Friday, June 8, 2007

* Estes and Clark Is a Danger Zone

Broken Promises


Hi there Craig,

I'm an RP resident, a frequent reader of morsehellhole.blogspot.com, and couldn't help but notice that you really seem to be 'in the know' with regard to the goings-on in our neighborhood. That being said, I have a random question for you:

Do you know what (if anything) is ever going to be done about the empty lot where the beloved Adelphi Theater used to stand?

The developer (and Ald. Moore) sure were in a hurry to get the thing torn down, but it's been sitting vacant for months. I have to walk by it every day on my way to the train, and it's really starting to piss me off. I sent a nastygram to Ald. Moore and the 49th ward office, but have yet to hear a word. Do you know anything about this, by chance? Sorry for bothering you with such a silly inquiry.

All the best,

Chuck Kukla

ps. I'm enclosing the nastygram.

Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2007
From: "Charles M. Kukla"
Subject: Adelphi Theater Lot
To: ward49@cityofchicago.org, jmoore@cityofchicago.org

Dear Ald. Moore,

Do you know if/when something/anything will be done with the vacant lot where the beautiful Adelphi Theater used to stand? It's enough of a travesty that you stood idly by while the theater got demolished in the first place...and the fact that the lot has been sitting empty with no activity for months only adds to the proverbial "salt in the wound" of the theater teardown.

Additionally, I've notcied that the lot is starting to become a bit of a "suspect" area. If you walk by it there are often sketchy/shifty characters hanging around for no reason, and at night sometimes you hear talking/screaming coming from behind the green construction fences. I'm not sure what's exactly going on behind there because it's dark out; a harmless game of craps or dice? A drug deal? Knowing this block of Clark Street, it's more likely the latter. Any info you'd have concerning this would be greatly appreciated, as I'm growing tired of the looking at the blighted lot every day and watching while the area becomes another haven for suspect activity in the neighborhood.

Sincerely,

Chuck Kukla

BLOGNOTES: Hi Chuck, Thanks for reading. I noticed it's been two days and the Alderman hasn't answered your e-mail and now you're turning to the 'Broken Heart' for a little help. Let's see what we can do. After all, six days ago, a gangbanger got shot in a drive-by. Right there at the Adelphi Hole. That's what we're going to call it, a big Adelphi Hole, a danger zone.

September 2005 - In the beginning.

The Wrecking Ball.

The Wrecking Ball, Part 2

The Reviews.

Joe Moore, you are now on the clock.

19 comments:

Craig Gernhardt said...

Here's a 2005 quote from Joe Moore. "Ultimately, it is up to me as the elected representative of the people, to make the tough call. After hearing from both sides, I have determined that the proposal, as modified, will be good for the neighborhood and help to spur much-needed improvements along Clark Street."

So, this is good what Joe Moore calls good for the neighborhood. A giant empty hole where gangbangers shoot each other.

Thank you Joe Moore.

Jocelyn said...

It's a benefit to the developer tax-wise isn't it to have a vacant lot rather than a structure on the property. If there are going to have the land sit for a few years while working our permits etc... it's better for them to have lower taxes.

But it's not so hot for the neighborhood.

However, we wouldn't want permits to be rushed or pushed through and have unsafe buildings constructed ala what happened in Bridgeport, where you can pay close to a million for a building that can be blown over by the wind.

I believe this does happen all over the city and I don't know if the Alderman can do much about it except make sure the site is secured and kept clean and safe by the owner.

Hugh said...

> It's a benefit to the developer tax-wise isn't it to have a vacant lot rather than a structure on the property.

Hi Jocelyn,

Good point!

Yes, vacant land is the cheapest category of assessment short of exempt.

And the developer and Moore campaign contributor filed with the Assessor's office to re-classified the Adelphi lot!

7070 N Clark St PIN 11-31-206-001

Hope you all like the look of the green mesh. Looks like they are planning for the long haul.

Jocelyn said...

Of course I don't like the green mesh. What I'd like to know is why does it take so long in some cases? As in the case of the GreenMoore...

Unknown said...

?

http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Land_Banking

Gay Chicago Magazine said...

If Chuck Kukla wants to complain about 49th Ward problems, maybe he should register to vote first.

Hugh said...

the 1st thing Moore's office does when they get a letter is look to see if the person is registered to vote

then they decide if they will read it

Hugh said...

Moore's campaign contributor developer pals are real good at knocking stuff down

Gay Chicago Magazine said...

Oh. In other words, you are complaining that the elected official is responsive to voters? Wait, of course Hugh complains that Joe Moore responds more strongly to 49th Ward voters - Hugh doesn't live in the 49th!

Hugh also doesn't pay his taxes. Did you know that the property taxes for a Hugh Devlin were just published in the paper as being unpaid?

Craig Gernhardt said...

GWB,

While you're doing all this snooping, think you can unseal Joe Moore divorce records.

We're all wondering what secrets Joe is hiding?

Hugh said...

> you are complaining that the elected official is responsive to voters?

i suppose it would be too much to ask for him to be responsive to constituents

ck said...

Ya got me there, Bu$hie. When I moved from the 44th ward I forgot to re-register in the 49th. But I'm still a Chicago citizen and registered voter in the city, no? Just because I'm not yet registered in the 49th means I should shut my yap and be grateful to live by a sh!thole vacant lot where drive-by shootings occur? Hmmm.

Philip McGregor Rogers said...

makes you laugh
when they knock something down like this
THE CLOCK IS TICKING,
WILL THE THEATRE MAKE IT?
........
DOES ANYONE HAVE THE MULAH TO SAVE IT?
Because we have to hurry up and make a pit that will sit empty for several years right now!!!?????

There should be special designations for places like this,
ok city hall should recognize that this is an underutilized building and tax less, and over time maybe someone will want to renovate it,
as it is what the hell is going on with the land?
How is a pit any safer than an empty building

Gay Chicago Magazine said...

Oh, you're real involved when it comes to being pompous and whining, but voting? That slips your mind with no accepting of the responsibility. Joe Moore doesn't move fast enough on some construction project that isn't even his, and you're on his ass like a Russian wart.

What a convenient set of standards you have there. Your responsibility to vote falls by the wayside, and you act like it's no big deal. But Joe Moore doesn't (what was he supposed to do here?) do something fast enough for you, and that's a big deal. If you can forgive yourself for "forgetting" to register to vote, then you can forgive Joe Moore for not returning your email about petty bullshit.

Like I said, take care of your responsibility to vote before you act like other people are to blame for your problems. When you've tried your best to fix your own problems, maybe then I'll have time for your pansy-assed whining. But not before.

Hugh said...

> Joe Moore doesn't move fast enough on some construction project that isn't even his, and you're on his ass like a Russian wart.

> What a convenient set of standards you have there.

You can say that again.

When he is running for office, Moore is the Hadrian of Rogers Park, capable of raising field houses and shopping malls and fire stations and libraries and schools with his bare hands, lord of all he surveys!

Once ensconced in office, he is responsible for NOTHING.

Unknown said...

When you've tried your best to fix your own problems, maybe then I'll have time for your pansy-assed whining.

You'll have time? Maybe the staff of the alderman's office should spend more time following up on email inquiries from all constituents in a timely, professional manner and less time making snotty comments on blogs. Just a thought.

lol moz said...

I got to meet Mr. Alderman this morning at his usual gig, handing out donuts at the Metra stop. I told him I just moved to Clark & Estes a month ago and when I moved in, there was scaffolding around that lot like something was about to be built there. Now it's just a big hole full of garbage and drive-bys. He says the new development is in the permitting process and construction should start "sometime this year." So I asked what could be done about this danger zone in the meantime, and he told one of his staff members to call someone about "proper maintenance" or something. I am fully confident that nothing will actually be done.

ck said...

GWB, what is wrong with you? Not only do you make racist remarks, but you also resort to personal attacks. And the logic in several of your retorts is faulty to boot.

"Being pompous"? Howso? I think you're missing the overall point here. Not wanting 20 year old kids to get killed on street corners in my neighborhood is "pompous"? If that's your definition of "pompous", go talk to the mother of that slain 20 year-old...I'm sure she's pretty "pompous" too.

"Joe Moore doesn't move fast enough on some construction project that isn't even his...". Don't be so quick to absolve your boy of any fault associated with this charade. Your boy Joe knew full-well of the movement going on in the community to save that theater, and between that and his membership on the city council's Historical Landmark Preservation Committee (which is laughable in and of itself), you think your boy would have done a little more due diligence before clearing the way for the bulldozer parade down Clark Street.

To close, I really love how the only common thread throughout your entire diatribe is how I need to get registered in the 49th and "fix my own problems" before "YOU'LL have time for my pansy-assed whining". Fix my own problems? YOU'LL have time? When I'm presented with choices like Joe Moore, and when members of Moore's staff (or Moore himself, perhaps?) resort to personal attacks and intimidation when I post something on a blog, can you blame me for not wanting to register? Jesus. And you imply that because I did not vote for Moore, he is not my representative. This logic is as faulty as the people who say that because they didn't vote for GWB, he is "not their president". It doesn't make any sense. Regardless of whether I voted for Moore or not, I still live in the 49th, I still pay taxes here, and HE is still my alderman; therefore, HE has a responsibility to me as a constituent, just as HE has a responsibility to someone who just moved into the 49th last week...or just as HE still has a responsibility to someone that voted for Don Gordon...etc.

And I find your mindset that I have to vote to have any voice at all in the community endlessly amusing. I feel like I'm back in Richard J. Daley's Chicago again! Maybe we can get Ed Vrdolyak to run in this ward someday? Vote early and often!

BW said...

Two years on, and still nothing.

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