TIME/DATE: 9am/Wednesday, December 12, 2007
PLACE: Outside of City Council Chambers
2nd Floor Elevator Lobby
City Hall
121 N. La Salle Street
Chicago, IL 60602
CONTACT: Imre Hidvegi: 773-271-2255 or ihidvegi@chicagosoccer.net
SUMMARY: On Wednesday, December 12, at 9am, business owners from Save Lincoln Square will hold a rally before the full City Council meeting to protest the abuse of eminent domain in Lincoln Square, Chicago.
On Monday, December 10, Alderman Schulter told Chicago Soccer, Decorium Furniture, and The Dental Corner that he is introducing a new ordinance that will not allow the acquisition of their properties through eminent domain. Five parcels, including a Walgreens and many small offices, will still be subject to condemnation if they don’t sell.
The city was expected to authorize the acquisition of the 16 properties on the 4800 block of North Western Avenue at its full meeting on Wednesday, December 12. Alderman Schulter has claimed that he is trying to “control development” in the area—specifically, by condemning and marketing the land to private developers for new retail and condominiums.
Schulter pulled the ordinance and introduced the substitute less than one week after 250 community members joined together at Chicago Soccer to learn how to stop eminent domain abuse in Chicago. After the meeting, over 100 residents marched to Schulter’s ward office, shouting “Save Lincoln Square – Stop Eminent Domain.”
“Alderman Schulter is saying he won’t condemn our businesses now,” said Imre Hidvegi of Chicago Soccer, “yet we’re still on an acquisition list. We will not allow him to come back and try to do this again later. If city officials think that resistance from the community will die down, they better think again – it’s only growing.”
“My business may be safe for now, but if my neighbor’s business is being taken, who’s to say the city won’t come back for mine?” said Tim Le, owner of Decorium Furniture. Tim and his wife, Kim, fled Vietnam by boat in the 1980s in pursuit of the American Dream.
Hidvegi and Le will speak at the rally about their meeting with Alderman Schulter and what still needs to be done to stop eminent domain abuse in Lincoln Square.
4 comments:
I've never been crazy about Schulter. He's one of the reasons why the Rainbo Roller Rink was razed in favor of condos.
personally, i think that the owners of those stores just took a bunch of their neighbors along for a ride to the land of bigger and better offers.
it's a shame to see so much effort wasted on a couple of crumbling old buildings, when they could be protesting in front of their congressman's office for impeachment. get some perspective, people.
Impeachment of whom and for what?
I haven't been able to find how this turned out. The savelincolnsquare site is not coming up anymore.
Anyone????
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