“We are continuing to use a variety of incentives to encourage development throughout the City that is vital to our long-term economic success,” Daley said.  “Critical collaboration and investment leads to neighborhoods characterized by decent housing, expansion of parks and open space and preservation of historic properties.”

Goldblatt’s Senior Living LLC
The first two ordinances authorize an amendment to the 47th/Ashland TIF District redevelopment budget and acknowledge the intent to issue up to $18 million in housing revenue bonds to fund the rehabilitation of a former department store into a 101-unit supportive living facility for seniors in the City’s New City community.

An amended ordinance would increase the budget in the TIF district to $32 million up from $25 million.  The increase in the TIF budget would make money available for the proposed Goldblatt’s Senior Living project at 4700 S. Ashland Ave. as well as provide funding to promote other redevelopment in parts of the 3rd, 11th, 12th, 16th and 20th Wards. 

The housing revenue bonds will be issued to fund the renovation of the upper floors of the former Goldblatt’s store at 47th Street and South Ashland Avenue (southwest corner), which will be converted into 27 one-bedroom and 74 studio units with kitchenettes for low-income seniors under Medicaid.   Ten units will have no income restrictions.

Other amenities will include a dining room, commercial kitchen and common area space for tenant activities.  An adjacent parcel will also be developed for parking.

Near South TIF District Amendment
The next ordinance authorizes an amendment to Near South TIF District’s financing plan to increase the budget and also add parcels to the TIF district in the City’s South Loop community.

The amendment updates the budget to account for economic growth and community improvement experienced in the area over the last 15 years in parts of the 2nd and 3rd Wards.  Modifications to the TIF budget are being made to adjust for projected increment collections of $500 million up from $165 for the 23 year period.

The addition of 13 parcels to the northwest edge of the district, which includes Jones College Prep, will help facilitate the construction of a new building behind the school’s existing location.

Thai Town Center, Inc.
The next ordinance authorizes TIF financing and the sale of the former 17th District police station and two adjacent parcels for $990,000 in the Albany Park community, reusing the existing infrastructure to create a modern commercial and retail complex.

Thai Town Center Inc. is the developer of the project that will turn the building into a valuable community asset.  The adaptive reuse of the former police station will transform 4461 N. Pulaski Road and two lots at 4444-52 N. Pulaski Road into a 6,200 square foot office, restaurant and retail space in the 39th Ward.

The $3.3 million renovation plan includes the Thai Tapas Restaurant, Thai Spa and Wellness Center and office space for the Thai American Association.  Room for other commercial tenants will also be available.  The proposed development includes a gut renovation of the building, an outdoor eating area and roof top deck with green elements.

The City will provide Thai Town Center, Inc. with $1.5 million in TIF assistance for the development of the old police building.  Plans call for mix of cultural and commercial elements transforming the site into a tourism hub that will become a new destination in the community.

The project is expected to create 25 new full-time jobs and 32 temporary construction jobs.

Landmark Designation for Schlitz Brewery-Tied House
Approved also was an ordinance designating the former Schlitz Brewery tied house in the Uptown Community a Chicago Landmark.

The building, located at 5120 N. Broadway Ave., was commissioned in 1904 by Edward Uihlein of the Milwaukee-based brewery as a tied house for the exclusive sale of its products.  With a prominent siting on a corner location, the structure incorporates a mix of German Renaissance Revival, Queen Anne and Tudor Revival styles.  The façade also features a distinctive relief of the belted Schlitz beer globe insignia in the 46th Ward.

The former Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. tied house is one of the best remaining examples of at least 57 such tied houses built during the 1890s up to the years before Prohibition in Chicago.  These brewery-tied houses guaranteed that only Schlitz beer could be sold on the premises.  Tied houses were essentially “tied” to a brewery and required to sell that brewery’s beer.  Breweries adopted the tied house system to ensure the exclusive placement of their products in the face of competition from other beer makers who owned and operated their own taverns at the time. 

The City is also considering landmark status for eight other Schlitz tied houses some of which still operate as bars today.

Preserving Communities Together
The next three ordinances authorize the transfer of vacant property in the West Garfield Park, West Pullman and Auburn Gresham communities to approved developers under the Preserving Communities Together (PCT) program, an initiative designed to reclaim abandoned property.

Franklin Williams Enterprises, Inc.  will rehabilitate the two-story building at 212 N. Kostner Ave. in the 28th Ward.  The two-unit building at 1422 N. Leamington Ave. in the 37th Ward and the single-family home at 8730 S. Morgan Ave, in the 21st Ward will be conveyed to Property Holdings, LLC for renovation.

The developers will pay all costs associated with the City holding the properties prior to conveyance.  Once renovation is completed the buildings will be sold at an affordable price to qualified buyers.

PCT enables interested applicants to identify vacant and abandoned properties for acquisition by the City, turning them into quality affordable housing owned and occupied  by responsible private owners.

Open Space Impact Fees for Garden Projects
Also approved were two ordinances that would finance the creation of new community gardens with Open Space Impact Fee Funds in the Brighton Park and South Lawndale communities.

The proposal for the half acre garden at Nathan Davis School located at 3059 W. Pershing Road includes the removal of asphalt, native plantings, a student-created mosaic bench and an outdoor classroom seating area.  The proposal is budgeted at $206,000.  Upon approval, school personnel, students and community members will provide ongoing maintenance in the 14th Ward.  The garden is designed to promote environmental awareness and provide community education and be made available for use by the general public. 

The Department of Environment will use $105,000 in Open Space funds for clean-up of a City-owned parcel at 26th Street and South Trumball Avenue for garden use in the 22nd Ward.  Plans for the parcel include the removal of concrete, the addition of new soil, fencing and a lawn hydrant.  The site will be transferred to NeighborSpace, which will own the land and work with The Little Village CDC to provide the day-to-day management and upkeep.

Open Space Impact Fees are collected from new residential developments in each of the City’s community areas to create open space and recreational facilities for residents.

IGA with Chicago Park District
The next four ordinances authorize the Department of Housing and Economic Development to enter in Intergovernmental Agreements with the Chicago Park District for the transfer of TIF funds for improvements to four neighborhood parks in the 11th, 15th and 48th Wards.

Palmisano Park at 2850 S. Halsted Street, the site of the former Stearns Quarry, in the Bridgeport community will receive $1 million from the Pilsen Industrial TIF for upgrades including additional fencing, landscape protection, fishing improvements and interpretive signage.

The transfer of $400,000 from the 63rd/Ashland TIF will fund the construction of a new playground with water spray features at Hermitage Park, located at 5839 S. Wood Street, in the City’s West Englewood community. 

Ballfield and lighting improvements and playground fencing at Taylor Lauridsen Park, 647 W. Root Street, will be funded with $150,000 from the 47th/Halsted TIF.

TIF funds of $1 million from the Hollywood/Sheridan TIF will be used for construction of a new playground, community plaza and landscaping improvements to Buttercup Park at 4901 N. Sheridan Road in the Uptown community.