Interested In Getting More Involved With Your Local CPS School? Join The LSC

Ald. Cappleman sent out a "Call To Action" on Friday encouraging residents to get involved with their Local School Councils. You don't have to be a parent or alum to help guide the future of the schools.

"Dear Neighbor,

Local School Councils (LSCs) serve as the representative body of each school, and are made up of teacher, parent, and community representatives. LSCs serve as a crucial democratic institution in our schools. They allow teachers, parents, and neighbors to make important decisions around each student's educational experience.

Local School Councils carry out four important functions:

• Approving the school based academic plan (CIWP)
• Approving the alignment of budgetary resources to the CIWP
• Engaging in the annual evaluation of contract principal's professional practices
• Selecting or renewing contract principals

This is why I am encouraging ALL members of our community to consider running in the upcoming LSC election! The upcoming 2020 LSC elections will be held on Wednesday, April 22 for elementary schools and on Thursday, April 23 for high schools.  Please consider playing a crucial role in our education system and supporting your local school community.

We are also looking for neighbors to serve as LSC election judges. Election judges will be paid for their time and are essential for a smooth election process!

If you are interested in running or serving as a judge, you may pick up the application forms from the school for which you intend to run or from our ward office. School information can be found below.

Applications to run as a candidate must be turned in to the school for which you intend to run as a candidate by March 5th, 2020. 

Applications to serve as election judge may be submitted to any CPS school hosting an LSC election or to the Office of Local School Council Relations by March 12, 2020.

While all schools need representatives, some schools have specific needs and would love your support:

• Brennemann elementary is looking for more parent and community representative applications
• McCutcheon elementary is looking for more community representative applications
• Greeley elementary is is need of two election judges

Thank you for your dedication to our school community!

Our Schools Need YOU!

• Joseph Brennemann Elementary School, 4251 N. Clarendon Ave., 773-534-5766
• Mary E. Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center, 4420 N. Beacon St., 773-534-5766
• Horace Greeley Elementary School, 832 W. Sheridan Rd., 773-534-5800
• John T. McCutcheon Elementary School, 4865 N. Sheridan Rd., 773-534-2680
• Uplift Community High School, 900 W. Wilson Ave., 773-534-2875
• Walt Disney Magnet School, 4140 N. Marine Dr., 773-534-5840

Questions? Contact the Office of Local School Council Relations
2651 W. Washington Blvd. Chicago, IL 60612
773-553-1400
https://cps.edu/lscrelations/Pages/LSCrelations.aspx

Alley Work Under Tracks West of Kenmore Starts Monday

If you live near Montrose and Kenmore and use the alley under the L tracks, this is for you.

As part of the Red/Purple lines modernization project, the tracks near Montrose will be upgraded. This is what CTA has to say about the first step:

"Weekday and Weekend Work

Dates:  

• Monday, March 2 to Friday, April 3, 2020

Location:     

• The alley west of 4400-4466 N Broadway Avenue
• The alley west of 4208-4364 N Kenmore Avenue 

Work Hours: 

• 7 am to 7 pm, daily

Work Activity: 

• Traction Power and Site Preparation

Local Impact:

• The alleys may be intermittently blocked by construction equipment and vehicles during stated work hours. 
• Vehicle access to enter/exit garages will be maintained.
• Delivery access will be maintained.
• The contractor will maintain garbage and recycling pickup.
• There will be overnight deliveries to the construction site."

Bryn Mawr Jewelry Co. Celebrates Its Move To Uptown With A Grand Opening On Saturday

Bryn Mawr Jewelry Co., a long-time business located next to the Bryn Mawr Red Line station in Edgewater, is pulling up stakes and coming to our neighborhood.  You're invited to celebrate its Grand Opening on Saturday.

The new location is 5139 North Clark, half a block south of Foster and right across the street from Uncharted Books.

Its new location on Clark has recently been renovated to meet the specific requirements that a store selling jewelry requires, as well as adding some personal touches at the request of the owner.

According to the Facebook Event Page for the grand opening:

"Help us celebrate our move to Andersonville!

We will open our doors to our new home on February 29th at 5139 N. Clark Street.

Giveaways, food, drinks, music and more!

We will be doing an all day raffle. Prizes include free diamond studs, free diamond necklace, and gift cards to local businesses.

• 9am-11:30am - FREE COFFEE 
• 10:30am-11:30am - Drag Queen Story Time with Muffy Fishbasket 
• 11:30am-12:30pm - Family friend activities 
• 4pm-9pm - Appetizers, drinks and live music"

You can see the Grand Opening Facebook page here, and read about the reasons for the move in Block Club Chicago, here.

Welcome to Uptown!

Take A Survey On Local Green Space And Help Make It Better

Purdue University and the Indiana Water Resources Research Center have created a survey as part of a project to measure the value, accessibility and usage of ecological goods in the Chicago region. Its results will help planners create better and more useful green space.

If you'd like to take the survey, click on this link. A Spanish language version of the survey can be accessed here.

A Hint Of Spring In The Midst Of Winter

Even with the snow and grey days of winter still lingering, days like last Sunday at Montrose Beach remind us that warm weather isn't too far away. It seems like most of Uptown was out enjoying the 60-degree temperature and brilliant sun.

Aldermanic Ward Night Schedule

Ald. Matt Martin in the 47th Ward has announced that that his next Ward Night (after-business-hours opportunities to speak with the alderman or his staff) will be held on Tuesday, February 25th, 5pm-7pm at the ward office, located at 4243 North Lincoln.  The next Ward Night will be Tuesday, March 24th, at the Burning Bush Brewery.

You can sign up here for an appointment. Meetings are by appointment  only in ten-minute intervals and are limited to four per person per year.

If you're interested in speaking with Uptown's other aldermen after regular business hours:

• In the 46th Ward, Ward Night is every Monday night that's not a holiday between 5pm-7pm, no appointment required. (4544 North Broadway)
• In the 48th Ward, there are no regularly scheduled Ward Nights, but evening hours are available by appointment. (5533 North Broadway; 773-784-5277)

"The Ainslie" Opens at 4914 North Clark

On March 10, 2009, a fire gutted a body shop that was located at the corner of Ainslie and Clark.

By early April, the rubble had been removed and the lot was empty.

It remained that way for nearly a decade, until a plan was presented to build a mixed-use residential rental building on the site.

The local block club, Winona Foster Carmen Winnemac BC, rejected a 60-unit six-story building at the site, but worked with the developer on a 54-unit four-story building in 2017, which it approved.

Presenting "The Ainslie," which welcomed its first tenants earlier this month.

For more on the building and its amenities, click here.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Clark Street Neighbors, Unite!

Clark Street north from Montrose (Google)

Many changes have taken place on Clark Street between Montrose and Lawrence over the last 10 years. The busy wholesale retail community that was once a staple of the 4500 and 4600 blocks is merely a shell of its former self, and there are vacant storefronts and blocks that suffer from little to no foot traffic.

Carol's Pub, Tiztal Cafe, Munno, and My Buddy's are wonderful neighbors and have contributed greatly to the vibe and sense of community.  But these and other Clark Street businesses rely on density and residents of the area visiting their establishments.

We have suggested before that our neighbors on Clark Street need a voice in what takes place on this street. Decisions have historically been made by the neighboring block club, Dover Street Neighbors Association, which does not count Clark in its official boundaries, but controls zoning decisions on Clark because of a shared alley.

It seems that someone is finally working to organize Clark Street residents to create a new block club.  The flyer pictured below recently appeared on Clark Street buildings, and we applaud the active neighbors behind the effort.

If you can't read the text, it says:

Your opinion matters, but right now you are not represented by any of the Uptown Block Clubs or with any of the area organizations.

Dover Street Neighbors Association makes decisions for Clark Street residents without consulting you or your opinion.

If you want to have a say in matters that affect Clark Street and gain a voice in Uptown, join us in forming a new block club, Clark Street Neighbors.

Since the new block club is in the development stages, we urge all neighbors living on the 4400-4700 blocks of Clark, as well as businesses, to respond to the call on the flyer. Engage your neighbors and take ownership of this stretch of Clark! Businesses need residents, and residents need businesses.

If we truly desire this section of Clark Street to become as vibrant as its counterpart to the north in Andersonville, we need more residents and fewer one-story vacant storefronts.  If development proposals are continually stymied by those who don't live on the street, we all will suffer in the long term.

The new Clark Street Neighbors block club can be reached at clarkstreetneighbors [at] gmail.com. Get involved! Help bring the retail you desire to your street!

Free Legal Help Offered At McCutcheon School

Legal Aid Chicago and Baker McKenzie are continuing to provide free community legal services that are open to the public.  One of the clinics is located in the Uptown neighborhood, at the John T. McCutcheon Elementary School. They are open to anyone and everyone needing assistance. See the flyer above for more dates and for details.

Beat 2024 CAPS Meeting is Thursday Night

Beat 2024 (the area bordered by the lake, Lawrence, Winthrop, and Foster) is having its bimonthly CAPS meeting on Thursday, February 20th at 7pm.

It's held at the Margate Park Fieldhouse, 4921 North Marine Drive. It's a chance to find out crime statistics for the past couple months in the area, speak with police officers, a representative from the alderman's office, and your neighbors about what's going on in your community and what to do to help make Uptown safer.

Beat 2024 CAPS is held the third Thursday of even-numbered months.

Lucy's Plans Soft Opening on Thursday, February 20th

It's not set in stone, but we're hearing that Thursday is the planned soft opening for Lucy's Uptown at Wilson and Broadway.

You can see its namesake on a new sign on the Wilson side of the McJunkin Building, which was installed on Friday.

On its Instagram page, Lucy's says, "Signs coming up, interior 99% completed, hiring is in progress. Lucy’s will open next week so long as everything goes mostly to plan! 💕 We can’t wait to serve Uptown the most amazing vibes and fried chicken sammies."

We stopped by last week at Lucy's in Humboldt Park and tried some burgers and fries. We'd have liked to try the famous milkshakes, but were too full from the food to handle anything more.

We look forward to eating our next meal at Lucy's -- closer to home.

Beat 1914 CAPS To Meet Tonight

Beat 1914 (the area bordered by the lake, Montrose, Broadway, and Lawrence) is having its bimonthly CAPS meeting Wednesday,  February 12th, at 7pm.

It's held at the Clarendon Park Fieldhouse, 4501 North Clarendon. It's a chance to find out crime statistics for the past couple months in the area, speak with police officers, a representative from the alderman's office, and your neighbors about what's going on in your community and what to do to help make Uptown safer.

Beat 1914 CAPS is held the second Wednesday of even-numbered months.

Groundbreaking Commences On Winthrop Near Lawrence

As seen yesterday from the Red Line, work is about to start on the residential rental building soon to come to 4750 N Winthrop (across from the larger Aragon parking lot).

Chase Bank parkers can still park in the lot on the east side of the street.

You can read more about the Cedar Street building:

• CEDARst Plans Development Near Lawrence & Winthrop (Uptown Update)
• Cedar Street To Begin Turning Uptown Parking Lot Near Aragon Into 84-Unit Building (Block Club Chicago)

Learn What To Expect From Upcoming Work On The CTA Tracks Near Montrose

From Tressa Feher, Ald. Cappleman's Chief of Staff:

"Meeting about CTA track work south of Wilson Station around Montrose.

Meetings on Tuesday, 2/11 at Truman and Thursday, 2/13 at Uptown Branch Library on Buena."

Clark Street Construction Boom Continues With Rehab/Addition At 4547

Vintage building at 4547 N Clark which will receive a rehab and rear addition

There's a lot to keep up with on Clark Street.

We told you recently about a proposal to replace a one-story retail building with a five-story residential with retail building at 4511-23 N Clark. 

We've posted about a developer's plan (currently underway) to build a two-story retail/office building with a 4,200sf parking lot in the rear at 4537 N Clark. This comes after the neighboring block club rejected three separate proposals for residential developments at the site. The current plans for 4537 conform to current zoning and require no input from a block club or alderman.

Today, we spotted permits to rehab the vintage building at 4547 N Clark, just north of where the two- story retail/office building will rise.

According to the permit, a two-story addition will be constructed at the rear of the building with two three-bedroom units (if the abbreviations mean what we think they do). The existing three residential units will be rehabbed, as well as the street-level retail. No parking is mentioned, and no zoning change was requested, so neighborhood input will not be solicited.

Building permit for 4547 N Clark (City of Chicago website)

It's also worth mentioning that the two vintage buildings at 4645 and 4647 N Clark (below) are now demolished and awaiting whatever comes next. No zoning change has been requested, so we expect that the owner will build to the current specifications.

Once we know what to look forward to, we will pass it along!

"The Legends Of Chicago Blues" To Appear at Uptown Buena Library Saturday

As Terry Abrahamson says on Facebook:

"Be there. It will be historic. It will be rockin'.

It's a celebration of Blues greats from Muddy Waters to Koko Taylor to Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Bonnie Raitt, Son House, BB King, Son House, Shemekia Copeland....all dem cats!

PLUS, it's a rare chance to see great and legendary Chicago Blues icons LIVE, up close and personal for free, helping to illuminate the history of Chicago's hometown music.

Please arrive early. Space is limited. Thank you, Chicago Public Library!"

The Uptown Branch is located at 929 West Buena.

Couples Massages At Spoil Me Spa For Valentine's Day

Just in time for Valentine's Day, book a "Couples Massage" with your partner at Spoil Me Salon and Spa, located at 4668 N Broadway. Make your appointment by calling 773-564-9483.

Buena Park CAPS Meeting is Thursday Night

The bimonthly CAPS meeting for Beat 1915 (Buena Park) is Thursday, February 6th at 6:30pm. It takes place at the Uptown Branch Library, 929 W Buena.  The beat's boundaries are Montrose, Clark, Irving Park, and the lake.

The meetings take place on the first Thursday of even-numbered months.

If you are concerned about crime in your community, and want to talk to the beat officers and CAPS officers about what is going on, this is the best place to do it. If you have a concern that you'd rather not voice publicly, you can speak to an officer after the meeting.

A complete listing of all Uptown's CAPS beat meetings and schedules is available here.

Insurance Office Opens On Wilson Avenue in Former Aardvark Insurance Space

Please welcome Alexis Zimmer with State Farm Insurance to the neighborhood! After Aardvark Insurance closed in 2019, the storefront at 1228 West Wilson sat empty.  Now it's reopening as a State Farm office.

Her website mentions that she can provide insurance for "Auto, Home, Business, Property, Life, and Health."

You can contact Alexis and her team at (773) 442-1270.

4500 Block Of Clark To See New Storefronts, And A Proposed Residential Building

MCZ Development's proposal for 4511-4523 N. Clark (2RZ Architecture)

Current one story vacant retail (Google)

A proposal that would replace a vacant one-story retail building has been released by Alderman Cappleman's office and posted on his development page.

MCZ Development is proposing to replace the nondescript retail building that spans 4511-4523 N. Clark with a five-story residential building with retail on the ground floor.

Per the design, 56 units of housing are included, along with six affordable on-site units and 27 garage parking spaces. The building is designed with significant setbacks from the alley and Clark to minimize loss of light, primarily to satisfy previous objections from homeowners directly behind the development.

The parcel is currently zoned C1-2; the developer is requesting a zoning change to C1-3.

And just up the street....

After Dover Street Neighbors recently voted on three separate occasions to reject three different proposals for a residential development at 4537 N Clark, the owner is taking a different approach that will not leave his property open to community approval.

The existing buildings on the site (relatively modern one-story retail storefronts) are in the process of being demolished. The property owner will replace them with a two-story retail/office building with a 4,200sf parking lot in the rear.

This development will be built under the existing C1-2 zoning designation, thereby bypassing any approvals or input on the design from the block club and/or the alderman.

After Dover Street Neighbors turned down a residential proposal at 4537 N Clark, this two-story office/retail building will be constructed on the site

A former proposal at 4537 N Clark, rejected for being "too dense" for the location by the neighboring block club

We are beginning to see a pattern here. If any development on Clark is continuously rejected by those who live on a nearby residential block, we expect we will never see a day when Clark Street will become anything more than a retail dead zone.

If developers' proposals are repeatedly rejected, they will build what they can under existing zoning, and Clark will remain as it is now, a few existing stores bookended by empty storefronts, with very little foot traffic drawn to the area.

We hope that eventually, development will be allowed to progress on Clark Street. It will bring vibrancy and energy to an area that desperately needs it.

Legends, The Musical To Open At Black Ensemble Theater; Promo Code Available For Discount on Tickets

From Black Ensemble Theater:

"A bold musical journey that examines the effects of racism on America, a tribute to those who have fought against it and a demand for it to end. Legends is a serious call to action that will leave you with hope and an answer to the ongoing question what can I do?"

It opens on Friday, February 22nd. Get your tickets here.  (Use the promo code BELEGENDS and save $10 per ticket if you buy before February 22nd.)

Wondering What's Up On Clark?

There have been a few questions about these zoning signs, which state the intention to have portions of Clark street designated as a "P Street" or "pedestrian street." The 4800-4900 blocks and area between 5000 and 5130 north are mentioned.

Per his Facebook page, Ald. Martin says:

"We’re looking into expanding the Pedestrian Designation on Clark and other pedestrian-friendly retail corridors in the 47th Ward. A Pedestrian Designation already exists in the ward on parts of Clark, Montrose, and Lincoln.

Pedestrian designation seeks to encourage pedestrian-friendly design of shopping corridors by banning certain uses that are detrimental to the pedestrian experience such as strip malls, drive-throughs, and vehicle sales and services. It also imposes certain design guidelines to encourage pedestrian traffic regarding shop windows, front setbacks, and entrances. Existing structures and uses are grandfathered in if this designation is put in place. A Pedestrian designation also reduces certain parking requirements for smaller businesses and extends eligibility for TOD-designation."

A few years ago, the area around Broadway and Lawrence was designated P Streets for the same reason.

CPD Wants Your Feedback on Its Policies - Tonight At Truman