THE PEOPLE P&PIR South Street Journal News for and serving: Grand Boulevard, Douglas, Oakland, Kenwood, Woodlawn, Washington Park, Hyde Park, Near South. Gao. Fuller Park Armour Sous Volumn 4 Number 5 February 28 - March 13„ 1997 esidenfs dismayed at Mid-South meetings Mayor's The State off the Washington Pk. Residents seeks Blue Ribbon Black Developers - outraged over Committee Empowerment Zone For over two years the fed­ million citywide,. Member [report alienates Meetineral Empowermeng reflectt Zones organization the bottom's of Mid Souts hou tdemolitio n at Troutman s meeting project has bexen looked at as say it's not enough. Bronzeville a major tool to rebuilt the Meetings throughout the Mid-South communi- city has address the "State of (Residents ties.The $100 million is to the Zone", from the West- Douglas- Approximately 80 people empower the people at the side to the South Side. | turned out for a report by Mayor Da- bottom of the economic The Community Work­ Iley's Blue Ribbon Committee on level to revitalize blighted shop onlxonomic Develop­ Bronzeville at the Illinois College of area through pubic/private ment JfcWED), a city wide Optometry auditorium on 32nd and In­ partnerships, using tax organization worked with diana in mid February. breads, loans and grants to organizations in winning the I The committee was appointed last low-income communities. national competitive award. lyear by the mayor to support commu- After meetings and meetings It has been part of the pro­ nity organizations initiatives in restor- the project has done a flip- cess for two years, providing Iing the "Bronzeville" community con- flop, favoring those at the technical assistance and fo­ jcept. However, many groups in the top, according to groups. cus implementing the pro­ Mid-South community questioned the- About $65 million remains ject with many of the organi­ I need for such a committee when many for distribution city wide for zations. (steps and plans have all ready been de- the next ten years. CWED held the First An­ jveloped. Suggestion were that the Mid-South which repre­ nual "State of the Zone Con­ fmayor follow the lead of the organiza­ sents 1/3 of the communities ference, January 31, 1997, at tions such as the Mid-South Planning population has been granted the University of Illinois in fand Development Commission's or approved for approxi­ Chicago. The following is File Photo |stragic plan for the area. mately $7 million to its or­ its summary CWED. Mayor Daley's Abandoned Building Pro­ The area bound f ( Moving ahead with the Mayor's ganizations of the total $34 (Continued on page 4) gram is one that 20th ward Alderman from 5.1st to 51st Street 'MM*. agenda, the meeting chaired by May- miiiir mil mmmmmmmmmmmm her efforts to stop the "Fast l rack demol- King Drive has lorai Assistant Charles Bowen opening FEDERAL EMPOWERMENT ZONE ishment of housing units in the Washing­ been indentified | the with a presentation by ton Park community. Above, residents of by the city offi­ jWalsh/Higgins Construction Firm on the area stand at one abandoned courtyard cials as the located at 6036. S. King Dr. It was demol­ Stragic Neighbor­ the development of the new Chicago , Z3 Police Headquarter (to replace 11th & ished early summer as part of the Mayor's hood Area. Plan (Q program and is an example of the 2/3 lost I State Street) to be constructed on the for the Washing­ of housing units in Washington Pk.. ton Park commu­ Icorners of 35th, Wabash and Michi- nity, which Aid. igan Ave. A demolition of businesses Washington Park -The Washington Park Troutman says is !(KFC, McDonalds and Docks) and community, is the last of the larger Mid- only the first {homes will take place, in the Spring of South Communities to get a major shot for phase of the (Continuedon page 13) redevelopment. The community bound from overal plan for [De Lai Salle 51st to 61st st«;et, Dan Ryan to Cottage the community Grove is number two in the city in demoli­ 61st Street Expansion finanicing tion of housing units, (2nd to neighboring questioned in community, Grand Blvd.) losing over 2/3 of Arenda Troutman (20),address redevelopment j the housing stock in the last ten years. In ad­ for the community. 1 Bronzeville Empowerment dition to the present lost it is expected by • Cecelia Butler president of the Washington According to the Chicago Sun- Zone funding 1999, Robert Taylor Homes B, located in Park Community Coalition called for the end } Time,Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997, the De area. Washington Park will add to the figure when of demolishing property in the Washington 1.West side La Salle Institute (catholic) 7 million threee building of 800 units will be demol­ Park community. "Because the city felt that | 2. Pilsen & ished on 53rd and State Street. they could take the property," stated Butler, dollar expansion program may be in Little Village At a community meeting, in mid February, at "They got demolition crazy, to the point off jeopardy. 3. Mid South Mayor Daley's former high Church of the Good Shelpherd about 150 resi-' /South side (Continued on page 4) J school is asking for tax-exempt bonds dents attended a meeting sponsored by Aid. to finance construction of a recreation center, computer laboratories, a li­ brary, and student non-religious areas. South Planning calls for moratorium on demolition The irony is that the mayor is ask­ atically eroded by the city's j Grand Boulevard - The greystpnes and brick single (MSPDC)is calling for a the City of Chicago. Charg­ ing the city to use tax-empt bonds to aggressive demolition pol- j Bronzeville Community is and multi-family buildings, moratorium on all demoli­ ing that this is one example •benefit a parochial school that will icy." stated a representative] home to not only well known architectural gemstones, tion in the community. of a salvageable structure save $ 150, 000 by issuance of the of the organization. Thej nationally landmarked build­ which make up the structural MSPDC voices its posi­ being torn from its founda­ bond. And opponents of the plan, in­ group joined by other organi­ ings, such as the Eighth regi­ fabric of this historic com­ tion at a press conference at tion. cluding the American Civil Liberty zations in the community; ment Armory and the Over­ munity. With this history the the building located at 4733 "The Bronzeville commu­ Union and City Council would like to stated that it is rumored that; ton Hygienic Building. It is Mid South Planning and De^- S. Michigan, which is cur­ nity's housing fabric is be­ see a separation of state and church. (Continued on page 4) also home, to thousands of velopment Commission rently being demolished by ing threatened, and system­ guaranteed retirement income for those workers who retired or were unable to work. Taxes •• . _ taken from working people's checks would help fund the MidSouth communities.With sectors must develop jobs by Frank Ottman new system to be called the So­ some SSI recipients having DEPARTMENT OF AC R CULTURE for those losing SSI priv- 97Staff 'Writer Th e Year everyone talked about, is here cial Security Afct of 1936. been unemployed for ten, iledges. Blacks and mi­ "No Welfare after two .FOOD COUPON norities should be tar­ When a working person twenty and thirty years, and DO NOT FOLD years,"said Wisconsin Gover­ reached retirement age at 65 or even others have no work 2i3. B0671937 OR SPINDLE geted for jobs. nor Thompson, "but get out before. Such a program would record at all. Several years before the and get a job or do without." save billions in the long run for . The United States govern­ stockmarket crash of This may be difficult for many citizens having to pay medical, ment has already stated sev­ 1929, humanitarian orga­ of 24,205 Supplemental Secu­ housing, and food costs for eral times that no job pro­ nizations, along with gov­ rity Income (SSI) people in Wage and Tax taking care of people no longer grams are available other ernment "think-tanks" of Chicago and almost 6,000 drug Statement college professors were than those presently imple­ r and alcohol recipients in the C6cy 1 Fo State, City, or LOCB' Tax Deportment (Continued on page 6) mented; and state and private drawing up plans for a Page 2 February 28 - March 13, 1997 South Street Journal ^L. Hyde Park/Kenwood Residents X*mmmm$k^ Wi^Sm meet to fight community Heart Killer City Wide Organization in Wood- Benefit Programs for Girl X, Hyde Park - Hyde Park and Kenwood residents, business owners Spearheaded by Woodlawn's and employees attended the American Heart Association of lawn says: Community Policing Metropolitan Chicago in hopes of reducing the incidence of the won't work without Beverly Reed area's number one killers- hear disease. In Chicago, cardiovascu­ Youth involvement" Woodlawn —-From the Westside, lar diseases accounted for more than 42% of all deaths in 1995 - south, north and east the city oi more than accidents, AIDS and all forms of cancer combined, said Woodlawn -"Youth must be included in Chicago rallied to the aid of Girl Chicago's Alternative Policing Strategy Hyde Park resident Almarie Wagner, executive director of the X, raising over $70,000 in a trust AHA of Chicago. The AHA is seeking to establish a Hyde Park (CAPS)" says Aaron Sumrall, a Wood- established at Illinois Federal lawn resident and program coordinator branch to bring cardiovascular disease prevention programs and Savings on 46th and King Drive.