By Ed Lowe
Senior Writer
At its July 1 annual meeting, the Park West Community Association (PWCA) is expected to name Gene Fisher as its new President. Fisher also heads the Diversey Harbor Lakeview Association (DHLA). Both organizations were extremely active in resisting developer plans for the reconstruction of the site holding the former Columbus Hospital on Lakeview Avenue. Their success in causing the downsizing of that project brought the two groups into close harmony.
PWCA serves an area bounded by Halsted St. and Lake Michigan, and between Fullerton Ave. and Diversey Ave. PWCA serves the community with civic activities in their service area and runs the Park West Antiques Fair. DHLA began as an organization covering the area from Lake View to the Lake and from Fullerton Ave. to Diversey Ave. Since the Columbus Hospital controversy, it has attracted additional membership buildings to the north, south and west of its original service area.
Fisher explained that the two groups would not be merged. "The DHLA is composed of high rise condominium associations whereas the PWCA represents a group of involved community members who participate in a more direct manner. In addition," he continued, "the outline of the area served by PWCA and DHLA, while there is some overlapping, is not the same."
Fisher was quite clear that, in leading the two groups, each group's individual agenda would be served and, with a single leader, their common goals could be addressed in a more forceful manner.
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