(Chicago) … The Clybourn corridor between North
and
Ashland
avenues has adapted from a manufacturing hub to a diverse and bustling
commercial center. Meanwhile, residential development in the neighborhood
continues, including two new mixed-income communities being created by the
Chicago Housing Authority's Plan for Transformation,
Northtown
Village
and Parkside of Old Town. The need
for transportation to evolve along with residential and commercial development
is painfully clear to anyone who travels to the area – whether to shop on a
sunny Saturday afternoon or to deliver the trendy goods beckoning
shoppers.
The Near North Task Force of Reconnecting
Neighborhoods
, a new community development
initiative, invites community members to a public meeting on Wednesday, March
26, to:
- Voice their opinions about how to make their
neighborhood more convenient and vibrant.
- Plan improvements that will
increase access to transportation, shopping and jobs.
- Learn more about
transportation and retail amenities in the
Near
North,
Old Town , Goose Island, River North, and former Cabrini Green neighborhoods.
This is the first community meeting
on the Near North side for Reconnecting Neighborhoods, a project that invites
residents of three
Chicago
neighborhoods to participate in the
planning for the future of their communities. The project will result in
recommendations for enhanced transit services, retail, and improved public
infrastructure in the Near North, Near West and Mid-South neighborhoods. The
project is being led by the City of Chicago Dept. of Planning and Development,
with support from the Regional Transportation Authority and Metropolitan
Planning Council. HNTB, a planning firm, is handling the project’s technical
work and research.
For more information, visit the Reconnecting
Neighborhoods Web site.
What:
Public meeting inviting residents to participate in Reconnecting
Neighborhoods
Who:
Charles Smith, Co-Chair,
Reconnecting Neighborhoods Near North Task Force
Brandon Johnson,
Manager, Reconnecting Neighborhoods, Metropolitan Planning Council
When & Where:
Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 6 to 7:30
p.m.,
Evergreen
Towers
Apartments, 1333 N. Cleveland
Ave.,
Chicago
This meeting is public and open to everyone.
RSVP on the Reconnecting
Neighborhoods Web site, by e-mailing info@reconnectingneighborhoods.org, or by calling Brandon
Johnson at (312) 863-6046. Reporter inquiries should be directed to Mandy
Burrell Booth, at mburrell@metroplanning.org
or (312) 863-6018.