Elevated Chicago at the Logan Square Blue Line: a Workplan for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development January 2019
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Elevated Chicago at the Logan Square Blue Line: A Workplan for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development January 2019 Opportunities & Challenges Displacement of people of color is not just occurring in Logan Square, but across the Chicago region. “What has made this neighborhood so wonderful for Displacement can be triggered by gentrification — when a long time,” says Christian Diaz of Logan Square rents and property taxes grow too high or too fast, making Neighborhood Association, “Is its diversity and immigrant homes and retail spaces unaffordable to community flavor.” Amongst the neighborhood’s many strengths, its residents and small businesses — but also by long-term longtime residents and businesses are some of its most disinvestment. In particular, many African American valuable. Many of them are working hard to preserve residents have left neighborhoods on the south and what has made the community unique. “We elevate the west sides that were once thriving communities but voices in our community,” says Diaz, “And make sure they that public and private investors ignored, exploited, or are at the table when we make decisions.” disinvested for decades. Gentrification and disinvestment, and the ensuing displacement, are neither accidental nor Unfortunately, those same residents’ ability to remain in natural, but the result of centuries of intentional, racially the place they’ve called home is under threat. The area motivated planning and development practices. Residents surrounding the Logan Square Blue Line stop is one of the still endure this legacy, as well as exclusion from city’s fastest-growing real estate markets. Between 2000 decisions that affect the future of their neighborhood. and 2015, more than 20,000 Latinos left the Logan Square community, many of them due to rising rents and property Thankfully, Logan Square’s strong community leaders and taxes. These trends have been expedited by developments organizations — which include the housing advocates, like the 606 “rails to trails” project, and luxury housing community organizers, and resource providers at Logan around transit stops that is not affordable for current Square Neighborhood Association, LUCHA, and Center for residents or suitable for larger families. Changing Lives, amongst others — are leading the charge to preserve affordability, prevent further displacement, and celebrate the arts and culture of the area’s established Latina/o residents. Hundreds of Logan Square residents participated in the March for Equity organized by Logan Square eHub partners on October 23, 2018. ELEVATED CHICAGO | Logan Square eHub 1 Elevated Chicago Other Community Tables include Green Line South, Pink Line California, and the Kedzie Corridor. All of them share Elevated Chicago is an innovative collaboration of with Logan Square visionary resident leaders, concerns community leaders and organizations, regional regarding the threat of displacement, catalytic projects, nonprofits and planning agencies, funders, public and programs led by community stakeholders, and the officials, and others, who have come together to create desire to see the region and its decision makers better a more racially equitable city and region. Its goals appreciate the neighborhood’s residents, assets, and include preventing further resident and business culture. displacement by helping to develop more prosperous, healthy and resilient communities. The initiative also aims to transform the power dynamics that determine how neighborhoods are built in Chicago. To accomplish this, we are using an approach called Equitable Transit Oriented Development, or eTOD. The City of Chicago’s Transit Oriented Development ordinance and policy make areas surrounding transit stops especially attractive for LUCHA’s Tierra Linda is an affordable development located near the 606 development: eTOD helps ensure that these news assets that includes Illinois’ first multi-family Passive Homes, developed to nurture sustainable and healthy living. and wealth will be enjoyed equitably by the area’s existing and longtime residents. In Logan Square, residents have already seen how inaccessible new amenities can be to longtime community members, as with luxury housing developments like MiCA, L, MODE, and Logan’s Crossing. eTOD helps ensure that the development taking place around transit will be enjoyed and owned by existing and longtime residents. Elevated Chicago has started its work around seven CTA stations, including Logan Square on the Blue Line. Elevated Chicago partners invest resources in programs and projects within the ½ mile radius circle around each station to advance racial equity in health, climate and cultural indicators. These transit-rich circles are called equitable hubs, or eHubs. The Workplan of Elevated Chicago for the Logan Square eHub is advanced by a Community Table led by Logan Square Neighborhood Association and LUCHA, in partnership with the Center for Changing Lives, and others. Logan Square Blue Line is one of four Community Table sites representing other community-based organizations and stakeholders. ELEVATED CHICAGO | Logan Square eHub 2 Making Our Workplan Happen in the Logan Additional strategies include building stronger Square Blue Line eHub relationships between longstanding and newer residents, through a campaign to transform “hearts and minds” Our Workplan for the Logan Square Blue Line in support of affordable housing and opposing further eHub includes a set of strategies to prevent further displacement. Neighborhood leaders are also pursuing an displacement and preserve the area’s long-established innovative cooperative model to ensure local ownership culture. These strategies rely upon one of the of homes. And a set of arts and cultural programs are neighborhood’s greatest strengths: Its people. They celebrating and preserving the area’s established culture, include working with residents, and across Elevated including the Faces of Logan Square street festival that Chicago’s sites, to advocate for policy changes that will featured stories of longtime Latina/o residents. The preserve affordability within and beyond Logan Square. Community Table has explored establishing the area as Youth participation is an important part of this work, an EcoDistrict, which would unify these strategies under drawing upon Logan Square Neighborhood Association’s a vision for a green, healthy, inclusive environment for all existing youth program, which engages young people residents. in urban planning and community-driven zoning. Says Christian Diaz, “When teens meet with developers and elected officials, it’s truly inspiring to see them in action.” Logan Square Neighborhood Association partnered with Chicago United for Equity (CUE) to train residents on how to apply a Racial Equity Impact Assessment to the Chicago Dept. of Transportation efforts to redesign the Logan square traffic circle. ELEVATED CHICAGO | Logan Square eHub 3 Logan Square Blue Line eHub Asset Map Logan Square – Blue Line Asset Map REV 11-29-2018 ILE /2 M 1 PUERTO RICAN 3 ARTS ALLIANCE W WELLINGTON AVE 1 AVE KEDZIE N 2 W MILWAUKEE AVE 90 2 1 2 W DIVERSEY AVE 3 A DILL PICKLE LOGAN CENTRAL PARK AVE PARK CENTRAL FOOD CO-OP C SQUARE FACES OF LOGAN SQUARE B Unity MURAL Park 6 F FARMER’S MARKET PASEO PRAIRIE OUTDOOR (MAY-OCT) COMMUNITY GARDEN Logan 4 W WRIGHTWOOD AVE Square Park W LOGAN BLVD 6 AVE SACRAMENTO N D N CALIFORNIA AVE CALIFORNIA N N KIMBALL AVE KIMBALL N 1 N KEDZIE BLVD KEDZIE N ALTGELD SAWYER 1 COMMUNITY GARDEN E C 4 GALLERY F 3 6 4 LOGAN SQUARE 5 Haas Park W FULLERTON AVE FARMER’S MARKET 7 5 INDOOR (NOV-MAR) 5 N DRAKE AVE DRAKE N PALMER SQUARE 1 MONTICELLO COMMUNITY GARDEN CALIFORNIA BOYS & GIRLS TO DOWNTOWN CLUB /LOOP Palmer 25-30 MIN ON CTA A B W PALMER ST Square Park HUMBOLDT PARK 7 METHODIST CHURCH Community, Arts + Culture Education Elevated Chicago – Projects in Capital Pipeline 1. Logan Square Neighborhood Association 1. Avondale-Logandale Elementary A. Community Land Trust (Diversey/North/California/Kostner) 2. Hairpin Art Center 2. Logandale Middle School B. Emmett Street Affordable Housing 3. Elastic Arts 3. ASPIRA Business & Finance HS C. Logan Square Bioswale 4. Comfort Station 4. Christopher House Preschool 5. Logan Square Public Library 5. Charles R. Darwin Public School 6. Logan Square Theater 6. Stepping Stones Nursery School Other Catalytic Projects / Investment 7. Inner City Impact 7. St. Sylvesters School Community, Arts + Culture Organization/Project A. Tierra Linda Passive House Development B. Community Garden – Drake Avenue Health-related Economic Development + Workforce C. Mega Mall Redevelopment D. Logan Square Bicentennial Improvements 1. Advocate Health Center 1. Logan Square Chamber of Commerce 2. Pro-Health Medical Center E. CTA owned-lot (2525 N Kedzie Blvd) 3. Angel Harvey Family Health Center F. Former Grace’s Furniture building (hotel planned) 4. Logan Square Health Center Affordable + Social Housing 5. Fullerton-Kedzie Medical Center 1. Woodbridge Nursing Pavilion 6. Five Point Holistic Health Grocery Store Green Space + Climate Resilient Infrastructure 1. Logan Square Park 5-MIN 10-MIN 15-MIN WALK 2. Kedzie Boulevard 3. Logan Boulevard Community Garden 0 1/4 MILE 1/2 MILE 3/4 MILE ELEVATED CHICAGO | Logan Square eHub 4 Priorities People — Programs that Engage Residents & Build Community Leadership & Ownership Across Elevated Chicago’s eHubs, residents have already participated in multiple planning efforts for which • Activation of Spaulding Plaza there was little implementation. Elevated Chicago