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Saying the Fix Wilson Yard community group waited too long to file, Judge Mary Rochford dismissed their lawsuit against the City of Chicago challenging the TIF that financed the Wilson Yard project. The ordinance for the TIF passed in 2001 but the group didn't file suit until December 2008, a period of time that was far too long, according to Judge Rochford. The controversial Wilson Yard project set aside $52 million for the development of commercial spaces, such as a Target store, and mixed-income housing. But the swelling cost as well as the shift in focus from commercial spaces to residential spaces is the impetus behind the Fix Wilson Yard group's ire.
The blog Uptown Update - who, if you remember, was actually one of two blogs subpoenaed in the case - has the complete ruling. Crain's, meanwhile, has the essential quote from Judge Rochford: “TIF financing is a rational means of achieving the city’s legitimate interest in revitalization and development." The Fix Wilson Yard folks, however, aren't going away. Said their attorney Thomas Ramsdell of Chicago-based Ramsdell & Hind, to Crain's, “We disagree with her ruling (and) are weighing our options." And the folks at FWY are having a fundraiser this Saturday [PDF].
[h/t to Gapers Block]
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This plan is a disaster for Uptown and Buena Park. Even supporters of unearned housing have to admit that high density housing with poverty-stricken residents is a bad idea.
I agree with Jimbo. This plan hurts the neighborhood and does nothing to help low-income families. It just warehouses potential voters for the corrupt alderman.
Will the slow market help to kill this bad project? Or at least delay it until a new alderman is in place?
Ward,
Its likely too late. Construction is moving at a breakneck pace and will likely be done by early next year. The superstructure is mostly done on the housing side. The Target side hasn't even been started.
Right now there's a good chance the alderman's opponent from last election will challenge again. If he can make some inroads against the alderman's base he may have a shot, but he's got to get into those areas and talk to people.
This project disgusts me. It proves that citizens can't get in the way of a project the overseers want, no matter how mobilized and vocal they are, no matter how unbelievably bad the idea is. It amazes me how quickly our elected officials will race to the bottom with a proven bad housing model, as long as the taxpayers fund it. What a huge colossal waste. This property was a potential goldmine for the CTA but it was sold for a steal and will now likely generate no tax revenue for the city. Movie theatre? Gone, it was probably never gonna happen? Target? Don't hold your breath. Did the judge take into account that one reason the lawsuit was filed recently was because Shiller lied to her constituents and misled them about the project from the start? Everytime you go by this future Cabrini Green, just remember that tax dollars -- siphoned away from public schools -- paid for this. The developer is making well above market value on units that will be doled out to extremely low-income tenants in an area that already has an above-average percentage of low-income housing. When the shootings increase and the area is held hostage by home-grown terrorists, we'll have Shiller and Daley to thank for this boondoggle. Disgraceful.
Careful. If you don't like Shiller's policies or low income housing thrown up without a thought to feasability, then you're a racist who just want to gentrify poor people out of the community, etc. Crap like this is exactly why I ditched Uptown. It was a very good decision.
mike, we're probably neighbors in the 'hood. i don't know if they're going to be a bunch of seniors in the building, or what, but the key is to win the next election and get a new alderman. 20+ years is 12 years too long for any public official to "serve" in my book. the basic issues of corruption, waste, and crime are being lost in a push for affordable housing. that is the argument that has to be won in the ward - family by family, constituent by constituent.
I hear you fremo. I live in Edgewater. If I could have voted for Cappleman in the last election I would have, believe me. Just because I don't live in Uptown doesn't mean I won't continue to be affected by Shiller's pocket of blight.
Amen. I also live in Edgewater and we're sandwiched by two communities at a crossroads, Uptown and Rogers Park. Surprised that Edgewater is as (relatively) quiet as it is. For now...
Maybe I'll just give the Wilson Men's Club Hotel as my address in the next election, like many of Shiller's "supporters" do.
i am voting for this guy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6So1looQjLg&feature=channel_page
Stealth and Mike, i want to say that your alderman is Smith, but I don't have a map in front of me nor do I have your addresses. Its interesting to see how the different neighborhoods look depending on who the boss is. I'm not a fan of Smith, but she's at least active in the ward. Moore usually only comes out for press opportunities, and Shiller has remained out of public view for some time.
What do you guys think about Cappleman? I've talked with him a few times in comments sections for blogs, and he's saying the right things, but would he be an improvement?
Yes, the Edgewater alderman is Smith, the same Smith who got all of her opponents booted off the ballot before the last election. Yeah, she's part of the Machine, but she seems to get that an alderman is only as good as their last garbage pickup.
Of Capleman, I think he is (initially) showing the signs that he wants to be an active alderman, a different alderman. He's a frequent contributor to Uptown Update and he's taken the time to respond to my questions, even my one about who he is and what his credentials are, which I'm sure he answered a thousand times before. Now, I've seen good, well-intention aldermanic candidates become just one more cog in the machine time and time again once they get into those chambers and are pretty much forced to play ball. But like the sucker I am, I always give them the benefit of the doubt, especially when the standing alderman is a rubber stamper who is just out for that regular paycheck (cough - Shiller - cough).
Bottom line, almost ANYONE would be an improvement from what I've seen and heard of Shiller's connection to the community. Defending the rights of the downtrodden is fine, but not when it steps on the rights of a lot of other people. There has to be a way to combine both. She apparently can't do it. Maybe Cappleman can
An inanimate carbon rod would be an improvement over Shiller. Shiller is so destructive that nothing would be better. Cappleman would be a huge improvement. He is a passionate, well-reasoned and involved guy. Sometimes I wonder why he even bothered trying to run.
I'm in Smith's Ward. Like most aldermen, Smith is a Daley-appointed rubber stamp who's never run as anything but an incumbent. As we all know, once you're in, it's very difficult for a challenger to unseat you. We end up with these career goons like Smith, Stone, Schulter, Mell. They think being an alderman is an honorable career. They actually brag about it. "Ey, I been da alderman for tirtytree years ... I wenta Lane Tech overbydere." Pathetic. Last election, Smith used Chicago's bizarre election laws to throw her two challengers off the ballot by challenging their nominating petitions. She will never get my vote. Children's Museum in Grant Park? Check. Elephants at the zoo? Check. Parking Meters sold off forever? Check. Corner that's flooded in front of my building for 12 years? Sorry, that's impossible to fix. Smith also cowtows to the NIMBY block clubs of Edgewater who think all change is bad. For this reason the area still has all of its 1980s-era liquor moritorium pockets, meaning restaurants fail or don't bother to open at all in Edgewater. Places like the Wine Cellar had to go hat in hand to the block clubs (in addition to satisfying the city's numerous criteria) so they could get a liquor license. Totally ridiculous.
Totally ridiculous to ask the neighbors if they want a liquor license? To be fair, the dry precincts were put in place for a reason, not as a result of some old prohibition law that has not been overturned.
this was supposed to be in reply to another comment-
Chicagoist: your commenting system blows!
and now it is on the correct comment? go figure
I've found that my comments often initially come up under the wrong post or in the wrong thread on my screen when the system finishes processing them, but that they actually appear in the correct location as soon as I hit refresh. I have no idea why this is, but I've learned to ignore it. I'm assuming everyone else sees the comment correctly as soon as it posts.
Interestingly, this happens to me only when I'm on the site through Internet Explorer, which hasn't handled the site well since the redesign. (Most design features simply don't show up for me in IE.) I never have the problem through Firefox. I hate Firefox, mind you. I only use it to visit chicagoist because I have to.
Wine Cellar = Broadway Cellars
When I lived in Uptown I was so excited that there was going to be a Target in my neighborhood....but then that dream fell apart. And then I moved to Edgewater (hello Stealth and Mikley, neighbors)
The whole Wilson Yard TIF lawsuit was sad but honestly, there was no other way to get the attention of Ald. Shiller. Worse yet, it was the second lawsuit filed within 12 months, with the previous one related to the Labor Ready controversy.
I believe we're entering a period of time where voters expect representation in zoning committees. They want to see transparency. And they're sick and tired of witnessing the pay-to-play politics that occurs with no fear of repercussions. Reform appears to be cyclical, and it's nice to see it being sought again.
It's been mentioned on this thread and elsewhere that people are reluctant to trust anyone in office, including a reluctance to trust me. Some of the politicians I once admired started out as people of integrity, only to later become obnoxious and self-serving. I've been asked if my values would change, too.
My answer is this: People with power can easily become blinded. That's why there must be measures in place to prevent it from happening to them, to me, and anyone else who wishes to run for public office. Pay-to-play politics happens now because our current laws allow it. TIF abuse occurs because our current laws allow it. Aldermen routinely retire from office before their term is up and make a deal about their replacement because our current laws allow it. City Council is exempt from being investigated by the City Inspector General because our current laws allow it. Voters, however, are making more noise than ever before.
The other thing that needs to happen is term limits. It's the really rare politician who can make politics a lifetime career. Given how rare this is, I think we're much better off with limits for mayor and members of city council... and as much as I say that I will be that one honest alderman, I need term limits for myself, too. I have to walk the talk if I expect to earn someone's trust. It's time that politicians become public servants again rather than supreme rulers.
I need term limits for myself, too. I have to walk the talk if I expect to earn someone's trust. It's time that politicians become public servants again rather than supreme rulers.
God bless you James Cappleman. Attention 46th Ward Lakeview Highrise dwellers: VOTE FOR THIS GUY next time. Helen Shiller is not the progressive rabblerouser from days of yore. You don't get to vote for her again and pat yourself on the back. Her vision sucks.
James, thanks for dropping in. While Term Limits wouldn't solve everything, I think its the best thing that could happen - not just to Chicago, but state and federal government as well.
but she seems to get that an alderman is only as good as their last garbage pickup.
You serious? I live in a condo building. So we pay for private waste hauling. Recently, our city council passed a new tax on all private dumpsters. Yep, that's right, let's tax the people we DON'T provide services to. On this vote, I assume Smith was in lockstep with the Little Big Man.
I was speaking of course of the vast majority of us who don't live in condos and are reliant on city services like garbage pick up, snow plowing, etc.
I'm not sure what the percentages are, but all buildings larger than 4 units have to pay for private waste hauling. The city picks up trash for small buildings. This new tax will affect A LOT of people. It's meant to raise $9 million during "tough economic times" but who wants to bet it'll never go away once it's passed?
I've never understood the argument that local aldermen deserve re-election just because they ensure that basic services, that taxpayers pay for, get done. Mary Ann Smith's ward certainly looks beautiful if you stand on the corner in front of her house at Balmoral and Wayne. All the streets are one-way which eliminates cut-through traffic. Meanwile, north of Granville, the section of Glenwood that used to be one-way was recently made two-way.