SMG Chatham 14 closed #COVID19

SMG Chatham Lobby/Concessions - 2018

This is probably no surprise to you if you paid a visit to the Studio Movie Grill theaters at 210 E. 87th Street as recently as Friday that the theaters are temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus.

This is probably industry wide as I see that AMC Theatres and Kerasotes (Showplace Icon) have for the moment closed their locations in light of this coronavirus pandemic. At least AMC was speaking of limiting admissions to their screens at 50% capacity to encourage social distancing (which is to help to stem the spread of this virus). Of course authorities around the nation were issuing guidelines limiting how many people can gather in one place right now the government is limiting groups larger than 50 people.

So either way if you enjoy movies too bad about going to the show especially up to 87th Street, however, hopefully many of you are ready to take advantage of any streaming options. Which is especially key if you have to stay-at-home through April 7, 2020.

What is terrible is that many of the people who staff these venues wherever they're employed will be temporarily out of work until Studio Movie Grill, AMC Theatres, Kerasotes, etc will eventually re-open for business. I do hope that this will happen in the near future.

If you're wondering about the Harper Theater in Hyde Park at 5238 S. Harper Ave they're also closed for the time being. You will go to their website and a message regarding COVID-19 will come up explaining their closure.

The Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science & Industry...

[VIDEO] All that you see in the video above by artistmac will soon be under a new name. In fact it will be named for the man who made the largest donation to the Museum of Science and Industry. Kenneth C. Griffin is this state's richest man and this south side institution near Hyde Park will now bear his name.

The Museum of Science and Industry will rename itself after Chicago philanthropist Ken Griffin, who is making the largest donation in the institution’s history, the museum announced Thursday.

The sprawling science, tech and business museum on the city’s South Side will become the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry after the museum’s board voted to accept Griffin’s $125 million donation and the name change Thursday morning.

It’s a major change in the Chicago cultural landscape, prompted by one of the largest cash donations ever to a local cultural institution. Ken Griffin, founder of the hedge fund Citadel, has been one of the most prominent and active donors to cultural and educational organizations through his Kenneth C. Griffin Charitable Fund, with giving that now totals over $1 billion.

“We are honored to receive this incredibly generous gift, which helps ensure that MSI remains a vital resource for science learning in the 21st century,” David Mosena, the museum’s president and chief executive officer said in a statement. “This gift will allow us to continue providing the kind of innovative experiences and programs that work to achieve that mission for generations to come.”

I should've visited MSI's website. They announced the large gift there also... 

What went wrong at Treasure Island?

[VIDEO] While it's a brief news clip, check out the above video with regards to the closure of Treasure Island. It had a number of locations throughout the Chicago area and I used to frequent the one that was located in Hyde Park. I wanted to emphasize the impact not just on the foodie culture it helped to insure, but mainly on the workers who were employed with that company. The more I read about this subject, the more I realize the company was in shambles.

Which is why I share this article from Crain's Chicago Business. Bear in mind this article could be behind a paywall, however, I will offer a brief excerpt.

What went wrong at Treasure Island? https://t.co/AxVdpJTzDW

— Crain's Chicago (@CrainsChicago) October 29, 2018

Still, the company soldiered on. Christ Kamberos' second wife, Maria—a former commercial real estate agent who met Kamberos when she was working on the Clybourn Avenue development and married him in 1986—took on an increasing role in the chain in the early 2000s.

When Christ Kamberos died in 2009, more drama ensued. The following year, a daughter from his first marriage sued Maria Kamberos in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging that the second wife manipulated an aging Christ Kamberos into eliminating his daughter as a major beneficiary. The suit pointed out that Maria Kamberos was 31 years younger than her husband and alleged that she took advantage of the Treasure Island co-founder's diminished mental capacity to convince him to change his will. As a result, money initially willed to his offspring came under Maria Kamberos' control. The daughter, Christi Kamberos Matthews, claimed the estate was worth "in excess of several million dollars" and asked for compensation exceeding $1 million. The case was eventually settled.

After Christ Kamberos' death, Maria Kamberos became president and CEO and appointed her son, Christ Kamberos Jr., vice president of development. (Frank Kamberos, who is in his 90s, ceased playing an active role in the chain long ago. Whether he remains an owner in Treasure Island could not be determined, but public records show he does retain ownership, along with Maria Kamberos, of the real estate affiliated with the stores.) They renovated the Gold Coast store in 2013 and the Lake Shore Drive location last year, though some shoppers were underwhelmed by the efforts in comparison to the new Whole Foods and Mariano's stores that cropped up after the demise of Dominick's. As recently as October 2017—a decade after opening in Hyde Park, its newest location—Christ Kamberos Jr. said publicly that the company would open an eighth location in a new luxury apartment development in Uptown. (The store never materialized.)

But inside the stores and the corporate office, employees say, operations notably deteriorated at the beginning of 2018.

Inventory deliveries were intermittent for most of 2018, according to six employees, all of whom asked not to be named. Photos provided to Crain's by a senior employee show a loaf of Treasure Island bakery bread with a July 24, 2018, sell-by sticker placed on top of an original July 4 sticker. Moreover, store-level employees say paychecks not deposited immediately would sometimes take days to clear or would bounce.

At corporate headquarters above the Lakeview store, according to employees, more trouble brewed. The fact that something was amiss became clear to Antoine Wright, a former dairy manager, in summer 2017. After noticing his payroll deductions for child support mysteriously spiked to $220 from $170, he contacted the Illinois State Disbursement Unit, which processes the payments and sends the money to recipients. "I come to find out (the disbursement unit) has not received one payment," says Wright. The extra money was being garnished to cover the missed payments.

Like I said, a mess. Read the whole thing.

Treasure Island is closing down...

Treasure Island was always a nice store to shop at, especially the one in Hyde Park. Unfortunately I've never been to that location when it was formerly the Hyde Park Food Co-op, but I had the opportunity to shop at a local European grocery store.

I'm disappointed to find out that Treasure Island - a family-owned company - is forced to close down operations. I'd be curious what could replace them in that spot near 55th & Lake Park.

Well, there we go. @Suntimes obtains the letter to employees stating that all #TreasureIsland stores in the area will close within a week or so. Another local long-time grocery name falls by the wayside https://t.co/fNRnBM76TA

— Steve Daniels (@stevedaniels27) September 30, 2018

You might recognize Steve Daniels, he did some good reporting on what happened with Seaway Bank. When the news broke he hammered out some tweets about Treasure Island and one of those is a link to a Sun-Times article about the impending closure.

Here's another tweet from someone who has been to the Hyde Park store recently. Kind of a shame the shelves are just about empty already.

Walked over to the Hyde Park Treasure Island this morning and it feels eerily apocalyptic. pic.twitter.com/mU2qFKHJ0E

— “...starring Jamie as Busty McShort.” (@thewayoftheid) October 1, 2018

Finally in recognizing that an employer is closing down it's bound to be difficult for the employees. I would be somewhat disappointed that a company isn't doing right not just by their employees, but by their suppliers as well.

What happened at Treasure Island? Crain's @Brigid_Sweeney gets an earful from workers, who describe the grocer's failure to pay health insurance premiums, unsafe food practices and more: https://t.co/ybGWhPrdZQ

— Crain's Chicago (@CrainsChicago) October 3, 2018

Finally I wanted to share this tweet for those who are employed at Treasure Island. I suppose there are groups out there who want to look out for those who were affected by this.

If you are or know a Treasure Island worker in Chicago--workers report being given 1-day notice of stores closing and losing their jobs. This may be a violation of the Illinois WARN Act. Contact Arise Chicago to learn your rights! 312-715-8141 pic.twitter.com/7877csNXj5

— Arise Chicago (@AriseChicago) October 2, 2018

Chatham Center Chicago launch

[VIDEO] Wednesday was the day of the official launch of the Chatham Center Chicago. The video above from WBBM-TV you will see many Chatham business owners, the people in charge of Chatham Center, and 6th ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer who talked about Chatham having good bones. With this event held at Chatham's Studio Movie Grill, this was a great presentation by the Greater Chatham Initiative to help get target markets to come to our community to shop & eat.

I also learned listening to the many speakers that the Chatham Center Chicago team got some help from Downtown Hyde Park. Wonderful things have been happening in Hyde Park and the commercial areas have looked much better in recent years especially along Lake Park, Hyde Park Blvd, and 57th Street.

I suppose in a way Chatham is getting "Hyde Parked". In the meanwhile, how many people are excited to see this move forward and where it goes.

BTW, here's another video from WLS-TV who was also there to mark the launch of Chatham Center. And more of the speech Ald. Sawyer gave to mark this occasion.

Obama Presidential Center faces opposition in Chicago

[VIDEO] This segment aired Thursday on FOX News' The Ingraham Angle. Well let's recognize that FOX News has their own bias of course, we know this as the "right-wing" news network. We find out through them that Obama's new library won't have any books or documents - which is what a presidential library is made for. So I do wonder what that's about, hopefully there's more to that.

In this segment here Laura Ingraham hosts briefly Charles Birnbaum of The Cultural Landscape Foundation. They discuss the opposition of the proposed library in Jackson Park near Hyde Park. Even though Birnbaum is in Florida for his remote, he's part of the opposition of those Chicago residents who oppose the Obama library plan for that site.

And again I hope in that tower that Ingraham refers to as ugly will contain a replica of the Obama's Oval Office. It's not just for me especially if I get to walk around in it, it's for those young people who I hope will be inspired to make a run for the Presidency in their futures. Meanwhile let's figure out what to do with this library.

Former President Obama tweaks plans for his library

[VIDEO] We have some updates to the Obama presidential library expected to be constructed in the future at the expansive Jackson Park. There were some complaints with regards to some of the plans per an article from Crain's Chicago embedded below with a tweet.

More than 100 @UChicago faculty members sign letter opposing current plans for the Obama Center https://t.co/jO3JUIhHIl

— Crain's Chicago (@CrainsChicago) January 8, 2018

Here's another link via Curbed Chicago which further discusses the tweaks that was made in response to opposition to the plans for the library.

Obama Foundation takes the wraps off revised—and taller—design for Presidential Center https://t.co/ZJ5m6N17bU pic.twitter.com/XFAYYhso5l

— Curbed Chicago (@curbedchicago) January 10, 2018

I hope there will be a replica of Obama's Oval Office - most other presidential libraries contain one. Right now it's not very likely that I'll see the oval office but at least I and the many visitors will come close to the oval office with this library. That'a assuming many of us don't want to visit the other libraries that are out there in the nation!

I wonder if there are any Hyde Park folks reading this blog. Is the presidential library taking shape for you?

Portion of sales from Whole Foods Market donated to Comer Youth Center

Found this over at the Whole Foods Englewood ig page 5% of sales from Englewood, Hyde Park, and South Loop stores will be donated to the Gary Comer Youth Center tomorrow.

Tomorrow our Englewood, South Loop, and Hyde Park stores will be donating 5% of our total sales to the Gary Comer Youth Center. Come out and buy some extra groceries and support the youth programming of the Gary Comer Youth Center located on the south side of Chicago. The organization offers after school programming, job training, and urban agriculture opportunities. Learn more www.garycomeryouthcenter.org

A post shared by Whole Foods Market Englewood (@wholefoodseng) on Jan 10, 2018 at 8:19am PST

Can we help Woodlawn repeat as winner of the Curbed Cup?

Remember last year when Woodlawn won Curbed Chicago's Cup for neighborhood of the year. Then the year before where it was Pullman that had the honor.

In 2017 Woodlawn is back and made it into the final four for this year's Curbed Cup. There were three other entrants in this competition from Chicago's south side. Hyde Park, Bronzeville, and yes the South Loop. I do consider the South Loop south side even if they may have the close proximity to downtown and for many years it was an area that hadn't be doing well until the 21st century.

Curbed Cup Elite Eight results! West Loop and Fulton Market knocked out https://t.co/viQ6tUmBFS pic.twitter.com/gtrktAgNWW

— Curbed Chicago (@curbedchicago) December 22, 2017

Anyway, why Woodlawn again? The expansion of the University of Chicago further south, the Obama library is expected to come that way, there's going to be a new Jewel-Osco on 61st & Cottage Grove. I want to add a grassroots movement to re-extend the CTA Green Line beyond their current terminal at Cottage Grove. This would be great news for another are of Chicago's south side that hadn't done well in recent years until now.

BTW, voting will begin on the final four neighborhoods after the Christmas holiday. Hopefully that means on Tuesday - today - you will see a poll on a future poll at Curbed Chicago. Let's support Woodlawn and allow that neighborhood to repeat their accomplishment from last year.

And I still want to open the floor for other neighborhoods we all hope will get nominated next year. Yes I'm looking at you Englewood, Chatham, Roseland, or even Pullman - again! Am I missing any from our part of town? Let us know!!!

Chicago Stars Ep. 3 - The World Columbian Exposition // MBMHMC tv

[VIDEO] In this episode Jahmal Cole goes from the ferris wheel at Navy Pier to the Museum of Science & Industry. The significance the third star on the Chicago flag represents the World's Columbian Exposition.

There was a ferris wheel at the exposition which took place in the Frederick Law Olmstead designed Jackson Park. The Museum of Science & Industry is the last remaining structure of that event held in 1893 which formerly housed not only the Palace of Fine Arts but also an early incarnation of the Field Musuem.

Finally Cole ends this episode at the south side's Chef Sara's Place located at 7201 S. Exchange Ave. And here's hoping the many eateries Cole visits in his many episodes of My Block My Hood My City gets much more business.

#MBMHMC: UChicago med students explore Chatham

Photo via My Block My Hood My City

I have another idea on this although I think this was a cool post with a cool outcome from Jahmal Cole's My Block My Hood My City:

While editing video at Robust, a coffee shop in Woodlawn, I met a few UChicago Priztker Medical School students. They asked me what the My Block, My Hood, My City logo meant, so I told them about my dream of a more interconnected Chicago. This sparked a conversation.

Turns out, the Med Students recognized there's a disconnect between the University and the surrounding communities. I pointed out the window of Robust and told them about the historic Woodlawn Community Organization and the Apostolic Church of God, both of which play major roles in the Woodlawn Community.

After a few more conversations I was asked to come speak at the University, but after my presentation I knew that more needed to be done to bridge the gap between the University and the surrounding communities. So in an effort to help medical students learn and build authentic relationships with neighborhoods that much of their patient population comes, I decided to ask them to join my Explorers Club.
...
Our next stop was the Whitney Young Library, where Branch Manager Mitchell Smith spoke to the Med students about the Library being more than a place to come check out books. Mr. Smith envisions the library as a community hub, a central place of engagement for residents. And then it happened, an authentic connection was made. The Med Students and Branch Manager Smith agreed to collaborate on a series of future engagement. Be on the lookout for that in the upcoming months.

So during the course of their exploration in addition to Chatham's Whitney Young Library they also visited West Chesterfield meeting with the neighbors there and Captain Hardtimes dining for chicken and waffles. Hopefully more to come with this group.

BTW, I'll have to admit it would've been nice to see a black face among this group. It's still cool that they had the interest to leave the Hyde Park campus of the University of Chicago to see other parts of the south side. Regardless if only there was a way these group of med students could convince south side student to consider a career as a doctor. Perhaps that's something that could also come with these group of med students.

Tribune: Hyde Park's retail revival is on a roll

via @TribuneGraphics Twitter

This article from the Tribune shows how influential the University of Chicago has been in the recent redevelopment of Hyde Park. Hyde Park is Hyde Park to me, however, in this we see people refer to this area as anything from "baby Rush Street" or a "hipster neighborhood" or "little Bucktown/Wicker Park" or even saying it's like Lincoln Park. The new retail and businesses and construction it seems makes Hyde Park more appealing to younger people.

Now I simply wonder if this is a template for communities outside of the Hyde Park area. It almost reminds me of a post here from five years ago about Chatham "Hyde Parked" or "South Looped".

Either way with this new growth come some issues. Some businesses have been forced to move and some residents aren't happy with a new residential building that's soon to begin construction:

A group of residents who oppose the size of the planned 13-story Vue53 apartment complex filed a lawsuit alleging that the city acted in an "arbitrary and capricious" manner when it approved the zoning change for the development, which will bring 267 residential units and 30,000 square feet of retail to a former Mobil gas station site at 53rd and Kimbark owned by the university.

A judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying that not all neighbors were properly notified of its filing, and the plaintiffs have appealed. Vue53 is set to begin construction in September and open in 2016.

This article is worth your time. This is one example of what the south side could be.

CapitolFax: GOP Leaders are “Nay” to Obama library

CapitolFax.com

We've been talking about a presidential library for Pres. Obama for quite a while now. At that point all we know is that if Chicago will be home to an Obama library he wants a unified bid. We don't yet know where this library will be located although a number of sites are seeking to be the home especially Hyde Park, Pullman and even Chicago State University.

Now there is a debate in Springfield regarding this library. House Speaker Michael Madigan wants to appropriate state funds for the library, however, we learned that Republican members of the General Assembly are opposed.

Crain's: Race for Obama library gets serious

We've been writing about this for a while. The library could very well find it's way to Hyde Park which is the Obama's home neighborhood. As stated before it would be cool for it to be located at Chicago State University and they also want to be the site of the library. Time will only tell however. Via Crain's

The bidding war for President Barack Obama's presidential library is expected to formally get underway next week.

Chicago, where the president spent his early career, is vying to put it somewhere on the South Side. New York, where he went to college, and his birthplace of Hawaii are also contenders. Like other presidential libraries, it's expected to be a big draw for tourists and create other economic spinoffs.

House Speaker Michael Madigan underscored Chicago's thirst for the project with a bill introduced yesterday that would steer $100 million in capital development funds to help build the library and museum.

The first step, a request for qualifications, was supposed to be issued in February and is said to “imminent,” now targeted for release by the end of next week. The RFQ will explain the basic elements and criteria for the site selection process, according to the library's organizers.

“This process takes longer than you might think,” said a spokeswoman for the Barack H. Obama Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by three longtime friends and advisers the president appointed in January to raise money for the library.

After qualifications are submitted, the foundation plans to select recipients of a request for proposal coming out in May, with announcement of the winning bidder in early 2015.

DNA Info: Whole Foods Set to Open in Hyde Park in 2016

By Studio Gang Architects via DNA Info

What could this mean? Depending on how work progresses on the future Englewood store could we see that store open before Hyde Park to be located @ 1525 E. Hyde Park Blvd? Or as stated in the article could the Englewood store be pushed back a year behind the slated opening for the future Hyde Park location?

A Whole Foods executive said Tuesday its Hyde Park location won't be open until at least June 2016.

“These things are always fluctuating somewhat,” said Scott Saulsberry, vice president of Midwest operations for the upscale grocer, conceding the opening could be pushed back to September 2016.

Whole Foods will occupy 30,000 of the 110,000 square feet of retail space in the City Hyde Park development, a $114 million shopping center and apartment building designed by Studio Gang Architects.

Saulsberry said the grocer was trying to stagger its openings in the city, with the four former Dominick's locations opening next in 2015.

Allison Phelps, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods, said the opening date was based on the construction schedule worked out with the developer.

Furthermore as to further developing the store when it's built:

The Whole Foods spokeswoman said it normally takes the grocer 12 to 15 months to complete the interior work and product selection for a new store. She said amenities like a juice or wine bar have not yet been set for the Hyde Park location.

AP: Multiple groups vie for Obama's Presidential Library

President Barack Obama

The AP has a story about the many groups here in Chicago who are vying for their particular insitutions or neighborhoods to become home of the President's future library. Those sites include Bronzeville, Chicago State University, University of Chicago, Pullman, and even that former US Steel site on the southeast lakefront. In the case of Chicago State and Pullman:

There are also two potential bids on the Far South Side, one led by Chicago State University and the other by a group promoting the historic Pullman neighborhood. It was in those areas that Obama established his earliest roots in the city as a community organizer in the mid-1980s, setting up job training programs and defending the rights of public housing tenants.
...
The Far South Side is a longshot given its distance from downtown, lack of transportation options and the gang violence that persists there.

And presidential libraries aren't guaranteed to lift the local economy.

So far the main competitors are:

The main point of tension is between the University of Chicago, where Obama spent 12 years as a constitutional law professor until his 2004 election to the U.S. Senate, and a group advocating for Bronzeville, the city's historic center of black culture, business and politics.

"They think that they can get whatever they want," Bronzeville organizer Harold Lucas said of the university. "If you compare the cranes in the sky and that opulent growth of this university to the surrounding, predominantly African-American community, it's a travesty. It's a clear tale of two cities."

Lucas and other critics of the university's bid say the school has been secretly working its White House connections at the expense of a plan that would benefit more of the city and honor the black community's role in electing the nation's first black president.

For its part, the university says it wants to work with neighbors on a plan to build the library off-campus in a part of the South Side where it can spur development. A university spokesman declined to comment beyond the school's previous statements. 

We already know that Mayor Emanuel wants to submit only a unified bid for Obama's Presidential Library so the various groups need to come up with a good bid. And bear in mind one point of this article, "presidential libraries aren't guaranteed to life the local economy". That being said the library could easily either go to Hawaii where Presient Obama was born or to New York so time will only tell if Chicago will eventually succeed in its bid.

SUN-TIMES: Chicago to make unified bid for Obama presidential library

Well this is a great idea to post a single bid, however, that means the many universities or neighborhoods who are vying to be the site for a Presidential libraries would have to make their own pitches. It sounds fair of course, but then hey there's no guarantee it'll be in Chicago anyway.

Chicago is going to make one unified bid for President Barack Obama’s Presidential Library and Museum, with the University of Chicago and other city schools not making solo plays, Mayor Rahm Emanuel told me Thursday.

“We are going to run a process. But my goal is to have the City of Chicago, with its major educational institutions, have a single proposal,” Emanuel said.

“I don’t expect us to win this based on some sentiment toward the city,” Emanuel said.

As for his pitch to Obama, “I will remind him about his roots in Chicago, but I expect us to be as a city and as university systems competitive and to be very competitive in our proposal to have it come to Chicago.”

I have handicapped Obama’s library/museum as the University of Chicago’s to lose given its very close ties to the Obama family and its long list of wealthy potential donors in the Obama orbit.

With Emanuel moving to consolidate the city’s resources for a bid, University of Chicago has little choice but to forge an alliance with Emanuel, because it brings Emanuel’s own formidable fundraising abilities to the package.

City Hall has already been working internally on the project, Emanuel said. “Let me say this. It is important for the city to have the president’s library in his hometown, and we will be very competitive in our proposal, and we have put a lot of thought into it.”

According to this AP write-up from where I found the link to the Sun-Times, here are the groups who want the Presidential library:

 The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago State University, and the University of Chicago have all expressed interest in being home to the library. So has a group from Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood that's promoting a lakefront site at a now-closed hospital.

OK, University of Chicago is a logical choice. And so is putting this library in Bronzeville at the site for the former Michael Reese Hospital. It would be cool if it was on the south side at Chicago State University. Have anyone else heard that the Pullman neighborhood was interested as well? It appears they're not even a blip on the radar now.

Oh yeah as for that Bronzeville site:

City Hall considers the former Michael Reese Hospital site at 29th and Ellis — close to downtown and an easy trip for tourists — as too big and too costly to develop.

Tourists can take a bus there or we could build an IC - oh I'm sorry Metra Electric - stop nearby to that site. Still it probably isn't as beneficial if it costs money to develop.

ALSO consider they mentioned fundraising. So UIC and Chicago State may not get the library because they may not have the fundraising ability of UChicago. In addition to that if Mayor Emanuel gets behind UChicago that will be a bid that's hard to beat.

Where do you think President Obama's library should reside?

Progress IL: South Siders March To U Of Chicago Hospital In Demand Of A Trauma Center

Photo via Progress IL

It seems from time to time this blog has noted the subject of trauma centers on the south side of town. There aren't any at all and that's the subject of this post from Progress Illinois. This took place on Wednesday and participants marched to the University of Chicago hospital to protest this very fact. Here's the reasoning for a trauma center on this part of town:

Currently, South Sides residents that need treatment for traumatic injuries have to travel long distances to a hospital on the North or West Sides of the city or the suburbs. In an area with a high concentration of trauma cases, particularly due to gun violence, experts and activists say the consequences of such long travels can be dire, costing lives. At the hearing, Dr. Marie Crandall of Northwestern University, who last year published research showing the link between mortality rates and travel times, said gunshot victims more than five miles away from a trauma center have a 21 percent higher mortality rate.

Rosenthal: Rejuvenation of South Side the fair thing to do

It's great to know there are projects moving along on this part of town, but it would be nice to know of projects that would also benefit Englewood, Chatham, and other areas on the far south side. They closed Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune came was the vacant steel mill site in the South Chicago neighborhood. If the south side is benefitting from the rejuvenation what form would you like to see it take in our communities? Hat-tip Curbed Chicago!

Hyde Park Progress: Will a Redistricted 5th Ward Include Hyde Park?

While we keep an eye on the remap of city council wards, I would be curious to see how Hyde Park is able to organize on this issue. They note that they're not happy with 5th Ward Ald. Hairston, and note that other neighboring Aldermen would promise to be an improvement if Hyde Park were mapped into another ward altogether. However, they wonder if any of those Aldermen would want Hyde Park with the many issues of that particular electorate!