Gap Community Organization
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
1. Called to order at 7:20 p.m.
4. Secretary’s Report for June: oral summary approved
(moved by Peter McCauley, seconded by Julie Aguirre)
5. Area representative reports: no reports
6. President’s Report:
Spoke with store owners on 35th Street
Woods: have been improvements (windows, gates)
Requested list of what used to be sold, what’s being sold now
Barber shop: Building permits issued? (256 E. 35th)
Beauty store: getting ready to expand?
New convenience store (122 E.—where popcorn shop had been):
Reached out to owner re: community standards
International Children’s Reception Center (formerly known as All Faith Pavilion):
e-mail exchange; want to have conversation, invitation to this meeting
Questions: organization, website, reasons for coming here,
plans to improve landscaping, population served,
programs, fundraising sources, agencies,
keeping litter off property, owning or renting?
Answers: Alderman Fioretti will get back to us
Beth Hope: program director
Tom Gary: associate director
--will appreciate opportunity to meet with us
Parent organization: Heartland Alliance
Residential program for immigrant children—
human rights organization
Goal: safe place, educational & therapeutic
environment
Several counterpart programs in Chicago
Try to contribute positively to community
Non-criminal population
www.heartlandalliance.org
Further questions/comments:
Why didn’t this go through Alderman’s office?
This was zoned for senior citizens; they needed a variance;
role reversal (they should’ve come to us)
Across the street from a public school: conflict of interest?
100 – 250 kids
Elsewhere in Chicago, mostly in Uptown and Rogers Park
Asian populations (reaching out to Chinatown?)
Huge organization that provides social services
All of this is moot until they come to a meeting
GapCo July 3, 2012 page 2 of 3
November: next election: new ward boundaries go into effect
Those now in Second Ward will be in Fourth Ward (Alderman Will Burns)
Those now in Third Ward will still be in Third Ward (Alderman Pat Dowell)
State district boundaries also change—will be Fifth District
(Senator Mattie Hunter, Representative Ken Dunkin)
7. Election of Officers
(chaired by Peter McCauley and Duwain Bailey)
Elected, following stump speeches: President Leonard McGee
Vice President Cordia Forté
Treasurer Joan Emerson
Secretary Julie Ryan
Discussion: vision for the community?
Police service, 35th St. businesses, revival of economic development committee
8. Announcements and Community News Clips
a. Video clip [postponed to a later meeting]
b. Update on Garage Attic and Porch Sale (June 16 & 23)
9. Old Business
a. development of 35th Street and other properties
i. Pilgrim Baptist Church conversation
ii. Zoning on 35th & Giles: resolved for north side of the street
iii. 3457 S. Prairie (corner of 35th): still in building court
iv. Sylvia Senior Living: nothing new
v. Woods Food & Liquor (also See 6, above, President’s Report)
still need a list of what’s being served, and status of fence
Mr. Shebek [sp?]: started to manage there, in April
Used to be a bar upstairs;
want to redesign it as a sit-down restaurant
Invite everybody to a barbecue, on us?
Conversation about remodeling (e.g., dumpsters wreck the fence?)
GapCo:
We’d like to see your plans/the rendering/walk through floor plan.
Will there be an elevator?
Will access to second floor be off 35th Street, or back of building?
What’s the menu? Which meals? How many people will it seat?
Will alcohol be served?
Will it be multipurpose—parties, banquets? What hours?
What about parking?
How many temporary and permanent jobs will you have?
Provision that they’re diverse, and look like us in this community?
(Architect and contractors have already been hired.)
What’s the time-frame?
Mr. Shebek: We’ll come back to you in September with an architect.
We’ll come to you before we try to go to the City.
GapCo July 3, 2012 page 3 of 3
35th and Indiana: trash cans taken out in anticipation of NATO Summit:
Not yet replaced, Aldermen don’t know why. Asked for solar compactors.
Three businesses we don’t yet have a relationship with on 35th Street.
b. Summer Sizzle, July 21, 2012: Will be the best ever! May have a dunk tank.
Credit for service learning for high school students? Got the forms.
Setup between 8 and 9:00 a.m.; you’ll see signs, fliers.
c. Pancakes in GAP moved to September [no date, however]
d. Movie in the Park: August 9, 2012 (Dunbar Park at dusk)
10. New Business
a. Pilgrim Baptist Church presentation [didn’t happen]
b. Duwain Bailey: Lots of conversation about 35th Street. Can we arrive at a collective vision?
Sense of urgency to re-activate Economic Development Committee.
Meeting chaired for this discussion by Cordia Forté.
Motion (moved by Duwain Bailey, seconded by Danny Bishop, passed):
to re-activate the Committee.
Members: Julie Aguirre, Duwain Bailey, Danny Bishop, Charlene Hayes,
Rochelle McGee, Marvin Paramor, Al Perry.
11. Pay All Bills
Motion (moved by Joan Emerson, seconded by Julie Aguirre, passed): to pay all bills
12. Community Speak Out: Michigan Shooting at 32nd and Michigan? Don’t know details
13. Community Speak Out: Indiana Old Defender building
14. Community Speak Out: Calumet Former Griffin Funeral Home: a Montessori school?
15. General Speak Out
Could business owners get together and employ someone who’d do pickup on a daily basis?
Problem: people walking streets; business owners need to come to this meeting;
how are business owners being responsive to the community?
Trees on 35th Street need to be trimmed (blocking lights, esp. between Prairie & Giles)
Businesses on 31st Street: nuisance convenience store is closing,
after lots of meetings with them, GapCo members, and Alderman
On corner: hair salon: going to be yet another one? (219)
Q.: When there’s a public notice in the window, what does that mean?
A.: Find out what hearing date is. Call Alderman for further information
Q.: Newspaper stand at NE corner of 35th & Prairie? A: Nobody knows
11. Adjournment: 9:23 p.m. Moved by Leonard McGee, Seconded by Charlene Hayes, passed
—Julie Eileen Ryan
Pastor, Christ the Mediator Lutheran Church
31st and Calumet
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