Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Breaking: Hotel Chateau SOLD

From a 46th Ward Email Blast:

"Greetings!

The property located at 3838 N. Broadway (commonly known as the Chateau Hotel)  has been sold to a local group of investors and is being held in a land trust. More details about the new owners will be shared at the housing court hearing on January 29th at 11:00 a.m.

Last year, I asked the City of Chicago to conduct a series of inspections that led to over one hundred building code violations. Concerns with violent crime, loitering, drug dealing, and public intoxication were also common in and around the property.

I organized meetings with residents of the Chateau Hotel, community members, and local housing organizations requesting better management of the property owner. Unfortunately, the property owner was not responsive to the community's concerns. To view a copy of his letter to me, click here. 

When I took office, one of my top priorities was to increase public safety for the residents that live in and around Chateau Hotel. This sends a clear message to other building owners in the 46th Ward that we require a safe environment for their residents and the surrounding community. Everyone deserves a safe and secure home. I will be working with the new owners and the current residents to address their concerns about housing.

Best,

Ald. James Cappleman"

21 comments:

  1. Wilson Men's Hotel Next? I can only pray.

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  2. great news for Lake View, wonder if the new owners will try to maintain it as an SRO?

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  3. I am very surprised that Mr. Ciardelli made it into law school (much less graduated) with such atrocious writing skills.

    Makes you wonder how poorly he writes his legal briefs .

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  4. Yeah, DuneWonk, I was a little surprised to see in his letter that he apparently counts to four by going "one, two, two, four." Of course, that whole letter is greatly humorous, so why not misnumbered pages to go along with the rest of it?

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  5. I hope the new owners keep the beautiful and extravagant barbecue pit that the former owners put in at great cost and expense out of the goodness of their hearts to supplement the lavish lifestyle of his tennants who lived in one of the most luxurious SROs on the North side.

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    1. Wow! My walk to Whole Foods will dramatically change in the next few years.

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  6. It never ceases to amaze me just how corrupt many of these SRO operators were (or are), and how they were able to function in plain sight that way for years despite reams of complaints from taxpayers about violence, crime, and the unsafe and unsanitary living conditions. Didn't city inspectors ever visit these locations? Ah..Chicago...

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  7. I lived around the corner on Sheridan from 70-89 and it was starting to get bad then.It is true alot of drug selling in Gill Park from that hotel.It is in plain site.

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  8. I highly question whether an SRO is the highest and best use of that property in 2013, esp. if the new owners have to sink a bunch of money into it.

    Lots of good stuff going on right in that area with the new development, the Gill Park Co-Op's new look, and (hopefully) some really good news concerning the Chateau.

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  9. That letter from Ciardelli is amazing. How does he expect anyone to take him seriously when he writes like that? I couldn't even understand some of the sentences.

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  10. This is certainly good news for our neighbors south of Irving Park Rd. Hopefully this will lead to improvements north of Irving - particulary with the Wilson Men's Hotel and Lawrence House. I'd venture to guess they are in the same, if not in worse condition than the Chateau.

    Wilson and Broadway is never going to fully stabilize with the Men's Club there - new El stop or not.

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  11. Wow, so many things wrong with that letter, I don't even know where to start.

    I guess I'll just pull out my favorite part of the letter: Gil park is attracting vagrants and drug dealers who are interfering with the peaceful Chateu and their beautiful bbq pit

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  12. word on the street is it will remain an SRO

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  13. Most likely the new owners will tear down the structure… It’s in bad shape and that is some prime land. It would be great if any new development can continue the idea of preserving the terra cotta façade and integrating it into any new structures. Whole Foods and the planned LGBT senior housing are some examples of this idea right down the street.

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  14. Jeff, you are spot on. There is also a craptastic building on Sheridan, just south of the Uptown Baptist Church across from Windsor, that needs to be added to that list. Drug dealing going on all day there and no one seems to notice or care...

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  15. Go Cap! That letter is pretty funny....

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  16. @Jeff - I am hoping to see some new transit oriented development within close proximity of the Wilson El. Have you see images of the building going up near Division Blue Line? It is a 99 unit rental building with no parking. http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2013/01/07/the-dough-rises-tower-of-pizza-hut-in-the-oven-at-ashland-division.php

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  17. This is fantastic news! Maybe the folks living in that Sedgwick building on Grace (right around the corner from the Hotel Chateau) will scale-back their whining about the beautiful new development on Halsted (in a half-square block, unused parking lot that they were SURE would never get developed....!?! *really??*), and acknowledge that our alderman is indeed actively addressing crime and problem buildings AS WELL AS developing our ward! Fixing the problems at the Chateau was one of James' campaign promises (as was development...) - that he's made good on in just two years! Thanks James!!

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  18. " am hoping to see some new transit oriented development within close proximity of the Wilson El. Have you see images of the building going up near Division Blue Line? It is a 99 unit rental building with no parking. "

    Best post in years. It's a shame so many in Uptown embrace suburban style development instead of the highest and best use practices which have allowed the blue line communities to thrive.

    There are a ton of strip malls and vacant lots around Wilson just begging for upzoning.

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  19. @ Alex - I was really angry to see the Walgreens go up by the Sheridan redline stop. That was a prime parcel for TOD development. The city needs a zoning code with "minimum" height requirements for parcels within 2 blocks of a CTA train stop. A mid-rise with a Walgreens supporting the base foor would have been perfect for that location.

    I wonder what Thorek's plans are for the parcel across the street. I would assume that Chicago will use eminent domain around Sheridan to straighten the track once federal funding comes for the redline modernization project. That should open the door for future TOD development. I also wonder if the Sheridan rehab makes sense if it is just upkeep (similiar to Argyle and Lawrence) when future plans require a complete rebuild.

    Personally, I am still sad that the subway option is left off the table. I understand that the community is worried about the risk of cost overruns, but the city could still operate the elevated line during the construction period and the unpredictable cost of eminent domain for construction. I would not be surprised if we buy places at the height of the market.

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