Naturally we were concerned to read Karen Kennedy's open letter to Ald. Tom
Tunney concerning Center on Halsted [WCT May 28, 2003]. Through a two-year
community needs assessment and planning phase, we identified many of the
same concerns that she raised. To clarify, we want all to be aware of the following:
1) The land for Center on Halsted was not 'a gift.' The City holds a $2.74 million
mortgage on the property, the repayment of which is included in the overall financial
plan of the Center.
2) The redevelopment agreement under which the property was acquired requires
first-floor retail occupancy. We expect this will amount to about 10% of the total
number of square feet in the Center. Retail tenants will pay a tax on the value of their
leases comparable to what other businesses pay in property tax, and therefore they
will not be in unfair competition with other neighborhood businesses.
3) The dearth of parking already confronting Lakeview was a major concern. The
Center proposes to convert the largely unused and unattractive expanse of concrete
on the south side of LeMoyne School property (along Addison between Reta and
Fremont) into a parking lot for use by teachers and school staff at no cost, residents
of the neighborhood, customers of neighborhood businesses, and visitors and staff
of the Center. This will create about 135 parking spaces and add attractive fencing,
as well as more than three dozen trees. Under our proposal, the parking would be
controlled by Chicago Public Schools and operated by a parking operator they will
select. In addition to the parking, a real playground for the students and
neighborhood will be created. The funding to make this possible will come from the
redirection of a large portion of funds already committed to the Center by the City of
Chicago and by the Northalsted Area Merchants Association.
4) The Center is seeking to meet its parking requirement through this arrangement
with the school, and the financial arrangement would provide for the repayment of
the Center's mortgage referred to above, in exchange for the redirection of City grant
funds. Parking consultants tell us the lot's capacity will be adequate to meet the
various demands, in part because usage from different audiences will come at
different times. At peak usage times, the parking capacity can be significantly
improved by valet assistance.
5) The proposal has been developed with the enthusiastic support of the school
because it generates a source of considerable additional funding for the school for
the foreseeable future and also creates green space and playground space badly
wanted in the neighborhood. There is no ongoing financial benefit to Center on
Halsted from the arrangement.
Ms. Kennedy and others have suggested that it would be better for the Center's
parking requirement to be accommodated in an on-site garage, as was considered
in some of the initial discussion about the Center. The options to accomplish that
goal, however, are unfeasible from a financial and construction standpoint and
would result in the substitution of parking spaces for programs and services the
community has said it needs and wants. The parking solution we are proposing
creates at least 50% more parking than could be built beneath the Center at about
20% of the cost AND it generates long-term benefit for another important community
institution.
We are grateful that plans for Center on Halsted continue to receive the support of
all the appropriate public officials and agencies, as well as the support of many
organizations and individuals in the community.
We look forward to the long-held dream, for an LGBT community center coming to
fruition.
Morris L. Floyd, Project Director,
Center on Halsted
