GCA Meeting Update

In a email from GCA today

The 6th District Commander, EddieJohnson will be attending the May meeting.


As you know he was just at AldermanLyle's meeting last week. The majority of the people attending her meeting were Chatham folks.


But at that meeting, they would not allow questions in front of the general audience. You had to wait in line afterthe meeting to ask questions.


At our GCA meeting you will be allowed to ask questions.

MEETING REMINDER
MAY 2010 Meeting
Saturday, May 15
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
St. James Lutheran Church
8000 S. Michigan

In comments about the meeting, Alderman Lyle gave her reason for the format as well as feedback she was given from CPD.

Burglar killed police officer Chatham off duty - chicagotribune.com

Burglar killed police officer Chatham off duty - chicagotribune.com

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Then and Now- Are we still using Currency Exchanges

It has been 10 plus years since the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago performed a survey on banking usage in the Chatham community.

The Chatham survey took place in 1997-1998. A total of 196 households and 181 small businesses were interviewed. A team from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago led the data collection efforts.

http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/communities/cedric/household_and_small_business_data_chatham.cfm

The results of the survey were not shocking at that time. The results showed that a significant portion of our community primary banking relationship was with a currency exchange. http://www.chicagofed.org/digital_assets/others/communities/cedric/papers/cca-2000-1.pdf

Now in 2010 we have had a number of financial institutions come in to the community. Also, existing institutions have opened additional branches and there are bank and third party owned ATM machines in practically every store.

But what is puzzling why haven't we seen the currency exchanges disappear?

YoChicago: Quote of the Day

Was provided by our own Worlee Glover who in an earlier post discussed the impending failure of ShoreBank and it's possible effect on the Chatham neighborhood. Comments are closed for this post, but I will encourage you to offer your thoughts on this issue over at the YoChicago Quote of the Day post.

Property for sale with Starbuck's...?

While I was looking up the listing for 7903 S. Calumet, i also ran across this property at 635-639 E. 79th.

Here's the description:

22 UNIT MIXED USE BUILDING IN BUSSLING CHATHAM!

16 FULLY RENTED RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS & 6 FULLY RENTED STORE FRONTS.

BEAUTIFUL 1920'S ART DECO IVORY BUILDING.

GREEN LEED NEW CONSTRUCTION CONDOS GOING UP ACROSS THE STREET.

COMMERCIAL UNIT WILL OCCUPY A NEW MAGIC JOHNSON STARBUCKS.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO A FULLY STABILIZED TURN KEY INVESTMENT PROPERTY.

CALL OR EMAIL FOR MORE DETAILS AND MARKETING PACKAGE

Do you think a Starbuck's is really going there? i know it's a business the Chatham Avalon Community Council blog has advocated for this type of business. But with this economy, it seems like Starbuck's is NOT the kind of business on the upswing yet. And would they really settle into a property that will change hands before they have moved in?


i don't want to discourage buyers...but want to make sure someone isn't getting scammed.

If ShoreBank fails Chatham fails

It was reported this week at Crain's that the FDIC is soliciting bidders for ShoreBank. ShoreBank was ordered to raise additional capital or risk a takeover by the FDIC. While to most, this is just another bank failure but if Shorebank fails it will wipe away over 40 years of history and progress of Chatham.

ShoreBank started as South Shore Bank was started by a multicultural group of individuals to address the lack of capital available to individuals in South Shore as the community changed from being a primarily White Jewish community to African American.

Independence Bank was started at 79th Cottage Grove by a group of African American business men who decided they would control their destiny by creating a bank that would serve African Americans.

In the mid 80's these two banks merged together to create ShoreBank as we know it today. The combined entities continued to carry out its mission of giving access to capital to those who traditionally were denied access. This access has allowed our community based organizations, social service agencies, churches, real estate investors and homeowners to help build our community.


Although we now have several commercial banking organizations entering the community, the loss of a true "community bank" like ShoreBank which makes decisions based on what is best for its customers and the community, would be a major blow we can ill afford to imagine. The financial situations of Illinois Service Federal, Seaway and Highland Bank are questionable and the takeover of ShoreBank by an institution with no history in the Chatham community or commitment to serving Chicago ’s urban neighborhoods is sure to lessen the likelihood of an inclusive economic recovery. For additional information or to assist ShoreBank in its efforts to invest in our communities, visit www.sbk.com.

Property Tax Appeal Forum

This Wednesday, Alderman Lyle and Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr will be hosting a Property Tax Appeal Forum. This program is meant to educate property owners of their right to appeal their property tax assessment and to ensure that everyone has access to the Board of Review. If you are interested in attending, the event will take place on Wednesday May, 12th at Harlan High School (9652 S Michigan) beginning at 6pm. Please bring your tax bill with you.

GCA May 2010 meeting

Greater Chatham Alliance: May 2010 Meeting Flyer

From an e-mail from Leslie Honore from the Greater Chatham Alliance (GCA):

Our May meeting will introduce you to some of our new GCA Patrol volunteers. These are men and women committed to helping folks in Chatham take our streets back! That's right! GCA is kicking off their "We're taking our streets back!" campaign.

We've had a great response! Hopefully, more volunteers will join our patrol.

As most of us on GCA's email list have seen via our "GCA Crime Alerts," the thugs have been flexing their criminal muscles. The May meeting flyer recaps all of the Crime Alerts sent from late March through April so folks not on the email list can also know what's going on.

In addition, for those of you who were unable to attend Toya Bey's Safety & Security Committee's presentation at the April meeting, we have taken the time to recap that security information as well. It's good stuff!

Lastly, we are asking everybody to find the time in their busy schedules to fill out our Greater Chatham Alliance Survey.

You'll find it on the last page (pg. 4) of our meeting flyer. Please help us determine what's important to you!

You can either bring the filled-out form to: 1. our May GCA meeting; 2. our GCA office located at 8200 S. King Drive (part of the American Family Insurance Office);
or 3. mail back your survey to the office address.

A community group is only as good as the input it gets from its members. We want to aggressively pursue the things that matter to you.

Lastly, we have a new telephone number now:

773.635.6500

Use it to call and leave messages for any of our GCA Executive Officers or Committee Chairmen.

I want to know more about these patrol volunteers! If you're in Chatham I hope you go to this meeting!

Property for Sale

Here's the listing for 7903 S. Calumet, which is actually the building on the corner of 79th & Calumet.

This is building that houses the oft-mentioned Creative Floral & Gifts.

Here's a real estate website's description:

SIX STORE FRONTS PLUS 16 UNITS (10 STUDIOS, 6- 1 BEDROOM).

STORE FRONTS SEPARATE HEATING INSTALLED 12/08.

WELL MAINTAINED BUILDING.

NEW PORCHES JULY 2009.

NEW WINDOWS.

SELLER SAYS LETS MAKE A DEAL.

I do not believe it is worth the $1.35 million asking price, but i would like to see a good owner take it over. I believe the building next door is for sale as well. Perhaps part can be torn down (but the keep the facade for a lobby), and turned into a parking lot, as there is really no parking for the building.

Perhaps something can be done with the apartments as well...?

What kind of businesses do YOU want?

We are looking to do a poll, but before we try to create it, we need some choices.

What businesses do you want to see here? This can be in addition to, or in place of, the proposed Wal-Mart at Chatham Market.

The Chatham Avalon Park Community Council blog had a blog entry with suggestions several weeks ago

Please include the business name, a description, and a website

If you're not sure of a specific business, then feel free to describe it

Comment regarding the May 6th Ward meeting

Submitted to us via e-mail and was posted by Worlee in a post advertising the special May monthly ward meeting:

The 6th Ward's crime meeting Wednesday night left me cold. I came to meet my neighbors and to listen to their suggestions and warnings about crime in our lovely community but, unfortunately, there wasn't a spot in the program for community members to express their concerns. Huge hole as far as I'm concerned. I want to have as much information as possible at my disposal. Is Cole Park safe? Why not? Are there streets I should avoid? What about the shooting at 95th and King Drive? Gang-related or just another nitwit with a gun who can't aim for nothing? We need to talk to each other a whole lot more. I wish we could have started the conversation last night.

the observer

The Alderman responded in a later post:

I appreciate the desire of the commentator to have a dialogue and encourage him/her to do so at a block club meeting, community association meeting; a CAPs meeting or our monthly Ward meeting. I also highly recommend that he/she meet his/her neighbors, first beginning on his/her block and then branching out as mentioned above. We set up our monthly ward meeting to discuss crime, before the surge in violence. As it became clear that we would have a huge crowd (and every seat was taken including the overflow room where the meeting was being televised)a decision was made to present as much information as time allowed and to do the breakout where residents could talk to their Police officers.

With any large group the motivations of those in attendance range from people seeking information (provided by the speakers and ex-burglars); those wishing to address specific issues (the break out room) those wishing to make speeches & grandstand; to those wishing to disrupt. Many of the attendees were most grateful that the meeting was not consumed by the final two categories of attendees as they had been to too many meetings where that happened.

As to your questions: with the exception of the temporary locking/removal of the nets, Cole Park is operating as normal. The South Side Little League Pee Wees are practicing and playing in the Park. Seniors and others continue to walk around the Park and to the extent the 6th Dist. can provide extra officers they patrol the Park. We are continuing to push for the assignment of an off duty Chicago Police Officer. I would answer the safety question with a yes. I know of no streets that any person should avoid. The shooting at 95th & King is believed to be relational meaning there was some type of relationship between the shooter and the victim.

Also we will be converging en mass in Cole Park during the next hot spell. We have commitments from neighbors, Churches, community associations, CAPs and others to meet us there for an informal, impromptu community get together. This will be an excellent opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other.

Again I invite the "observer" to our next meeting so that he/she can meet his/her neighbors. I know some people left the meeting 'cold' because it did not meet their expectations and others because they didn't get a chance to perform in public. It is however impossible to anticipate the expectations of hundreds of people that are not required to RSVP and state their expectations in advance. While we would have loved for everyone to leave happy, on the whole, most of the feedback we received has been very favorable.

OK does anyone have any thoughts to share about that meeting if you were there Wednesday night. I want to remind you that we want a serious discourse and please avoid negative comments. If you don't like the tone of this place there's really no reason for you to be here. You are more than free to start your OWN blog at Blogger!

BTW, we are grateful for this comment regarding JP Paulus' brief write-up about what happened at the ward meeting:

Thanks for the updates, I share them with some of the elderly in neighborhood who can't get to meetings.

This is one main reason for this blog to disseminate information. :)

Question - Where am I...?

Inspired by Uptown Update's occasional series, I thought we could start a similar series of blog entries here.

I was walking around and despite passing by here often, but I never noticed this detail, which was really all over the building. I don't have the details, but it seems like this was done in 1920's, and has lasted all this time.

Let us know in the comments where you might find this photo.

The quick re-cap of last night's crime meeting.

I went to Aldermna's Lyle's 6th ward crime meeting at St. Mark's United Methodist church Wednesday night. Here's a quick summary of what happened. (More details later, but feel free to comment if you were there...)

The whole church sancturay was filled, from the main pews to the balcony, to even the choir section, with still many standing on the sides or in overflow. i am not sure the actual number, but it must have been several hundred people in attendance.

Commanders of the 4 districts (and one sargent) that serve our ward (3rd, 5th, 6th & 7th) explained some of the specific activities they do and incidents going on.

There was an explanation of prioritization of 911 calls.

One theme that came out of this portion was that the citizens (that's you and me) have to participate by calling th epolice if you see something suspicious. Just dimissing something will just worsen the problem.
More details on this meeting are forthcoming.

At the end of the evening, there was a panel called "Keeping it Real", which featured 9 convicts on work release who were nearing the end of their time. They were all convicted of burglary (mostly house, but a couple for theft form an auto), and were there to share their "trade secrets."

The super quick highlights:

"Nosy neighbors" (who look out the window, who talk to people on the block) were the greatest deterrents for would-be burglars, box fans & air conditioners in the windows and valuable items in view inside a car were the greatest attractors, and relationships with God and loved ones (like children, spouses) are the greatest motivators for burglars to stop.

i hope to write up a more detailed article and submit it to places such as Streetwise.

Ironically, while this meeting was happening just 4 blocks away, 2 youth were shot.

Chicago breaking news has the story...

Two teenagers were shot Wednesday night as they walked in an alley in the Chatham community on the South Side, according to Chicago police.

The victims, a 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman, were shot just before 7 p.m. in the 800 block of East 82nd Street, said Officer John Mirabelli, a police spokesman.

The two were walking in an alley at that location when they were attacked, Mirabelli said.

South Side residents seek end to violence near park

Chicago Breaking News:

When Stephen Pegues  was growing up near Cole Park in the Chatham neighborhood, he loved hanging out and playing basketball.

But shootings in the park, 301 East 85th St., in recent months have the 39-year-old post worker worried.

"I grew up here. So when I heard someone (was) killed here (it) is really troubling," he said. "We never had that happen before. I just feel it needs to be more done about it."

Rev. Jesse Jackson and a group of local ministers and people from churches gathered together in Cole Park today to call on more residents and city officials to make efforts to reduce gun violence.

"We need targeted job and job training. We want to meet the mayor, the governor and the president," Jackson said. "Stop the flow of guns. Stop the flow of drugs. Put America back to work now."

Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th), whose ward includes Cole Park, said three children have been shot there in recent months, one in March and two in April.

 "We (had) to remove the basketball (hoop) from the park now," said Lyle, who grew up in the area.  "It is just an example of how dire the situation has become in our communities."

She and others at the gathering said that more programs and activities should be made available for youth at the parks as an alternative to being on the street or involved in crime.

How does economic development work in Chatham?

This was a question that our reader Che' menju posted on another blog. This is a serious and highly debated question.

"So what ever happen to the economic plan for Chatham. I mean bringing in businesses representative of maintaining the status of the community. There is so much talk about WalMart. What's wrong with Meijer? Did anyone try to get them? How would the community know? What happened to Barnes&Noble?

What is the process for approaching these businesses? Is there a committee headed by the alderman and reps of community organizations?

It appears as though we just wait for whomever to come into the community and then we react by saying there is nothing we can do about it and they didn't have to tell us. Is that how Beverly, HydePark, north side and other communities political and community organizations react? Seriously, tell me how this process is suppose to work."

What is "economic development"? Who is responsible, residents, community organizations, politicians, etc?

Are the businesses coming into our community bringing a criminal element with them? Why are convenience stores, greasy spoons, dollar stores, etc flocking to our community?

What is your take on the situation?

Today is the National Day of Prayer...

Are there any activities happening in The Sixth Ward in regards to the National Day of Prayer?







Also, a reminder about the "pre-emptive Prayer Strike" at Ruggles School on Friday, May 28 at 6:3 pm.

Wal-Mart committee vote has been delayed.

The City Council vote on that Wal-Mart in Pullman has been delayed:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will have to wait at least another month to find out how the City Council’s Zoning Committee feels about its proposal to build a second store in the city.

The 14-member Zoning Committee on Wednesday postponed its vote on whether to rezone land in Pullman Park to allow a combined grocery and general merchandise Wal-Mart. The big-box retailer would anchor a 270-acre mixed-use development.

More from the Sun-Times:

At the behest of organized labor, the Chicago City Council Zoning Committee put off a scheduled vote today on Wal-Mart expansion.

Union leaders urged their City Council allies on Tuesday to put off today's showdown vote on Wal-Mart's planned Chicago expansion after their unprecedented closed-door meeting with the world's largest retailer established a much-needed "dialogue."
...
But, Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon, secretary-treasurer Jorge Ramirez and Ron Powell, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 881, apparently felt there was enough groundwork laid during their Monday night meeting with Wal-Mart to continue negotiations.

"If there's serious talks taking place, it's not a good thing to have a vote. That could jeopardize the talks," said Ald. Joe Moore (49th), chief sponsor of the big box-minimum wage ordinance buried by Mayor Daley's 2006 veto.

"We've waited this long. We can wait a little longer. It's in everyone's best interests that there be a compromise."

A Zoning Committee member, who asked to remain anonymous, added, "The unions want to hold off. Wal-Mart wants to go ahead, but they don't have the numbers."

The next vote will be on June 3rd according to Crain's.

Progress Illinois has a video up of Ald. Beale talking about the proposed Wal-Mart in the 9th. He was on FOX Chicago last night.

Of course PI reminds us about a recent post from the Chicago Reader's Clout Street that I had posted here last Friday.

Some churches seek reprieve on paying for parking

This Tribune story has a Chatham angle to it:

Pastors in the Chatham neighborhood also resent the fact that parking meters have been installed on the perimeters of their church lots, but not on nearby commercial arteries.

"I think it's interfering with my religious activity," said the Rev. Webb Evans, 96, who keeps an office at Israel Methodist Community Church. "We should have the freedom to go to church without having to pay a meter five or six feet in front of the door."

Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, 6th, who has met with religious leaders in Chatham, said she has urged officials to stop enforcing parking restrictions in her ward on Sundays. She said officials need to draft a citywide policy that would exempt churches from parking regulations on Sundays.

"At a time when we have a culture that is seemingly going backward in its civility, in its respect, in its conforming to social norms, if anything we need these churches as our partner," Lyle said.

This is related to the issues surround the privatization of parking meters in the city. Read the whole thing!

Feds start failure clock on ShoreBank

Crain's:

Federal banking regulators have begun the process of accepting bids for ShoreBank Corp. in the event the community lender can’t raise the $200 million it needs to avoid failing.

In addition, regulators have encouraged bidders interested in Midwest Bank & Trust, the $3.4-billion-asset Elmwood Park bank, to offer bids for $2.3-billion-asset ShoreBank at the same time, according to people familiar with the matter.

Interest in Midwest Bank, which has a valuable branch and deposit franchise in the city and suburbs, as well as some respected commercial bankers, is said to be intense.

On the other hand, losses at ShoreBank — the high-profile community lender specializing in low-income, urban neighborhoods — are worse than most other floundering banks, and its franchise is in far less desirable areas. Linking bids to Midwest Bank could boost interest in buying ShoreBank if it fails.

The FDIC has a May 10 deadline for bids for Midwest Bank. If ShoreBank is on the same timetable, that would mean it could fail as early as May 14 or perhaps May 21.

Under an amended regulatory order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Illinois Division of Banking, ShoreBank has until May 21 to raise the needed equity. But regulators have been known to seize banks before their capital-raising deadlines.

Wal-Mart items

Graphic courtesy of the Tribune

Well Wal-Mart is knocking on the door once more:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. faces a critical hurdle Wednesday in a long-standing battle to build a second Chicago store, this one at a shuttered steel site called Pullman Park on the Far South Side.

Park Bank Initiatives, the U.S. Bank-backed developer behind the 180-acre mixed-use project, goes before the city's Zoning Committee Wednesday hoping to clear the way for a Wal-Mart Supercenter to anchor the 45-acre shopping center at the heart of the project's first phase. Pullman Park is expected to take a decade to complete, and is planned to include homes, restaurants, parks and a recreation center.

The Plan Commission, whose members are appointed by Mayor Richard Daley, last week recommended the Zoning Committee rezone the former steel processing site for residential and retail development. That would allow Wal-Mart into the city with its first Supercenter, a format that sells groceries.

Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, whose ward contains the vacant industrial land at 111th Street and the Bishop Ford Freeway, said he believes there are enough votes to approve the rezoning. And even if the committee rejects it, Ald. Daniel Solis, 25th, the Zoning Committee's chairman, said he would consider putting the development to a full City Council vote — giving the store yet another chance.

Alright there's that political dynamic amongst other dynamics presented in that article.

Also it looks like labor and Wal-Mart had a meeting:

Wal-Mart held its unprecedented and long-awaited face-to-face meeting with organized labor Monday night, but participants won’t say whether there was any progress toward breaking the stalemate that has stalled the retailer’s planned Chicago expansion.

“We all agreed we wouldn’t be talking to the press for a period of time,” Ron Powell, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 881, said today. “I’m not gonna say another word.”
...
Powell has long opposed Wal-Mart super-centers in Chicago amid fears that it would drive down wages for union members who work at Jewel, Dominick’s and other grocery chains. Asked whether he remained opposed, Powell said, “My position has never changed.”

Wal-Mart spokesman Steven Restivo had no immediate comment on the Monday night meeting.

It’s unclear whether the meeting would help sway votes on the Zoning Committee, which appears to be tilted against Wal-Mart, depending on who shows up Wednesday.
...
The world’s largest retailer has repeatedly insisted that it would not negotiate wages and that it would only agree to pay a so-called “living wage” if the mandate applied to all Chicago retailers.

But sources said the company might be willing to sign a “community benefits agreement” that guarantees that as many as five new Chicago stores would be 100 percent built by organized labor and that neighborhood residents would be hired to work in those stores.

There's nothing brand new here other than we won't know the results of the meeting. Well we do know one result nothing has changed between the unions and Wal-Mart.

I got an e-mail yesterday from a PR firm who represents Wal-Mart. It's worth mentioning here that the Wal-Mart Community Action Network had talked to Pullman/Roseland residents on video about Wal-Mart. Besides last year there were a series of videos of Chatham area residents who supported a Wal-Mart on 83rd & Stewart.

As always you can sound off here on this issue whether or not you support this issue.