By Our Correspondent in the 42nd Ward
Managing new development may have been the key issue of the recent aldermanic elections, but residents of the 42nd Ward are wondering these days if their new alderman, Brendan Reilly, already touted in some quarters as the new Prince of Downtown, has gotten the message. He hasn’t even been inaugurated yet and he’s already sanctioned a controversial new development in the very style of his outgoing predecessor, Burt Natarus.
A notice dated April 27, 2007, was sent to residents in buildings located near the Lake Shore Athletic Club, 850 North Lake Shore Drive, that it’s full speed ahead for Fifield Companies (go here and look up Fifield) – Kenilworth resident Steven Fifield – to demolish the 1924 Jarvis Hunt-designed Lake Shore Athletic Club, a building on the most endangered lists of both Preservation Chicago and Landmarks Illinois. The Lake Shore Club is currently owned by Evanston-based Northwestern University, tax-exempt since 1851.
Reilly campaigned for transparency in the development process and sensible development. “I would argue that the alderman has lost touch with the real priorities of residents,” Reilly said during the campaign. “Voters are concerned that many development decisions are being made in a vacuum; people feel that their opinions are not solicited in a proactive manner.”
That was then, this is now.
Reilly is going to begin his term by tearing down a fortress of a building with no apparent discussion. Aside from the preservation disaster, thousands of area high-rise dwellers will be audio participants in the multi-year high-decibel demolition and construction to follow. (In Chicago, you can demolish and construct from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.) Taxpayers will be routed for years around the construction site like a herd of cattle through shabby, poorly lit construction barricades while a new building is built by the reviled Lucien Lagrange, most recently assailed by Blair Kamin for his work on the Farwell building (“Lagrange’s own elevation drawings make the redeveloped Farwell look like a pathetic footstool”).
Nevermind that a competitive offer was made to Northwestern to convert the building into a boutique hotel, thus saving the structure that is touted by preservationists, and sparing area residents three years of construction siege.
So the first act of our new alderman – I mean the new Prince of Downtown – is to advocate for a developer and campaign contributor from Kenilworth (which ironically wants to save its historic structures and ban demolitions) and an Evanston-based tax-exempt university, ignoring the sentiments of his tax-paying constituents and two non-profit preservation groups that seldom advocate for the preservation of the same structure.
Thus begins the Brendan Reilly chapter for the next edition of David Garrard Lowe’s Lost Chicago.
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1. From Rich Miller, Capitol Fax:
Well, not directly from Rich, but a bit of a tempest has broken out. Rich talked to Reilly. Here is his take and our response.
2. From Our Correspondent in the 42nd Ward:
The letter sent to neighbors of the endangered Lake Shore Athletic Club, followed by a comment.
April 27, 2007
Re: 850 Lake Shore Drive
Dear Sir or Madam
Fifield Realty Corp. is the contract purchaser of the property at 850 Lake Shore Drive from Northwestern University. Earlier this week, legal notices were sent to your residents that were required by the Lakefront Protection Ordinance, generally describing the project we are proposing, which will involve replacing the existing structure with a new, very high quality residential building. This new building will be designed by and constructed completely within the parameters of the Planned Development that governs the zoning on the site, therefore we will not request any changes to the existing zoning.
In meeting with Alderman-elect Reilly, he asked that we meet with not only the community organizations but also the condominium associations to explain our proposed project and get input from the neighborhood residents.
We would appreciate it if you can contact your residents and ascertain whether there is interest in meeting with us, as well as with Northwestern, the current owner and our proposed architect, Lucien Lagrange. If so, we would appreciate a few dates that will work for your residents so that we can try to coordinate schedules. Please contact me at 312-424-6228 or aschactman@fifieldco.com.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Alan Schachtman
Senior Vice President
cc:
Ron Nayler, Northwestern University
Brendan Reilly, Alderman-elect
WRITER’S COMMENT: So the neighborhood gets a message from a developer seeking input on a condo project? Hold it, that’s right, we didn’t elect a developer. Shouldn’t the messenger be the alderman if he’s so sincere and has not committed one way or another? What’s he thinking?
I’m not saying Reilly is a liar. But things happen here in more of a connect the dots way, not with ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Today’s exercise was about connecting the dots.
3. From Steve Rhodes, editor:
If you checked out the thread linked to above over at Rich Miller’s Capital Fax Blog, you’ll see that in his last comment Miller calls us “bush league.” My reply never got posted. What I think is bush league is Miller taking a sudden interest in our posts when one of his friends – Reilly – is criticized, then going off half-cocked like this is the Pentagon Papers. What’s more, Rich spoke to Reilly – more access, my writer points out, than concerned residents have gotten – and he isn’t telling you everything Reilly told you. I urge him to do so; he refuses. Draw your own conclusions.
To respond further to Miller’s complaint, I think it’s pretty clear that this is not a straight news story. We didn’t go to every party involved and get their comments. We didn’t go to any party! The writer is long involved in the ward and closely observing the proceedings. It was frustration with lack of transparency and the subsequent demolition permit issuance and developer’s notice at the alderman’s behest that led to this story – what, our writer is going to call Reilly and ask for a response while explaining that the writer can’t identify him/herself because of political considerations but wants to know why Reilly is allowing this to go forward but won’t talk about it? C’mon! Miller wants us to reveal “sources.” What?! The writer is the source! Reilly met with the developer, instructed them to meet with the community (instead of doing so himself), and the notice went out. If Rich Miller wants to act as Reilly’s press agent, that’s his business, but (no pun intended) it’s really rich for him to accuse us of some ethical misconduct because we didn’t get a no comment or denial from Reilly. We’ve laid out what we know. If Reilly is indeed against the demolition of the Lake Shore Athletic Club and is simply, oh, I don’t know, humoring the developer (and we would like nothing more than to learn that he is), he is free to clarify his position with us, rather than using his friend as a conduit. It’s just a bit unseemly, don’t you think? Some might call it bush league.
Posted on May 7, 2007