No 911 call from me. In a repeat performance, it was truly sad to watch a half dozen or so open air drug market salesmen jumping the fence and break in the unsecured Rider building at 1340 West Morse again this morning.
Basically, the drug dealers are using this almost vacant building as their own criminal warehouse.
And what's more sad? I'm taking the role of about 99% of my neighbors. This time I didn't waste my time calling the police and pressing charges. Heck, it's not my building. Why should I care if the building owner doesn't care? This time I let the criminals do whatever the hell they wanted to do to the Rider building.
The last time I tried to care, CAPS beat 2431 and Joe Moore let me down. This time I say screw them. Let them deal with the crime around this slum building if they want to or not. I'm just going to watch and take pictures or video from now on.
19 comments:
I don't blame you for experiencing burnout, caused by an overwhelming sense of futility.
However, you, and the rest of us, might want to consider how we can best spend our efforts to improve the area, so that we don't waste our time in fights over things that are minor, or don't matter at all, or are even a benifit to the area.
The crime and the concentration of lowlifes that cause it is, IMO, the ONLY problem this area has, along with our alderman who seems to want to turn this area into the city's principal dumping ground for our worst social problems.
There is nothing else to fight about but this, really.
So why spend precious energy and time on starting fights over things that are either very trivial, or worse, protesting things that we have no rights in, really.
I notice you have a post on a sf house that was torn down without notice to or imput from the community. Might I ask how tearing down an obsolete, decrepit house and replacing it with more appropriate and energy-saving middle income condos is contributing to our crime problem around here?
Most of all, why waste time and energy on an issue in which we have very limited rights to impose our will? The community exercised its rights in the zoning and land use rules that apply to the property. After that, it falls to the owner of the property to decide whether to retain an obsolete, high maintenance structure or take it down.
You are, unlike me, a property owner in this area and have a real stake in what transpires here. I'm only a tenant who happens to love my apt. and love the area, and care very much what happens to it and the good people who live here and care for their homes and neighborhood. I have no real stake, though, and can bolt when my lease is up next spring.
So take a break for a while from the fights and consider your real priorities. Personally, I believe that we should all get together and fight for a court-ordered closing of this vile building and relocation of its criminal residents to someplace far, far away.
Hey Craig,
This should make you happy. You deserve credit when credit is due. You deserve at least some part of it here.
New Landlords Take Over Troubled Morse/Lunt Apartments
Dear Neighbor,
I am pleased to report we scored a significant victory in our efforts to improve the safety of the Morse Avenue area. A Chicago-based real estate firm, Newcastle Limited, recently acquired 1340 W. Morse and 1345 W. Lunt, a troubled apartment complex located just east of the Morse El Station, along Glenwood Ave.
The complex consists of two apartment buildings--one fronting on Morse, the other on Lunt--and has been the site of suspected drug and gang activity for some time. An undercover police investigation last year netted several drug purchases at 1340 W. Morse, which resulted in both buildings being placed in the City's Strategic Task Force program.
The Strategic Task Force targets buildings that have been identified as "drug/gang houses or places of ongoing criminal activity." The task force consists of city lawyers, building inspectors and the police who team up to conduct top to bottom inspections of problem buildings and meet with the owners of the buildings to develop a plan for resolving the problems.
The task force can require building owners to evict problem tenants, engage in criminal background checks of prospective tenants and tenants renewing leases, and provide building security enhancements. In extreme cases, the task force can compel landlords to sell their property.
I participated in a series of meetings with the Strategic Task Force, Beat 2431 Facilitator Kevin O'Neil, the management company and a representative of the consortium that owns the buildings to develop a plan to resolve the criminal activity. I insisted the abatement plan include several items suggested by community residents, including hiring security guards to patrol the building and its perimeter during peak periods of criminal activity.
While the measures resulted in some improvements, the buildings continued to have problems. The City attorney and I strongly encouraged the owners to sell the buildings to a responsible buyer who could manage them well.
The sale to Newcastle will place the buildings in the hands of an experienced real estate advisory and investment firm with holdings throughout Chicago and its suburbs. Armed with a $500 million platform, Newcastle possesses the resources necessary to completely renovate the building, and manage it well.
The building suffers from years of neglect. Newcastle states it will keep the property as a rental apartment building, but must vacate the building to undertake the renovations necessary to make it a quality rental building
My office is currently working with the current residents of the building and the Metropolitan Tenants Organization to ensure that the tenants are treated fairly and provided assistance in locating other homes. Newcastle assures me that it will honor all leases and abide by the requirements of the Chicago Landlord-Tenant Ordinance.
This victory would not have been accomplished without the hard work of vigilant neighborhood residents, especially those who participated in the CAPS program. And of course, the 24th District Police Department played a key role in keeping the pressure on the old building owners.
Congratulations to all involved!
Sincerely,
Joe Moore
Visit the website of the 49th Ward
Click here to be removed from our email list
let's just hope as hell that they are going to tear those buildings down, because they are truly an eyesore. hey, maybe we'll get lucky and they won't check if it's vacant (after it's supposed to be vacant) and a few of our lovely neighborhood businesses men will get caught inside. ah, to die in the way one lived, how poetic.
Look Graig joey makeing changes. I like the part where joey & little kevin attwnded a "series of meeting"
You gotta love joey and his little sidekick kevin.
Dear Neighbor,
I am pleased to report we scored a significant victory in our efforts to improve the safety of the Morse Avenue area. A Chicago-based real estate firm, Newcastle Limited, recently acquired 1340 W. Morse and 1345 W. Lunt, a troubled apartment complex located just east of the Morse El Station, along Glenwood Ave.
The complex consists of two apartment buildings--one fronting on Morse, the other on Lunt--and has been the site of suspected drug and gang activity for some time. An undercover police investigation last year netted several drug purchases at 1340 W. Morse, which resulted in both buildings being placed in the City's Strategic Task Force program.
The Strategic Task Force targets buildings that have been identified as "drug/gang houses or places of ongoing criminal activity." The task force consists of city lawyers, building inspectors and the police who team up to conduct top to bottom inspections of problem buildings and meet with the owners of the buildings to develop a plan for resolving the problems.
The task force can require building owners to evict problem tenants, engage in criminal background checks of prospective tenants and tenants renewing leases, and provide building security enhancements. In extreme cases, the task force can compel landlords to sell their property.
I participated in a series of meetings with the Strategic Task Force, Beat 2431 Facilitator Kevin O'Neil, the management company and a representative of the consortium that owns the buildings to develop a plan to resolve the criminal activity. I insisted the abatement plan include several items suggested by community residents, including hiring security guards to patrol the building and its perimeter during peak periods of criminal activity.
While the measures resulted in some improvements, the buildings continued to have problems. The City attorney and I strongly encouraged the owners to sell the buildings to a responsible buyer who could manage them well.
The sale to Newcastle will place the buildings in the hands of an experienced real estate advisory and investment firm with holdings throughout Chicago and its suburbs. Armed with a $500 million platform, Newcastle possesses the resources necessary to completely renovate the building, and manage it well.
The building suffers from years of neglect. Newcastle states it will keep the property as a rental apartment building, but must vacate the building to undertake the renovations necessary to make it a quality rental building
My office is currently working with the current residents of the building and the Metropolitan Tenants Organization to ensure that the tenants are treated fairly and provided assistance in locating other homes. Newcastle assures me that it will honor all leases and abide by the requirements of the Chicago Landlord-Tenant Ordinance.
This victory would not have been accomplished without the hard work of vigilant neighborhood residents, especially those who participated in the CAPS program. And of course, the 24th District Police Department played a key role in keeping the pressure on the old building owners.
Congratulations to all involved!
Sincerely,
Joe Moore
Interesting that this morning when I checked my email this was sent over from Joe Moore's office. I have no idea how I wound up on their email list. I have not blocked the emails from them so I can compare this blog to what comes over from Joe moore... here is the mail regarding that building on Morse.
New Landlords Take Over Troubled Morse/Lunt Apartments
Dear Neighbor,
I am pleased to report we scored a significant victory in our efforts to improve the safety of the Morse Avenue area. A Chicago-based real estate firm, Newcastle Limited, recently acquired 1340 W. Morse and 1345 W. Lunt, a troubled apartment complex located just east of the Morse El Station, along Glenwood Ave.
The complex consists of two apartment buildings--one fronting on Morse, the other on Lunt--and has been the site of suspected drug and gang activity for some time. An undercover police investigation last year netted several drug purchases at 1340 W. Morse, which resulted in both buildings being placed in the City's Strategic Task Force program.
The Strategic Task Force targets buildings that have been identified as "drug/gang houses or places of ongoing criminal activity." The task force consists of city lawyers, building inspectors and the police who team up to conduct top to bottom inspections of problem buildings and meet with the owners of the buildings to develop a plan for resolving the problems.
The task force can require building owners to evict problem tenants, engage in criminal background checks of prospective tenants and tenants renewing leases, and provide building security enhancements. In extreme cases, the task force can compel landlords to sell their property.
I participated in a series of meetings with the Strategic Task Force, Beat 2431 Facilitator Kevin O'Neil, the management company and a representative of the consortium that owns the buildings to develop a plan to resolve the criminal activity. I insisted the abatement plan include several items suggested by community residents, including hiring security guards to patrol the building and its perimeter during peak periods of criminal activity.
While the measures resulted in some improvements, the buildings continued to have problems. The City attorney and I strongly encouraged the owners to sell the buildings to a responsible buyer who could manage them well.
The sale to Newcastle will place the buildings in the hands of an experienced real estate advisory and investment firm with holdings throughout Chicago and its suburbs. Armed with a $500 million platform, Newcastle possesses the resources necessary to completely renovate the building, and manage it well.
The building suffers from years of neglect. Newcastle states it will keep the property as a rental apartment building, but must vacate the building to undertake the renovations necessary to make it a quality rental building
My office is currently working with the current residents of the building and the Metropolitan Tenants Organization to ensure that the tenants are treated fairly and provided assistance in locating other homes. Newcastle assures me that it will honor all leases and abide by the requirements of the Chicago Landlord-Tenant Ordinance.
This victory would not have been accomplished without the hard work of vigilant neighborhood residents, especially those who participated in the CAPS program. And of course, the 24th District Police Department played a key role in keeping the pressure on the old building owners.
Congratulations to all involved!
Sincerely,
Joe Moore
Progress is progress, even when Joe has something to do with it.
Craig, you can be a very effective squeaky wheel.
I received the same email from JM's office.
Well... its a step in a direction..
Hopefully for the best.
We should stay optimistic that this change will have some kind of effect.
:)
Newcastle brokered deals for Loyola at the Loyola EL stop and at the Water Tower campus and DePaul's sale of Barat College to developers.
New Contact Info for problems w/
1340 W Morse & 1345 W Lunt
Newcastle Limited
150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3610
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.252.1400
Fax: 312.252.1381
Email: info@newcastlelimited.com
Haney, Michael
President
4274 N. Marine Dr
Chicago, IL 60613
Home: (773) 529-6503
Van Der Zanden, S.L.
Managing Principal
3500 N. Lake Shore Dr #10D
Chicago, IL 60657
Jablonski, M.F.
Senior VP
2130 Swainwood Dr
Glenview, IL 60025
Hugh form reading the links you provided about Newcastle, it sounds like there will be a tearing down of the two building dumps on Lunt and Morse. I am going out on a limb and say after the buildings are torn down we will see a new condo development in its place.
ryne said:
Hugh form reading the links you provided about Newcastle, it sounds like there will be a tearing down of the two building dumps on Lunt and Morse.
What makes you think that? I read nothing of the sort. Care to share your finds?
Thanks
The plans for the loyola development sound really awesome. now we just have to wait and see if it will actually happen.
Craig, did you see this. I figured that I would repost this for the fourth time. Like I figured, most people around here are Idiots.
Dear Neighbor,
I am pleased to report we scored a significant victory in our efforts to improve the safety of the Morse Avenue area. A Chicago-based real estate firm, Newcastle Limited, recently acquired 1340 W. Morse and 1345 W. Lunt, a troubled apartment complex located just east of the Morse El Station, along Glenwood Ave.
The complex consists of two apartment buildings--one fronting on Morse, the other on Lunt--and has been the site of suspected drug and gang activity for some time. An undercover police investigation last year netted several drug purchases at 1340 W. Morse, which resulted in both buildings being placed in the City's Strategic Task Force program.
The Strategic Task Force targets buildings that have been identified as "drug/gang houses or places of ongoing criminal activity." The task force consists of city lawyers, building inspectors and the police who team up to conduct top to bottom inspections of problem buildings and meet with the owners of the buildings to develop a plan for resolving the problems.
The task force can require building owners to evict problem tenants, engage in criminal background checks of prospective tenants and tenants renewing leases, and provide building security enhancements. In extreme cases, the task force can compel landlords to sell their property.
I participated in a series of meetings with the Strategic Task Force, Beat 2431 Facilitator Kevin O'Neil, the management company and a representative of the consortium that owns the buildings to develop a plan to resolve the criminal activity. I insisted the abatement plan include several items suggested by community residents, including hiring security guards to patrol the building and its perimeter during peak periods of criminal activity.
While the measures resulted in some improvements, the buildings continued to have problems. The City attorney and I strongly encouraged the owners to sell the buildings to a responsible buyer who could manage them well.
The sale to Newcastle will place the buildings in the hands of an experienced real estate advisory and investment firm with holdings throughout Chicago and its suburbs. Armed with a $500 million platform, Newcastle possesses the resources necessary to completely renovate the building, and manage it well.
The building suffers from years of neglect. Newcastle states it will keep the property as a rental apartment building, but must vacate the building to undertake the renovations necessary to make it a quality rental building
My office is currently working with the current residents of the building and the Metropolitan Tenants Organization to ensure that the tenants are treated fairly and provided assistance in locating other homes. Newcastle assures me that it will honor all leases and abide by the requirements of the Chicago Landlord-Tenant Ordinance.
This victory would not have been accomplished without the hard work of vigilant neighborhood residents, especially those who participated in the CAPS program. And of course, the 24th District Police Department played a key role in keeping the pressure on the old building owners.
Congratulations to all involved!
Sincerely,
Joe Moore
charlie; I based that on both projects the Newcastle worked on for Loyola have the land being turned into condo at the El station and a new mixed building downtown in both cases buildings will and are going to be torn down.
From what I have seen and read about the two dumps on Lunt & Morse I don't see that as a bad thing. Do you want the buildings to stay as they are?
ok all, we have 4 copies of the same email now, i think we can safely refrain from posting it again.
I hope NewCastle levels the Morse/Lunt buildings and puts up a retail/condo midrise.
And I told them my hopes in an email.
If you have an opinion of what you would like to see on the plot tell them at their company email address...
info@newcastlelimited.com
v&j... you're funny.
:-D
I got the e-mail too a few hours after I posted this story. I was going to post it as tomorrow's lead story. You guys think that's a good idea?
Craig, it makes sense to run this as a lead given the deplorable history of this building and the horrendous effect it has had on our community. The fact that something might be done at long last gives at least a ray of hope. Of course, our hopes will be dashed as soon as it turns out to be a lot of hot air . . . but for now we can hope.
- PEACE-
I agree that the management change over was a step in the right direction. However, it is my understanding that the tenants were given a 60 day (I believe that to be correct) notice to vacate. One tenant of that building is a retired CTA worker, who is disabled. I believe that regardless of plans, the 120/180 day notice still applies.
Post a Comment