The old Sheldon Cord furniture store at Devon and Leavitt has been demolished, and the neighborhood now has another opportunity to bring solid economic development and affordable housing to West Ridge.
The site is zoned C-2, which means that a mixed-use development–rental units above a ground floor stores and shops, for example–is not just possible and acceptable but also highly desirable. A developer who wanted to make a case to the neighborhood for such a development would no doubt find a receptive audience.
I think it’s a good idea for neighbors to form a coalition to talk with the alderman, get her input, ask for her support, and then begin searching for a developer who shares the community’s vision for improved housing and economic opportunities in West Ridge.
I would love to be a part of a coalition to make the neighborhood viable again.
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Good for you! Maybe you’d like to join the Participatory Budgeting Project. We’ll be out collecting signatures from registered voters in an effort to bring participatory budgeting to the 50th ward. We need 8% of the registered voters in each precinct to sign a petition asking for a referendum on the November ballot in the 50th. If we win, we’d become the eighth ward in the City in which residents determine how the menu money ($1.3M per year) is spent. Or you might want to help out with a soon-to-be-announced arts and culture festival that will involve the entire ward. Both are sponsored by POWR (People of West Ridge) NFP [peopleofwestridge.org]. The culture fest’s site is under construction right now, but we are looking for residents who want to get involved in really putting on a show! Let me know if you’re interested.
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