some of these people never budge.
Then those people are idiots.
Besides, were talking about Chicago here, and abuse by Alderman of zoning laws to bully property owners into bending to their will is legendary and well documented.
The Jefferson Park area of Chicago is a strong middle class community, it does not have to be "saved" by these condos. Do I know all the facts? No. I just posted the article, I don't even know the address of the place, but it's near I work, and I bet it's a nice street. Which is why the developer, I bet, Kozonis, wants it.
But I do know the way the City of Chicago operates. A favorite ploy for years among the Chicago City Council has been this: Alderman would convince their fellow Aldercreatures to downzone an area from commercial to residential. Now, that area that's been downzoned may be as residential as Wall Street, but they'll zone it residential all the same.
Once it's residential, prospective developers, retailers, restaranteurs and the like, according the City of Chicago custom, have to crawl to the local alderman, and ask for a zoning variance to get their business set up in this "residential area." For "a price," whether a politicial donation or an outright bribe, that alderman will grant the waiver.
That's the way it's usually done in Chicago.
So naturally, I'm very suspicious of Alderman Levar's motives of doing this for "the public good." I'm with the bike shop owner.
Now we have guys like Levar bullying a longtime businessowner with emininent so Kozonis can build his condos.
I'm fully aware of what Chicago is, I think the whole country is.
The guy just needs to take this issue to court, because neither the developer or the city have a legal leg to stand on.