Get out there and vote!
But it’s hard for Ms. Haithcock to run away from what should be the major issue in the race: the stunning amount of campaign cash she’s accepted from developers whose projects an all-powerful alderman such as herself can block or bless. In the first half of last year, for instance, better than 60% of the $98,000 raised by Ms. Haithcock came from developers, architects and other interested parties. The figure hit 70% of the $55,000 in gifts she detailed in the last half of 2006.
In 25 years of political reporting, I’ve never seen that kind of special-interest percentage for a candidate.
“I get my money from anybody who wants to give it to us,” Ms. Haithcock replies. “I don’t discriminate.”
–excerpt from “High-risers rebel” by Greg Hintz
I guess I have Haithcock to thank for blighting the historic prairie district with the soon to be built, 45 and 34 story monstrosities that are the X|O Condominiums. The developers of X|O didn’t provide proper notice of their intent to build and didn’t post the necessary paperwork until after the fact. It’s amazing what you can get away with in Chicago if you know the right people and grease the right palms. Who says patronage is dead! Haithcock made it pretty clear to my home owner’s association that she doesn’t care about us when we approached her about issues with our developer.
If you live in Chicago, make sure you’re registered and vote in the municipal election on February 27. Find your polling place here.
If you live in the second ward, please make sure you come out and vote. The current alderman, Madeline Haithcock, is destroying our neighborhoods in return for campaign funds from developers. I’m sure she’s probably partially responsible for helping the X|O Condominums get approval to build a 45 story monstrosity in the historic prairie district–not to mention the condo building to the northwest of me, the one to the southeast of me, and the one breaking ground directly to the north of me. All these building are either adjacent to my building or just across the street. Street parking is already at a premium and these new condos that are going up will add hundreds of units and no additional street parking. Did anyone even do a traffic study?
Check here to see who’s running. The Independent Voters of Illinois Independent Precinct Organization has released their list of endorsements. Chicago Tonight and Chicago Public Radio have been providing some excellent coverage of the upcoming election.
You know what they say in Chicago, “vote early and often–even if you’re dead!”
February 26th, 2007 at 12:20 am
[...] Ward: The Prairie Web Companion rails against Ald. Haithcock for letting developers ruin the history prairie district (but gives no [...]
February 26th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
How about those terrible townhomes on Prairie Ave? Or Chicago’s version of Homer Glen aka Dearborn Park? Those projects did more harm to the community’s aesthetic because of the lack of true planning and foresight, as well as the fact that they have terrible designs. At least XO provides something new as well as density. I’d rather have a showpiece in our skyline and facing Soldier Field and tourists than more bland brick 20-story buildings.
February 26th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Sorry for the second post.
However, IIRC, towers were always proposed for the area around XO. If [new] residents don’t spend any time researching the area and surrounding zoning then they have no reason to complain because of their ignorance.
February 26th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
I’m not enamored with the townhouses on Prairie, either. However, I think a glut of high rises for density’s sake isn’t the answer. I don’t think Prairie Avenue can handle the traffic or the parking issues that several hundred additional residents will bring. People are already constantly double-parked in front of Prairie Pointe. I suppose that problem could have been easily averted with the inclusion of a driveway, but apparently that wasn’t a part of the plan. Oh well, at least they are preserving the lot on the northeast corner of 16th and Indiana for a public park.
The historic prairie district should evoke thoughts of the early 1900′s when houses like the Glessner House lined the streets. There are at least two other houses on the 1900 South block of Prairie Avenue that are about 100 years old. The old Marshall Field Jr. house is one more block south (albeit, gutted, subdivided, and rehabbed). You can have your showpiece, just not here. I’m sure the X|O would be more at home further north with the likes of Lake Point Tower and the forthcoming Calatrava spire. Similar debate to prevent the “canyonization” of Printer’s Row has long been ongoing.
It has nothing to do with ignorance. I was given all manner of assurances when I bought my property that I would continue to have an unimpeded northern view of the city. However, none of that really matters in Chicago. It doesn’t matter how a neighborhood is zoned. A zoning variance is just a campaign donation away. Why do you think over half of Madeline Haithcock’s campaign funds came from developers? This is why development is such a big issue in the upcoming municipal elections. Will there actually be affordable housing set aside at X|O? This is a building where there are $500k one bedroom condos. This is an example of what Rick Kogan referred to as “yuppifying” on Eight Forty-Eight this morning.