North Lawndale: A Survey of Existing Conditions AUGUST 2005
Special acknowledgements to Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Alderman Chandler and the 24th ward office, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, Lawndale Neighborhood Organization, and Lawndale Community Action for their time and assistance.
This work was funded by the Steans Family Foundation and Harris Bank. Purpose e PROJECT PARAMETERS North Lawndale, a community located on In order to develop a comprehensive inventory, parcel level data was collected in a defined study area. According l Chicago’s West Side, has long faced serious redevelopment challenges. Fortunately current data provided by the Cook County Assessor, there are 9,998 parcels in the entire North Lawndale today, as a result of tremendous community community. In order to have effective, reliable data, and given the resources available, MPC identified a smaller initiative and public investment, long overdue study area. The study area consists of the parcels located in census tracts 290900, 291000, 291100, 291200, neighborhood revitalization is underway. To 291300, 291800, 291900, 292000, 292100, 292200, 292300, 292400, 292500, 292600, and 292700. The refined aid these efforts, the Metropolitan Planning study area contains 7,295 da Council (MPC) conducted a comprehensive inventory of: land use, structure types, building parcels. Approximately heights, roof types, and vacancy of each parcel 7 percent or 511 parcels
n in a defined area of North Lawndale (see map located in the study area 1). Local community groups and residents were not logged due received training on the fundamentals of to difficulties matching zoning and development which they then employed while conducting the inventory. the physical on-street Community groups and residents collaborated address with Cook with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for County Assessor’s address Planning’s Full Circle Project and MPC for 2 listings. Thus, the data years to complete the comprehensive inventory. contained in this report is representative This inventory has created a tool for assessing current zoning and advancing community- of 6,724 parcels located in an area approximately based planning efforts that will encourage bound by Roosevelt Road to the North, Kedzie Avenue to the east, desirable development opportunities. This Cermak Road to the South, and Kostner Avenue to the west. report details the findings for each of the traits collected for the parcels in the study area. The Metropolitan Planning Council believes Throughout the inventory process residents needed for the planning process to strengthen that city residents, especially those confronting identified issues that illustrated a need for Ogden Avenue. Currently, the City of Chicago redevelopment challenges should understand redevelopment rather than challenges that is conducting a tax increment financing how zoning impacts their community. would mandate an immediate need for zoning (TIF) eligibility study. This analysis will help Outdated zoning that fails to reflect market changes in North Lawndale determine whether designating portions of realities can have deleterious impacts on The goal of promoting redevelopment was Ogden Avenue as a TIF district would be communities like North Lawndale that are repeated in North Lawndale’s Quality of Life advantageous to the community. Critical to trying to advance redevelopment efforts. For Plan, Faith Rewarded, which was completed in this analysis is parcel level data which will example, a community may suffer from vacant 2005. Through this planning effort, Lawndale help determine if the implementation of a storefronts because a market for retail in that residents identified the strengthening of TIF would advance development. Because of North Law area no longer exists. Zoning mandates that Ogden Avenue as Lawndale’s main commercial the North Lawndale community’s engaged such areas remain as a business or commercial street a primary objective towards improving residents who participated in the inventory use rather than allowing alternate uses that North Lawndale’s future. The comprehensive process, residents now have a tool for the market demands, like housing. North inventory can be used to support this communicating with their Alderman about Lawndale’s residents took a proactive approach community identified redevelopment effort, the assets they would like preserved or the to zoning by identifying community assets and many others, by providing residents, challenges they would like addressed in the and challenges during the inventory process. local officials and planners with the data redevelopment of Ogden Avenue. REPORT OF FINDINGS LAND USE e LAND USE 3000 l Within these boundaries, researchers 2500 identified land use as one of the following: education, government, healthcare, industrial, mixed use (commercial and residential), 2000 open/green space, parking lot or deck, religious, residential multifamily, residential da single family, vacant lot, or other. Residents 1500 are empowered by knowing the existing land uses which provides them with the information 1000
n needed to pursue community based initiatives. Of the 6,724 logged parcels over 2,000 multifamily dwellings were located within the 500 study area making it the most frequent land use in the study area. Vacant lots accounted for 2,317 parcels and the second most 0 Unlogged Commercial Education Government Healthcare Industrial Mixed Open/ Other Parking lot Religious Residential Residential Vacant lot frequent land use, while single family dwellings parcels commercial green or deck multi- single- and space family family accounted for 1,091 parcels making it the residential third most frequent land use (see the land use distribution chart at right and map on page 4). LAND USE DRILLDOWN VIEW, OUTLIERS OMITTED A significantly smaller proportion of 300 land uses found in the study area included commercial (158), mixed use (149), parking (128), industrial (76), other (70), religious 250 (64), open space (41), education (30), government (4) and healthcare (5) in rank order. See the drilldown view of the land use 200 chart at right.
150 Potential benefits of Land Use data: Land use can be helpful when considering zoning changes. Prior to changing 100 a properties zoning, planners must assess whether an unacceptable amount of non- conforming uses would be created. One key 50 variable in defining non-conformity is land use. Land use can also guide redevelopment efforts North Law 0 by identifying vacant parcels more readily Unlogged Commercial Education Government Healthcare Industrial Mixed Open/ Other Parking lot Religious available for redevelopment opportunities. For parcels commercial green or deck example, several adjacent vacant parcels can and space residential mark the site for a new housing development. North Lawndale L A N D
U
C
e
r S
m
a
Kostner Ave k E
R 1
6
d
t
h
S
t
R
o
o
s
e
v
e
l
t
R
d
Pulaski Rd C 0 r e a 0 t . e 0 O d 5 g
o d 0
n e .
: n 1 A J v u e n
e Central Park Blvd 1 7 0 t . h 2 , M 2 i 0 l
D
D e 0 s o
o 6
u
u
g
g
l
l
a
a
s
s
B
B
l
l
v
v
d
d P L L a a e r n g Homan Ave c d e e n l N H A O E U N s L U s t a r d o e n o t d u L t s h w u n a k t s d e o e c n - l n L y l & p r t a o g d o a h r I t w a g r C o n g i e o & l g f n s e u a e i n e t t l S r i o d t S d t o u u r o _ t a r o t u c O a i d C o r d i l a t s n y N h c l a e A o S a l r t e 2 r e a r 9 a v p . i p c L l e i A c a N b D l e U S E
Kedzie Ave L V T R R P O I M C R n
a a r zie Ave a Ked e e o e p i d e a dzie Av x Ke w c r s s m l e u n i e k a g
i i O n n s d d s i d e n i n d t o p e e r S r t g
a C g c u o i n n a p l i s r t t o L e a l F d i i a t a a m a o l c S
l l e t t e m i t S M o
u n e n i d u n r y l g c t A i l i A - e a f
a v l r - e f m & a e a m i R l y i e l y s i d e n t i a l Structure Type Roof Type e Structure types located within the study area STRUCTURE TYPE Roof types are boundaries are characterized as brick, frame identified as flat or ROOF TYPE l 3000 with other siding, frame with stucco, frame sloped and contribute 3500 with wood lap, greystone, and other basic to the character of the structure. According to the data collected, 2500 build environment of 3000 brick is the most frequently used structure a community. Much of material (2,589), followed by greystone the study area contains 2500 (1,100), frame with other siding (338), other 2000 structures with flat
da basic structure (37), frame with stucco (14), roofs. According to the and frame with wood lap (5). This data is data collected there 2000 illustrated in the chart at right and in a map on 1500 are 3,041 flat roofs and 1,141 sloped roofs in n page 6. 1500 Potential benefits of Structure the North Lawndale 1000 Type data: Structure type is a significant study area. The chart characteristic because it communicates the at right illustrates 1000 character of the built environment. This 500 this data and map data can be used as a guide to influence the attachment 3 spatially 500 character redevelopment efforts and as a depicts the distribution tool for preservation measures. The recently 0 of roof types. 0 introduced Greystone Initiative demonstrates Brick Frame w/ Frame w/ Frame w/ Greystone Other basic Potential other siding stucco wood lap structure Flat Sloped the value of knowing structure type within the benefits of Roof community. Type data: The North Lawndale community is in the process of drafting redevelopment design guidelines. GREYSTONE INITIATIVE Design guidelines are used to influence the shape and character of new development. Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS) recently announced a new Initiative designed to help Being able to identify the location of particular homeowners in Chicago’s North Lawndale community affordably rehab and preserve their 100-year-old greystones. roof designs will better allow community North Lawndale is home to nearly 2,000 greystones (includes larger community area), more than any other Chicago groups to tailor their guidelines. community. The Historic Chicago Greystone Initiative® will build community pride in place, stimulate reinvestment, increase homeownership, and promote property improvement throughout North Lawndale. North Law
North Lawndale S TRU C TURE
C
e
r
m
a
Kostner Ave k
R 1
6
d
t
h
S
t
TY P E
R
o
o
s
e
v
e
l
t
R
d
Pulaski Rd C 0 r e a 0 t . e 0 O d 5 g
o d 0
n e .
: n 1 A J v u e n
e Central Park Blvd 1 7 0 t . h 2 , M 2 i 0 l
D
D e 0 s o
o 6
u
u
g
g
l
l
a
a
s
s
B
B
l
l
v
v
d
d S L t e r u g c e e man Av t Ho u n O G F F F B N V L r a r r a a e r o t r d a a i h w e r c c t T m m m e a y k L n y r s n e e e d o ( p t B t 2 g a o w w w e L 5 a g l n e i i i o 8 s e e t t t h h h t 9 i S d c ( ( ) w s o 1 t 2 o S u 1 t t 2 o r u h d t 0 2 r o c N e y u 0 8 d c r o A c ) ) o s t l t r a u i e ( a d p r 1 a p e i 4 n ( p 5 ) g ( l 3 i ) c ( 7 3 a ) 3 b 8 l e ) F Kedzie Ave Kedzie Ave Kedzie Ave O g d e n A v e Building Height Vacancy Status e Traditionally, the estimated High commercial and residential vacancies height of a building is NUMBER OF STORIES are traditional indicators of a community facing l calculated from the number 2500 economic development challenges. The vacancy of stories. For residential status of structures in the study area was recorded as structures, each story is occupied, partially equivalent to10 feet and for 2000 occupied, vacant ground floor retail, the first VACANCY STATUS at ground level, or level is generally equivalent 4500 vacant building.
da to 12 feet. An overwhelming 1500 Out of the 6,724 majority of the structures are 4000 parcels surveyed, between 1 and 4.5 stories tall 4,332 have a 3500 or 10 to 47 feet tall. According
n recorded vacancy to the data, 2,253 structures 1000 status. The study 3000 located within the study area area contained boundaries are 2 stories high 84 parcels 2500 or 20 to 22 feet tall. 2,023 500 with structures structures are 2.5 stories or 25 2000 that had an to 27 feet tall, 507 structures undetermined are 1 story tall or 10 to 12 feet 1500 0 vacancy status. Of tall, 491 structures are 1.5 or 1 story 1.5 stories 2 stories 2.5 stories 3 stories 3.5 stories 4 stories 4.5 stories the determined 15 to 17 feet tall, 255 structures 1000 vacancies 3,945 are 3 stories tall or 30 to 32 structures were 500 feet tall, 251 structures are 3.5 significant variable for two reasons. First, for reported as or 35 to 37 feet tall, 184 structures are 4 the same reason land use helps to avoid non- occupied, 226 0 stories or 40 to 42 feet tall, and 4 structures conforming uses when undertaking a zoning Vacant Occupied Mixed use- Partially were reported are 4.5 stories or 45 to 47 feet tall. The map change, building height is also one of the buildings buildings vacant at vacant, as vacant, 41 ground partially on page 8 and the building height chart significant variables to consider in that structures were level occupied above illustrate the distribution of this data calculation. Second, height is an important vacant at the spatially and graphically. factor when determining the appropriate ground level, and 36 were reported as partially Potential benefits of Building scale of new development and assisting in vacant/partially occupied. See the chart above and Height data: Building height is another the drafting of redevelopment guidelines. the map on page 9 for a detailed representation of this data. Potential benefits of Vacancy data: Vacancy data can be used by community development organizations to identify areas to target for new commercial development or potential change of uses. For example, If a large portion of ground floor retail is vacant along a particular North Law street, the Alderman and community groups could consider a zoning change to allow residential in that area. North Lawndale B UI L DI
C N
e
r
m
a G
Kostner Ave k
R 1
6
d
t
h HEIGHT
S
t
R
o
o
s
e
v
e
l
t
R
d
Pulaski Rd C 0 r e a 0 t . e 0 O d 5 g
o d 0
n e .
: n 1 A J v u e n
e Central Park Blvd 1 7 0 t . h 2 , M 2 i 0 l
D
D e 0 s o
o 6
u
u
g
g
l
l
a
a
s
s
B
B
l
l
v
v
d
d
N L an Ave e m u Ho g m e b n 1 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 N V L e 1 - a a o d 1 1 1 1 1 w r c t o / / / / 0 a 2 2 2 2 n L r o n d o m f t a g L o S l g e o r e e t t S d o ( t 2 o u r 2 r i d 2 e N y 8 s o A ) t r e a a p p l i c a b l e
Kedzie Ave Kedzie Ave Kedzie Ave O F g d e n A v e North Lawndale VA C A NC
C
e
r
m Y
a
Kostner Ave k
R 1 S
6
d
t
h
S TATU
t S
R
o
o
s
e
v
e
l
t
R
d
Pulaski Rd C 0 r e a 0 t . e 0 O d 5 g
o d 0
n e .
: n 1 A J v u e n
e Central Park Blvd 1 7 0 t . h 2 , M 2 i 0 l
D
D e 0 s o
o 6
u
u
g
g
l
l
a
a
s
s
B
B
l
l
v
v
d
d V L a e c g
a e e Homan Av n n O C P V V V N L c a a a a a a o c d w c c c y r c n t t a a a u i n n L a n n n S p o d o l t t t l i t a g y t e a B L l D g a d e O t o u e e t t t ( S i d c u h t l 3 ( d e c e t 2 8 s o u i r u n 2 9 m r g d p g 2 0 N y r i i e 8 o n ) ( o A d 2 ) u e t 2 r n ( e ( a 0 d 3 8 a p ) 5 7 l p e ) ) l v i c e a l b ( 4 l e 1 ) F Kedzie Ave Kedzie Ave Kedzie Ave O g d e n A v e Future Opportunities e The data collected and the maps presented as residents remain engaged in renewing are available through CMAP’s Full Circle community life in North Lawndale. Whether l database; they can be accessed at www.fulcir. there is a need to update zoning or promote net/FC/Index.htm (Please contact CMAP a community based planning effort, the for login and user name). This database can comprehensive inventory provides a powerful be viewed and updated as needed providing living document that enables the North information on current realities and aid the Lawndale community to collaborate with redevelopment process; it can continue to local officials and influence the shape of their
da aid the direction of development as long community for years to come. n About MPC The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) was founded in 1934 as the Metropolitan necessary for a world-class Chicago region. Housing Council, an association of business MPC conducts policy analysis, outreach, and and civic leaders committed to developing advocacy in partnership with public officials quality affordable housing and revitalizing and community leaders to improve economic Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods. Seventy- vitality, equity of opportunity and quality of life one years later, MPC continues to be a throughout metropolitan Chicago. MPC works nonprofit, nonpartisan group of business and in several interrelated areas of community civic leaders committed to serving the public development: housing, sensible growth, urban interest, but its mission has expanded to redevelopment, education and tax policy, and include the promotion and implementation transportation. Visit www.metroplanning.org of sensible planning and development policies for more information.
About CMAP The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) was created recently to integrate planning for land use and transportation in the seven counties of serious implications for transportation, North Law northeastern Illinois. Metropolitan Chicago housing, economic development, open will have an additional 2 million residents space, the environment, and natural and 1.2 million jobs by 2030, and CMAP is resources. See www.cmap.illinois.gov for 10 developing strategies to address this growth’s more information.