That’s Interesting…

I had fun with this last summer, so I thought I’d try it again. I’m always reading stuff that I think is interesting, but that I don’t necessarily get to bounce off anyone else. Well, here’s my golden opportunity!

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Mary Bao, Director RPBG

There are a handful of people who more or less define the Rogers Park Builders Group, people who have been active in the organization and in the Rogers Park community for many years. Without question, one of those people is Mary Bao.

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Ups and Downs

By:

Steve Cain
Winter, 2023

I’ve been alternately intrigued and alarmed about recent plans to convert the LaSalle Street corridor in the Central Loop into a mixed-use commercial and residential district. The city says it would like to see a handful of functionally obsolete, half-empty office buildings converted into as many as 2,000 new apartment units and wants to solicit bids from developers to make this happen. But is this a realistic proposal, or is it just a publicity stunt in advance of a competitive election?

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RPBG Funds Sullivan High School MLK Middle School tournament

By:Mike Glasser, RPBG President

A special event took place at Roger C. Sullivan High School on Martin Luther King holiday this year, as Friends of Sullivan sponsored Sullivan High School’s 3rd MLK Day Middle School Hoops Tournament.

Nine middle schools and over 100 students participated in the day long tournament - one which every participating team played at least two games. Between games, students enjoyed lunch and a learning & motivational program where educators and two Sullivan High School basketball players spoke with the kids about Dr. King’s legacy, “what it takes” to be a successful high school athlete, and what it takes to succeed in life.

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Around Rogers Park - Municipal Elections include Alderman/Police District Council in Rogers Park

Chicago will hold two rounds of municipal elections on February 28th and April 4th. In Rogers Park, all eyes will be on the Aldermanic race where incumbent Maria Hadden faces challenges from Belia Rodriguez (see the related article in this Newsletter) and Bill Morton who are both looking to unseat her. If no candidate wins a plurality of the vote (50% plus one) in round one, a run-off will be held between the two candidates with the highest vote count in round two.

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Around Rogers Park - Migrants Continue to Come to Rogers Park

As has been widely reported, the migration crisis at the US-Mexico border is no longer confined to the southern tier of states. Beginning last year and continuing into 2023, bus-loads of asylum-seekers and other migrants have been arriving in Chicago in search of better lives and a safe haven from the poverty and violence endemic to the countries from which they flee.

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Around Rogers Park - Alderwoman Hadden Outlines Possible New Plans for Howard and Ashland Site

In her January 14, 2023 Newsletter, Alderwoman Hadden outlined possible future plans for a “new construction limited-equity cooperative” with between 30 and 40 residential units that would be built at the long-vacant Howard and Ashland parcel that the city acquired under the previous Moore administration. Alderwoman Hadden says more details will be forthcoming later this year and that the development will “provide much needed housing that is big enough for families with children, is accessible, and designed to meet the affordability needs of 49th Ward residents, many of whom say it's increasing difficult to find housing they can afford to stay in our community.” We will follow this developing story as more information becomes available.

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Around Rogers Park - Gruesome Murder of Rogers Park Housing Provider

This past October, West Ridge property owner and housing provider, Frances Walker, was brutally murdered and dismembered by one of her tenants. According to news reports, Ms. Walker was murdered after serving her tenant with an eviction notice and had had numerous previous disputes with this tenant prior to the crime. Other tenants in the building notified police when they heard screaming from within the building on Washtenaw Avenue. The tenant was subsequently arrested and charged for the crime and was last reported as being held in Cook County jail without bail.

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Belia Rodriguez Running for 49th Ward Alderperson

Headshot Photographer: Denver Smith

Belia Rodriguez never planned on running for the Chicago City Council. Even when encouraged by friends and associates, she pushed back, worried that she would have difficulty balancing the needs of the community and her thriving small business.

But she was also increasingly uncomfortable with the neighborhood’s direction in the wake of the “triple whammy” brought about by the pandemic, civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd, and the sharp political left turn under the leadership of the new Alderperson who talks a lot about consensus but who always seems to side with a core group of far-left ideologues.

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Transfer Tax Increase Proposed to Raise Money for Homeless

The chances of a new ordinance being passed in the Chicago City Council just increased with calls from several Progressive Aldermen to pass the Bring Chicago Home plan that would substantially increase the transfer tax of real estate sales from $5.25 per $500 of sales value, to $15.25 per $500 of sales value on any sale of a commercial property valued at $1 million or greater. This additional transfer tax money would be used to pay for various measures to alleviate homelessness in the city.

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