Fioretti moving fast, but should slow down on Roosevelt Square 

Second Ward residents voted in Robert Fioretti as Alderman earlier this year because they wanted quick action on a variety of issues, and that's exactly what they’re getting.

            In office only a few months, Fioretti already has changed the late-night timing of a traffic light at Taylor and Loomis Streets that had been a danger for years; halted a development at 23rd Street and Prairie Avenue until the community can provide more input; co-sponsored a resolution that the City Council passed to save Livingston Park at Polk and Leavitt Streets; vowed to support whatever the community wants concerning development of the northeast corner of Taylor Street and Ashland Avenue; and introduced an ordinance in City Council that would shorten the towering height of the proposed X/O development at 1712 S. Prairie Ave.

            Such a record of accomplishment would be admirable in four years, let alone four months, and we commend Alderman Fioretti for it.

            There is one project for which we recommend slow and careful deliberation rather than quick action, however. We believe Fioretti must proceed with care regarding changes proposed by the University Village Association (UVA) for Roosevelt Square.

            When the City requested proposals for redeveloping the ABLA Homes area several years ago, only two developers bid. The winner was LR Development, now called Related Midwest. The UVA never favored Related getting the project and spent the next several years criticizing the firm.

            For example, at a 2002 community meeting, the then-UVA president questioned whether Related would even exist over the course of the project. At a May 2003 meeting, a UVA board member criticized the name "Roosevelt Square." Then, the UVA fought against Related's plan to build commercial structures on traditionally commercial Roosevelt Road. That August the UVA responded to an LR request for a minor zoning change by creating a flyer emblazoned "Save Our Neighborhood," warning of liquor stores, cell phone towers, and 1,000 more units of housing than allowed in the ABLA development agreement—none of which were in Related's plans.

            In addition, the UVA has complained about construction signage, the type of bricks Related has used, the use of Tyvek (protective sheeting that goes under siding and other facades), and the use of siding—all of which are prevalent in developments (even upscale ones) all over the city.

            With a new Alderman in Fioretti, the UVA has taken the opportunity to press for changes in Roosevelt Square once again. Related Midwest management, which has shown incredible patience in dealing with this community, has agreed to negotiate concerning the latest UVA demands but warns "there just is not a ton of money" for changes. With two-thirds of the housing designated for public housing residents and other low income people and only one-third market rate, Related is not making so large a profit as many of the high-end developers in the community.

            We hope Alderman Fioretti realizes Related Midwest has done a good job, worked with the community, lived up to its part of the bargain, and most important built housing that allows low-income and Chicago Housing Authority residents to stay in the neighborhood they have been a part of for the better part of a century, other long-time residents to buy new housing in the community, and newcomers to enjoy the quality of life on the Near West Side.

            We fear that too much nit-picking could result in a slowdown or shutdown of the project, and that would not be good for anyone—people who want to return to the community, people who want to move into the neighborhood, retailers who want new customers, and everyone in the neighborhood who wants to see houses and businesses instead of blocks and blocks of nothing. That is what we had in parts of the community south of Taylor Street for decades, and nobody wants a return to the bad old days.

            So Alderman Fioretti, we commend your speed on so many issues, but we ask you to slow down on this one. Take a good look at the history of the area and the good that Related Midwest already has done before making new demands on them.