April Happy Hour
We're back in the South Loop for our April happy hour. Please join us at Roots Pizza at 6 pm on Thursday, April 25th. Roots Pizza is a short walk from the Harrison Red Line, LaSalle Blue Line, and the LaSalle Metra station. Hope to see you there!
Housing Development Project Finance 101
We are excited to be hosting an informative discussion on housing development project finance led by Janet Protas. Ms. Protas has over 25 years of real estate experience with a focus on urban development in high- barrier-to-entry markets. She has been involved with the development and/or operation of over twenty million square feet of high-rise residential, retail and office space, valued at over $4 billion.
We will be meeting at Taft Law at 6:00 pm on Friday, May 3rd. Taft Law is steps away from Michigan Avenue and the Riverwalk, with a plethora of nearby public transit options.
This event is for UE members only. Members will have received a separate email earlier this week with the discount code to attend the event free of charge. If you can't find the email or have any questions, please reach out. If you're not a UE member, the $35 ticket comes with a one-year UE membership!
You can bring one guest free-of-charge, but please make sure to add their name to the RSVP list or they will not be allowed in the building.
Refreshments will be provided, and some attendees are planning to grab dinner together afterwards.
RSVP to learn about project finance!
We're in the paper (twice!) again!
The Urban Environmentalist writing spree continues! Pete Snyder's letter to the editor was featured in the Chicago Sun Times and Jim Anderson's op-edwas published in the Chicago Tribune.
Pete described how parking mandates make new construction more expensive, increase construction costs, and lock us into a car-centric future. He argues that Chicago should follow the lead of cities such as Minneapolis and end our outdated parking minimums citywide.
In his Tribune op-ed, Jim highlights the need for more density around our CTA rail stops in order to meet CTA's ambitious ridership goals. He points out numerous examples of CTA rail stations surrounded by either vacant lots or surface parking, such as the Garfield Green Line and Pulaski Orange Line stations.
Let us know if you're interested in submitting your own housing-related letter to the editor or op-ed. We have many members who are eager and well positioned to provide guidance and suggestions.
Old Town In-Person Meeting
A few months back, we launched a letter campaign to Alder Hopkins in support of 500 new homes in Old Town. Recently, we rallied significant support for the project at a virtual meeting. Now, it's time to show up in-person to support the project! The community meeting will be held at the Latin School Auditorium at 6pm on Tuesday, May 7th. This is expected to be a make-or-break moment for the project, so your attendance is critical.
The Latin School (59 W North Blvd) is conveniently located right next to CTA bus routes 22, 36, 72, and 156, as well as the Sedgwick Brown Line station.
RSVP to support 500 new homes!
Bird-Friendly Building Ordinance
Urban Environmentalists has signed on in support of an ordinance that would require bird-safe glass on new buildings. Similar ordinances have already been passed in New York City, Toronto, and Evanston and have had a proven impact on reducing building impacts.
The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is currently accepting feedback on its proposed sustainable development policy (SDP) guidelines (which currently encourage, but do not require bird-safe design). We encourage you to submit their form and support bird protection!