 "Photo: Libby Hagemeyer")
The southwest corner of Albion Avenue and Sheridan Road is hardly worth putting on a postcard. Once home to a florist and the Loyola Literacy Center, the buildings on the university-owned property now stand empty, except for a few rats.
However, some community members have voiced concern after Loyola announced a plan to tear down the buildings and replace them with a not-so-picturesque fenced-in gravel lot within the next few weeks.
It would be too expensive for the university to renovate these buildings and bring them up to code, according to Jennifer Clark, director of Loyola’s Deptartment of Community Relations.
“We can’t go before the Board of Trustees, parents and students and say that we’re going to sink half a million into something that isn’t necessary. I don’t think the expense is justified.” Clark said.
The estimated cost of the demolition is $100,000, whereas the cost of maintaining the structures would have been over $500,000.
Initially, the university had considered replacing the buildings with a temporary garden for Loyola’s Center for Environmental Research and Policy; however they later determined that it was a bad location for a garden because of poor soil and air quality.
Though the university’s ultimate goal is to redevelop the site, it could take as long as three years before any new buildings are constructed due to the state of the economy. In the meantime, Clark said that Loyola is just trying to make the space look “palatable.”
But the idea of the empty gravel lot is hard to swallow for some Rogers Park residents. At an informational meeting that was held on Sept. 23 in the Crown Center Auditorium, many community members voiced opposition to the demolition project, citing concerns about aesthetics and safety.
Bruno Roti, who owns the nearby Bruno’s Lounge and has lived in Rogers Park since 1943, believes that the lot will be an eyesore and is worried about the effect the demolition might have on business.
“If they asked me for my opinion, I would say leave the buildings up. But — of course — no one asked me,” Roti said.
This sentiment was echoed by Alderman Joe Moore (49th Ward).
“Loyola has emphasized that they do not need any approval from the city,” Moore said.
Since the university owns the property on which the buildings stand, it can demolish them as a matter of right and does not need permission from the city of Chicago or from the communtiy.
Nonetheless, he believes that the university has shown a commitment to maintaining a good relationship with the Rogers Park community and has been cooperative about the project so far.
“No matter what city or school you go to, there will always be a degree of tension [between the two],” Moore said. “But Loyola’s relationship with the community is much better than at many other schools.” He said he will continue to work with the university to help make sure the project is good for the neighborhood.
The demolition itself is a month-long process that began this week.
For futher coverage on this issue, see the Phoenix staff editorial on page 9. Have an opinion yourself? Write a letter to the editor and send it to Sarah Watts at phoenixdiscourse@luc.edu.
1 comments