1659 W. Division Planning, Preservation & Development minutes for April 15, 2013 Robert Baum and Mike Downing, new owners of 1659 W. Division, will rehab and continue to operate single-room occupancy apartments. The business plan is to offer corporate housing contracts to law firms, hospitals and other service businesses at a lower price than executive housing. Most units will continue to share bathrooms, but with updated plumbing. Main entrance will be on Division Street. The building will have 24-hour staffing, video monitoring and a first-floor retail tenant. The building will be reconfigured to 35 units (from 38) and rates to about $2,000 a month (from $400). Parking will be offsite on private lots, with no valet. The operator will contract for commercial refuse service. Units will not have full kitchens; the first floor will have a lunchroom. The architect, owner and developers of a vacant lot at 819 N. Paulina (John Hanna, Rogelio Llamedo, Alex Negonechny, Andriy Stetsyuk)...

Members of the East Village Association board brought Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno homework with their first meeting April 21. The assignment for the new 1st Ward alderman : to read a 20-page brief the board prepared, with EVA positions on issues the alderman will face. The briefing document is available for download as a PDF file. Community groups in Chicago frequently review zoning variances and other issues in their neighborhood for which the alderman recommend City Council action. EVA asked to be included in not only variances but also requests for zoning changes, special uses and liquor licenses, and permit applications for demolition and sidewalk cafes. By longstanding practice, EVA does not support projects it reviews, but can "oppose" or "not oppose" them. The brief outlines EVA's review process, adopted in 1998 and revised in 2007. The principal writer was board member Scott Rappe. Current issues outlined in the brief:

General Meeting minutes for February 3rd, 2009 Membership Meeting Submitted by Joe Hunnewinkel Attendance 18 Members: 11 Non-members: 7 Presentation by owners/investors of 1659 W. Division for zoning change to allow proposed boutique hotel. 1. Dan Sheehy of Third Coast Construction presented plans: 1. Business would consist of small hotel, restaurant and lounge. 2. Hotel would have maximum 14 rooms for low impact neighborhood. Hotel staff would be 10-15, restaurant up to 40 positions. 3. Construction would begin at least 10 months after approval. Stressed Green building focus. 4. Vote was proposed, motion passed 11-0 not to oppose zoning change. 2. April board elections were discussed. Membership showed no interest in forming a nominating committee. 3. Some discussion on progress of St. Boniface. Members are encouraged to contact Alderman Burris to landmark the church and school facade. 4. Members discussed ch...

Neighbors met prospective builders of a restaurant and boutique hotel for Division Street at the February meeting of the East Village Association. A vote was unanimous not to oppose a special use for 1659 W. Division . But even if Ald. Manny Flores slates the project for City Council approval, the principals said it will be 14-16 months before anything happens. Pump Shoes and Accessories has a long-term lease at the southeast corner of Division and Paulina. Dan Sheehy of Third Coast Contstruction hopes to help relocate the shoe salon and upstairs single-room occupancy tenants. The city would have to approve the site for the restaurant and 13-room hotel, which likely would have rates near $200 a night. Sheehy is a contractor on "green building" projects and plans to build to LEED certification standards. "We've seen the neighborhood grow from kind of a sketchy place to a thriving neighborhood," said Terry Alexander, a partner in the Division Street venture w...

General Meeting minutes for January 6th, 2009 Membership Meeting Submitted by Joe Hunnewinkel Attendance 21 Members: 19 Non-members: 2 Introduction and welcome to Guest Speaker Frank Perez, deputy commissioner for the Cook County Board of Review 1. Mr. Perez stated that recent lower sales prices should make it easier to appeal tax bills in 2009. 1. The city and county still need to raise the same amount of cash from tax bills. Commercial property owners likely will pick up the slack for falling home prices. 2. Dana Marberry of the Cook County Assessors office confirmed the prospect of lower tax assessments when Chicago properties are reevaluated this year. 3. Homeowners should pay attention to their assessed value. Careful review of tax bills for appropriate exemptions was recommended. 4. Board staffers helped members fill out tax appeals. Bringing your appeal directly to the board of review was highly recommended. 2. ...

A furnished-room apartment building and the Pump shoe-salon site would be converted to an upscale restaurant and boutique hotel under a plan to be outlined for East Village Association members for a Feb. 3 vote. A proposal for 1659 W. Division from Third Coast Construction compares the project to the Ace Hotel in Portland, Ore., and Lafayette House in New York's East Village. The EVA planning committee on Jan. 12 voted unanimously to not oppose the special-use zoning that the hotel would need to proceed. The restaurant also would require an incidental liquor license. Ald. Manuel Flores (1st Ward) must approve the project. East Village residents can make their own recommendation at the Feb. 3 EVA meeting. Anyone age 16 or older who has been an EVA member for the past month may vote on the proposal. Members who do not attend but wish to vote must submit their votes in writing to a board member. Dan Sheehy of Third Coast Construction will present the plans at the 7 p.m. at the Hap...