When the City of Chicago ignores a neighborhood
Whenever there is any sort of redevelopment in Chicago, one can usually expect public hearings, a local alderman expressing his or her opinion on the project and some back and forth between people who oppose the project and people who support it playing out over local media. This being Chicago, chances are pretty good that if the local alderman and/or someone higher up on Chicago political food chain wants the project approved, it will get approved no matter what the residents think. But the city has to at least pay lip service to listening to locals' opinions.
But when Norfolk Southern Railroad, one of the biggest railroad companies on the North American continent, wanted to demolish five city blocks to expand its freight yard, the city didn't even do the lip service part. There were no public hearings, the local alderman didn't make a peep. Whether the residents like it or not, they are being moved out - and nobody even pretended to bother to listen to what they have to say.
Now, the five blocks in question are part of Englewood - a neighborhood that looks like what most people think of when they hear "South Side of Chicago." Crime rates are among the highest in the city, and huge chunks of the neighborhood have been pretty much abandoned. The neighborhood is divided between five wards, and all but Englewood native Ald. Toni Foulkes (15th) prefer to focus on other parts of their wards. So it's easy to see why Mayor Emanuel wouldn't be particularly concerned about how this would look.
There is something to be said for Emanuel's argument that the NS rail yard expansion would bring jobs. I'm not sure how many of those jobs would come from Englewood, but it might help the South and Southwest Side job markets in general.
But that doesn't justify the fact that Chicago residents and eligible voters are being brushed aside simply because of where they happen to live.
Yes, Englewood has problems. But it wasn't that terribly long ago that Wicker Park and Bucktown were dealing with warring gangs. In the mid-90s, what is now known as South Loop was full of cheap motels and old industrial buildings were sold cheaply. In early 2000s, Logan Square still had one of the highest number of murders per neighborhoods in the entire area.
Or, to flip it around, as recently as in 2007, few Chatham residents worried about shootings.And back in 1930s, Englewood itself was home to one the city's busiest shopping strips.
Neighborhoods change. Fortunes change. But the people who live in Chicago are still going to be there.
But when Norfolk Southern Railroad, one of the biggest railroad companies on the North American continent, wanted to demolish five city blocks to expand its freight yard, the city didn't even do the lip service part. There were no public hearings, the local alderman didn't make a peep. Whether the residents like it or not, they are being moved out - and nobody even pretended to bother to listen to what they have to say.
Now, the five blocks in question are part of Englewood - a neighborhood that looks like what most people think of when they hear "South Side of Chicago." Crime rates are among the highest in the city, and huge chunks of the neighborhood have been pretty much abandoned. The neighborhood is divided between five wards, and all but Englewood native Ald. Toni Foulkes (15th) prefer to focus on other parts of their wards. So it's easy to see why Mayor Emanuel wouldn't be particularly concerned about how this would look.
There is something to be said for Emanuel's argument that the NS rail yard expansion would bring jobs. I'm not sure how many of those jobs would come from Englewood, but it might help the South and Southwest Side job markets in general.
But that doesn't justify the fact that Chicago residents and eligible voters are being brushed aside simply because of where they happen to live.
Yes, Englewood has problems. But it wasn't that terribly long ago that Wicker Park and Bucktown were dealing with warring gangs. In the mid-90s, what is now known as South Loop was full of cheap motels and old industrial buildings were sold cheaply. In early 2000s, Logan Square still had one of the highest number of murders per neighborhoods in the entire area.
Or, to flip it around, as recently as in 2007, few Chatham residents worried about shootings.And back in 1930s, Englewood itself was home to one the city's busiest shopping strips.
Neighborhoods change. Fortunes change. But the people who live in Chicago are still going to be there.