It will be, backers say, one of the biggest nonsubsidized economic shots in the arm the southwest side has seen in years. Sometime this summer they’ll clear the 30-acre forest that sits in front of the cemetery and across the street from the high school at 87th and Kedzie, and construct 62 single-family homes and a shopping mall. The city’s annual sales-tax haul from the mall–anchored by a Dominick’s–could run as high as $100,000, which is $100,000 more in taxes than the land produces now.
“It’s a tough choice,” says Dennis McDermott, executive director of the SouthWest Business Association, a local not-for-profit organization. “I’ve listened to both sides, and I understand why the residents are fighting. But it’s this guy’s land. He wants to develop it. There’s a good chance he’s going to develop it too. We have to make sure that the development works for us.”
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Nevertheless, many residents have opposed the plan from the start. Some die-hard preservationists, like Juricek, argue that the forest should remain undeveloped. “I don’t want to lose any more of our trees,” he says. “After last summer’s drought I can really appreciate trees and shade. It wasn’t that long ago that this area was all undeveloped. I’m only 38 years old, but I can remember a time when there was a farm at 83rd and Western. When we were kids, we roasted hot dogs out in what was just open prairie. And now we’re in danger of losing the last piece left for a shopping mall. That’s not right.”
“Anyway, competition from the mall does not have to be bad. A lot of business strips that lead to shopping malls do very well. People are going to have to drive down Kedzie to get to the mall anyway. The trick is to get them to stop at our stores. We need more parking on Kedzie. We need to improve the appearance of the strip. If the city approves the shopping mall, maybe they can set aside some more money to improve the business district. That’s the kind of thing we should be talking about. Yes, open space is nice. But this is 1989–it’s not going to happen.”
In this case, that’s 18th Ward Alderman Robert Kellam, who supports the association and vows to lobby his council colleagues to vote against DiLorenzo’s zoning request. Traditionally, an alderman gets his way on zoning matters in his ward. But in high-stakes showdowns–like the Wrigley Field battle over lights–the council has been known to overrule the local alderman. One way or another, the council’s decision on the 87th Street mall will likely wind up being challenged in court.
