53rdStreetBlog

The short list of developers has been further narrowed to three, city and University folks said at this week’s 53rd Street TIF Council Meeting. The three finalists are:

• McCaffery/Interests/Taxman Corp Partnership
• Mesa/Walsh Partnership
• Vermilion Development/JFJ Development Partnership

Each of these developers has proposed a plan for Harper Court that is consistent with the feedback community members gave at three visioning workshops earlier this year. All of the proposals include a mix of retail, entertainment and restaurant space from both local and national companies. Think fitness centers, movie theaters, restaurants and live entertainment venues.

Here is more of what all of the proposals include:

• A condo or apartment complex with up to 200 new units
• On-site parking
• Some kind of gathering space like a park
• A boutique hotel with at least 150 rooms
• New University of Chicago office space.

Susan Campbell, associate vice president of Civic Engagement at the University, explained that the office space and hotel ensures that these new businesses can thrive during both daytime and evening hours. In the meantime, a few more steps need to be taken, like selecting the best proposal and presenting at the November TIF Council meeting for feedback. If all goes well, the city folks said design work could begin as soon as early next year.

And here’s the big question one of the TIF members insisted on getting an answer to – When?

The answer: We’re hoping by 2012-ish.

Looks like the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce is all settled in to its new ground floor office at 5501 South Everett Ave. Well, actually it’s not so new. The Chamber relocated in December, but postponed its open house until last month so that it could accommodate the 70 guests both inside and outdoors. This successful event celebrated the work the Chamber does on behalf of businesses and residents in the 4th and 5th wards.

One of the projects the Chamber of Commerce is watching closely is the effort to redevelop Harper Court and 53rd Street. Though businesses can be found throughout the neighborhood, “53rd Street is still considered downtown Hyde Park,” said Executive Director Lenora Austin. “We want to see a very viable mix of businesses.”

The Chamber has had an ongoing dialogue with University officials since early last year, and is just as eager as residents to see what the new 53rd Street will be like, Austin said.

Visit the Chamber’s website: http://www.hydeparkchamberchicago.org/

Feel free to contact the office if you have questions about city services or local businesses. Also, don’t forget to download or pick up a copy of the Chamber’s Hyde Park Business Directory. http://www.hydeparkchamberchicago.org/businessDirectory.php

You know that Borders on Lake Park, or the McDonald’s across the way? Well, before those establishments were built, the owners and company representatives came before the 53rd Street TIF Advisory Council to make sure their development plans made sense.

The 53rd Street Tax Increment Financing Advisory Council is a group of 13 people who live, work or operate a business in Kenwood or Hyde Park.  The council members are volunteers appointed by Ald. Toni Preckwinckle, who started the council in 2001.

Offering recommendations to the alderman and interested business operators is just one of the council’s functions, along with sharing local announcements and discussing results from community studies. TIF, or Tax Increment Financing, refers to the added value new development projects bring to an area that result in increased real estate taxes. Chairman Howard Males, explained the council’s other important function like this: “When you build something, it brings in new money. So if something values X, but a development improvement increases its [real estate tax] value to X plus 10, that $10 becomes money the TIF Council can recommend for use,” – with a small portion subtracted for the council’s administrative costs.

After hearing public concerns and taking a vote, Council members take their recommendations to Alderman Preckwinkle, who decides whether to formally request that the city release the funds. The Council has over $3,700,000 to recommend for projects like CleanSlate, the job training program, or renovations at Canton Middle School. Representatives for each of these initiatives presented their ideas to the council. It can also recommend that the money be used for infrastructure projects like repairing a street or putting in a street light.

Though council members are appointed to initial terms of three years, anyone can participate in one of the three committees: The R&R Committee is most concerned with the aesthetic appeal of new developments; the Access and Accessibility Committee wants people to be able to walk, bike, drive, or take public transportation down 53rd Street without any problems; and the Planning and Development Committee are the folks you want to talk to before tearing something down, building something up or reconstructing an existing building for a new use.

Inclusive deliberation like this is how a community develops into a place that everyone can enjoy. “We’re setting up a place for people to come to a consensus,” said Males, who has lived in Hyde Park since 1976. “All stakeholders understand what it takes to get something from dirt to development – that is listening and discussing things in a civil environment where there’s protection in the fact that we’re all neighbors.”

The Council meets on the second Monday of every other month. Stay tuned for the next meeting in September.

For more information, explore the fact sheets on the city’s community development website.

In addition to Harper Court, there is another University-owned property that is awaiting a makeover. The old Harper Theater building on the corner of 53rd Street and Harper Avenue has been vacant since the movie theater closed due to financial and management issues. Residents at the last TIF Advisory Council Meeting expressed concern that development is not moving faster.

The University purchased the building in 2002 and would also love to see it put to use, said Susan Campbell from the university’s Office of Civic Engagement, who is responsible for making sure that development strategies will boost the quality of life in the surrounding communities – i.e. make sure we will be able to shop, eat out and have fun, without leaving our neighborhoods.

Residents and potential developers recognize that the building has an important location and could really make 53rd street shine once it’s redeveloped. University folks recognize that as well.

“I want everyone to know that we feel the same way,” Campbell said at the meeting. “The developers of Harper Court feel the same way, and some of the people making proposals about that building’s development feel the same way, so we are all of like mind regarding the Harper Theater property.”

Campbell also mentioned that the slow economy has complicated efforts to find the right plan. Residents have offered a wide variety of ideas about what should be done with the building; some want it renovated, while others want it demolished.

“What we have heard is a mixture of thought,” she said. “We are not hearing a consensus, so we are considering all things at this point.”

Did you see this letter in yesterday's Hyde Park Herald...

Dear Editors:

On behalf of the Hyde Park Animal Clinic and the University of Chicago, we are taking the unusual step of writing a joint letter to update the community about ongoing relocation efforts for the clinic.

The University recognizes the need for veterinary services for the neighborhood and has always been anxious to support Drs. Wake and Hutchings as the providers of these services. Hyde Park Animal Clinic is a valuable resource, having served Hyde Park and near South Side communities for over 28 years.

For the last nine months, The University and Dr. Wake have been working together to find a new neighborhood home for Hyde Park Animal Clinic. Dozens of potential locations have been explored by the University and Hyde Park Animal Clinic, but none were suitable for the needs of a veterinary hospital. After reviewing all options, Hyde Park Animal Clinic has come up with a solution which will be very exciting for the community. A clinic office will be opened at 1365 East 53rd Street to provide out-patient services for dogs, cats, surgery, dental procedures and boarding for cats.

A second location is being negotiated on 71st Street near Stony Island where we hope to establish a state of the art veterinary hospital with boarding and daycare services.

The university and clinic are pleased that all the hard work has paid off and that Dr. Wake will continue to care for our pets for many years to come. We see this progress as part of the ongoing efforts to create a new, more vital 53rd Street.

Dr. Thomas Wake, DVM

Nim Chinniah, Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer, University of Chicago

http://www.hpherald.com/pg4.html

The City and the University have narrowed the field of candidates to four in their search for the right development team for Harper Court, James Wilson of the Department of Community Development said at Monday's meeting with the 53rd Street TIF Advisory Council, an independent advisory panel serving the community and the Alderman.  

Five finalists had submitted proposals earlier this month, and four of those met the terms of the request for proposals (http://www.hydepark.org/harper/harpercourtsalerfp.htm#RFQRFP). Wilson said all four had creative ideas and all included plans for hotel, retail, entertainment, office, residential and parking spaces.

City and University representatives will interview the remaining teams this week and next, and examine their plans to make sure the proposals are viable.

Those proposals that make the next cut will be presented to the TIF Council this fall, possibly as early as the regularly scheduled September 14 meeting.

“We don’t want to bring anything to you that’s not doable,” Wilson told the TIF Council Monday. “We need to go through this process and make sure the ones we bring you are truly good ones.”

That could be all four, or it could be just one or two, Wilson said.

Members of the Council and the public said they are anxious for the project to move forward, and glad to see signs of progress. TIF Council Chair Howard Males underscored the urge to move forward, promising to schedule a special meeting in October if the presentation was not ready for the September meeting.

 Hi. I’m Kadesha Thomas, the new Community News Officer for the University of Chicago.

As the University moves forward in its effort to revitalize 53rd Street, I hope to build on the forum Deva Woodly started here earlier this summer. This blog will continue to be a space for dialogue among University folks, community residents and interested observers. Here, you can find updates on development and a space to share your opinions and ask questions.

A little background on me: I am a resident of neighboring Bronzeville and looking forward to a new 53rd Street. I was born and raised in the Chicago area, and my entire extended family lives throughout the city’s South and West Sides. I have been away for exactly 10 years, studying journalism and public health and serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua. At times I feel like a newcomer, but my love for the Hyde Park area and desire to see it grow are how I know I’m at home.

Change is not always easy and as 53rd street grows to meet the retail needs of our diverse neighborhood we have to say goodbye to one of our old favorite haunts. Dixie Kitchen, a venerable eatery that has prospered on 53rd street, will shut its doors on June 7th. 

The Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop, a soul and Cajun food joint frequented by aging academics, university students, black community leaders, and just plain ordinary folks since 1994, will shut down June 7, owner Carol Andresen said. Some of the restaurant's most popular dishes -- from gumbo and fried baby catfish to the piping hot Johnny cakes -- will be incorporated into Andresen's sister restaurant, Calypso, which is next door. But most of the menu and most of Dixie Kitchen's staff will not, becoming a casualty of the growing pains of a neighborhood on the move.

Calypso, another 53rd street favorite, will remain open, serving its delicious caribbean fare to neighborhood denizens. The restaurant won't be alone for long. The University of Chicago, which owns the 53rd street property, has solicited proposals from several different developers and expects to begin construction on a more modern and revitalized Harper Court area by next year. 

Have you ever heard of "pop-up retail"? It is a new trend in retail in which businesses set up shop for short periods in unused or underused commercial space.  Both established retailers like Target and Motorola and lesser known merchants like the Beta Boutique, which hosts sales events in Chicago throughout the year, have begun using this method of promotional sales. 

A pop-up store is an intentionally short-lived event aimed at generating marketing buzz. Just like a nightclub that moves its location every weekend, pop-up stores create excitement because they don't last long. For landlords, the temporary outposts offer much needed income when a space is languishing between leases.

read the rest here. 

Check out a recent article and video about the ongoing efforts to make 53rd street a center of neighborhood life by deepening community involvement in envisioning the prospective hub of retail and residential activities. Here's a taste:

From Little Black Pearl to the Hyde Park Art Center, the DuSable Museum to the Midwestern White House, Hyde Park is riding a wave of cultural and intellectual energy. At the same time, the famously diverse neighborhood with a small-town feel continues to struggle to find commercial momentum and the right mix of amenities for its residents.