And So 'It' Goes

Michael Luckenbach posts a followup to my April 1st, 2011 A Walk Down Howard Street, noting that exactly one month afterwards, the blight remains unresolved.

This is a long story that began for the readers of Rogers Park in 1,000 Words with the maintenance of the Wisdom Bridge Theatre and the demolition of the Lerner Building on Ashland and Howard Street.

During this time everyone has been called into question including, Alderman Joe Moore, Developer Rich Aronson, The Wisdom Bridge Arts Project, former occupants Dev Corp North, the Howard Street SSA and the current property owners.

I've posted a wealth of information in earlier posts and have many currently unpublished documents, but let's view the North of Howard Neighbors Assocation's position on this issue in our community first: http://nhna.blogspot.com/2011/04/and-so-it-goes.html


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Howard Street, Ashland Avenue & Rogers Avenue

In response to A Walk Down Howard Street - Rogers Park in 1,000 Words and And So 'It' Goes - North Howard Neighbors Association,

Don Gordon replied via email with everyone in local government and the media CC'd.

Michael,

Thanks for putting this out there and thanks to Bill Morton for the pics. The sad thing about this is that this lot has sat vacant for well over a dozen years - long before the current economic crash and for a long time while development in the city was in a boom cycle. Yet this corner and the sites just east of it remained either empty or in gutted out condition. It's hard for me to fathom that with a little effort from our alderman this couldn't have been addressed, but then again he was a bit "busy" making sure that the geese were safe, keeping Wal-Mart out of other blighted areas on the far south side and catering to union interests while plying his image nationally.

As a commercial realtor I'm sure you realize that now it's too late and any market driven solutions won't happen until we're well out of our economic mess, which will be years down the road. This is the collateral damage that a community suffers when their elected representative is "MIA". In the interim, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a community garden or even a wildflower garden and not just a fence around an area that looks like it belongs in the middle of Kandahar. Whatever the interim solution the alderman should be on the owner of the property (bank or otherwise) to clean up their act and make the area look decent until something is done to develop it.

So once again we're faced with the same recurring question - Where's Joe?

Don

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Coffee and Coffee

Two coffee groups in Rogers Park: different purposes, but both meeting at Charmers Cafe.

Coffee Party

Cafe Society

Relevant links, Coffee Party:
North Howard Neighbors Association - Photos from the Rogers Park Coffee Party Gathering
http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/03/photos-from-rogers-park-coffee-party.html


Relevant links, Cafe Society:
Bill Morton Promotions - Cafe Society
http://billmortonpromotions.blogspot.com/2010/03/cafe-society-at-charmers-cafe_13.html



Charmers Cafe 1500 W. Jarvis Avenue Chicago, IL. 60626

North Howard Neighbors Association

With the heading GREETINGS FROM 'GERMANIA', may I introduce to you North Howard Neighbors Association. We continue on our tour of Rogers Park blogs with the perspective of Michael Luckenbach.


MORE ON THE 'WISDOM BRIDGE THEATRE SITE' PROPOSAL - http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/02/more-on-wisdom-bridge-theatre-site.html

OPEN LETTER TO ALDERMAN JOE MOORE - http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/02/open-letter-to-alderman-moore.html

LAST NIGHT'S MEETING - http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/02/last-nights-meeting.html

A ROGERS PARK RESIDENT HAS COMMENTS & QUESTIONS REGARDING THE POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT AT 1557-61 HOWARD STREET... - http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/02/rogers-park-resident-has-comments.html

BREAKING NEWS: CHICAGO TRIBUNE - http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/02/breaking-news-chicago-tribune.html

NHNA BULLETIN BOARD: BEAT 2422 CAPS MEETINGS - https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=17109381&postID=114225914014665904

ROGERS PARK TREASURE - http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/01/rogers-park-treasure.html

REAL ESTATE AVAILABLE IN 'GERMANIA'/NOH - http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/01/real-estate-available-in-germanianoh.html

NORTHPOINT'S 'GOOD NEIGHBOR' POLICY?? - http://nhna.blogspot.com/2010/01/northpoint-good-neighbor-policy.html


A question was asked in the past, "Does Rogers Park deserve it's bloggers?"


I feel we should have several sources of Rogers Park information and updates instead of only one or two.

Wisdom Bridge Theatre meeting link list

Here is the complete link list to date of the Wisdom Bridge meeting commentary, opposition and notices.

Wisdom Bridge Theatre
1557-61 W. Howard Street
Chicago, IL. 60626


Unveiling The Wisdom Bridge Theatre Plan - 24/7 North of Howard Watchers

An Open Letter to Alderman Joe Moore - North Howard Neighbors Association

Last Night's meeting - North Howard Neighbors Association

Oppose Rich Aronson Tonight - Rogers Park in 1,000 Words

A ROGERS PARK RESIDENT HAS COMMENTS & QUESTIONS REGARDING THE POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT AT 1557-61 HOWARD STREET... - North Howard Neighbors Association

It's time to revisit - Rogers Park in 1,000 Words

Community Meeting on Proposed Development at 1557-61 W. Howard - North Howard Neighbors Association


Meeting photo galleries:

Photos from the Rich Aronson meeting - photography by Stephanie Fitzgerald

Photos from the Rich Aronson meeting II - photography by Stephanie Fitzgerald

Don Gordon raises questions about the Wisdom Bridge teardown

Read it here:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NorthHowardNeighborsAssociation/~3/InxjBAR2As0/rogers-park-resident-has-comments.html

Bike rack at Harold Washington Playlot - Ripped from it's anchors again.

The bike rack in the Harold Washington Playlot was ripped from it's site (anchors) by teens several days ago.


Last evening I watched a teen, approximately 16 years of age, 'toss it' to this location. He, the teen, was one of 8-10 youth hanging out for most of the afternoon.


The Playlot is fast being 'laid to waste' by this group and we (the community) need and request immediate and consistent police and Park District intervention to stop this destruction!

Mike Luckenbach
Harold Washington Memorial PAC
North Howard Neighbors Association