June Happy Hour
We're in Lincoln Square for our June happy hour! Please join us at Lincoln Square Taproom on Thursday, June 27th at 6PM. Lincoln Square Taproom is located steps from the Western Brown Line station and a short walk from CTA bus routes 11, 49, 49B, X49 and 81.
615 Homes Need Your Support
Many months ago, we kicked off a letter campaign in support of the proposed development at 1840 N Marcey in Lincoln Park. And last October, we attended a contentious community meeting en masse to support the project.
Now, the developer (Sterling Bay) has taken the community's feedback into consideration, and their latest proposal for the site is better than ever.
Key highlights include:
- Increased unit count to 615 homes
- All 124 affordable homes will be built on site
- Parking spots have been reduced by 25% to 275
Yesterday, we learned more about the evolving drama between City Hall and Alder Waguespack regarding the project. Despite support for the homes from Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, Alder Waguespack is following the lead of wealthy Ranch Triangle NIMBYs (median income $187,000) in opposition.
It's time for us to turn up the heat on the Alder. This Thursday (6/20) at 10am, the project will be presented and voted upon at Plan Commission. Multiple UE members will be giving public comment in person at City Hall, and we'd love to see you there! Can't make it this week? That's ok - just make sure to send a letter to the Alder!
If you plan to give public comment in support of the project, please reply to this email so that we can plan accordingly!
Support 615 Homes in Lincoln Park!
ADUs will be up for a vote on June 25th!
UE continues to rally support for allowing ADUs citywide, and the initiative continues to gain momentum. On June 25th at 10am, the ordinance will be up for a vote at Zoning Committee. And, you guessed it, we're organizing public comment turnout for that meeting, too!
If you're interested in giving public comment in support of allowing ADUs citywide at City Hall, please reply to this email so that we can get you plugged in.
ADUs not exciting enough for you? The Western Avenue proactive rezoning, which could support 6,800+ homes to the corridor and support Chicago's bus rapid transit (BRT) funding, will be voted on, too!
Other News Updates
- Urban Environmentalist and Strong Towns member Aaron Feldman had an op-ed published in the Chicago Tribune highlighting the co-benefits of rezoning Western Avenue to support thousands of new homes while simultaneously transforming the street into a series of town centers connected by bus rapid transit.
- UE member Steven Vance was selected to give expert testimony in support of allowing ADUs citywide at the last Zoning Committee meeting.
- CDOT responded favorably to the uproar that they caused with their awful Chicago and Halsted design. However, more work remains to improve the safety of the redesigned intersection.
- UE signed a letter in support of halting all work on DuSable Lake Shore Drive to focus on designs that prioritize transit, pedestrians, and cycling.
- We have a sandwich board now - catch us "tabling" at your favorite street festival this Summer!