot). All three businesses have suffered mightily while Gigio's ownership has pretended not to see what was right in front of their face.

UPDATE 10/25

We are aware that one of the owners of Gigio's has posted a response to this piece. While we were told this structure was removed at City request, we will not quarrel with the owner's statement that it was her decision. If it was her decision, credit where it's due.

Of the many questions that remain, question one is why this wasn't done much earlier. Our first piece (linked above) was published 22 months ago. 

This has been a known problem and was addressed at multiple CAPS meetings and local safety meetings. Our sources tell us that despite repeated invitations, Gigio's attended one (1) CAPS and Wilson Corridor meeting in the last three years, and none of the concerns raised in the response were brought up then.  

Question two: we have received multiple eyewitness reports that the (male) co-owner has been observed conversing, laughing, eating and drinking with the drug dealers. Do they deny these reports are true?

Question three: sources tell us that the owners are renting the apartment above Gigio's to a multiple time felon and known drug dealer. Sources also say that person frequently does deals that start on the street and end in the alley behind Gigio's. Giving Anna, as the landlord, the benefit of the doubt, does she or Gigio's intend to change that?

We await a response and will publish it once it appears.

Coffee With A Cop October 23 @ Target

 

Uptown's Clark Street Boom Continues: New Development at 4848 N. Clark Incoming

We have been watching the building at 4848 N. Clark with interest for years now. 

4848 N. Clark (Courtesy @properties Listing)

The handsome but non-descript old warehouse & manufacturing building along Clark was built in 1936 just north of the now demolished Rainbo Gardens (later Rainbo Roller Rink). In a reflection of the changes to Uptown in the 1930's, the building had various automotive and light manufacturing tenants over the years and was most recently home to a couple of art studios. 

The building has been on and off the market since at least 2008 with no buyers. The property recently sold, and we are happy to announce that Garner Development will be doing a project on site.

Garner has not yet responded to our inquiry about plans for the space, so we don't know if this is a tear down or conversion. They do nice work and we would expect something similar to the projects here.

The current 3-story building is currently around 12,000 square feet. It could be converted, but the property is zoned C2-2 in a reflection of the building's automotive and manufacturing history. The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for the current site is 2.2, meaning Garner could build a building up to 24,200 square feet with a building height of 50 feet by right.

This is in the 47th Ward, so Alderman Martin will have the final say on any request to modify the current zoning.

Uptown remains hot, with a recent influx of new projects and housing developments along the 4400, 4500, 4600 and 4700 blocks of Clark (and more to come). 

We are not surprised this property finally found a developer. 

Chicago continues to need new housing stock, and we are very happy that this disused building and lot will transition to housing and add additional density to a portion of Uptown that needs more. 

We're looking at you, Lincoln Towing.

Harry S Truman College Celebrates Its 70th Year Of Service To Chicagoans In 2026

CHICAGO— (October 2026) – For seventy years and counting, Harry S Truman College had served
thousands of Chicagoans by offering academic excellence to its students in their chosen educational pathways.

“Harry S Truman College has spent 70 incredible years of opening doors of opportunity for our students through education. Opportunities they’ve earned and deserve, so as we celebrate our 70th Anniversary of service to Chicagoans this October, we stand prouder than ever because of them,” said President Shawn Jackson, Harry S Truman College. “With our students at the center of our mission, Truman promises to remain a beacon of accessibility and academic excellence—for the decades to come.”

For the last 70 years, Harry S Truman College has evolved from a small night-school initiative to serving thousands of students each year.

The college traces its origins back to 1956, when it was established as a two-year "evening college" operating out of Amundsen High School on Foster Avenue. The program was launched following community demand for more accessible higher education options on Chicago's North Side.

Its Mayfair Era began in 1961 when the program grew rapidly, soon outgrowing the high school space. At this time, community leaders secured a former elementary school on Wilson Avenue, transitioning the school into Mayfair College. Then in 1976, it moved to the location where it stands today, 1145 West Wilson Avenue in Chicago’s Uptown Neighborhood.

The main building was designed by John Moutoussamy, a pioneering modernist architect and the first Black architect to design a high-rise building in Chicago. Upon opening, the school was officially renamed Harry S Truman College in honor of the 33rd U.S. President, who was an advocate for public and community colleges.

At that time, the construction of the campus required demolishing local apartment buildings, which initially displaced families, including members of the neighborhood's Native American community. Over the subsequent decades, administrators worked intensely to reconnect with the community, launching supportive initiatives like the Institute of Native American Development and the Red Path Theatre. (source:  Indigenous Chicago)

Additionally, the campus birthed the renowned Pegasus Theatre Chicago  which went on to win dozens of Chicago's prestigious Jeff Awards.

In 2010, the college footprint expanded with the completion of the Larry McKeon Student Services Building. This LEED Silver-certified facility consolidated student resources and added a 1,100-space parking structure.

In 2014, as part of the City Colleges of Chicago’s "College to Careers" initiative, Truman College was designated as the district’s hub for education, human, and natural sciences.

Always dynamic and inclusive, today, Harry S Truman Colleges’ annual enrollment boasts students representing more than 100 different countries and speaking over 90 languages.

When Dr. Kana Nagai first arrived at Harry S Truman College, she knew learning English would be a big task. What she didn’t know was that going to Truman would open the door to multiple academic degrees, advanced research, and work funded by NASA.  “City Colleges always showed me the next opportunity,” she said. “That pathway—from ESL, to Gateway, to transfer—was incredibly important.”  Today, Dr. Nagai holds a doctoral degree and works as a Senior Research Associate at Illinois Tech. While completing her postdoctoral fellowship at IIT, her research focused on GPS and navigation systems, creating safer navigation technologies for transportation systems. Her work has been supported by NASA and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

City Colleges of Chicago is currently enrolling now for its Fall 8-week, Winter 4-Week, and Spring 16-Week sessions. Fall 8-week session begins October 19, 2026. Register today and click here to apply.

4641 N. Ashland Gets the Go Ahead to Build

If you frequent Chase Park, you may have noticed the former church parking lot at the southeast corner of Ashland and Leland has been car-free for a little while now. That got our antenna up, and a new building permit issued yesterday confirmed the long-rumored and planned development at the parking lot, known officially as 4641 N. Ashland, is ready to put shovels in the ground.

4641 N. Ashland (Courtesy Kennedy Mann Architects Website)

More density is a great thing for the area, and more units to add to the Clark Street boom.

With the permit issued, expect construction soon. 

2nd Annual Uptown Candy Crawl October 24, 12-4PM

On Saturday, October 24th Uptown United and My Art House Studio will be co-sponsoring the Uptown Candy Crawl, which will be a “trick or treating” event along Wilson Avenue between Dover and Racine from 12-4pm!

Kuumba Links to Pay to Play?

Courtesy of Reader SA, some interesting info on Uptown's not-for-profit dance organization Kuumba Lynx:

Hey UU - 

I just thought you would like to see these donations from Kuumba Lynx to the Angela Clay campaign. 

These are illegal donations since Kuumba Lynx is a 501c3 nonprofit. 

About six weeks later, Kuumba Lynx received a city grant. Looks like pay for play is alive and well in the 46th!

Kuumba Lynx 4501 N. Clarendon Ave Chicago, IL 60640	$1,000.00	1/6/2026	4/14/2026	Individual Contribution Neighbors for Angela Clay
Kuumba Lynx 4501 N. Clarendon Ave Chicago, IL 60640	$2,000.00	1/6/2026	4/14/2026	Individual Contribution Neighbors for Angela Clay

None of us here are experts, but what SA said checks out. Certainly interesting.

SA's question reminded us of another recent question: why did Kuumba Lynx leave the space at 4755 N. Sheridan less than a year after a ribbon cutting for their new space in May 2025?  Event space operator Movement on Montrose now occupies the vacated Kuumba Lynx space, operating an event space called Movement on Sheridan (MOSH). Where did the grant money go?

And while we're asking questions, we are also still waiting on answers to the questions posed by Alderwoman Clay's opponent last election cycle.

Get Stylish While You Sin

Alternative clothing retailer Stylish Sin recently received a license to open a retail location at 1111 W. Lawrence, across from the Aragon. 

Thanks to reader NV, we now have a photo of the front of the planned store: 

1111 W. Lawrence

Stylish Sin (motto: Let's Sin) advertises itself as a destination for "Cyber, Tech, Goth and Streetwear." Looks like plenty of cool stuff to buy and wear around Uptown. 

The sign says October but not sure the store will be open in time for Open House Chicago. We think they will get plenty of customers from the Aragon and the Riv. 

Welcome!