Neighborhood News

Published October 29, 2019 By Justin Kerr

The McKinley Park Development Council has publicly released the defined goals under final consideration for the McKinley Park neighborhood plan, a council project being created with the help of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). With this release, the council is encouraging neighborhood residents, business owners and stakeholders to review the draft goals and submit their final feedback for the plan.

A hands-on public session at the October 16 council meeting presented large-format printouts of plan goals and their key recommendations, with audience members encouraged to write down ideas and place red or green stickers on items they wanted to prioritize. With the online release of these documents, the council seeks feedback from anyone who couldn't attend the meeting or has more to add.

The plan's goals, posted below, stem from the year-and-a-half of outreach, study, feedback and analysis conducted for the neighborhood plan by members of CMAP, the council and a steering committee comprised of community representatives. The process considered existing conditions, community feedback and best practices in urban planning toward creating a document the neighborhood can use as a guide for growth and improvement. The plan's scope spans many areas of local concern, including housing affordability, the neighborhood's business environment and building resilience in the face of climate change.

Suggestions and ideas can be sent via email to mckinleyparkdevelopmentcounci l@gmail.com through November 10, and these will then be included for consideration in authoring the final plan draft, which is slated for release later this fall or winter. In its announcement soliciting feedback, the council also asked for "how those ideas might be implemented and who might be best equipped to implement them."

The McKinley Park News will also forward to the council any comments posted to this article posted as plan feedback.

The next McKinely Park Development Council Meeting is slated for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20, at Aquinas Literacy Center.

McKinley Park Neighborhood Plan — Draft Plan Goals

Goal: Preserve Neighborhood Diversity

Recommendation 1: Maintain Housing Affordability, Choices and Quality

Strategies:

Increase the McKinley Park Development Council’s capacity to increase engagement with the community, help support and market small businesses and lead the community to better respond to development proposals

Identify owner-occupied repair programs to assist with deferred maintenance

Identify purchase assistance programs for owner-occupant homebuyers

Collaborate with the community to identify resources for long-term affordable rental units and facilitate coordination with the Community Land Trust

Work with key partners like the City and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) to identify opportunities to implement inclusive and supportive housing initiatives

Recommendation 2: Celebrate McKinley Park’s Diversity

Strategies:

Celebrate the neighborhood’s diversity through cultural programming

Strengthen the neighborhood’s sense of heritage and identity by pursuing targeted arts and cultural endeavors

Develop an alliance for arts and culture stakeholders to leverage resources through coordination and collaboration

Engage McKinley Park residents in creating a comprehensive marketing and branding strategic plan

Recommendation 3: Engage the Diverse Population of McKinley Park

Strategies:

Continue to develop relationships with organizations serving local immigrants and refugees

Continue to build relationships with local schools to reach parents

Make public engagement accessible

Address communication barriers

Continue efforts to improve language access

Recommendation 4: Market the Neighborhood’s Diversity through Small Businesses

Strategies:

Continue efforts to attract, retain, and expand businesses through engagement and collaboration

Conduct cross-cultural outreach in collaboration with trusted partners

Identify an individual who's bilingual to coordinate local economic development partners

Partner with a marketing program at a local university to develop a marketing campaign

Recommendation 5: Support and Grow Local Businesses

Strategies:

Create a neighborhood business support network to help streamline communication among business stakeholders

Continue to expand technical assistance for local business development, including incubator resources for startups and accelerators for growing businesses

Establish specialized efforts for growing small businesses

Attract and support businesses that appeal to dispersed immigrant populations

Goal: Promote Equitable Transit-Oriented Development

Recommendation 1: Engage Stakeholders to Define Community Priorities for Future Development within TOD Areas

Strategies:

Continue to build the McKinley Park Development Council's technical capacity and look to existing community development organizations for ideas, support, and resources

Utilize public engagement tools, such as visual preference surveys, to educate residents, and establish community goals for the form and design of new development projects

Build strong working relationships with local property owners through continued outreach

Recommendation 2: Implement Land Uses that Align with Community Vision and Priorities

Strategies:

Preserve affordable housing by limiting the conversion of 2-4 flats into single-family homes

Pursue strategic partnerships to require the construction of affordable units on site

Target active uses for ground-floor spaces that increase access to goods and services for current and future residents (potential sites include NE lot at Archer and Leavitt, SW lots of Archer and Leavitt, as well as the SW lot at 35th and Leavitt)

Recommendation 3: Improve the Commuter Experience

Strategies:

Implement bus priority treatments on streets that have CTA bus routes, including bus lanes, bus boarding bulbs or boarding islands, queue jumps, and transit signal priority

Create clear pedestrian connections between the neighborhood and transit areas

Facilitate safer, more comfortable transfers between bus routes and between buses and trains, including real-time transit information delivery

Consider ways to help soften the look around the 35th/Archer CTA roundabout with visual improvements (e.g. landscape buffers, public art, and placemaking)

Increase street safety and comfort for all users through policy changes, design upgrades, and technology investments

Recommendation 4: Proactively Address Parking Implications

Strategies:

Conduct outreach to identify resident and business concerns

Partner with new TOD property managers to mitigate new parking demands

Apply parking management best practices

Recommendation 5: Advocate to Include 35th/Archer Orange Line Station as a Future Elevated Chicago E-HUB

Goal: Revitalize Commercial Corridors

Recommendation 1: Enhance the Built Environment

Strategies:

Identify and prioritize gateway entrances and signage along prominent corridors to draw visitors to McKinley Park

Prioritize infill development and redevelopment of vacant and underutilized properties

Encourage compact developments that promote convenient, safe, and efficient travel

Target mixed-use developments at key nodes and gateway entrances (rather than single-uses such as Motor-Related Commercial)

Request additional setbacks along Archer Avenue when properties are re-developed

Explore parcel reconfiguration along Ashland Avenue to allow for larger developments

Work with the 12th Ward Alderman and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to remediate the lot at the SW corner of 35th and Leavitt

Recommendation 2: Improve Safety and Comfort for Walking and Biking

Strategies:

Implement the City’s Complete Streets Policy to improve access, safety, and mobility

Evaluate and recommend streetscape improvements and costs at key intersections

Make public investments to improve the pedestrian environment at strategic locations

Improve the experience of taking transit to, from, and within McKinley Park

Coordinate informative, attractive wayfinding signage for all modes

Improve the safety of streets and public spaces through innovative placemaking efforts

Recommendation 3: Develop a “Main Street” Experience Along 35th Street

Strategies:

Pursue Pedestrian (P) Street Designation along 35th Street from Hoyne Avenue east to Ashland Avenue

Implement bus priority treatments, including bus lanes, bus boarding bulbs or boarding islands, queue jumps, and transit signal priority

Identify traffic-calming measures appropriate for 35th Street that could improve the pedestrian experience

Target mixed-use developments at key nodes along 35th Street to attract diverse retail and restaurant options

Work with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to activate gathering spaces and add sidewalk seating

Compile a list of vacant storefronts and encourage pop-up shops and art window programs

Work with local aldermen to utilize Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for improvements

Recommendation 4: Create a Beautification Committee to Identify and Coordinate Community-Driven Enhancements

Strategies:

Work with the community to define the image, identity, and character of the neighborhood

Create a guide on best practices for signage and window displays

Pursue grants, local fundraising, and partnership opportunities to implement streetscape and beautification efforts

Work with the 12th Ward Alderman, CDOT, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and the railroads to improve the appearance of viaduct underpasses and other roadways

Goal: Modernize the Central Manufacturing District

Recommendation 1: Prioritize the Health and Wellbeing of Residents

Strategies:

Continue to demonstrate leadership in improving environmental quality

Improve transparency in the development process

Target light industrial uses and modernized the CMD as a green manufacturing hub

Use zoning to inform future development decisions

Engage with ongoing efforts to complete the Southwest Chicago Truck Routing Study

Ensure new development or property improvements that are within 100’ of Chicago waterfront are consistent with the 2019 Chicago River Design Guidelines

Prioritize pedestrians and bicyclists in modernization efforts

Create ecologically functioning and aesthetically pleasing landscapes to buffer freight activity from nearby residential uses

Recommendation 2: Maintain a Supportive Business Environment

Strategies:

Work with the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council to advocate for the neighborhood’s industrial businesses

Create networking opportunities for resource sharing and business support

Develop a workforce training program with local operators

Identify opportunities to locate space for start-ups and other ventures

Recommendation 3: Encourage Preservation and Reuse of Historic Buildings

Strategies:

Consider applying for Chicago Landmark designation

Seek resources and financial incentives that preserve and restore historic buildings

Identify educational opportunities to promote the CMD

Recommendation 4: Encourage Environmentally Sustainable Practices

Strategies:

Consider design and policy guidelines for stormwater management treatments, for example, bio-swales, rain gardens, permeable pavers, etc.

Incorporate sustainable design features in the restoration and construction of buildings

Consider recommendations from previous city industrial planning efforts

Prioritize rehabilitating and improving structures over tear-downs

Goal: Enhance and Expand Parks and Recreational Opportunities

Recommendation 1: Encourage the Use of Active Transportation and Healthy Living Through Programs and Activities

Strategies:

Identify opportunities for new neighborhood bikeways

Advocate for the implementation of the Archer spoke route as a direct route in and out of the Loop

Continue to enhance overall bicycle safety and experience with infrastructure

Work to build community through bicycling activities such as neighborhood rides and bicycle-themed events

Recommendation 2: Enhance Parks and Recreational Opportunities

Strategies:

Preserve and enhance McKinley Park’s natural resources

Activate the Western Boulevard and celebrate its historical significance as an extension of the Chicago Boulevard system

Maintain and improve the facilities at Hoyne Park and other public park spaces in the neighborhood

Engage the stakeholders of McKinley Park in the maintenance of their community parks

Recommendation 3: Support Community Programming Activities

Strategies:

Encourage active transportation and healthy living through programs and activities

Support community programming volunteers

Continue to develop community programming for all ages

Strengthen year-round activities for youth

Utilize public spaces for community building activities

Recommendation 4: Activate the South Branch of the Chicago River

Strategies:

Support Bubbly Creek restoration efforts

Implement recommendations from the Our Great Rivers vision

Prioritize opportunities for open space amenities along the river

Enhance connections between the river and the neighborhood

Encourage pride and stewardship of the river through education

Recommendation 5: Evaluate Potential Areas to Expand Community Green Spaces

Strategies:

Continue to activate vacant lots and open spaces throughout the community by transforming them into community gardens and parks to benefit underserved areas of the community

Identify priorities for increased community green space as part of future redevelopment projects.

Prioritize the conservation of open space along the river

Capitalize on the Western Boulevard to increase connections between neighborhoods and other key destinations

Study off-street connections between educational and recreational facilities along Western Avenue

Goal: Create a Resilient Community

Recommendation 1: Pursue Existing City-Wide Green Infrastructure Programs

Strategies:

Work with City and local organizations to identify vacant land that is appropriate for green infrastructure projects in public or community managed open spaces

Identify strategic locations along designated bike routes and on City-owned land to develop storm water landscapes as part of the Department of Water Management’s Green Infrastructure Plan

Apply for CDOT’s Green Alleys Program

Partner with the Illinois Green Alliance’s Youth and Green Schools program to implement carbon drawdown strategies

Recommendation 2: Encourage Green Infrastructure Practices

Strategies:

Engage the community in flood mitigation solutions

Advocate for the targeted expansion of green stormwater infrastructure to reduce urban flooding

Empower residents and organizations to create artistic, beautiful landscapes, and clean environmentally diverse streetscapes

Create a youth-led neighborhood litter and recycling campaign

Ensure clean energy and water efficiencies by connecting landlords to incentives and resources

Implement sustainable practices in industrial areas

Identify opportunities for urban agriculture

Recommendation 3: Market and Strengthen McKinley Park as a Business Hub

Strategies:

Increase the capacity of MPDC to support local economic development initiatives

Get expert advice on economic development

Promote McKinley Park assets to the business community through promotional videos and an online and social media presence

Set-up neighborhood tours to promote assets to prospective developers and businesses

Preserve and grow local employment opportunities in the industrial and advanced manufacturing sector

Improve technology infrastructure, from basic computer proficiency to broadband Wi-Fi and fiber optic capacity, to support residents and new businesses

Recommendation 4: Increase the Wealth and Buying Power of Residents

Strategies:

Expand access to City of Chicago services for McKinley Park’s residents with limited English proficiency

Expand resources to help parents and students navigate the education system

Continue to support and coordinate English as a Second Language (ESL) training and new occupational programs

Establish the role of a workforce development coordinator to identify resources and connect workforce training providers and educational institutions with employers

Encourage businesses to hire local residents and identify and address the barriers to doing so

Prepare residents for employment in growing sectors that offer middle-skill, middle-wage job opportunities

Increase the impact of existing local wealth building programs to help residents

Recommendation 5: Explore Innovative Public Engagement Methods to Implement the Neighborhood Plan

Strategies:

Create a framework for sustained, inclusive community involvement in planning decisions

Re-engage existing resident groups and facilitate the creation of new community groups

Hold educational forums

Dedicate website pages to the neighborhood plan and use social media outreach

Recommendation 6: Strengthen Community Capacity

Strategies: