C40 Reimagining Cities, Garfield Green, Encuentro Square, The 606 Trail
In a bit I’ll be live tweeting the Community Development Commission for @CHIdocumenters #ChiDocumenters 📝
What do they do? This commission promotes the comprehensive growth and sustainability of Chicago and its neighborhoods 🌇
long thread ahead ⬇️
12:55 PM Feb 8, 2022 CST

@CHIdocumenters downloads the agenda to their website so you don’t have to
https://chicago.documenters.org/documents/agenda-68488/

If you’d like to attend the livestream meeting, here’s the 🔗 It starts at 1 p.m. CT https://livestream.com/accounts/28669066/events/9117952


We’re starting. Vice Chair is chairing today because the chair isn’t available to attend.

Shirley Newsome, Vice Chair is leading the meeting. Gwendolyn Hatten Butler, Chair is absent. Member names and more information on the commission can be found here: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/community_developmentcommission.html

Starting roll call - Commissioners Brooks, Cox, Curtis, Griggs, Chair Butler are absent at the time of call. Quorum is made. Newsome calls for approval of the previous meeting on Jan. 18. They are approved.

Commissioner Newsome announces that there were no public comments requested to be read or to speak at the meeting.

Next on the agenda: PROPOSED CICERO/STEVENSON TIF REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA (WARD 22) Accept for review the feasibility study and redevelopment plan for the proposed Cicero/Stevenson Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment Project Area and set dates for a public meeting & hearing

Beth McGuire is speaking on this. The proposal and presentation will be given at the next meeting so that the commissioner will have time to look over the given materials. https://t.co/MSYup3BGld

McGuire is speaking about the boundaries of the map. She talks about how the Stevenson is nearby with residential areas are on the east and south of the proposal.

Newsome requests a vote for review of the proposal and creating dates for public hearing. So moved and Newsome also does roll call for this vote.

The motion to review and create dates for the hearing passes. Onto the second point on the agenda: PULASKI INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR TIF REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA (WARD 26)

Agenda: Request authority for the Department of Housing to negotiate a redevelopment agreement with Encuentro Square I SLP LLC and Encuentro Square II SLP LLC, or an affiliated entity, or an entity acceptable to the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development …

for redevelopment of the property located at 3745 W Cortland Street in the Pulaski Industrial Corridor Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment Project Area, and to recommend to the City Council of the City of Chicago the designation of Encuentro Square I & II

Jim O’Connell represent the Department of Housing with Alder Maldonado https://t.co/i25PLt1jwC

Arial Map and describes the history of the land. The deal guaranteed that some of this land has to be public. https://t.co/q9NeDXhAy8

They balanced the community needs and open space requirement. They said that the park is in yellow and phase 2 in red, will be an apartment building.


The team working on this proposal. This is a “twin deal” https://t.co/B4v8I6sZNW


The courtland is based on trauma informed designed. They have done research on the area guided by partners named below in the slide https://t.co/7xQCfKByod

TIF ask comes at $9M and meet’s all of the city’s safe harbor https://t.co/DeB8jQag6A

TIF request budget is laid out here:
12 permanent positions and over 300 temporary construction https://t.co/Ccq9MzsoTd

Phase 2 will be constructed given funding “very much at a future date.” He underlines that this would have a comprehensive feel and will not feel like there is a barrier between 606. https://t.co/KICkvdNpka

Commissioner Trevino asks if parking is included in phase 1
In the purple there is parking and handicap parking included. https://t.co/cnkcK7dIfo


Every two years - groups are selected for DOH funding round. The phase II could be selected and then it’s a year before they get to city council. They will refresh the documents in 2023. QAP round included O’Connell says that Phase II would be around 2025.

Chris Wheat asks about redeveloping green space. Michael Lang, with the Chicago Park District, the Park District with working with DPD & others on the park site for more green space. They would work with the community about what they want and what funds are available.

Newsome is calling for a vote for the redevelopment of the area redevelopment of the property located at 3745 W Cortland Street with Encuentro Square I SLP LLC and Encuentro Square II SLP LLC, or an affiliated entity, as Developer.

The motion passes after roll call. Onto the next agenda item: Request authority to designate C40 Preservation Associates LP as the successful respondent to the RFP of the property located at 209 S. Kedzie and 3737-57 W. Fifth Avenue in the Midwest Redevelopment Project Area

Dinah Wayne, underwriter in the Department of Housing, is presenting on this point https://t.co/dyJwEwmhdU

This RFP opened for entries in 2018 and they’re hoping that C40 can be chosen. Wayne highlights that this org is global and is committed to addressing climate change. https://t.co/aTrmwx3g3D

They’re calling their winning project “Garfield Green” https://t.co/LVtlYMMDh6

POAH is Preservation of Affordable Housing who has done signficant work in Chicago https://www.poah.org/ https://t.co/czhuoOhwKN

This is the project team members . The contractor is going for bid next week. https://t.co/ikadbRjwYg


This project will have apartment buildings with 43 units. that will recieve a Chicago Low-income Housing Trust Fund. Wayne will show a unit chart in a bit. AMI stands for Area Median Income – more info here: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/doh/provdrs/renters/svcs/ami_chart.html https://t.co/0awVpuzZif


I missed some slides because Wayne is going pretty fast. I’ll provide more screengrabs is she goes back. https://t.co/zH4rP8AvPU

The RFP was created to create buildings that is energy efficient. https://t.co/UIdppSvUUv

Finance and Budget for the project. The Tax Credit Equity will allow families living there to recieve credits because of how environmentally friendly it is. This building is more expensive to construct due to the same reason. https://t.co/eVcslFHEWF

For the project, Alder Ervin has been going into the community, gathering online and spreading the words via hangers for those who do not have reliable internet access. https://t.co/wLn7EUrEm8

This project will bring 15 retail jobs and 3 maintenance jobs. https://t.co/NinxXFEMyj

Department of Planning & Department of Housing approve of this project “Garfield Green” https://t.co/unebp01bBh

Correction: Department of Planning & Department of Housing recommend to approve of this project “Garfield Green”

No one from Alder Ervin’s staff is in attendance but Molly Ekerdt, Vice President in POAH’s Chicago office, thanks Wayne for presenting. She says that this vision originated from the city. They are grateful to interact with the Garfield Park community.

Grace Chan McKibben asks about the expensive environmental friendly building on the northwest side of Chicago. Molly answers that there is one in Logan Square that was a “test”

Ekerdt is conscious of the cost. She also mentioned that this spot has been vacant for over 30 years.

Newsome praises POAH and reminds the commission that POAH is being recongized as a developer with projects without displacement.

Newsome calls for a vote for the purchase and redevelopment of the property located at 209 S. Kedzie and 3737-57 W. Fifth Avenue in the Garfield Park area. It passes after roll call.

Excuse me - broke the thread not once but twice! Here’s the first : https://twitter.com/alinapanek/status/1491136149230092291


Onto the last agenda point: MIDWEST TIF REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA (WARD 29) Request authority to advertise the Department of Planning and Development’s intention to enter into a negotiated sale with Workers for Christ Ministries Apostolic Church

The purchase price is $10M. Applicant is working with the Alderman Chris Taliaferro’s office. https://t.co/qUVGE45vaB

Latasha Thomas asks about the location of the parking lot that they’re requesting at 508-510 S. Cicero Avenue in the Midwest Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment Project Area. It is between 2 buildings 508 and 506 S. Cicero. There will be a fence w/ trees & bushes around the lot https://t.co/ktmz7rl9pm

Commissioner Chris Wheat asks for a recap because this presentation was done in about one minute. The presenter James Michaels clarifies that this is just a parcel sale not TIF fund.

The market value is 37M but the discounted value is $10M in collaboration with the Department of Housing. https://t.co/XMdzc14QkM

The vote passes on the sale of the parking lot for the church in South Austin at 508-510 S. Cicero Avenue after roll call.

Commissioner Chris Wheat notices that Alder Roberto Maldonado is raising his hand even though he was not in attendence for the agenda point regarding his ward: PULASKI INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR TIF REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA

He apologies and says that he’s working in Puerto Ricean Standard time and the commission has a laugh about that.

Alder Maldonado praises the project and talks about fighting gentrification in his ward.

The meeting is adjourned at 2:06 pm. Thanks for following along! This concludes the Community Development Commission meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for March 8, 2022. Notes were taken by @itssarahstark. For more meeting coverage, check out http://documenters.org.

Broken thread: here’s the rest of the meeting
https://twitter.com/alinapanek/status/1491133250894708736


Remember to click “add another tweet”! I learned my lesson here. https://twitter.com/alinapanek/status/1491138355358494720