By Elana Seifert
But the good news for preservationists seemed like a bad omen for many area stores. “When the city stepped in to save Goldblatt’s, some people thought that was the end of the controversy, but we knew it was just the beginning,” says Mary Ritchie, executive director of the Chicago Avenue Business Association, an organization representing 110 member retailers on Chicago Avenue between Ogden and Western.
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Yet members of the Chicago Avenue Business Association remained suspicious. Ritchie began to send letters to city officials, and in August she received a response from Christopher Hill, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development. Hill wrote that the commission would keep Ritchie “informed when the City has completed its assessment of staff parking needs,” assuring her that he would personally “work with the Business Association and the community to develop a parking strategy [that] is compatible for local merchants.”
Teele says the acquisition of Chicago Avenue businesses was only “one of a number of options” when the letters were sent out. The city had also looked at other locations for parking, including property on the northeast corner of Paulina and Superior, where Saint Anne’s Revival Church has remained vacant for 15 years. “It’s always a last resort to go with a church,” Teele says. “But we’ve since learned that it’s on the market, so that’s another option now.” The purpose of the October letter, he explains, was “to work up a budget and see what was possible.” As for the September 13 resolution passed by the Public Building Commission, Teele promises it won’t be put before the City Council.
Chicago Avenue Business Association president Phil Friedman, who owns Chicago Avenue Discount at 1637 W. Chicago, says he also feels terrorized, and he remains fatalistic. “What’s the difference if [we] get it in writing?” he asks. “They can put a resolution through in a minute if they want to.”
“The fact that we’ve had business owners, and in some cases residents, who have gotten notices from the city asking for appraisals is a clear indication to us that the city has designs on these properties. And even if it’s true that the city is not going to take them, at the very least they’ve created anxiety and discomfort in this community, and they need to respond to that.”
“They’re very antigentrification,” Alcazar says, “and that segregates communities. You can have diversity and a good retail mix. This is not what Mr. Friedman says it’s about. It’s about giving people in the neighborhood what they want. Having 30 dollar stores is not what most people in this neighborhood want. If you want to purchase flowers or a book or a CD, you can’t do it. I would love to shop on Chicago Avenue, but currently there are no goods or services I can shop for.”
