Despite the recent downzoning of the property to R6, a high rise development may still be constructed in Lincoln Park under plans advanced by condo developer American Invsco. Originally approved by the Council’s Zoning Committee on Oct. 11, the revised zoning ordinance also may impact Invsco’s planned purchase price of the property from Catholic Health Partners.
Member organizations of the Diversey Harbor Lakeview Association, (DHLA) are delighted with this zoning change, according to Eugene Fisher, executive director of the group. DHLA was originally organized in 1996 to maintain the character of the area and resist the possibility of overdevelopment of elements of it. The group has also been involved with the Chicago Park District in the plans for an ice rink within the parking lot at Diversey Harbor.
Diversey Harbor Lakeview Preservation Association is a non-profit organization designed to handle the funding for the organization’s activities. Fisher is executive director of the Association and chairman and president of the Preservation Association. There are 26 member condo and co-op building associations who participate in the group’s activities and more are being added. The associations who belong to DHLA represent 11,000 residents of the area.
Invsco maintains that it has been working with residents since last March, a timing that roughly coincides with the revitalization of DHLA. The development, tentatively named “North Pond Estates on Lincoln Park” has been scaled down in density, according to Invsco attorney Theodore Novak. According to Novak, “We look forward to continued dialogue with the community and the city, and we encourage residents to participate in public hearings about this plan. We are confident that the more neighborhood residents learn about this project, the more they will see how much it enhances their community.”
Fisher agrees with this assessment and, in an interview with Inside, repeatedly stated that he was not opposed to the development, only the traffic and density problems that its present plans would generate. According to Fisher, “The DHLA has been in the lead in forming a community coalition in opposition to the developer’s original proposals. The coalition includes several activist groups including Friends of the Parks, The Park West Community Association and the North Pond Task Force.
“This broad array of community groups,” Fisher continued, “has as their primary purpose to work in concert to maintain the integrity of the community by downscaling the proposed plans to a level that the community can be expected to accommodate. We are NOT anti-development but we DO want a development that doesn’t create traffic and density problems that affect the quality of life in the area.”
In his presentation to the City Council’s zoning committee, Fisher told the aldermen that the major problem revolves around the density of traffic congestion in the area. He cited a Chicago Plan Commission study dating to 1995 that said, “We are close to a crisis situation in handling traffic ...Lincoln Park has become almost inaccessible.. and that situation, for those people who live there, is impermissible.” Fisher then called attention to a later study by the Metro Transportation Group which showed that traffic conditions have continued to deteriorate since the Plan Commission’s earlier findings so that “all key intersections .. are now failing to perform at acceptable levels.”
According to Matt McGuire, CEO of Catholic Health Partners, “The sale of the Columbus Hospital property is essential to the well-being of the charitable mission of Catholic Health Partners. As a long time member of this community, Catholic Health Partners knows that the residents care deeply about the future of their neighborhood. We believe that American Invsco’s proposed plan reflects a respect for the interests of the community and a recognition of the site’s history.”
Informed sources, on the promise of anonymity, have told INSIDE that the takeover of nearby St. Joseph hospital by the Resurrection Hospital group did not represent an actual sale of St. Joseph and that the transfer of ownership was contingent on reduction of St. Joseph’s massive debt by the application of the funds generated by the sale of the Columbus property. Meanwhile, St. Joseph is simply being operated by the Resurrection management group. One estimate of the amount of debt involved reached $78 million. While this figure cannot be confirmed, it is believed to be accurate.
Invsco’s luxury condo development would generate sizable tax revenues and Invsco indicated that the addition of new high-end units would enhance property values of adjacent properties. Invsco’s plans for the property include the development of 350 condominium units plus an additional 32 town homes. Two parking structures holding a total of 700 cars will be made available to owners of the proposed apartments as well as to local residents.
Reached for comment on the Oct. 31 decision by the City Council, Ted Novak, Invsco’s attorney said: “Everyone was disappointed by the Council action. But the developer and the seller have never attempted to develop the property to the maximum. The development being proposed is consistent with the character of the neighborhood and with the R6 zoning.” In addition, Novak told us that the developer has filed for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which is, in effect, a different kind of zoning that would permit greater flexibility in developing the property. The decision by the Council doesn’t interfere with plans for the development or with Invsco’s moving forward with them.
Catholic Health Partners, owner of the property, has assured the community that any development on the site would necessarily maintain the historic chapel, built in 1955 as a memorial to Chicago’s Mother Cabrini. The altar of the chapel contains relics of Saint Cabrini who was canonized and became Chicago’s first Roman Catholic Saint. It will remain untouched regardless of the outcome of the development controversy.
There’s little doubt that there will be an addition to Lincoln Park’s skyline reflecting the demolition of Columbus Hospital, but the size and nature of that change is still in the planning stages. While residents cool their heels waiting for the revised plans, developers and architects heat up their drawing boards to prepare for the next round of proposals.
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