MONDAY THE 19TH.
>> AND NOW WE CHECK BACK IN WITH
NICK BLUMBERG WHO SPENT THE DAY
REPORTING IN RAVENSWOOD AS PART
OF OUR "IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
SERIES".
>> BRANDIS TODAY I SPOKE WITH
47TH WARD MATT MARTIN WHO
REPRESENTS MUCH OF THE AREA AND
I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE IMPACT OF
THE SENIOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
WE TOLD YOU ABOUT EARLIER IN THE
PROGRAM.
>> THIS IS 100% SENIOR AFFORD
AGO SITE THAT WE ARE GOING TO
HAVE A BLOCK AWAY FROM WHERE
WE'RE STANDING.
WE ARE SUPER EXCITED THEY WILL
BE OPENING IN THE COMING MONTHS.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM
TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING DRIVES
FOR BOARD GAMES THE SMALL THINGS
THAT WILL MEAN A DIFFERENCE THAT
IT'S TURN KEY READY.
IT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT.
LASTLY IT IS 100% ADAPTABLE
REUSE OF AN EXISTING BUILDING.
VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE
AS WELL AS BEING THAT
AFFORDABILITY FOR OUR SENIORS.
>> HERE IN RAVENSWOOD AND IN
YOUR WARD IN GENERAL THERE HAVE
BEEN LASTING CHANGES SPARKED BY
COVID IN TERMS HOW WE USE PUBLIC
SPACE LIKE SHARED STREETS OR
PEOPLE SPACES.
DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE KIND OF
LASTING CHANGE THAT WE MIGHT SEE
IN SOME OF OUR PUBLIC SPACES
AROUND THE CITY?
>> WE NEED TO RETHINK HOW
INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS FOR FOLKS
AND PART OF WHAT COVID HAS SHOWN
US THERE ARE TISK OPPORTUNITIES
IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE RAVENSWOOD
TO EAT, WORK AND PLAY HERE.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT WORKING WITH
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON
PEOPLE SPACES, THE DYNAMIC
INTERSECTIONS WHERE WE KNOW A
LOT OF FOLKS ARE CONGREGATING
AND BEING ABLE TO EXPAND THOSE
SO FOLKS CAN WALK THROUGH THE
PEOPLE SPACES AND SIT AT THEM IT
IS A NUMBER OF THINGS WE'RE
WORKING TO DO TO MAKE SURE OUR
AREA REMAINS OPEN AND WELCOMING.
>> NEXT TO RAVENSWOOD THERE'S
BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF FRUSTRATION
AROUND THE SO-CALLED GHOST
KITCHEN THAT OFFERS SPACE FOR
PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE A
LOCATION.
QUESTIONS AROUND TRAFFIC AND
CONCERNS THIS IS AN UBER LIKE
DISRUPTIVE BUSINESS ESPECIALLY
BECAUSE THERE IS A FOUNDER OF
UBER INVOLVED.
WHERE DO THINGS STAND WITH THAT
ISSUE?
>> THINGS ARE IMPROVING WE KNOW
THAT PROBLEMS REMAIN AND WHAT WE
KNEW FROM THE OUTSET WITH THIS
IS AN ISSUE THAT ADJACENT
BUSINESSES FLAGGED.
SAYING THE WAY THIS KITCHEN
MOVED IN, CREATED A LOT OF
PROBLEMS A LOT OF ISSUES WITH
THEIR BUSINESS MODELS.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE
TO FIND WAYS TO ACCOMMODATE THE
BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS
INVOLVED THERE WHILE ALSO
INSURING PRO-ACTIVELY THAT WE'RE
BEING THOUGHTFUL WHERE NEW
KITCHENS ARE GOING SO IF WE HAVE
NEW KITCHENS POPPING UP, THERE
BE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IN PLACE TO
BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE
BUSINESSES.
>> THERE'S BEEN BACK AND FORTH
IN THE LAST WEEK WITH MAYOR
LIGHTFOOT AND THE FRATERNAL
ORDER OF POLICE ON THE LONG
AWAITED POLICE CONTRACT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN EXPECT?
DO YOU THINK WE'LL SEE AN
AGREEMENT SOON?
AND DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE
REFORM ELEMENTS IN THAT
CONTRACT?
>> I AM AS INTERESTED AS
EVERYONE IN SEEING WHERE THIS
ENDS UP.
ARBITRATION SEEMS LIKELY.
THAT IS WHERE WE'VE GONE IN THE
PAST WHEN IT COMES TO THE FOP
CONTRACT.
WE NEED THE ACCOUNTABILITY
CHANGES TO THAT CONTRACT THAT
WERE HIGHLIGHTED BY THE FEDERAL
DOJ AFLAC LACK'S MURDER VIDEO
CAME OUT AND THINGS IN THE
LAQUAN McDONALD MURDER VIDEO
CAME OUT.
AND THAT IS WHAT I CONTINUE TO
HEAR FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT.
>> LATER THIS MONTH, THE ONCE A
DECADE WARD REMAP PROCESS IS
GETTING STARTED IT WILL BE A
CLOSED DOOR PROCESS RATHER THAN
AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONER
SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS SOME
REFORM MINDED FOLKS CALLED FOR.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST REMAP
PROCESS.
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE OUT OF
THAT?
>> IT IS MY FIRST GO AROUND.
I'M LEARNING LIKE A LOT OF MY
FRESHMEN COLLEAGUES HOW THIS IS
GOING TO WORK.
WE NEED TO SEE THE DATA COME IN
FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THE
CENSUS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE
WAS POPULATION GAIN AND WHERE
THERE WAS DECLINE.
I EXPECT AROUND THE WARD TO HAVE
SEEN INCREASE BUT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE'RE TALKING WITH
RESIDENTS AND COLLEAGUES TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE MAP IS SOMETHING
THAT REFLECTS OUR NEEDS AND
VALUES.
>> NOW COMING UP WE'LL LEARN
ABOUT A LONG RUNNING