I believe someone at the COW meeting suggested that national retailers could be attracted. The problem is, as I have said before, there is nothing in writing that prevents this. Your good intentions or anyone else's cannot keep that from happening in the future: only properly written law can. The B2 zoning together with the TIF is a double threat, an unacceptable crap shoot on the appearance and experience of Riverside.
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Arcade Building?
(25 posts)-
Posted Thursday Jan 4, 2007 11:52 #
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As part of that "comprehensive planning process" that has been bandied about should be a re-visitation of B2.
VC (and the 30 extra parkings slots allowed at arcade) came out of B2 and that parking variance.
"Mike, your house is going to demolished. I read it in the Landmark"
OK, you have my attention.
The quotation is grounded by a combination of TOD and B2, both processes of which I, and a lot of people from my informal surveying, were not a part. I am going to repeat this again in case someone did not hear it the ninth time:
if you are planning on demolishing a person's house for WHATEVER reason, it is fair and decent and reasonable to contact that person when deliberating on it, EVEN if it is ONLY an OPTION or as a dream. Send certified letters. Schedule the deliberations around the person's schedule. Dear forum reader, wouldn't that be the level of communication that YOU would like?
Who knows, that option can become a reality, can become a law, can become enacted by the board under the cover of a blight redevelopment program.
mikeT
sorry about the two logins. I have 4 different computers from which I do this stuff and apparently some have different logins/cookies. I can see if I can re-set it.
Posted Thursday Jan 4, 2007 13:24 # -
Mike S - the TOD study called for 200 new condos in town (Surprise? Hardly.) If the Village doesn't want more condos, what do they want? They say they need to raise the value of the core land. They contact people and say their land is underutilized, or that "we have a better use for your property." What do you think they want? We don't live in la-la land. If more units are built someone will do the legal work, someone will do the architectural work, someone will finance them, someone will sell them and earn commissions, someone will sell them the insurance, etc. You're a bright guy and on the EDC. Know of any new businesses in town? Maybe we'll be informed on that tonight at the EDC meeting. Just as I am opposed to this mindless foray into development, to authorizing your commission to have a discussion with Mr. Kafka or any property owner, so too am I leary of all this kow-towing to market forces and the like. Riverside will not be better with fancy color-coordinated awnings, street plantings and "wayfinding signage" when five hundred more people live in the TIF District. I reiterate, this deal is just about money and the art of moving it from one place to another.
Posted Thursday Jan 4, 2007 16:06 # -
This just in. Ms Rush admitted at the EDC meeting that the Arcade developers notified the Village around Christmas that they will not be proceeding with the new condo structure, but will only "rehab" the historic portion of the Arcade building. Now that their procrastination has all but emptied the building, and the developers are buried financially in a too-little, too-late project that can never generate a profit on what they have in it, we have a bad situation to look forward to. This subject needs to be probed thoroughly. I requested, in writing, several weeks ago, a copy of all the correspondence and notes regarding this deal, and of course got no reply. Now I know why. They have blown this deal and we will all suffer for it, that is, until the developers think they have raised the level of dissatisfaction high enough that they can get concessions from the Village, just as the Henninger's site developers did. This entire subject needs careful scrutiny.
Posted Thursday Jan 4, 2007 23:17 # -
Spatny, you are a font of information. I didn't even KNOW about the condos behind the arcade. I can't believe that developers cannot figure out that people do not want to buy pricey condos on roaring railroad tracks. Is that rocket science? Young people who live in the West Loop - who make their own roar - think it is a cool view. The people who are likely to live here will not share those values. Keep posting.
And thank you, it was so obvious what they were up to at the Henninger's site, I can't believe some people are naive enough to say, well, at least VC is better. Negotiating such issues with such people is not a job for those who are not professionally trained for it.
Posted Friday Jan 5, 2007 00:34 #
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