Buttercup Playlot Advisory Council Forming

Concerned and active neighbors are getting together to form an advisory council for Buttercup Playlot, located at Sheridan and Ainslie, right next to McCutcheon School.  Volunteers are welcome and needed!  The effort is in conjunction with the Sheridan Road Task Force and it's a great way to get involved with like-minded neighbors.

The first meeting is Thursday, February 11, at 6:45pm at the Margate Park Field House.  The agenda will include (1) determination of community interest; (2) nominations for BPAC Officers; and (3) setting the dates for meeting and elections.  Hope to see you there.

Valentine's Day Specials At Fontana

Wine and dine your honey on Valentine's Day by taking your main squeeze to Fontana (1329 West Wilson).  Two different prix fixe options are offered at very reasonable prices.  Click on the menu for details.

La Ciudad Reviewed In RedEye

RedEye's "Dining" section went to eat at UU's new favorite Mexican restaurant and gave it a rave:  "Don’t go looking for kitschy sombreros, lacquered maracas or any other prescribed trappings of a casual Mexican restaurant at sleek new Uptown BYOB La Ciudad.  Partners and brothers Armando and Hugo De La Rosa wanted to create a more modern vibe in their contemporary 40-seat eatery, and the result is an unexpectedly stylish spot in an otherwise unremarkable strip mall."  Read the whole review here, or get over to La Ciudad (4515 N Sheridan) and check it out for yourself.

People Must Be Dying To Get In

Graceland Cemetery's fences are getting that cool gothic Victorian look with the addition of decorative wrought-iron spikes on top of the brick walls.  Seems the permanent inhabitants are being disturbed on a fairly regular basis by wannabe ghost hunters and metal and antiquities thieves.  These fences look pretty forbidding for uninvited guests.

Interested In A Wilson Yard Apartment?

Seen on the main door of the Uptown Broadway Building in the 4700 block of Broadway.

"Wholesaler's Row" Gets Some Love From TimeOutChicago

Several of the cheap and fabulous wholesale stores on Clark, between Sunnyside and Lawrence, got the attention of TimeOutChicago in an article about "fashion on a budget."  Its one caveat:  "Because the shops are geared toward retailers, there’s a chance you could get turned away without a business tax-ID number. At these prices, we think it’s worth the risk."

Prime Uptown Retail Space Needs Filled

We heard from Amy Dressel, leasing associate with Joseph Freed:
"I just wanted to spread the word about a great new lease offer at our Uptown Square property (Borders, T-Mobile, Agami, Soggy Paws, Body Fit) - perhaps you can add to the blog? We have a 791 sf vacancy available immediately adjacent to Borders and we are offering 6 months of free rent for a limited time. The space is in excellent condition - perfect for an office or retail user. Rent is around $2,100 per month including CAM, insurance, and real estate taxes. Please call Amy at 312.675.5397 or email adressel@jfreed.com if interested."

Can you think of some businesses you would like to see in this space?

ANOTHER Amendment to WYTIF? So Much For Transparency

So what are we paying for now?

An alert reader let us know that Wilson Yard TIF Amendment #2 - yes, a new Amendment - has been listed on City Clerk Miguel Del Valle's website.  Although it's more than we can decipher, there's a sneaking suspicion that it's meant to carve out the Maryville parcels for the new proposed development (and new TIF). Maybe someone more familiar with Cityspeak and Legalese can translate.  Check out the revised maps starting on page 96.

Or, perhaps Ald. Shiller can let us know just exactly what our twenty-plus years of taxes and $112 million are buying.  Kudos to City Clerk Del Valle for his part in TIF transparency.

44% Off At Shake Rattle & Read

Help an Uptown icon celebrate its 44th year of business.  Hats off to Ric Addy!

Uptown Walgreen's To Get Liquor?

Item: Walgreen Co. is planning to file applications to the city of Chicago on Thursday to sell beer and wine at 18 locations.

Item:  Alderman Schulter has introduced an ordinance to lift the moratorium on new liquor stores on Wilson over by Ashland.  "PO2010-286 Schulter (47).  Amendment of Section 4-60-023 of Municipal Code by deleting Subsection 47.68 to allow issuance of additional package goods licenses on portion of W. Wilson Ave."

The reader who put two + two together adds:  "I doubt it will be a problem, especially since there is Rayan's already across the corner but thought it was interesting that Uptown was one of the first areas they chose to apply for a liquor license in."

Be Careful In Your Own Garage

We've been hearing from readers about some recent incidents where mothers with children in the car have been followed into their garages and held up at gunpoint. Now CBS2 is on the story, as well. Read all about it here: "Police Warn Of Armed Robberies In Uptown Garages." Let's hope the police catch these cowardly criminals very soon.

January Means Campaign Finance Disclosure Time

Hours of fun for the whole family.  Check out how many times "consulting fees" are paid to law firms, which may or may not employ offspring, and how many out-of-area corporations make donations, compared with people who live in the ward.  Alderman Smith and Alderman Shiller's reports are linked here.  For more fun, read Mo' Money and Helen's Money ("Keeping Tabs On Who's Paying Hers").

Call To Action: Dangerous Fence

We urge all readers to call 311 to report a dangerous condition at 4751 North Winthrop.  The fence at the parking lot has been like this for several weeks and it's just a matter of time until someone gets seriously hurt, particularly since the sidewalk there is a big ice patch.  A pedestrian could literally lose an eye here, and we dread thinking about what might happen if a child runs past who isn't looking, or if a blind person tries to navigate the slippery sidewalk.  When you call 311, be sure to tell the operator it's a "dangerous and hazardous condition." 

While you're at it, you might want to mention 1063 W. Lawrence, another dangerous portion of the same fence, which has remained that way for a couple of years (at least).

Update:  The owner wrote to say that he called the fence company 2-1/2 weeks ago and that the fence will be fixed by the end of the day.  He also says he had it roped off but people complained that was too dangerous that way.  He also says that he has had the fence has been pulled back and tethered three times, but it's been pulled out towards the sidewalk by dogwalkers who want easy access to the lot to walk their dogs there.  He asks people to not trespass and to pick up after their dogs.

July 3rd Fireworks Move to Montrose Harbor Area

We've got some good news and some bad news.  Good news first:  If you can see the sky over the lake from your place, you'll have a great view of something spectacular.  The bad news:  If you want to be able to get around Uptown on July 4th, you're probably SOL. 

The Mayor's Office of Special Events has cancelled the traditional Grant Park fireworks on July 3rd, and is instead having three smaller displays throughout the city.  The show for the entire North Side will be held in the Montrose Harbor area, although no specific location has been announced.  Read all about it here.

Crew Wins "Best of Chicago" Metromix Award

Metromix readers voted Crew "The Best Gay Bar Outside of Boystown." It's currently closed for remodeling, but will reopen tomorrow with all new TVs, just in time for the Superbowl. Check it out.

Somerset Story Just Keeps Getting Worse

The Tribune's expose on nursing homes and the abuses that have occurred keeps making headlines.  Today's story is about sexual violence, and sadly, the Somerset again plays a leading role:

In April 2008, police were summoned after midnight to Somerset Place on the North Side after a mentally ill 28-year-old resident told staff that he had beaten, then raped a schizophrenic 53-year-old woman after forcing his way into her fourth-floor bedroom, records and interviews show.

The man told police "he wanted to make a confession," and a police report said he sexually assaulted his female housemate "without the victim's consent." Sent to the emergency room with a blood-filled and swollen black eye, the woman told police and Somerset employees she had been sexually assaulted.

The victim's mother, Dorothy Foster, of Bolingbrook, saw her daughter at the facility the next day. "I just broke down," Foster said. "It was so bad."

But in the end, no arrest was made in the case. According to a police detective's report, the victim refused to cooperate with officers. She and the male resident now live in different facilities. Somerset, another Rothner nursing home, sent a description of the incident to the state Department of Public Health as required by law, and the facility has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case.

Somerset has had seven reports of alleged sexual violence since July 2007, more than any other Chicago nursing home, records show. Federal and state authorities this month moved to revoke its state nursing home license and cut off its federal funding because of citations for abuse, safety breaches and other problems. The facility is contesting those actions.  Read the entire story here.

Census Job Testing In Uptown

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work.

There are openings for Census Takers, Crew Leaders, Assistant Crew Leaders, Recruiting Assistants, and Census Clerks.  Tests to qualify are being given in Uptown this week.  These are open testing times and anyone can come in and test as long as they bring two forms of valid ID and allow two hours for testing and paperwork.  Go to http://www.2010censusjobs.gov/ for more information.

• Truman College, 1145 West Wilson 
  Wednesday 1/27 (10am & 2pm);
  Thursday 1/28 (2pm & 7pm);
  Friday 1/29 (10am & 1pm);
  Saturday 1/30 (10am & 2pm)
• Uptown Library, 929 West Buena 
  Thursday 1/28 (2pm & 6pm);
  Saturday 1/30 (2pm)
• Department of Family & Support Services, 4740 North Sheridan
  Wednesday 1/27 (5pm);
  Thursday 1/28 (noon & 3pm);
  Friday 1/29 (noon & 3pm)

Open House Today At New Uptown Pre-School

In fall of 2010, Smart Love Family Services, a seven-year-old non-profit based in Chicago and Oak Park, will expand its offerings to include preschool education with Smart Love Preschool, a play-based preschool for children ages 3, 4, and 5 at 800 W. Buena.  Based on the uniquely effective Smart Love™ parenting and child development philosophy, the preschool will feature a curriculum that places equal emphasis on strengthening children’s social and emotional health and inspiring their intellectual creativity.  Before the preschool opens this fall, Smart Love Preschool will offer a parent and toddler program for children ages 6 months to four years, which will take place during the spring as well as summer.

For parents and families looking to learn more about the school, we invite them to an interactive Open House this Wednesday, January 27th.  Morning and evening sessions are being offered - 9:30-10:30am (children welcome) and 7-8pm. 

To RSVP to the Open House or to learn more about the Smart Love Preschool, please call Carolyn Stolper Friedman at 773.665.8052 or send her an email.

More Property Taxes Up Front

Minor shift in the paying of property taxes, this year. Your first installment will be 55% of your annual bill:

via "New Property Tax Law Hits Cook County" Sun-Times

"Under a new state law, you'll be forced to pay slightly more of your property tax bill up front so county agencies, municipalities, school districts and other local governments can improve their bottom lines."

The only bit about this which is actually news-worthy is the fact that the County has raised the white flag and needs tax payers to front them a little somethin'somethin' to help keep money going to silly projects like schools, and various social service agencies.

So, the next time you hear a mayor, alderman, state rep/senator or county commissioner denying that TIFs effects on the operating budget of government, or when they say that skimming 69-71% of your tax bill from the city's, or county's, general revenue fund to keep tax revenues within a certain district isn't really a problem, ask them why the state legislature had to get involved and pass a new law to shift the tax payer burden up 6 months ...during a recession with 10%+ unemployment, to fill a hole that wouldn't be there without the TIF-drain.

How did our local rep/senator move on this issue?
Greg Harris
Heather Steans

$3 Million Impulse Buy?

The Reader, as part of its extensive TIF coverage, "acquired a copy of the city’s “shadow budget”—the list of allocated and proposed uses for the half a billion dollars a year in taxpayer money."

That was less than two months ago, and the Wilson Yard Wish List for 2009-2011 included $1.49 million for Arai campus improvements ("Committed"),  $3.4 million to the Truman College IGA ("Committed"),  and $750K to Clifton/Magnolia Apartments ("Pending").

A sharp-eyed reader pointed out something missing from the TIF "Wish List"—the HUD building at 850 West Eastwood, which we found out from Lake Effect News is the TIF's latest purchase, for $3 million. 

How does that happen?  Ald. Shiller was walking down Eastwood one day, looked up and said, "I simply must have that building!  I'll find the money somewhere"?

We find it very interesting that the only item on the wish list marked Proposed is "CTA Wilson Stop Improvements" for the very interesting amount of ... $3 million.

In December, we asked "Will these funds magically disappear too, like all the other times money was allocated for our Wilson station?"  We're still wondering.

Early Voting Ends Thursday

If you can show up at Truman College (or any other early voting polling place) by Thursday at 5pm, you can spend February 2nd waiting for the groundhog rather than waiting in line to vote.  Check out your registration status and get a sample ballot here.

Candidate Forums Tonight & All Week

Still not sure who to vote for?  If you're free tonight, there are candidate forums all over the place, and continuing throughout the week.  Check out Lake Effect News:  "It’s primary season in Illinois, and candidates want your vote. There are a number of candidates’ forums and receptions taking place up until the Feb. 2 primary. Meet the politicians and ask tough questions. Yell at them if you must. Make them earn your vote."

Sad Reminder

This picture tells a story that's being played out all over the city:  Bricks near the car, glass all over the ground, and a car with two broken windows.  Please heed the police's advice and keep nothing in sight in your car, not even a bottle of pop or spare change (remember that a smash-and-grab is 100% profit to the criminals).  A commenter even said: "How did the thieves know there was a GPS in my car? By the telltale circular ring that the suction cup leaves on the windshield."

Maryville Plan A "Half-Baked" Scheme?

Some interesting reactions to today's story in Crain's about the proposed Maryville development and the new TIF to go with it (referenced on Uptown Update's Facebook page):

• A reader wrote to UU:  "The benefits, I think, are very attractive," Ms. Shiller says. "It may even succeed, but it's not yet fully baked." Does this woman EVER think to wait until something might actually be "baked" before she starts funneling money to it? That, and: "It may even succeed" .... May? She's going to chuck $40-50M at a project that isn't baked, and who knows? It may even succeed? If you listen quietly, you may be able to hear my head explode over this one.

• Clarendon Park Neighborhood Association in an email to its members:  "While many of us have been meeting with the proposed developers for this site, we have not given our blessing, and our meetings were not in place of larger community meetings they need to hold. CPNA welcomes your questions and concerns, as this has been all we have tried to portray to the developers. Thank you."

Update:  From the Chicago Jetty real estate blog:  The hurdles “Lake View Station” has to overcome are many, including dealing with the glut of condos already on the market, the inevitable political backlash from Uptown neighbors and securing loans/leases.... We’ll have to keep a close eye on this project. The best case senario is that it draws more good people and businesses to a part of Uptown that desperately needs something to hang its hat on. But the worst case is what recently happened to comparable developments at Wilson Yard and Block 37: Political gridlock and foreclosure, respectively.

Update 2:  More about this at at Chicago Now and GlobeSt.

LEN: $3 Million in Wilson Yard TIF Funds To Non-Profit Housing Developer

From Lake Effect News:

"Mercy Housing Lakefront, the Chicago affiliate of a national organization that develops and manages housing for low-income seniors, families and individuals with special needs, has acquired the 16-story HUD building at 850 W. Eastwood Ave. in Uptown. ... The Chicago Community Development Commission granted Mercy authority to become the “developer” of the 850 building and approved $3 million in funds from the Wilson Yard TIF to be spent on the rehab."  Read the rest of the story here at LEN.

This is on top of several other non-profit housing ventures (900 W Windsor, 4431 N Clifton, and 927 W Wilson) receiving millions in TIF money, not to mention the 178 units of new low-income housing in Wilson Yard itself.

Ald. Shiller says that "I am confident this [Wilson Yard TIF] development will spur future commercial and retail development in the Uptown area of the ward."  Frankly, we don't see how giving millions and millions of dollars to non-profit housing developers fits in with this stated goal.

M-m-more W-w-winter B-b-bike T-t-tours

If you enjoyed the winter bike ride of Uptown last November, you might like the next one in the series, just to the west of Uptown.  It takes place on January 30 and tours the Lincoln Square community area. Riders will meet at East River Park at 5100 N Francisco for a 3 to 4 hour ride of approximately 16 miles. Check it out here.

Cinderella Sing-Along At Chase Park

The Mom who sent this is reminds us that there's no public school on Thursday, February 11th, so the evening performance on Wednesday, February 10th, shouldn't be a problem. As usual, click on the poster for a more legible version.

Learn to "Fly"! CircusYoga Community Workshops At Alternatives

CircEsteem will be hosting a CircusYoga Community workshop on Friday, February 12th, and a 2-day CircusYoga Immersion on the 13th and 14th at Alternatives Inc. located at 4730 N. Sheridan Rd. The workshop is open to everyone ages 7 and up and the cost is $25 for adults and $10 for kids ages 7 and up. The Immersion weekend is $240 and includes 20 hours of instruction and the CircusYoga Manual.

For more information check out http://www.circusyoga.com/ or contact Maribeth Joy at Maribethjoy@CircEsteem.org.  Deadline for registration is February 2nd. Check out the schedules here and here.  Click on the poster above for a larger, more legible version.

Scam Artists Going Door To Door (Again)

A heads up to your readers:

Last evening, two men had gained entrance into our building and were going door to door requesting cash donations for a youth program to get kids out of gangs. The program was aimed at getting gang kids jobs as paper carriers for the Tribune. These men were wearing what appeared to be Tribune/vendor credentials; however, they were unable to provide further evidence of their credibility, and refused to take anything but cash.

After numerous complaints of impolite behavior from these men, they were escorted out of the building, peacefully. While they may have been legitimate (and if they are, I wish them luck in a just cause - I would hope that they would use different tactics), I was able to hail down a CPD unit and make inquiries.

After discussing with the officer, she immediately considered them to be frauds and called in a description. I do not have further information on these men. The officer also stated that there have been numerous complaints regarding people soliciting funds for Haiti. All of these, the officer did confirm, were bogus.

She then stated that if a solicitor comes to your door, politely say "no thank you" and close your door. Then immediately call 911. This is especially good advice if you live in a multi-unit building. So, if you wouldn't mind letting your readers know that there are nefarious characters afoot hoping to get your cash through your sympathies, and that these people should not be engaged, directly. Call 911.

Election Double Takes

A reader writes in:
"Say WHAT? David Schroeder, a South Loop lawyer who travels to the 46th Ward to support Alderman Helen Shiller’s election campaigns is challenging an incumbent 5th District state rep, whom he claims is “an unproductive legislator” who is “failing to reach out to his constituents” until election time, does not show up to vote, and stays away on vacation at critical times for his elected position?
And yet Schroeder travels from another ward to our neighborhood to support Alderman Helen Shiller who does exactly the same thing?"

Read all about it at the Chicago Journal

UU Note: For old time's sake, scroll through our August 2009 archive (the month of the street riots) to see how responsive our vacationing Alderman was during her ward's time of need.

Here's The Scoop -- Pick It Up!

A reader writes: "I live on the 900 block of W. Argyle and I have noticed a very disgusting trend as of late … People are failing to pick up their dog poop all over the place. On Sunday, I barely avoided the dog doo-doo that someone had just left sitting on the curb next to where I parked (which was very difficult due to the icy conditions). Then as I was walking east down Argyle this morning to my bus, I saw at least four different piles of dog poop both on the grass and on the sidewalk! (And I wasn’t even looking for them, I just happened to notice as I was walking down the street). I was wondering if you could please post a reminder to people to clean up after their dogs (even though everyone should know this if they are responsible dog owners). This trend is extremely disgusting and unsanitary and will attract all kinds of critters I do not want around my house (like rats, mice, and roaches)."

Ode To Pollo Loco

The Sun-Times has a brief article on the closing of El Pollo Loco (surprise! it's the economy).

BPN General Meeting On Monday

Buena Park Neighbors General Meeting
Monday, January 25, 2010, 7-8pm
Holiday Club, 4000 N. Sheridan, Back Room

Join your friends and neighbors for BPN's next general meeting!

Agenda:

• Q & A with Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer
• Learn about volunteer opportunities at Brennemann School from Principal Sarah Abedelal and Asst. Principal Jennifer Ellen
• How to Get Involved in BPN, including Board Membership
• Drop off donations to BPN's Winter Wear Drive for Brennemann students (hats, gloves, scarves, etc.)  Especially needed are hats for boys and scarves for both boys & girls.

Vote For Crew

Metromix is accepting votes for its "Best of Chicago" hotspots, from "Best Thin Crust Pizza" to "Best New Boutique."  While the neighborhoods around Uptown are well-represented, the only Uptown business in the competition is Crew, under the category "Best Gay Bar Outside of Boystown."  Click here to vote for Crew; you can vote through Sunday, January 24.

Beware Of Thefts From Your Car

We've been hearing a lot about thefts from cars lately, and apparently the police have, too.  One reader writes:  "My parents were in town this weekend.  Their passenger car window was smashed and their GPS was stolen from the glove box right in front of 936 W Sunnyside.  We reported it to police and they almost finished our sentence before we said it; they asked, "Did they get your GPS?"  So the police know that the thieves in Uptown are targeting the GPS's.  The only indication that there was a GPS in the car was the rubber stand on the dash, all they needed, I guess, for justification to smash it and take a look through the car."

Want To Find Out What's Happening With Your TIF $ In The 46th Ward?

Ask 6th Ward Alderman Freddrenna Lyle, or subscribe to her October newsletter!

A reader who has mad Google skills found this and says:  "It is a sad day indeed when we get more information about our own Alderman Shiller’s 46th Ward fish farm project by reading Alderman Lyle’s 6th Ward Newsletter than we get direct from Shiller herself. Now we learn the identity of the public agencies/actors from outside this ward that are involved in this TIF fish-farm plan."

To read all of Ald. Lyle's newsletter, click here.

Nothing Needs Fixing In Uptown? Money Sits, Unspent

In an article about the $1.3 million in menu money that each alderman receives to spend on her ward, the Sun-Times reports that Ald. Shiller has not spent $1.15 million of her allotment, and Ald. Smith is still hanging on to a cool million.

• Shiller said she didn't spend $1.15 million because "menus came out late" and because she is deliberate. "I can spend the money. That's not the issue. The issue is I like to do it in a comprehensive manner," she said.
• Smith: "This is a very precious pool of money to me. With this menu money, I can make unusually good things happen. But, just because you've got it doesn't mean you need to spend it. There's no rush," she said. "Our neighborhood has a wish-list. It's our job to make it happen. If that means hoarding some of the money, I hang onto it. Every nickel is a prisoner."

Read the entire article here.

Somerset Place To Be Closed?

From the Tribune:

State and federal authorities have notified Chicago's troubled Somerset Place nursing home that it will be shut down unless it quickly remedies serious safety breaches that put "the health and safety of ... residents in immediate jeopardy." [...] Separately, the state public health department last week began the process of revoking the facility's state nursing home license. Somerset, 5009 N. Sheridan Rd., has requested an administrative hearing to contest the revocation decision.  Read the entire article here.

Drink Up, Do Good

23rd District Court Advocates Report

The 23rd District Court Advocates had a busy day today:

• This morning several court advocates and CAPS officers attended the first court appearance of Dennis Dawson, a Conservative Vice Lord who is accused of beating and mugging an 85-year-old man in the elevator of his home.  The court determined that there was enough evidence to charge him, and his next court appearance will be in February, unless a plea deal is brokered.  Because of the local interest in this case, we'll keep readers informed about further details.  The victim attended court and testified, and according to the court advocates, seemed to be strong and alert after the attack.
• If you've been to CAPS in the past couple years, you've probably heard about the murder trial the court advocates have been following since 2007, where the victim was the daughter of a long-time 23rd District crossing guard. The sentencing was this afternoon, and the murderer, William Williams, was sentenced to 80 years -- no reduced sentence possible.  Several court advocates and a good number of police officers were there.

If you're interested in learning more about court advocacy, the 23rd District court advocacy meetings take place at 6pm on the last Tuesday of each month, at 3608 N Halsted, in the James O'Connor Community Room.  Call CAPS at 312-744-0064 for more information.  The next one is Tuesday, January 26th.

Lincoln Square/Ravenswood Website Launches

The neighborhoods just west of us are no longer underserved by the blogosphere.  In a joint venture by a former Chicagoist contributor and a current ChicagoNow blogger:  "Today we are launching a new local news website: CenterSquareLedger.com, focusing on news from Lincoln Square, North Center and Ravenswood Manor.  Over 80,000 people live in our neighborhood, and there's a lot going on."  We look forward to reading and being enlightened.

FWY Update

From Fix Wilson Yard:

Happy New Year!  With the start of the New Year, we'd like to thank you for your past support and summarize our current focus and how we arrived at it.

At our last update meeting in November, we announced that we had filed a non-suit, which means that we withdrew our lawsuit while retaining the right to re-file it without bias within one year. This decision was not an easy one to make and came after lengthy consultation with our attorneys. In the end, we determined that it was the best course of action based on the following factors:

1. Our attempts to initiate settlement talks with the city and Holsten were resoundingly rebuffed. We had hoped that the city and Holsten would embrace the settlement process as a goodwill effort to address neighborhood concerns about the development and heal the divide within our community. Instead, they refused to engage in any type of discussion.
2. Alderman Shiller's amendment to increase the Wilson Yard TIF budget by a whopping $54 million has opened the door to potential new avenues of litigation. To continue our legal fight while this process is still playing out would be extremely costly and beyond our financial means. While we have raised a tremendous amount of money for a grassroots community organization, our financial resources pale in comparison to those of the city and Holsten.

While we have taken a "time out" in our legal fight, we remain fully committed to fighting TIF abuse in our community. We are in the process of seeking to identify a not-for-profit watchdog group to help fund our future legal expenses. The announcement this week of a potential new TIF for redevelopment of the Maryville site underscores the importance of this effort.

We are very proud that our fight has helped elevate the TIF discussion well beyond Uptown's borders, and thank you greatly for your support in this effort.

RedEye Reader: Gimme Shelter!

From RedEye:  "A 48-year-old Buena Park rider wrote to "Going Public" to ask why there is no bus shelter at his stop," aka The Vortex of Evil.  Read about it here.

Photo courtesy RedEye.

Carbon Monoxide Leak On 900 block Of Lawrence

Read all about it at ABC7.com.

Adam & Eve On A Raft On Sheridan

SL Pantry at Sheridan and Lawrence has now expanded into the "SL Pantry & Grill," having taken over the former Anadeisy spot.  We haven't been there, but it seems to be open fairly late into the evening and looks like a pretty good greasy spoon (a term we bestow with great reverence).  Check out Lake Effect News's "Picture of the Day" for a closer look.

"Little House On Winthrop" Demolished

The little white frame house on the 4700 block of Winthrop that we featured the history of last November is no more. A neighbor writes: "The white house on 4700 block of Winthrop was torn down over the weekend ... or yesterday ... anyway ... it’s gone."

Out Of The Ashes...

Update: A reader wrote to say, "The building at 1104 W. Argyle was brought into demolition court by the City on an emergency basis. When the owners produced evidence that they were serious about fixing the building, the Judge allowed them time to fully rehab it. They are back up in court on March 2 to monitor their progress. So far, I have no info about what is going into the storefronts. If I find something out, I will let you know."

Finally, it looks like something's happening at the site of the fire on Argyle that destroyed several stores during the summer of 2008. 

The helpful folks at Edgewater Community Buzz wrote to say: "I noticed from the Red Line train last night that it looks like they are working on the 2 (or more) stores on Argyle, just east of the El tracks, that were damaged by a fire some time ago. There is a bobcat-type piece of construction equipment in there clearing out the rubble. The roof is completely gone."

And another reader noticed that the gut rehab extended down to the former site of Sun Wah BBQ, which wasn't damaged by the fire:  "I'm wondering if you or any readers might know what the story is with the building on Argyle (between Broadway and the Red Line) that Sun-Wah BBQ just vacated. It seems like they are in the process of gut-rehabbing the whole building, but I was wondering if anyone knew if there were plans in the works for something new to open up there."

Readers, anyone know the plans for the building?  In any case, we're delighted to see something there besides burned-out storefronts.

Built For The Road Ahead

There've always been rumors floating around that Harrison Ford attended Graeme Stewart School in the late 1940s/early 1950s, and they were pretty much confirmed by an interview he gave to the Tribune last week when he was in Chicago promoting Extraordinary Measures:

Coming to Chicago for a red-carpet premiere last week was a bit of a homecoming for Ford, who lived in an Uptown apartment until he was about 11 and who later moved with his family to the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge. [...] Ford says he vividly recalls his family's first-floor apartment near the corner of Sunnyside Avenue and Sheridan Road, in a building where he and a friend once pulled a string across the courtyard to make a tin-can telephone. "It worked great," he says, with a grin. "We got in trouble when the line sagged and somebody almost caught their head on it walking into their apartment."

Anyone know where his old apartment was located?

Update:  Never underestimate the power of UU readers.  A research librarian wrote us to say that the Ford family lived at 922 Sunnyside, in a courtyard building that's still there.

We're Number One?

Good news from Puptown:  "We just received word - Puptown Dog Park is under review for Dog Fancy Magazine's Best Dog Park of 2010! We are very proud to receive this nomination and thank the hard work and dedication of Puptown volunteers, the office of Alderman Mary Ann Smith and the Uptown Business Community.

We have submitted the follow-up paper work, now cross your fingers..."

Winter Yoga In Margate Park