Residents to get a say in Riot Fest fee spending, CHA puts East Garfield Park development for sale and other news and updates
Happy Memorial Day, readers and subscribers.
First of all, a bit of housekeeping. Westside Weekly Review is taking a break for the next few weeks. I may share some links or information about events here and there, because I do want to keep the community informed and do my part to encourage engagement, but I won’t be posting anything weekly until the end of June or so. As a lot of people can tell from the past couple of posts, I have been dealing with something heavy for basically the entirety of 2025 so far. But it has been increasingly bleeding into my work and my volunteer commitments (which this technically is), and stepping back from a few things wouldn’t hurt.
I appreciate the many of you who have reached out. Your care and support is appreciated, and hopefully, when I’m in the better mental place, I will be able to show it properly.
This break does give me an opportunity to play around with the formula a bit. The Weekly Reviews have been a combination of things I always wanted to do with Austin Weekly News newsletter and things that fit with the Westside Review’s mission, but I don’t presume to know what’s best. What would you, readers and subscribers, like to see from this Substack? What do you think we could be doing better? Leave a comment or email us.
Until next time
Igor Studenkov
Editor, Westside Review
Riot Fest and Douglass Park participatory budgeting
When Riot Fest decided to stay in Douglass Park after all, it signed an agreement that reserved 30% of the fee it pays to the Chicago Park District for improvements in Douglass Park specifically (as opposed to all of it going into the general capital projects money pot). The big part of that agreement is that residents of North Lawndale and Little Village, who both use the park to some extent or another, will get to weigh in on how the money is spent.
Last Wednesday (May 21) I attended the kickoff meeting for the participatory budgeting process, which, fittingly, was held at the Douglass Park fieldhouse (in the rehabbed auditorium, and not in the main event space where community meetings tended to be helpful while I was with Austin Weekly News). There is going to be a Cook County Chronicle article that’s going to go into more detail about what happened, but in short, the meeting was meant to start setting the parameters - who would be able to vote, how the voting would happen and what kind of outreach they would do - but there was also a lot of talks about what the attendees would like to see the money would be used for. And, in what should surprise no one who’s ever been to the park for any kind of an event or activity, there is a lot of frustration with something as simple as the shortage of restrooms (the only restrooms are in the fieldhouse, and Douglass Park is a pretty large park that’s bisected by Ogden Avenue). And there was some (well-earned) skepticism about how much say the residents will really get.
The recently(ish) appointed Chicago Park District superintendent/CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa attended the meeting personally, and he tried to assure residents that the park district is listening, and that he’ll see how to address some of the issues that got brought on sooner rather than later.
The timeline is fuzzy, but I did get a confirmation that they’re not trying to finish the participatory budgeting process before this year’s Riot Fest. And it’s not entirely clear where the updates will be. The park district officials I spoke to mentioned the park page, but I don’t see anything there. The best bet may be keeping an eye on Ald. Monique Scott’s (24th) social media accounts, and I’m sure I’m not the only reporter who is going to keep an ear out.
CHA selling the East Garfield Park affordable housing development
On Friday, I got a press release from the Chicago Housing Authority announcing that they plan to sell East Garfield Park’s Harrison Courts, 2950 W. Harrison St., to a private affordable housing developer.
Originally built as public housing, the 122-unit Harrison Courts were converted to Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) development, where tenants use Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers that are specific to that particular building. The idea behind the program was to allow housing authorities like CHA to access private funding to help address backlog of repairs that plagues public housing. But in the press release, CHA states that it’s the funding model that’s the problem.
Because Harrison Courts is not qualified as public housing, CHA is restricted from using federal public housing funds for repairs or redevelopment, leaving a shortfall in funding needed to adequately sustain and address critical capital needs, including failing plumbing systems, outdated elevators, roof repairs, and vacant units requiring full renovation. Additionally, the sale will enhance community amenities, ADA accessibility and offer a modern design suited to residents’ needs.
The housing authority says “it will market the development exclusively to affordable housing developers with the capacity and financing capital to renovate and operate the site,” and that “residents who stay in their homes under the new owner will continue receiving federal rental subsidy assistance. Those who choose to move will be relocated with assistance to a CHA public housing unit.”
Last week in West Side news
Austin Weekly News and Block Club Chicago both reported on tenants at Austin’s Parkside Terrace apartments, 143 N. Parkside Ave., forming a tenant union in response to deteriorating building conditions and negligent apartment management.
Austin Weekly News covered the annual state lobbying day organized by the Parents Organized to Win, Educate, and Renew – Policy Action Council.
Block Club Chicago profiled a new ice cream shop coming to North Lawndale this fall.
Fox Chicago 32 reported that actor Jussie Smollett donated $50,000 to North Lawndale’s Building Better Futures Center for the Arts, 1512 S. Pulaski Rd, as part of his settlement with the City of Chicago for the whole faking a racist attack against himself thing.
Austin Weekly News covered this year’s Bike Out Negativity event in North Lawndale.
Coming up on the West Side
On Tuesday, May 27, at 9:30 a.m. the Northwest Connection Chamber of Commerce, those service area includes Austin, Humboldt Park and a whole bunch of Northwest Side communities, is holding its monthly Coffee, Conversation and Networking event. This time, it will be held at a McDonalds in West Humboldt Park, at 4338 W. North Ave. This month’s meetup focuses on marketing and using social media.
On Wednesday, May 28, Chicago Westside NAACP is holding a “Youth Explosion – A Celebration of West Side Youth Talent and Resilience” event at Malcolm X. College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd., at 9:30 a.m. to noon.
“Building on the success of last year’s inspiring gathering, this event will once again shine a powerful spotlight on the achievements, creativity, and leadership of westside youth who are too often overlooked or marginalized.”
Also on May 28, Chicago Department of Environment is holding the first of the three public hearings on increasing the city tree coverage and improving stormwater management (in other words, reducing heat and flooding). Residents are invited to stop by and submit ideas. This hearing will be held at Austin’s BUILD 5100 W. Harrison St., at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Also on May 28, the 25th Police District Council will hold its monthly meeting at Logan Square’s McCormick YMCA, 1834 N. Lawndale Ave. starting 6 p.m. The council, those district includes the half of Ausin community area north of Division Street (including all of Galewood) and West Humboldt Park, will discuss the proposed traffic stop reform, and there will a free CPR class afterwards.
On Friday, May 30, North Lawndale’s Firehouse Community Arts Center, 2111 S. Hamlin Ave., is hosting Mayor Brandon Johnson for a community “Lakeside Chat.” Details are scant about what it would entail, but the event, which will begin at 6 p.m. and is expected to wrap up by 8 p.m., is free and open to the public.
In what has become an annual event, West Side Wellness Walk returns to Garfield Park this Saturday, May 31. The event kicks off at 8 a.m. and wraps up by noon. Registration is required.