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Monday, September 21, 2015

9th Ward Community Meeting

Via an e-mail blast from Ald. Anthony Beale:
  • Please Join Us!

    9th Ward Alderman Anthony A. Beale and City Department Representatives
    present a 9th Ward Community Meeting

    Tuesday, September 22, 2015
    6:30 - 7:30 p.m.


    Pullman Presbyterian Church
    550 East 103rd Street
    Chicago, Illinois 60628

    9th Ward Alderman Anthony A. Beale
    34 East 112th Place
    Chicago, Illinois 60628
    773.785.1100 

Also refer to flyer below:

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Senior Resource Fair this Thursday!

 Via the office of Alderman Anthony Beale
  • 9th Ward Senior Resource Fair
    Thursday, September 17, 2015
    10:00 am - 1:00 pm
    Victory Center of Roseland
    10450 S Michigan Ave.

    9th Ward Anthony A. Beale
    34 East 112th Place
    Chicago, Illinois 60628
    773.785.1100
Refer to flyer below for more information as to who the service providers are.

Click for larger resolution

    Tuesday, September 15, 2015

    DNA Info: Pullman's Comeback Putting Homes in Higher Demand

    This is something I could only hope for interest from both potential residents and realtors in a very historic and architecturally significant neighborhood. It probably helps that select lots in this area is now a US National Monument.
    Some residents hope Pullman could be the next hot neighborhood on the South Side if things continue to look up.

    President Barack Obama's designation of Pullman as a national monument earlier this year, along with the new Method Soap Factory has helped put Pullman back on the map, residents and Realtors said. A new Wal-Mart and other retail stores have provided more shopping options to the neighborhood.

    “I think it’s going to be the next big thing outside of Hyde Park,” said Aundrea English, 36, who has lived on the 10700 block of South Champlain for the last three years.

    What attracted her to her home was simple, she said. The neighbors were friendly, and she fell in love with the make of the historic rowhomes. The solid foundation, the bricks, the “east coast feel,” all had her sold after touring her house for the first time.

    “I wanted to be in something trendy, but it had to be affordable,” English said. “I can’t afford Hyde Park, I can’t afford Bronzeville. ... so this was perfect.”

    The neighborhood is improving, she said. When she first moved in, there were a lot of renters, but now just about everyone owns their home. She said it makes a difference.
    And with the Walmart and Methods factory mentions Ms. English is looking for something else to round things up here:
    "I can’t wait to see what’s next," English said. "All we need are some live music places, and a couple of places to stay, some sit-down restaurants. Those things are coming."
    Perhaps they can finally come up with a plan for the Hotel Florence. In the meanwhile what are the realtors saying:
    Mike Wolski, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, has been selling homes in Pullman for 10 years. He said that he has seen more people taking an interest in the area's rowhouses.

    “The neighborhood is one of a kind,” Wolski said, “It was built as a company town in the 1880s, and virtually almost all the original houses made in the 1880s period are still standing. Most of the houses are in good shape and people want to be a part of that. The architecture is really and truly one of a kind. There’s nothing else like it in Chicago.”

    He said homes have been selling at prices between $75,000 to $140,000, depending on the condition.

    On Aug. 29, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI) and Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Chicago partnered together to host an open house and block party for some newly renovated homes. Three such homes were for sale on Bolton’s block, and now only one is left.

    Sale prices have gone up in North Pullman, said Brian Caron, a managing broker with AMS Realty because “newly rehabbed homes are in demand in Pullman.” Between 2011-2014, the average prices on their renovated homes has gone up, from under $70,000 to now $95,000, Caron said.

    Wolski said increased list prices of these homes are a huge improvement over the foreclosure sales that the block saw in previous years.
    ...
    The excessive amount of vacant homes have attracted developers, said Conrade Carpenter, of City & Suburbs Realty, who know the homes will be in demand once they are rehabbed. That is showing up in the higher prices being paid for those properties, which are some cases as high as they were in the 1960s, said Carpenter, who grew up in the area. He said the resurgence is happening even with the stigma that the area sometimes gets because of crime.

    “I have seen the changes of the neighborhood over the years, [especially] with the new development things going on and Pullman being historic," he said. "It's coming back."
    Here's hoping the future of Pullman can only serve to change the future of Roseland that is to the east of Cottage Grove.

    Saturday, September 12, 2015

    Community shred day and open house

    Via the office of State Representative Elgie Sims on Sept. 19, 2015.
    • Join State Representative Elgie R. Sims, Jr. along with State Senator Donne E. Trotter and Cook County Stanley Moore for the annual Community Shred Day and Open House!

      Saturday, September 19, 2015
      9:00 am - 12:00 pm
      8658 S. Cottage Grove, Suite 404
      Chicago, IL 60619.

      Help protect yourself from identity theft by safely disposing of documents. Flu shots available. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us at our office at (773) 783-8800.
    Don't forget about the Purnell Silas College Expo that is also being held next Saturday. Flyer for the district shred day and open house is below.




    Friday, September 11, 2015

    Silas Purnell College Expo

    Coming on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at Tuley Park at 90th & King Drive. One place where our young people can decide where they may choose to further their education. This is an annual event hosted by the Chesterfield Community Council which is another community organization also located in the new 9th Ward of Chicago.

    Flyer also available via the Chesterfield Community Council Website in color.

    Monday, August 31, 2015

    The Chicago Neighborhoods

    Via The Chicago Neighborhoods

    Over at my other blog The Sixth Ward, in recent years I've shared some of the logos from this site The Chicago Neighborhoods. In fact, one neighborhood logo created a controversy as the image depicted in the background was an infamous building long gone that was the site of several murders by a serial killer.

    That's not to say the artists work in creating brands for many of Chicago's neighborhoods isn't good. Hence, I share this Roseland logo you see above and in the past on this blog the Pullman logo has been shared.

    At the Sixth Ward, we also helped to spread the word about some other offerings from The Chicago Neighborhoods. Namely t-shirts and prints if you want to rep. your neighborhood no matter where you are. Leave a print in your home or office in addition to wearing a t-shirt.

    How many of you would purchase these products to rep. your neighborhood? And would you be willing to create your own neighborhood logos and t-shirts?

    Saturday, August 29, 2015

    Introducing an after the fact 2015 elections page....

    It was fairly recent that the Shedd School blog got the tag "a 'ninth ward' blog". At some point I decided that it was time to share the results of the recent 2015 elections with a page of its own. It's something that was finally done by lifting some of the info from a similar page over at sixthward.us.

    The 2012 ward remap moved the 9th ward further north across the Bishop Ford (aka Calumet) Expressway to as far north as 87th Street. That means the former Shedd School building is now in the 9th when before the 2015 elections at least it was previously part of the 6th ward.

    Things change especially political maps so now the emphasis of this blog has changed. The changes to be sure were gradual as I started to follow the campaign for 9th Ward Alderman at the end of last year. It seems there are always something to talking about in the 9th ward.

    My hope is this blog - which I learned had gotten shared in an email blast of one of the community organizations - could be the start of others talking about the direction of this far south side community. It is not my goal to be anti-anyone, but hopefully we can start a true discussion of the direction this community should go.

    One way to start it at least start talking politics and although the 2015 municipal election is over now is the time to start talking about 2019 and then the next remap. We may still talk about education stuff or even history of Bennett-Shedd schools as these are the most important institutions of the north end of the 9th ward. For right now, it's also about the direction of these communities.

    BTW, I forgot about the election results post from the day after the February 24th elections. The numbers reflected there isn't much different from the final results from the 2015 elections page.

    Tuesday, August 25, 2015

    3M Explorers Club Testimonial "My Block, My Hood, My City

    [VIDEO] I could fully support this, getting young people out of their element in their neighborhoods and seeing how big this city truly is. Whereever you're from people in other parts of the city aren't living like you. Young people could learn this as much as anyone else.

    You may live in a depressed low-income community but you should see how more middle-class or working-class people live. Better yet see how much more wealthier people live. Basic idea, perhaps you can see yourself heading up such households.

    Better yet, this young person Noah had his eyes opened being exposed to different parts of the city it's allowed him to go away to Prairie State A & M University in Texas where he's studying marketing. He discusses the impact of Jahmal Cole's Explorer's Club on him. So apparently Cole has had two go to college, hopefully we might see more success as the years go by.

    Hopefully we'll see further activities by the Explorer's Club. BTW, it's about time I buy some apparel as well. It will support these activities.

    Monday, August 24, 2015

    PHOTO: Public notice at Shedd School

    On Friday afternoon, I decided to take snapshots around Shedd School on my cell phone. The photo above is one of those shots which shows a public notices regarding a zoning change filed by 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale. If you want more info on this zoning change click here it will show the date of a zoning hearing to occur on August 27, 2015.

    The snapshot seen on a preceeding post is of the Shedd School building itself taken also on Friday afternoon regarding the surrounding community's talks with the Alderman regarding Shedd's zoning.

    Shedd School Meeting With Alderman

    200 E. 99th Street

    Another email sent on Thursday provides another update regarding the zoning hearing for Shedd School
    • Shedd School Meeting With Alderman

      Last night The East/West 99th Street Block Club met with Alderman Beale with concerns about the zone change on the Shedd School location. Same story as the July 9th Ward Community meeting; no new information was given.

      The Alderman said one or two people could still attend the hearing down town. Zoning Amendment will be heard in Council Chambers of CITY HALL; 121 N. LaSalle Street; 2nd flood of City Hill, on August 27, 2015 at 10:00 AM

      A notice was sent to anyone who has property within 250 of area affected. If you have any objection to the application you will have an opportunity to address the Committee.

      If you did not attend either meeting and want to know more please forward any questions you have to the Alderman who proposed this change.

      ALDERMAN ANTHONY A. BEALE AT 312-785-1100 or 312-744-6838 
    It had also been noted that it's best to contact Ald. Beale at his 9th ward service office at 312.785.1100 as the other number is for city hall and it doesn't get answered.

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