City of Chicago Mckinley Park Neighborhood Plan

City of Chicago McKinley Park Neighborhood Plan January 2021 Acknowledgements Steering Committee Special thanks to: Tony Adams, McKinley Park Development Council Alderman Patrick D. Thompson, 11th Ward John Belcik, McKinley Park Development Council Alderman George Cardenas, 12th Ward Dayna Calderon, McKinley Park Development Council Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya, 7th District Amber Cicotte, Resident State Representative Theresa Mah, 2nd District Vernalynne De La Rosa, Midwest Asian Health Association Mario Diaz, McKinley Park Development Council Project Partners Billy Drew, 12th Ward Independent Precinct Organization Center for Neighborhood Technology Liliana Escarpita, 12th Ward Alderman George A. Cardenas Chicago Department of Planning and Development Kelly Fitzpatrick, 11th Ward Alderman Patrick D. Thompson McKinley Park Development Council Kensen Lam, McKinley Park Community Church Active Transportation Alliance Mayra Lopez-Zuñiga, State Representative Theresa Mah (2nd District) Chicago Transit Authority Beata Skorusa, Business Owner Chicago Department of Transportation Marya Spont-Lemus, Resident Metropolitan Planning Council Irene Lopez-Santoyo, 7th District Cook County Commissioner Regional Transportation Authority Alma Anaya Nurys Uceta Ramos, Chicago Public Schools, Network 5: McKinley Park Funding Acknowledgement This project was supported through the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s (CMAP) Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, which is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and the Chicago Community Trust. CMAP would like to thank these funders for their support for this project. Unless otherwise specified, all photos are by CMAP staff. Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 8. Create a Resilient Community Chapter 2. A Vision for McKinley Park Chapter 9. Implementation Chapter 3. Preserve Neighborhood Diversity Appendix Chapter 4. Promote Equitable Transit-Oriented Development A. Key Intersection Improvement Concepts Chapter 5. Revitalize Commercial Corridors B. Executive summary Chapter 6. Modernize the Central Manufacturing District C. Existing Conditions Report Chapter 7. Enhance and Expand Parks and Recreational Opportunities D. Outreach Activities and Results 3 Chapter 1 Introduction Organization of the Plan This Plan is a distillation of CMAP’s research, findings, and recommendations for Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood. The McKinley Park Neighborhood Plan presents a The plan is organized into the following chapters: framework for future decision-making rooted in the • Executive Summary community’s vision. It is the result of two years of • Chapter 1. Introduction work led by the McKinley Park Development Council • Chapter 2. A Vision for McKinley Park (MPDC), Chicago Department of Planning and • Chapter 3. Preserve Neighborhood Diversity Development (DPD), and the Chicago Metropolitan • Chapter 4. Promote Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Agency for Planning (CMAP) with McKinley Park’s • Chapter 5. Revitalize Commercial Corridors residents, business and property owners, workers, and • Chapter 6. Modernize the Central Manufacturing District community leaders. • Chapter 7. Enhance and Expand Parks and Recreational Opportunities Located on the southwest side of Chicago, McKinley • Chapter 8. Create a Resilient Community Park is less than five miles from Chicago’s Loop. For • Chapter 9. Implementation this planning effort, MPDC chose the planning area • Appendix A. Key Intersection Improvement Concepts boundaries defined by the McKinley Park Chicago • Appendix B. Existing Conditions Report Community Area, with the exception of its south • Appendix C. Outreach Activities and Results boundary, which is extended south to the rail corridor to include Chicago’s Central Manufacturing District Each of the bolded chapters represents a goal. Each chapter includes a vision statement, highlights of key findings, and a set of recommendations (CMD). The CMD was the first planned manufacturing followed by an implementation table that provides a description of actions district in the United States and one of the largest to be undertaken. Appendix A provides conceptual drawings for potential industrial parks in the world. It includes two CTA improvements at six key intersections in the study area. Appendix B is Orange Line stations (35th and Archer, and Halsted) the Existing Conditions Report, an interim deliverable for this plan that summarizes current conditions in the area at the outset of the planning that serve the neighborhood; three main commercial process and identifies issues and opportunities for the plan to address. corridors: the Archer Avenue, Ashland Avenue, and Appendix C includes summaries of all the outreach activities and results 35th Street; and the South Branch of the Chicago River. throughout the process. | Introduction 5 McKinley Park’s Need for a Neighborhood Plan Planning Process McKinley Park is a working-class neighborhood located on Chicago’s In early 2018, MPDC began a community-driven process to create their southwest side. Throughout its long history, McKinley Park has served first ever neighborhood plan as part of CMAP’s Local Technical Assistance as an important industrial job center. Its strong transportation network (LTA) program. The process to create this plan included multiple steps and proximity to the South Branch of the Chicago River speak to the that were undertaken over approximately two years. The planning neighborhood’s history as a thriving industrial center. Today, McKinley process was crafted with assistance from MPDC, DPD, and the Center Park’s location continues to play an important role. Its proximity to for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), and was designed to include input multimodal transportation options, parks and open space, as well as from residents, stakeholders, and business owners throughout. This plan regional economic centers bolster its potential as a desirable location for outlines the community’s shared vision and defines policies and steps to residential and commercial investment. However, like many neighborhoods help achieve that vision. in Chicago, McKinley Park wrestles with reduced housing affordability, disinvested corridors, and unattractive vacancies. McKinley Park has never had its own plan to guide development in ways that align with community priorities. The neighborhood plan presents a unified vision of what the community aspires to be and provides a roadmap to achieve that vision. This vision of what could be is what inspired MPDC to produce a neighborhood plan that builds upon the community’s valuable assets, as well as past and current planning efforts, to complement and continue these endeavors. While the focus of the plan is McKinley Park, the plan also acknowledges planning activities in adjacent communities, including Pilsen, Bridgeport, Back of the Yards, and Brighton Park. Key areas of emphasis for the plan include, but are not limited to, equitable transit-oriented development, revitalization of commercial corridors, modernization of the CMD, as well as climate resilience. 6 McKinley Park Neighborhood Plan Figure 1. McKinley Park Area Study Context Community Engagement One of the primary goals of the Neighborhood Plan planning process was to fully and effectively engage the community. McKinley Park is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse communities in the City of Chicago. To provide mechanisms for meaningful outreach in such a diverse community, CMAP staff devised a public outreach strategy with MPDC and the steering committee to execute several approaches for public participation. The project team used one-on-one confidential interviews, steering committee meetings, a focus group, listening meetings, and an interactive online survey, and also attended several events and meetings in the community. The outreach efforts had five major goals: 1. Engage a broad representation of the community in the planning process. 2. Educate the community about the purpose of the project. 3. Garner public input on key issues and opportunities for McKinley Park. 4. Create a shared vision for McKinley Park. 5. Build community capacity to implement the plan. | Introduction 7 Outreach Results More than 820 residents and stakeholders have contributed their input since the start of the formal planning process. Overall, participants held many of the same concerns and generally expressed the desire to build upon the many assets of the neighborhood. Most participants want to maintain the industrial heritage of the neighborhood but also expressed health and nuisance concerns related to those uses. The new asphalt plant rose as a major concern related to environmental quality and highlighted the need for improved transparency in the development approval process. The community envisions a new direction for industrial uses and sees public engagement in the development process essential to realizing that vision. Longtime residents reported their desire to preserve the close-knit and diverse culture that exists in their community. Gentrification and displacement were identified as priority concerns, and residents stressed the importance of preserving housing affordability to combat displacement. Stakeholders mentioned the need to support local businesses, particularly along 35th Street, and prioritize economic development along main Headline commercial corridors. Safety

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