2/25/2009 City Council Meeting

[ZORBA]

Nona addressed some of the problems that I complained about from the start, that was right after the last election, before she switched parties.

Yes, Patsy was concerned about LOGISTICAL problems with the parking garage back in 2005.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bear]

"Go back to sleep bear, or have another hamm's."

Go trim your back hair and put more Grecian Formula 85
on your receding hair line

[Ted]

  Now theres economic development progress at its finest. Making an empty funeral home a historic landmark? Your kidding right? Oh I forgot it worked so well for the bank on Oak Park and Cermack. If they pass that one the new city motto should be "cluster fucks r us!"

  It will be interesting to see how the city council votes on this - especially with a developer waiting in the wings to plop down $1.5 million dollars to tear down the building and build a new building.

Ted

[Bear]

No Ted, the deal is that the bank stays...There is no tear down
involved.

[Ted]

No Ted, the deal is that the bank stays...There is no tear down
involved.

Bear, I wasn't referring to the bank... I was referring to the Marik funeral home.

Ted

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

  Now theres economic development progress at its finest. Making an empty funeral home a historic landmark? Your kidding right? Oh I forgot it worked so well for the bank on Oak Park and Cermack. If they pass that one the new city motto should be "cluster fucks r us!"

  It will be interesting to see how the city council votes on this - especially with a developer waiting in the wings to plop down $1.5 million dollars to tear down the building and build a new building.

Ted

Hopefully, they'll think long and hard about the past fiasco regarding a historic landmark on Cermak Road and the current economic climate and use some common sense and go with a sure thing that will bring jobs into Berwyn.

[OakParkSpartan]

  Now theres economic development progress at its finest. Making an empty funeral home a historic landmark? Your kidding right? Oh I forgot it worked so well for the bank on Oak Park and Cermack. If they pass that one the new city motto should be "cluster fucks r us!"

  It will be interesting to see how the city council votes on this - especially with a developer waiting in the wings to plop down $1.5 million dollars to tear down the building and build a new building.

Ted

Hopefully, they'll think long and hard about the past fiasco regarding a historic landmark on Cermak Road and the current economic climate and use some common sense and go with a sure thing that will bring jobs into Berwyn.

The medical building that was to replace Marik has been included in the Superblock development, allowing that project to move forward.  I don't think this will stop any planned development.

[mustang54]

  Bri it won't stop any planned development cause there is none. It already stopped a plan once didn't it,luckily that plan is moving to the unsuper block. It is future development that asinine idea will stop.

[OakParkSpartan]

  Bri it won't stop any planned development cause there is none. It already stopped a plan once didn't it,luckily that plan is moving to the unsuper block. It is future development that asinine idea will stop.

Many communities feel historic preservation is a good thing.  Glad you are happy with Cicero.

[ZORBA]

Well, I guess it depends on what your idea of success is.

If you're happy and content with the Cicero model, have at it.

[mustang54]

  Bri it won't stop any planned development cause there is none. It already stopped a plan once didn't it,luckily that plan is moving to the unsuper block. It is future development that asinine idea will stop.

Many communities feel historic preservation is a good thing.  Glad you are happy with Cicero.

What is historic about a freakin funeral home! I could see a church,a Frank Loyd Wright house,anything unique or special in its history to the city or a unique design. But a funeral home, please. Especially after seeing what decades of the bank sitting there has done to the city.

[BRoWN]

  Bri it won't stop any planned development cause there is none. It already stopped a plan once didn't it,luckily that plan is moving to the unsuper block. It is future development that asinine idea will stop.

Many communities feel historic preservation is a good thing.  Glad you are happy with Cicero.

What is historic about a freakin funeral home! I could see a church,a Frank Loyd Wright house,anything unique or special in its history to the city or a unique design. But a funeral home, please. Especially after seeing what decades of the bank sitting there has done to the city.

I'm all for taking a closer look at these old buildings and then determining their fate. In the case of this 20's building  I hear it has some architectural character......it also represents the czech and bohemian migration. Its worth taking a close look at old buildings.........even if it only means salvaging parts of them. 

[rbain]

  Bri it won't stop any planned development cause there is none. It already stopped a plan once didn't it,luckily that plan is moving to the unsuper block. It is future development that asinine idea will stop.

Many communities feel historic preservation is a good thing.  Glad you are happy with Cicero.

What is historic about a freakin funeral home! I could see a church,a Frank Loyd Wright house,anything unique or special in its history to the city or a unique design. But a funeral home, please. Especially after seeing what decades of the bank sitting there has done to the city.

What does the use to which a building is put have to do with its architectural significance? A funeral home is AT LEAST as important to a community as a bank... more so if you consider the results of citizens choosing to not use either....

... I'd rather accidentally dig up the previous owners life savings than their Aunt Myrtle...

-Rob

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

  Bri it won't stop any planned development cause there is none. It already stopped a plan once didn't it,luckily that plan is moving to the unsuper block. It is future development that asinine idea will stop.

Many communities feel historic preservation is a good thing.  Glad you are happy with Cicero.

What is historic about a freakin funeral home! I could see a church,a Frank Loyd Wright house,anything unique or special in its history to the city or a unique design. But a funeral home, please. Especially after seeing what decades of the bank sitting there has done to the city.

What does the use to which a building is put have to do with its architectural significance? A funeral home is AT LEAST as important to a community as a bank... more so if you consider the results of citizens choosing to not use either....

... I'd rather accidentally dig up the previous owners life savings than their Aunt Myrtle...

-Rob

rbain - while in a perfect world without any type of economic crisis it would be great to designate Marik a historic landmark we are living  here in Berwyn where a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so to speak, at this point.  $1.5 Million versus a huge questionmark is not a gamble we are in the economic shape to make.

[OakParkSpartan]

  Bri it won't stop any planned development cause there is none. It already stopped a plan once didn't it,luckily that plan is moving to the unsuper block. It is future development that asinine idea will stop.

Many communities feel historic preservation is a good thing.  Glad you are happy with Cicero.

What is historic about a freakin funeral home! I could see a church,a Frank Loyd Wright house,anything unique or special in its history to the city or a unique design. But a funeral home, please. Especially after seeing what decades of the bank sitting there has done to the city.

What does the use to which a building is put have to do with its architectural significance? A funeral home is AT LEAST as important to a community as a bank... more so if you consider the results of citizens choosing to not use either....

... I'd rather accidentally dig up the previous owners life savings than their Aunt Myrtle...

-Rob

rbain - while in a perfect world without any type of economic crisis it would be great to designate Marik a historic landmark we are living  here in Berwyn where a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so to speak, at this point.  $1.5 Million versus a huge questionmark is not a gamble we are in the economic shape to make.

What is this $1.5 million you speak of?  The project which was proposed for the Marik site was relocated to superblock to allow that project to proceed.  Approved at council a few weeks ago.

[Ted]

What is this $1.5 million you speak of?  The project which was proposed for the Marik site was relocated to superblock to allow that project to proceed.  Approved at council a few weeks ago.

  Brian,

  Does that mean that the offer for the Marik funeral home is no longer on the table?  I also thought there was an offer of $1.5 million on the table for the Marik funeral home (that they were going to put a medical facility on that site).?

  Is that offer no longer out there?

Thanks
  Ted

[OakParkSpartan]

What is this $1.5 million you speak of?  The project which was proposed for the Marik site was relocated to superblock to allow that project to proceed.  Approved at council a few weeks ago.

  Brian,

  Does that mean that the offer for the Marik funeral home is no longer on the table?  I also thought there was an offer of $1.5 million on the table for the Marik funeral home (that they were going to put a medical facility on that site).?

  Is that offer no longer out there?

Thanks
  Ted

I don't know if the offer is out there, but the medical facility will be next to the bank.

[Ted]

What is this $1.5 million you speak of?  The project which was proposed for the Marik site was relocated to superblock to allow that project to proceed.  Approved at council a few weeks ago.

  Brian,

  Does that mean that the offer for the Marik funeral home is no longer on the table?  I also thought there was an offer of $1.5 million on the table for the Marik funeral home (that they were going to put a medical facility on that site).?

  Is that offer no longer out there?

Thanks
  Ted

I don't know if the offer is out there, but the medical facility will be next to the bank.

  Brian,  I think there are two different offers here.

  One is an offer by a medical group to buy the lot next to the bank building for $1.5 million dollars and the bank for $1.

  There is another offer out there by some group to buy Marik funeral home.  That offer (maybe coincidentally?) is also for $1.5 million dollars and it also is to tear down the funeral home and build a medical building.

  Who knows - maybe the way to re-vatialize Cermak Road is to turn it into "Medical Row"  with a bunch of medical buildings from different hospitals and medical providers and doctors groups.

  34th street used to be "Doctor's Row".  Why not have Cermak Road become "Medical Row" ?

Ted

[Snoop]

This thread is the funniest one on the forum!!! LOL.  I know nothing about the alley, but I do have a serious question......... Does Bear REALLY drink Hamms and use Grecian Formula? Always trying to put a face to the name........ahahahahahahahahah LOL

[Venn Diagram]

To clarify the development issue, my understanding (based on several meetings and discussions) is that there was only one potential development by a company that wanted to build a medical facility with retail on the first floor and doctor's offices above.  Originally the developer looked at the Marik site and determined that to build what it wanted, it would have to demolish the existing Marik building and start from scratch.  When it applied for a demolition permit that was not forthcoming from city council, the company looked elsewhere on Cermak and came to an agreement on the Superblock.  The new healthcare complex will be built next to the bank, and that developer has dropped its interest in Marik. 

Marik is the subject of a nomination for local landmark, and city council has the final say regarding whether to designate it as such or not. 

If it does get designated as a local landmark, then it cannot be demolished unless city council grants a waiver to the owner, which has to show economic hardship.  If it doesn't get designated as a local landmark, then any demolition permit request is handled per the usual manner - city council votes on it yea or nay. 

The Marik building is interesting and is a part of the old Cermak Road business corridor.  It does have some interesting features both inside and out.  In this economic climate, though, it is easy to see why people would disagree over what should be done with it.  But the bottom line is that there is no buyer lined up right now, and Berwyn did not lose this economic boon, because the buyer found another acceptable property and is going forward with its plans.

Anyone have a wrapup of last night's decisions?

VD