Thursday, February 2, 2006

* Standing Room Only Meeting at Loyola Fieldhouse

Hostile Crowd Greets Out of Touch Neighbor

A dozen concerned neighbors struggle to hear what's happening from the hallway.


When Alderman Moore checks his attendance figures from last nights political meeting, Alderman Moore will find some shocking news. Connie Abels tried to stack the deck.

Even with all Connie Abels funny business, 3/4 of the room thought the 79 foot tall building plan wasn't a good idea.

Over 100 people attended this community/political meeting. Exact figures are unknown. But from the "Broken Heart's" view, the event was a sell out.

The overflowing crowd listened as Connie Abels challenged residents of the 49th ward residents to "Put your money where your mouth is," as the crowd at one point shouted her down.

Ms. Abels also paraded what looked like the entire sales force of ReMax agents into the meeting, disguised as neighbors.

Besides the filibustering from Rich Aronson and Katy Hogan, one such person who spoke caught my attention. She was a young Spanish lady who got her turn to speak from the back of the room. She repeated what a half dozen others had already said before her, "The neighborhood changing"... "This project is beautiful".... "Change will happen".... "I'm for it".... It was as if the whole event was scripted. Then the young lady promptly left the meeting without asking a question.

As she was leaving out the door, I asked her name and where she lived. Instead of telling it to me who she was, she pulled out her business card. The card said it all ... ReMax North Coast, Adriana Ossa-Cruz-realtor.

23 comments:

Craig Gernhardt said...

Talk about stacking the deck, I would like to thank all the "Broken Heart" commenters who showed up. Paradise, nico's mom, RP Neighbor, Morse Man, Steve, gf, james, Carol, Sandy, Michael, Don, Ann Sulli, Kevin, John on Farwell, Fran Tobin, Katy Hogan, David Fagus and you two Bill and Roger. Let me know if I missed anyone.

Craig Gernhardt said...

Just the facts Ma'am was there too.

Craig Gernhardt said...

And how can I forget.... Hugh.

I hope Hugh will put together his meeting notes for us here.

I also will be posting Julie's from the Chi-Town News when the story comes on-line.

mcl said...

It is my understanding that Ms Abels was the Broker of record, representing the infamous Mr. Kakvand(sp), as he criminally scammed our community and residents with his phoney multi-million "condo conversion" operation. After the initial property purchases, Ms Abels then managed and activily marketed these properties. Why has Ms Ables never been held accountable for her involvment with this scam??

mcl said...

I'm told that she not only brokered the purchases for him, but as you point out, she then was his marketing broker for the "condos". If this is true, Ms Ables must have received 100's of thousands of dollars in fees from this scam.

Craig Gernhardt said...

Connie Abels pulled out all the stops. She spared no expense. Bottled water for her neighbors, a fancy projector for the presentation provided by the Rogers Park Builders Group, oh and James Banks, who's law practice focuses on zoning issues.

As the Sun-Times reported in November, James "Jimmy the Banker" Banks often represents developers with projects in the 36th Ward -- with great success.

It's no wonder. Zoning work runs in the family. Alderman William Banks (D-36) is his uncle who chairs the City Council's zoning committee.

Jim Witts said...

I was not at the meeting last night, and I don't support a building that tall east of Sheridan. But, based on the pictures here, at least it looks like someone took the time to come up with a creative biulding design.

mcl said...

As I understand the connection, after about a year of involvment with Kakvand, Ables began not being paid management and other fees for her brokage services. This was after she brokered his purchase of a number(if not all) of the multi-unit buildings involved and who knows how many "condos". The FBI investigation was initally put on "hold" due to the 9/11 attack and not activily resumed for sometime after. Who knows how deep the authorities probed into her involvment. If anyone has those building addresses it would be easy to check the public record as to who profited other than Kakvand, in the whole sorry mess! If nothing else, Ables owes the Rogers Parek community a full explaination and disclosure as to her connection and involvement with Kakvand.

Hugh said...

>As I remember, Ms. Abels pictured hereself wearing a crown and dubbing herself as "Connie the Condo Queen", presiding over the listing of all those buildings.

Please go to the library and find this, we will scan it and post it. Thanks!

Hugh said...

Abels went on at length describing her many contributions to the community. Near the end she turned on her audience, saying from the pulpit that those who opposed her project were just louder, and excoriating her audience "What have YOU Done for the community?"

But Ms. Abels most significant recent contribution to our community might be her work in bringing a guest speaker to our neighborhood. THANK YOU, Ms. Abels, for bringing such a prominent guest speaker to our neighborhood. We know he does not come cheap. There is no way any other organization could afford to bring him in, this is something only someone like you could do. Thanks again for turning just another neighborhood dog & pony into a real event. This is just the kind of educational event which will inform neighbors about how our neighborhoods work, and will no doubt increase citizen participation in local affairs. Bravo, Connie!

The Greatest Lawyer in Chicago: J. J. Banks

Who is the greatest lawyer in Chicago? Dan Webb? Michael Shakman? Peter Francis Geraci? Robert Clifford? James Montgomery?

NO! By any objective measure, James J. Banks is the Greatest Lawyer in the History of Chicago! He has NEVER lost a case.

When the Sun-Times recently profiled J.J., J.J. did not return calls. But the Sun-Times did talk to his Unc, Alderman William Banks ($, 36th), who just happens to be long-standing Chairman the City Council's Committee on Zoning. The Sun-Times pressed Ald. Banks for an example of his nephew losing a case before the City Council. In repsonse, all Ald. Banks could come up with is to say he weeds out some projects BEFORE the get to the City Council. (We will have to take Ald. Bank's word for that I guess since there is no public record of this informal Uncle-Nephew vetting process). With his response Ald. Banks confirmed a legal record that is born out by the official record of the proceedings of the Chicago City Council:

J. J. Banks has NEVER failed to pass a zoning change which he introduced to the City Council on behalf of a client.

Going into the meeting, a rumor was circulating that Ms. Abels was telling people privately that she has a done deal. Neighbors, I regret to inform that if history is prologue, she is correct.

Hugh said...

Here is an excerpt from the Sun-Times article:

Ald. Banks said his staff reviews all of his nephew's zoning cases in the 36th Ward, determining whether the project belongs in the ward. While most of the nephew's cases pass muster with the alderman's staff, he said, "we actually say no frequently."

Ald. Banks said he has rejected about eight projects by James Banks so far this year. Those never made it to the City Council. The alderman said such cases are typically never filed because only recommended projects make it to the Zoning Committee.

"Almost all these matters are predetermined before they get anywhere near the [Zoning] Committee," the alderman said.

Hugh said...

Here is a link to the J. J. Banks profile from the Sun-Times:

Zoning For Sale
Attorney Cashed in on Uncle's Turf
BY TIM NOVAK AND STEVE WARMBIR, Chicago Sun-Times Staff Reporters, November 28, 2005

Hugh said...

Real estate development means assembling a team; investors, architects, contractors, key Aldermen, and lobbyists.

Here's the official list of registered lobbyists and their clients from Our Fair City's Board of Ethics:

Registered Lobbyist List

Conspicously absent from Bank's declared list of clients: Connie Abels. So who was Banks working for Wed night? I doubt it was a pro bono appearance.

But included among Bank's prestigious clients are:

Robert Coe, Aldermanic pal Rich Aronson's north shore financial backer who is building a new home for DevCorp North on Morse

Mo Siddiqi, far north side real estate mogul

Rudy Acosta, rap record producer whose proposal for a castle in the Irving Park neighborhood delighted his new neighbors.

Wait Till They Find Out About the Moat
By Ben Joravsky,The Works, CHICAGO READER | DECEMBER 2, 2005

Hugh said...

> I wish I had the "Condo Queen" ad, from the Lerner paper, of her with the crown -- it was an entire page!

Me, too.

The graphic you describe is an important artifact in the history of the decline & fall of the Lakefront Protection Ordinance.

Fetch it, make a copy, and we'll scan it and post it.

Archives of the Lerner News are available at the Sulzer Regional Library on Lincoln and via the Rogers Park West Ridge Historical Society (call ahead).

mcl said...

Isn't Ms Abels an active Board member of the RPCC?? Hasn't she been an active member of the RPCC for 15+ years?? Yet she can't find the Lakefront Protection Ordinance!! As everyone should know, RPCC came into being fighting to estabilish the Ordinance back in the late 50's/early 60's. Now here she is proposing a 7 story (originally 11?)structure,seeking to circumvent the Ordinance. Ms Abels needs to be more forthcoming or better informed.

Hugh said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
gf said...

chipp bag-

mr. bagg, trust that someone is seriously looking at the building proposal. please feel free to fill in any blanks when it is complete.

Hugh said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Hugh said...

Please Help Educate Connie

"I looked for the Lakefront Protection Ordinance online, and I couldn't find it."

- Connie Abels, 2/1/06

No worry, that's why you hire a high-powered attorney, to handle the legal minutia.

Ms. Abels needs some remedial web searching tutorial help, but for now it is important that she spin up as quickly as possible on the laws relevant to her proposal. Please help educate Connie. Please send her an e-mail c.abels@remax.net with the following links:

Dear Connie,

Here is the link to the Lakefront Protection Ordinace:

MUNICIPAL CODE of CHICAGO

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=13322&sid=13

Chapter 16-4 LAKE MICHIGAN AND CHICAGO LAKEFRONT PROTECTION

http://library2.municode.com/mcc/DocView/13322/1/789

Hope this helps!

Jocelyn said...

WHAT'S NEXT WITH THIS? DOES ANYONE KNOW? IS A PETITION NEEDED?

mcl said...

Why dosen't Ms Ables address this directly by giving the community the details and time line of her involvement with Mr. Kakvand. That might go a long way in clearing up issue. As a RE broker with a large presence in our community, it seems to me that is the least she can do(and should have done some time ago)!

Hugh said...

> Abels was scammed by Kakvand, just like everyone else

Abels is NOT like everyone else. Abels is supposedly a LICENSED, trained, highly-experienced real estate BROKER. There's a different standard. While it is not at all surprising that a crooked real estate developer could pull mortgage fraud off on first-time homebuyers, a broker as victim is something else entirely.

mcl said...

The bottom line is: Why dosn't Ms Abels address the issue by providing the RP community with a full accounting and time line of her involvment with Kakvand. If she was a 'victim' of the scam, as this community was, let's hear about it. Ms Ables, in addition to being a RE Broker, has served for many years in very important, public RP organizations,i.e.,RPCC, RPBG, DevCorp and should be anxious to clear the air about the matter once and for all. And by the way 'squarenuts', the only rape that occured here was that of RP.

'Broken Heart' Past Blogs