Alderman Brendan Reilly will be featured at a SOAR Town Hall meeting

Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 7 p.m.
Courtyard Marriott, 165 E. Ontario

Ward 42’s new Alderman, Brendan Reilly, will be featured at a SOAR community forum at the Courtyard Marriott on East Ontario.

He will provide a community update, discuss his goals and priorities, explain the process by which he will determine citizen support for new projects, and take questions from the audience.

Space is Limited. The Town Hall meeting is free but RSVPs are required.

RSVP to SOARChicago@aol.com or (312)280-2596

Crain’s Chicago writes that Reilly will make a decision next week about whether to present the Children’s Museum’s plan to take over Grant Park. He is quoted –

“This has been a tough one,” he said. “One the one hand, I have a responsibility to my constituents, and on the other, Grant Park is the city’s front yard. What benefits (Grant Park) benefits all of the city.”

We should add that it is up to debate about whether the proposed relocation offers any benefits to Grant Park or the rest of the city.

Discussion and more information can be found on WindyChat.com at http://www.windychat.com/reilly-make-decision-next-week-childrens-119.html

The architectural critic of the Chicago Tribune wrote an article that was published yesterday on why the Children’s Museum should not be located in Daley Bicentenniel Plaza.

Regarding the Plaza itself the critic writes: “Though Daley Bicentennial is not without merit — its rigidly symmetrical layout does frame views of Buckingham Fountain, and residents of nearby high-rises prize its quiet ambience as an antidote to Millennium Park’s throngs — its design is as outdated and outmoded as one of the John Travolta leisure suits that were in fashion when Chicago dedicated the 19.5-acre park in 1979.”

A discussion about the article and link to the full article on WindyChat.com. http://www.windychat.com/childrens-museum-has-yet-make-case-120.html

Mehta Brown writes on the Friends of Daley Bi blog on three ways to save the Daley Bi park from the Children’s Museum’s attempts to relocate there.

Three Easy Ways to Save the Park

“1) Call Mayor Daley’s office at (312) 744-3300, let him know where you live, and tell him that you are opposed to museum construction Daley Bicentennial Plaza.

2) Email Arnold Randall, Chicago’s new Commissioner of Planning and Development, arandall@cityofchicago.org , let him know where you live, and tell him that you are opposed to museum construction Daley Bicentennial Plaza.

3) Call a friend (or two,three…) who lives in Chicago, and ask your friend to take these same steps!”

The Save Daley blog is at http://savedaley.blogspot.com/.

She writes: “I’ve lived near Daley Bicentennial Plaza since 1984. Like many other others in the neighborhood, I’ve chosen to remain a Chicago resident and taxpayer as I enjoy family life.”

From the Chicago Tribune - “Aside from protecting the park, this project raises questions of safety and quality of life. This area of the city already is teeming with pedestrian and vehicle traffic, with much more to come via residential buildings planned. The museum site would add hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, descending on a three-tiered section of Randolph Street that can be difficult to navigate. Downtown Chicago, already so gridlocked and stressed that a proposed fee for driving there drew serious discussion, doesn’t need more school buses and cars on Randolph, Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.”

Full article - http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0902edit1sep02,0,6286821.story 

Reilly’s comments at a Friends fo the Park meeting last month regarding the plans to move the Children’s Museum to the north end of Grant Park -

From ArchitectureChicago PLUS - “On the proposed move of the Chicago Children’s Museum to a new building in Grant Park -
Reilly: That’s been a bit of a political football. . . . That’s something that will be thoroughly vetted, building by building, in the [New Eastside]. I find it curious that there are certain organizations out there, that have in their charter a mission statement of preserving open space, that are actually advocating for additional building for Grant Park. I don’t understand that. How these folks can look [you in] the eye and say, yes, we’re here to preserve Grant Park, but please put this building in, I don’t understand that.”

http://arcchicago.blogspot.com/2007/06/chicagos-downtown-aldermen-pushovers-no.html

There is a meeting scheduled at North Harbor Tower tomorrow, July 10th. 

The Children’s Museum has gone back to their original plans to relocate the the Daley Bi Fieldhouse along Randolph St.

The Monro / Columbus location was opposed by Grant Park Conservancy and Friends of the Parks.

By the way, Richard Ward has been helping area residents stay informed about this topic. If you are interested in keeping up with news about the Children’s Museum relocation plans, you can sign up for his e-mail list at www.neweastside.org.

From ChicagoBusiness.com -  Bob O’Neill, president of the Grant Park Conservancy, “says [traffic] concerns are unfounded, saying Randolph Street is not swamped with cars because it does not feed into Lake Shore Drive and all buses and cars would access the Chicago Children’s Museum on Randolph Street’s mid-level.”

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=25188

On another note, in a recent e-mail from newly elected Alderman Brendan Reilly, he quoted a recent Chicago Tribune article that does a good job in summarizing events up to now.

From the Chicago Tribune - “Alderman Reilly is keeping his pledge to give local residents a meaningful voice on important issues affecting their neighborhoods, and he is telling local residents and the Children’s Museum that “plans would need approval by neighborhood residents for his support.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/west/chi-museum16may16,1,922305.story

Regarding CRITICAL Children’s Museum Neighborhood Meeting on Monday, Sept. 10, 5:30 PM at the Daley Fieldhouse 

Editorial - We at New-Eastside.com have witnessed a variety of ever-increasingly aggressive tactics to characterize the New Eastside neighborhood (which includes the Lakeshore East development) as being partially supportive of the Children’s Museum’s proposed move to the current site of the Daley Bicentenntial Fieldhouse.

The recent meetings at each building presented only one side of the issue - i.e. Children’s Museum staff and representatives proposing the new location for the building.

Nearby public facilities such as the Family Fun Festival in Millenium Park has had boxes for people to write letters to the Alderman in support of the move, with no place to mark or record opposition to the move.

Roving college-age petitioners have been spotted in the neighborhood and surrounding areas who were hired by the Children’s Museum and who clearly upon questioning had no clear idea about what was involved in the proposed move.

A firm in Topeka, KS has been calling neighborhood residents at odd hours to solicit support for the move from central Chicago residents.

In the latest move, the Children’s Museum organization is expected to bus in hundreds of supporters in advance of the upcoming “neighborhood meeting” hosted by NEAR to take all available seats and shut out real neighborhood residents from expressing their opposition to the proposed move ( see http://blog.new-eastside.com/final-meeting-on-the-childrens-museum/, especially the comments). This was originally intended to be a meeting (again it is hosted by NEAR) open only to neighborhood residents.

While I can’t fault the Children’s Museum for being aggressive about what they think could be a good move in location for them — their blatant attempts to mis-characterize our neighborhood is regrettable.

While we hope the best for the Children’s Museum (our own children love it), we must condemn the current administration’s recent activities and hope the neighborhood is able to prevail in this issue and prevent the Children’s Museum from relocating across the street in Grant Park.

Peggy Figiel writes - “Hi All,

As you may already know the FINAL meeting on the Children’s Museum issue will be held this Monday, September 10 at 6:30 PM at Daley Bicentennial Fieldhouse.  This is a NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING hosted by NEAR. You must be bring the postcard you may have already received in the mail from Alderman Reilly or some form of ID to admitted!!  This is in response to the mass email the Children’s Museum has sent out telling people to have their family and friends get there early, take all the seats and pack the meeting!!  If they do not live here they will not be admitted!!

Reilly’s entire staff will be on hand to check the doors ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPT.!!

We are asking everyone to attend this very important meeting even if you have previously attended your building meeting!  We need a HUGE turnout of opposition!!  We will have signs available and we ask you to get there as early as possible.

The CCM will present yet another design for the museum, this one apparently completely underground.  I hope everyone read the Tribune Editorial Board’s piece in Sunday’s paper opposing a museum in Grant Park.

We ARE being heard and need to make the FINAL EFFORT FOR VICTORY!!  There will be a lot of media present and we want to show a strong, final united front!  This issue has brought this neighborhood together like no other and that’s why it is such a great place to live!

We appreciate all the work everyone has done writing & e-mailing letters, making phone calls, and attending meetings.  AFTER THIS MEETING ALDERMAN REILLY WILL MAKE HIS DECISION PUBLIC AND THIS ISSUE WILL BE OVER!

PLEASE PLAN ON ATTENDING AND GETTING THERE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

Thank you and see you on Monday.

Peggy Figiel”

A meeting with Alderman Reilly will be held at the Daley Bicentenniel Plaza Fieldhouse on Monday September 10th at 6:30 PM.

Notices have been posted in buildings and the Alderman’s office is reportedly sending a notice to everyone in the community. Reilly has help at least eight meeting with residents in various buildings near the Fieldhouse and this final meeting it being hosted by NEAR. In the previous eight meetings, only the Children’s Museum staff and representatives were given time to present the plan, in the meeting next Monday NEAR will present their analysis and views of the proposed development.

Mark your calendars! as this will be an important meeting. Monday September 10th at 6:30 PM.

The Children’s Museum has scheduled meetings at many of the buildings in the neighborhood to present plans for the Children’s Museum along the south side of East Randolph at the site of the present Daley Fieldhouse. The first meeting was held last night at North Harbor Tower (175 N. Harbor Dr.) and additional meetings are scheduled as follows. More meeting times at other buildings to be posted later.

360 Randolph, Wednesday, July 18 @ 6 pm

195 Harbor, Thursday, July 19 @ 6 pm

155 Harbor, Monday, July 23 @ 6:30 pm

400 Randolph, Wednesday, July 25 @ 6:30 pm

Local residents had expressed concerns about the Children’s Museum locating along Randolph last year so the museum considered moving to a location at Monro and Columbus, however this location was opposed by the Friends of the Park and the Grant Park Conservancy Council.

Now the Children’s Museum is looking back at their originally proposed location at the site of the Fieldhouse much to the ire of those who thought the plan was dead last year. Be sure to attend your buildings meeting to see the detailed proposal and presentation and have a chance to express your opinion to the new Alderman who will be in attendance at each meeting.

The large planters on the last block of East Randolph (across from Outer Drive East) have been removed. For the past couple of weeks, these had been blocking pedestrians and causing people to have to walk into the street to pass.

See previous post with photos — http://blog.new-eastside.com/planters-along-randolph/

Also, see Richard Ward’s letter to the Alderman and the statement from Brendan Reilly — http://blog.new-eastside.com/planters-along-randolph/#comments 

Of course it would be nice if the community finally got the Pedway and we could walk underground.

In the past week a bunch of planters have appeared along Randolph St.

On the east end of the street on the south side across from Outer Drive East this presents a problem as the sidewalk was not very wide to begin with and now more than half the sidewalk has been claimed by the behemoth planters. 

Click on the thumbnail to view the full photo.

I just missed it in this photo but picture the “weave” pedestrians must now engage in when passing others along the sidewalk. Our family’s double stroller barely fits on the remaining strip of sidewalk. You can imagine with passing groups or during special events such as the Fourth of July fireworks how sidewalk traffic will have to spill out into the streets potentially causing obstacles for drivers.

Also, in this photo you can see a city worker or contractor picking up a beer can that has already been attracted by the planter. Not only do they block the sidewalks, but they also serve as garbage bins by passers-by.

Click on the thumbnail to view the full photo. 

In talking with several other residents about the poorly planned decision to place planters on this sidewalk, one person mentioned “where’s Natarus when you need him?” Well, we do have an Alderman who the majority of voters in the Ward voted for in the last election - Ald. Brendan Reilly who just recently took office.

You can call his office @ (312) 642-4242. Tell him to look at the photos at http://blog.new-eastside.com or come out and watch the “Randolph weave” himself. By the way, Mayor Daley’s office number is (312) 744-3300. I’m sure it would not hurt to call his office as well.

There will be a New Eastside Association of Residents (NEAR) on May 1st at 222 N. Columbus Dr.

 Present will be Brendan Reilly, Alderman-elect of the 42nd Ward as well as the Executive Director of the Loop Alliance Ty Tabing.

 Other presenters will talk about Grant Park and Daley Bicentennial Plaza summer programs as well as city-wide summer programs and events.

 More information — http://forums.new-eastside.com/index.php/topic,110.0.html

The Sun-Time reports on how Reilly’s win could change the landscape for development projects downtown –

“Jack Guthman, a zoning attorney for leading developers, said he has met Reilly and thinks “he’s a balanced and thoughtful person” who will entertain reasonable discussions.

“Natarus, Guthman added, didn’t deserve the charge of being too project-friendly. “He was always upfront and straight-forward, even on things we didn’t like to hear,” Guthman said.”

http://www.suntimes.com:80/business/278172,CST-FIN-nat01.article 

Alderman Ward 42 — 68 of 69 precincts reporting (99%)
City of Chicago
42nd Ward Alderman - Chicago

From the Sun-Times – “Natarus, 73, lost to AT&T executive Brendan Reilly, who had 54 percent of the vote to Natarus’ 46 percent with 81 percent of the precincts tallied. “I just hope the change is for the better,” Natarus said. “I said this before, I hope the public doesn’t miss me. I did my job. For your information I missed five City Council meetings in 36 years.”

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/276015,CST-NWS-wrap28.article

“Those who didn’t vote for me, I can understand their feeling. I’ve been the alderman for a long, long time,” Natarus, 73, told a crowd of supporters Tuesday night at the swanky Bella Lounge on the Gold Coast. “And there are some people who feel there ought to be a change. . . .”

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/276012,CST-NWS-north28.article 

From the Chicago Tribune – “42nd Ward (Loop, Near North and West): Organized labor is pouring great sums of money into a campaign to defeat Ald. Burton Natarus. There’s only one reason: to claim a high-profile victory over someone who stood with Mayor Richard Daley to oppose the job-killing “big-box” ordinance.”

More information at –

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0702160309feb16,1,1838254.story

They continue the endorsement by saying that “Now here’s the odd thing: he agrees with Natarus that the big-box ordinance is a bad idea. So why would labor pour thousands of dollars into his campaign? To punish Natarus. That would be bad for Chicago. Natarus is endorsed.”

Alderman Natarus and challenger Reilly appeared on Chicago Tonight last night.

Two clips were posted to YouTube by “WeLoveBurt”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLQCHF_xrgc (10 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZROWVhyv4Ww (5 minutes)

There was a comment that the neighborhood does not have bus service to Ogden school. Free bussing existed in the past, but just this year the school district stopped providing bus service to the New Eastside neighborhood. New Eastside is in a big hole with no public school, also there is no local magnet or private school.
 
Natarus insisted that no one has “done more than me” in advocating for local eductional issues. He noted that the bond issue is done and they only need to let the contracts out to float the bonds to fund the Ogden school reconstruction and the construction of the new school in the New Eastside. Natarus insisted that the neighborhood will get back bus service.
 
Reilly stated that the bussing issue is a perfect sort of opportunity for the Alderman to step up and talk with the Chicago Public School system.
 
There was a question about whether the proposed pedway could introduce problems with flooding or attract homeless. The proposed pedways would be elevated, underneath the upper roadways, it would not be underground so there would be no issue with flooding. Regarding security, both candidates mentioned that keycards or other means could be used to restrict access to the buildings or to the pedway itself.
 
There was a suggestion that Northerly Island may be suitable for the Children’s Museum location. Natarus felt that the location is too remote. Reilly mentioned that the Museum Campus is probably a preferable location but that doesn’t work out, “why not?” consider Meigs Field (Northerly Island).
 
Someone commented about the noise levels at this past year’s Lollapalooza festival. Natarus said that he will try to keep a clamp on this; the city has noise laws and the environmental inspectors have to watch each event. The problem is that the department is small, it needs more inspectors who are able to come out at night. It was noted that the Lollapalooza festival was approved for four more years.
 
Finally, there were some more discussion about the neighborhood school. A charter member of GPAC said that according to a past meeting or meetings of GPAC, it was stated that the very first building of the Lakeshore East development would be the school. Natarus said that Magellan’s check is not enough for the school and that is has been in the CPS and City of Chicago’s court. However, now that Natarus has passed the bond issue, we can move forward with floating the bonds and getting the government portion of the funding to start construction.

The summary below is our write-up up from a NEAR meeting held last week which hosted two alderman candidates - Natarus and Reilly. We will publish the Natarus summary in an upcoming installment.

Reilly served with the state legislature for several years with the environment and energy committee in the hours. He is currently on unpaid leave of absence from AT&T where he is an executive. Reilly has lived in the 42nd ward for three and a half years and prior to that lived in River North for three years.
 
In his closing statements Reilly acknowledged Natarus’ long and distinguished career and that Natarus may have more powerful friends than he has.
 
He stated that the Alderman’s responsibility is the repond to all consituent concerns with specific answers. He promised to have regular office hours and said that he doesn’t believe phone calls to the Alderman’s office are currently being returned consistently.
 
He said that as part of his campaign he did not accept any contributions from developers, a challege he says that his opponent did not accept. Reilly believes he has creative ideas and further stated that he has won the endorsement from both the firefighters and police.

www.ReillyforChicago.com