The November 2024 election...... not going to happen.......will be cancelled.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
95th Street Business Strip
It's been a year and I have kept my opinion to myself despite having to look at it everyday. So I guess I will put the question out there. What should be done about the 95th street business strip?
nothing has been done, nothing will be done. the borders books building was the most shortsighted project in history. at the time the deal was inked, most analyst were predicting the end of the "bookstore" as we know it. something called amazon. yet borders was able to raid the tif for an incredible sum. we are holding the bag.
The 95th Street business strip will remain an eyesore and an economic drain. Without adequate parking, security and lighting no worthwhile business is going to invest on 95th Street. Look at the the announced Wishbone Restaurant deal to take over the old Chicago Public Library property for free. That deal was all bullshit. They couldn't even give the place away with city tiff money, yet our leaders make a big announcement touting the deal. The only way to make 95th Street attractive to first class establishments is to grant liquor licenses to fine dinning establishments or beer and wine licenses to very well run places like Portillo's. Unfortunately, this will never happen for fear of these places being overrun by the black folks, which is ironic because now all you are attracting is poorly run black owned businesses catering to black folks who don't even live in our neighborhood.
The folks who run the convenience store on 95th and Leavitt seem to be very nice people, but someone should suggest to them that they are located in Beverly not Englewood. The storefront is very dated, the parking lot is always a mess, their store carries mainly generic brands and the store is always in disarray and lacks any semblance of a clean feel. They have a great location and a built in client base so they really ought to put something back into their business to make it more presentable to our neighborhood. Every time I go there I feel like I have to wash my hands after I leave because all the products feel sticky.
You will be hard pressed to get any quality business without giving them a break on everything. You have o lousy parking to many old buildings that were never kept in good condition. You have a city that is not business friendly. The street and center lane is in very poor condition. That's a state job too. Good luck with that one. You need a real business savy investment group to look at this not some light weight BAPA getting in the way.
nobody will tell you the truth but the old 95th st, Borders is on line to be a out patient clinic for alcholics and drug abusers and my babys daddie mamas, O,shea wont tell you the facts but then again you voted him in didnt you...
It probably doesnt matter because most of us don't use the local businesses around here already....if we frequented the local businesses more,,,we would have a nicer business district....i have to admit I have not frequented our locals as i should...
For Men Junior,Lyon Healy,Sears Catalog,Sobbes,Sommers Hardware,Snookums Smart Shop,Jerome Fabric,Custom Travel,Chicken Unlimited,Baskin Robbins,T-Jay Lamp Shop, what a great group of stores and Jack the cop made everyone feel comfortable what a shame.
I have always loved Beverly and lived here most of my life but in the past few years it seems to be going downhill. Crime on Western and 95th St as well as the hoodie culture jumping local kids for their ipods and cell phones. I hate to say it but in the words of the Rev Wright - "chickens have come home to roost". I personally do not feel any superior if my neighber is of a different ethnicity than myself - especially when those who may look different in the mirror - look pretty much the same on the 1040 tax form. Outside people seem to be having a field day in our ward - and sorry but the police in the 22nd Dist really are pathetic. The only ones who seem to care are the ones who actually live around here. Add to that a media who now will blatantly refuse to give the facts regarding who the suspects are - it is infuriating! I do not want to put my kids at risk just to cater to the PC crowd. I never thought I would say it but I would seriously consider moving out of the area.
It is difficult to lay blame on the police when they get penalized for doing their jobs. The only Police who are actually making a difference are those who work in specialized units and are required to make meaningful arrests in order to stay in those units. It makes no sense for Police Officers to go out of their way to do their jobs when they are subject to disciplinary action, termination, civil lawsuits and criminal charges. The bad guys all knows this so they are no longer afraid of the Police. Rahm doesn't have a goddam clue about how to stop the crime, especially the shootings. He is out there holding bullshit press conferences when our Police Department is understaffed by 2000 officers and all he really cares about is taking care of his wealthy contributers. I guess we should all be thankful for the Chicago Police Officers who do actually live around here and care. Unfortunately, we do now have tons of retired Police Officers who used live here who are leaving the city in droves because of the crime.
I understand that there are now alot of rules that work against the police - I do not however think it is "going out of their way" to RESPOND to calls placed by citizens.....this has been going on for years in the 22nd Dist - long before Rahm got in office. I could cite countless examples of ridiculously poor response times - and examples of repeated calls with NO response at all ! We are not stupid either and we are sick of the situation....if you are a cop and that is your attitude - then maybe you need to pick a new line of work - The 22nd Dist has a LONG reputation for this crap and frankly I am sick of seeing four or six cops lounging around in 7-11 for LONG periods of time...we have eyes and we can see....
What you people do not understand is how understaffed the police department is right now. I used to work in city and county government and understand what the city has done.
For years the city would budget about 13,000 police on the annual budget. I believe it is still about that. They have less than 9,000 of the 13,000 actually colleting a paycheck. Of the 9,000, how many are on disability for legitimate reasons and how many have succeeded in falling down on the job to stay on disability for the remainder of their 30 years.
The balance between 13,000 and 9,000 is overtime and the city can do what ever they want with the money on the vacant positions.. I know, the county used to do that and I bet the state does to.
I think the police department does a great job considering the constraints imposed. A few years ago back a lovely black gentleman broke into a few house in Beverly and stole items from each house. Thanks to a fingerprint retrieved form one house they traced it back to the guy who actually did the burglary jobs. They sent him back to Stateville so he could serve 10% of his new sentence.
You’d be shocked if you heard on a typical Saturday night the back log of assignments the police have while ALL the cars in 22 are either in Brainerd or in the station on arrest paper. If there are cops hanging out at 7-11 it sure isn’t when there is a backlog.
Tell you the truth with all the “senseless shooting of the black kiddies we see on TV week after week. Why not pull the police out of the high crime areas and let them all kill each other. As the Miami police called the 1980’s drug war down there….”A self cleaning oven”.
The gang bangers are today’s success stories from President Johnson’s Great Society programs anyway. If we never had these programs the mothers would never of had the babies to get a check for $1,000 a month until the kid is 18 and functionally illiterate.
Lois Weber retired for the same reasons most people do. She's in her 60s, is a grandmother, and worked at her job since the 1980s. Why does there have to be a story in that? Her retirement was age appropriate for a person who put in at least 25 good years at her job. Stop stirring the pot.
went by the closed BORDERS today and saw a shine called mr, CURTIS with his one man band ,drum, harmonica and wash board sitting in doorway grinning to beat the band, pun intended, my how my beverly has changed over the years, bring on the shit,
Living right off 95th St is depressing. I have lived in Beverly for 35 years and in my present home for 16. I love it here. I have great neighbors who would do anything to help each other out. However, the crime in the area has always been a PC matter. No one will publicly discuss the fact that probably 99% of the crime that occurs is by outsiders who come here looking for an easy way to steal a buck. It is certainly not the people who live here that are committing the crime. In the past two weeks there have been two armed robberies. We have had our catalytic convertor stolen off our car right in front of the house. The tires were almost stolen off a neighbor's car a month ago but for someone who woke up and saw the crime in progress and called the police. I witnessed the copper downspouts being stolen off the old library and called the cops. A friend had the copper downspouts stolen off her house in the middle of the night. As someone mentioned, kids bikes are routinely taken away from them, again by folks who don't live here. I am tired of it all. I am also afraid that some monstrosity of a church is going to go into Borders. If that happens, I am gone. When I go to suburbs like LaGrange and see their main shopping street on LaGrange Ave has such a nice variety of shops, restaurants and even a movie theater I could cry. There is plenty of potential here but people are probably afraid that they will be robbed. Members of my family worked at the old Borders and the shoplifting was disgusting! I can't begin to tell you what the answer is but I am not too hopeful. At the risk of being called a name, we could always put a wall up at the east end of 95th.
This is the edited version of our 19th Ward Business District. I have numerous other photos of blighted stores. Very Sad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvtt2l9gnfA
nothing has been done, nothing will be done. the borders books building was the most shortsighted project in history. at the time the deal was inked, most analyst were predicting the end of the "bookstore" as we know it. something called amazon. yet borders was able to raid the tif for an incredible sum. we are holding the bag.
ReplyDeleteindoor flea market
ReplyDeleteCash For Gold
ReplyDeleteAfrican Hair Braiding
Harold's Chicken #428
Church
Liquor Store
They have a big for sale sign in front of the old Chesterfield Savings at 108 th and Western. I'm afraid they will sell it to whomever comes along.
ReplyDeleteThe 95th Street business strip will remain an eyesore and an economic drain. Without adequate parking, security and lighting no worthwhile business is going to invest on 95th Street. Look at the the announced Wishbone Restaurant deal to take over the old Chicago Public Library property for free. That deal was all bullshit. They couldn't even give the place away with city tiff money, yet our leaders make a big announcement touting the deal. The only way to make 95th Street attractive to first class establishments is to grant liquor licenses to fine dinning establishments or beer and wine licenses to very well run places like Portillo's. Unfortunately, this will never happen for fear of these places being overrun by the black folks, which is ironic because now all you are attracting is poorly run black owned businesses catering to black folks who don't even live in our neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThe folks who run the convenience store on 95th and Leavitt seem to be very nice people, but someone should suggest to them that they are located in Beverly not Englewood. The storefront is very dated, the parking lot is always a mess, their store carries mainly generic brands and the store is always in disarray and lacks any semblance of a clean feel. They have a great location and a built in client base so they really ought to put something back into their business to make it more presentable to our neighborhood. Every time I go there I feel like I have to wash my hands after I leave because all the products feel sticky.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody know why Lois Weber left after 25 years as Executive Director of the 95th Street Merchant's Assoc. Was she forced out or did she retire?
ReplyDeleteOff Topic: Has anybody heard of a spanish/white gang hanging out at Mount Greenwood park recruiting kids? Policemen living in the area have any info?
ReplyDeleteMuffler Shop,Used Tires,Auto Glass/Side View Mirriors,and a chirro cart
ReplyDeleteGin and Jazz Night Club
ReplyDeleteLandscaper's Union Hall Local Union Juan Two Tree
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteYou will be hard pressed to get any quality business without giving them a break on everything. You have o
ReplyDeletelousy parking to many old buildings that were never kept in good condition. You have a city that is not business friendly. The street and center lane is in very poor condition. That's a state job too. Good luck with that one. You need a real business savy investment group to look at this not some light weight BAPA getting in the way.
nobody will tell you the truth but the old 95th st, Borders is on line to be a out patient clinic for alcholics and drug abusers and my babys daddie mamas, O,shea wont tell you the facts but then again you voted him in didnt you...
ReplyDeleteIt probably doesnt matter because most of us don't use the local businesses around here already....if we frequented the local businesses more,,,we would have a nicer business district....i have to admit I have not frequented our locals as i should...
ReplyDeletePerhaps when Fran Hurley and Bill Cunningham take office they will be able to secure enough taxpayer dollars to open up a Planned Parenthood.
ReplyDeleteGone are the times when they kept the furs in the windows overnight at Himmels.
ReplyDeleteHow about another day care center for preschoolers. Of course funded by the state for people and their kids who don't even live in the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the state pay for those places?
For Men Junior,Lyon Healy,Sears Catalog,Sobbes,Sommers Hardware,Snookums Smart Shop,Jerome Fabric,Custom Travel,Chicken Unlimited,Baskin Robbins,T-Jay Lamp Shop, what a great group of stores and Jack the cop made everyone feel comfortable what a shame.
ReplyDeleteLois Weber was forced out. It was a disgrace the way that woman was treated.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved Beverly and lived here most of my life but in the past few years it seems to be going downhill. Crime on Western and 95th St as well as the hoodie culture jumping local kids for their ipods and cell phones. I hate to say it but in the words of the Rev Wright - "chickens have come home to roost". I personally do not feel any superior if my neighber is of a different ethnicity than myself - especially when those who may look different in the mirror - look pretty much the same on the 1040 tax form. Outside people seem to be having a field day in our ward - and sorry but the police in the 22nd Dist really are pathetic. The only ones who seem to care are the ones who actually live around here. Add to that a media who now will blatantly refuse to give the facts regarding who the suspects are - it is infuriating! I do not want to put my kids at risk just to cater to the PC crowd. I never thought I would say it but I would seriously consider moving out of the area.
DeleteIt is difficult to lay blame on the police when they get penalized for doing their jobs. The only Police who are actually making a difference are those who work in specialized units and are required to make meaningful arrests in order to stay in those units. It makes no sense for Police Officers to go out of their way to do their jobs when they are subject to disciplinary action, termination, civil lawsuits and criminal charges. The bad guys all knows this so they are no longer afraid of the Police. Rahm doesn't have a goddam clue about how to stop the crime, especially the shootings. He is out there holding bullshit press conferences when our Police Department is understaffed by 2000 officers and all he really cares about is taking care of his wealthy contributers. I guess we should all be thankful for the Chicago Police Officers who do actually live around here and care. Unfortunately, we do now have tons of retired Police Officers who used live here who are leaving the city in droves because of the crime.
DeleteI understand that there are now alot of rules that work against the police - I do not however think it is "going out of their way" to RESPOND to calls placed by citizens.....this has been going on for years in the 22nd Dist - long before Rahm got in office. I could cite countless examples of ridiculously poor response times - and examples of repeated calls with NO response at all ! We are not stupid either and we are sick of the situation....if you are a cop and that is your attitude - then maybe you need to pick a new line of work - The 22nd Dist has a LONG reputation for this crap and frankly I am sick of seeing four or six cops lounging around in 7-11 for LONG periods of time...we have eyes and we can see....
DeleteWhat you people do not understand is how understaffed the police department is right now. I used to work in city and county government and understand what the city has done.
DeleteFor years the city would budget about 13,000 police on the annual budget. I believe it is still about that. They have less than 9,000 of the 13,000 actually colleting a paycheck. Of the 9,000, how many are on disability for legitimate reasons and how many have succeeded in falling down on the job to stay on disability for the remainder of their 30 years.
The balance between 13,000 and 9,000 is overtime and the city can do what ever they want with the money on the vacant positions.. I know, the county used to do that and I bet the state does to.
I think the police department does a great job considering the constraints imposed. A few years ago back a lovely black gentleman broke into a few house in Beverly and stole items from each house. Thanks to a fingerprint retrieved form one house they traced it back to the guy who actually did the burglary jobs. They sent him back to Stateville so he could serve 10% of his new sentence.
You’d be shocked if you heard on a typical Saturday night the back log of assignments the police have while ALL the cars in 22 are either in Brainerd or in the station on arrest paper. If there are cops hanging out at 7-11 it sure isn’t when there is a backlog.
Tell you the truth with all the “senseless shooting of the black kiddies we see on TV week after week. Why not pull the police out of the high crime areas and let them all kill each other. As the Miami police called the 1980’s drug war down there….”A self cleaning oven”.
The gang bangers are today’s success stories from President Johnson’s Great Society programs anyway. If we never had these programs the mothers would never of had the babies to get a check for $1,000 a month until the kid is 18 and functionally illiterate.
What a different world today would be.
Lois Weber retired for the same reasons most people do. She's in her 60s, is a grandmother, and worked at her job since the 1980s. Why does there have to be a story in that? Her retirement was age appropriate for a person who put in at least 25 good years at her job. Stop stirring the pot.
ReplyDeleteWhen Mike Madigan decides what to do he'll let Fran Hurley know. Until then shut your mouths and keep voting for machine democrats.
ReplyDeletewent by the closed BORDERS today and saw a shine called mr, CURTIS with his one man band ,drum, harmonica and wash board sitting in doorway grinning to beat the band, pun intended, my how my beverly has changed over the years, bring on the shit,
ReplyDeleteLiving right off 95th St is depressing. I have lived in Beverly for 35 years and in my present home for 16. I love it here. I have great neighbors who would do anything to help each other out. However, the crime in the area has always been a PC matter. No one will publicly discuss the fact that probably 99% of the crime that occurs is by outsiders who come here looking for an easy way to steal a buck. It is certainly not the people who live here that are committing the crime. In the past two weeks there have been two armed robberies. We have had our catalytic convertor stolen off our car right in front of the house. The tires were almost stolen off a neighbor's car a month ago but for someone who woke up and saw the crime in progress and called the police. I witnessed the copper downspouts being stolen off the old library and called the cops. A friend had the copper downspouts stolen off her house in the middle of the night. As someone mentioned, kids bikes are routinely taken away from them, again by folks who don't live here. I am tired of it all. I am also afraid that some monstrosity of a church is going to go into Borders. If that happens, I am gone. When I go to suburbs like LaGrange and see their main shopping street on LaGrange Ave has such a nice variety of shops, restaurants and even a movie theater I could cry. There is plenty of potential here but people are probably afraid that they will be robbed. Members of my family worked at the old Borders and the shoplifting was disgusting! I can't begin to tell you what the answer is but I am not too hopeful. At the risk of being called a name, we could always put a wall up at the east end of 95th.
ReplyDeleteThis is the edited version of our 19th Ward Business District. I have numerous other photos of blighted stores. Very Sad.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvtt2l9gnfA