The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) could begin reconstruction of the Lincoln Belmont Ashland (LBA) intersection as early as the spring of 2021, according to Alderman Waguespack. The Lakeview Chamber of Commerce (LVCC) has confirmed this, and CDOT indicated to them that they will be asking for “final comments” on the plan before construction begins. South Lakeview Neighbors (SLN), working with other community groups, is trying to arrange a public meeting with CDOT with regards to the plans for LBA.

This process has been going on since 2015. Most recently, CDOT held a meeting in February of 2018 and promised another meeting to review comments presented by SLN and others. That meeting has yet to take place.

Why is CDOT rebuilding the intersection? Their first goal is to make it more pedestrian friendly and safe. It is SLN’s contention that while those changes will reduce the length of the cross-intersection walks, it does so by reducing the traffic that the LBA intersection can handle, over-restricts turns, and diverts traffic through side streets that are not designed to handle such levels of traffic, especially streets like Barry, Paulina, School, and Greenview.

SLN would like your comments and observations from our membership before the “final comment” meetings occur. To that end, we have posted this as an issue for your review and posted three documents for your review: (1) a survey from 2019, (2) a memo for a meeting with Alderman Waguespack and (3) a letter to the Alderman. This has been going on since 2016, as documented by StreetsBlog Chicago in a summary article and in detail in an earlier piece.

Please review the information posted here and use the comments below to discuss. We will present your input to both CDOT and the Alderman.

Thank you for your attention.

— The officers and directors of South Lakeview Neighbors

From the SLN President:

As the COVID-19 positivity rate has increased, a shut-down advisory has really hurt our local businesses. All I can say is, patronize our local businesses,especially our small businesses, as much as you can. Your carry-out dinner may help to keep some local restaurant from closing.

Unfortunately, South Lakeview Neighbors will not have a holiday party this year. Even our family gatherings need to be limited, in order to curtail the virus.

This year our neediest families are hurting worse than ever. South Lakeview Neighbors traditionally donates funds from our holiday raffle to the Lakeview Pantry. We ask all members to make a donation to the Lakeview Pantry. Please use this link to make a donation to the Lakeview Pantry: https://give.lakeviewpantry.org/slneighbors.

Thanks to Dillon Goodson, Executive Director of the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce, for his presentation at our November meeting.

Here’s the December newsletter.

As noted above, Dillon Goodson spoke at the December meeting. The full audio of that meeting is available. Think of it as the SLN Podcast.

Dillon started out by summarizing the Chamber’s focus for its Program Areas:

• Neighborhood Promotion: marketing our neighborhood as a desirable destination for consumers, investors, community events and assisting individual businesses with promoting themselves.
• Business Development: providing networking and educational events and one-on-one technical assistance to strengthen the existing businesses and recruit new businesses.
• Advocacy: serve as the voice of local businesses and protect the neighborhood’s commercial interests by representing small businesses needs on policy and development issues that impact the area.
• Public Space Enhancements: the Chamber maintains clean, green and welcoming sidewalks and develops spaces that allow people to linger and connect with their community.

Dillon addressed some of the Covid-19 Pandemic statistics. Since April 2020:

• 1⁄2 of the area businesses were closed at some time since the start of the Pandemic and just as many faced restrictions during this period
• there was an 80% drop in revenue early in the Pandemic but revenue has been improving slightly since 2500-3500 jobs were lost in the Lakeview Chamber area during the Pandemic
• two-thirds of businesses are still without Federal or State support and are facing closure within 2-3
  months.
• area businesses make 40% of their sales during the Holiday season of late November to New Year’s
  Day

Read more in the December newsletter.

There was also a zoning issue at the meeting regarding 3056 N. Racine.

This zoning issue was brought up at the ZOOM meeting by an attendee that rents a small space on
the Barry Ave side of this property for her sewing/knitting business. This property at the SW corner of Racine and Barry is zoned residential RT-4. However, there have been various businesses operating in the store front on Racine Ave. as long as anyone can remember. The 2nd floor is an apartment. Read more in the December newsletter or listen to the meeting audio.

And, again, please make a donation to the Lakeview Pantry: https://give.lakeviewpantry.org/slneighbors.