Rezoning could limit 814-820 N. Damen Ave. to residential use. A proposal to rezone part of the 800 block of North Damen Avenue is on the agenda for the April membership meeting. Members can vote on the zoning recommendation or propose alternatives during the 7pm April 10 meeting at Roots Pizza West Town, 1924 N. Chicago Ave. Properties at 814 N. Damen, 818 N. Damen and 820 N. Damen would allow multiunit residential construction of up to 4 floors without storefronts. EVA board member Neal McKnight recommends the rezoning as consistent with surrounding uses. The first two buildings are residential; 820 N. Damen is the vacant Grace Auto Body location and a potential redevelopment site. If Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) adopts the proposed EVA recommendation, zoning would change to RM-5, a residerntial designation. The current B-3 zoning calls for first-floor business use, with residences permitted on upper floors. RM-5 would allow more residential units then the mixed-use designati...

Damen Avenue is under zoning review north of Chicago Avenue. East Village Association membership meeting Jan. 10. 2024 at Roots West Town, 1924 W. Chicago Ave., Neal McKnight presiding Damen Avenue's strip-mall zoning does not reflect the apartments and small shops on East Village's western border. How can EVA support a new vision? EVA's January meeting continued a discussion of Damen Avenue zoning. Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) has encouraged a proactive zoning review for the former 2nd Ward stretch. A 2019 plan fizzled for a tavern at at 820 N. Damen Ave. surrounded by apartments. Renovation of the former Grace Auto Body stopped at least six months ago. EVA board member Neal McKnight suggested downzoning Damen from Chicago to Division while extending the current Ukrainian Village and East Village landmark districts. Both commercial and residential zoning for Damen had advocates in the January member disucssion. McKnight summarized November's zoning discussion ...

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) offers information on volunteer donations. East Village Association membership meeting Nov. 9, 2023 at J&M Tap, 957 N. Leavitt St., Kinberly Shannon presiding By Jennifer Goldsmith In a joint meeting with the Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association, EVA members met with Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), discussed Augusta Boulevard bike lanes and rezoning options for Damen Avenue, and learned about a new local restaurant. Ald. Villegas Q&A Villegas joined directly from City Hall and was excited about the passing of a new paid time off ordinance, which he called the most progressive in the country. Discussion turned to housing Chicago's migrants. Chicago has received over 22,000 migrants since last year with little state and federal support. A new shelter is going in at 526 N. Western Ave. to house 55 families, including 55 women, 45 men and 100 children. Assessments are in progress to discover areas for volunteerism, donations and oth...

East Village Association membership meeting July 8, 2019, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president Wells High School creative arts students will write and produce a musical. Drama, music, dance and art teachers are lined up for the coming school year, principal Michael Stosek told EVA members in a relaxed July meeting in the Happy Village beer garden. "We are the arts school for the North Side going forward," Stosek said. Wells will have 30 to 60 students in the magnet cluster and is making connections to the Chicago theater community. Wells also will work with the College Board to focus instruction in key skills through its new pre-Advanced Placement program. Its law and gaming programs will continue, and Stosek isn't ruling out out a future language academy bid.

The former Grace Auto Body at 820 N. Damen would become a restaurant with outdoor seating. Partners planning the Shake-It restaurant at 820 N. Damen will present details of their venture at 6:30pm June 27 at J&M Tap, 957 N. Leavitt St. Ald. Brian Hopkins will sponsor the forum with EVA and the Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Association. The restaurant and bar would feature boozy milkshakes, burgers and pizza. EVA and UVNA have been negotiating a plan of operation that would set security, trash collection and other binding conditions to the restaurant's liquor license. Forward Hospitality Group chief executive Michael Schwartz , operating chief Bobby Rutter and marketing chief Dante Deiana plan to reveal a chef and fourth partner; "it will be pretty big news," says Deiana, the DJ behind the Chicago Cubs public-address music. Deiana and attorney Thomas Raines have been negotiating the operating agreement. Cleveland-based Forward shelved plans for the form...

East Village Association membership meeting June 3, 2019, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president Are you recycling right? Judging from what gets tossed into blue bins, probably not. All recyclables go into the same bin, says Courtney Bryson, Streets and Sanitation assistant deputy superintendent. But not the bag: It gets caught in the sorting conveyor belts. Food containers need only a light rinse, Bryson says, but leftovers will contaminate the whole bin. Clean cardboard is ready to recycle but food contaminates the whole bin . A greasy pizza box liner should go in the trash. Foam cups and packing (plastics marked with a number 6) are not recyclable in blue bins. Neither is shredded paper, which scatters too easily. The city eventually may fine homeowners for contaminated blue bins, Bryson said. That was a conversation starter: Many EVA members said neighbors were using their bins. She challenged the audience to take a recycling quiz ; she...

1st Ward alderman-elect Daniel La Spata accepts congratulations from 2nd Ward chief of staff Jose Rivera. East Village Association membership meeting March 4, 2019, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president 2nd Ward public safety Ward chief of staff Jose Rivera says police Cmdr. Stephen Chung has responded creatively to crime patterns in the north edge of the 12th District. Community policing will change under a court-supervised consent decree now in effect. Officers will receive additional training in impartial policing and crisis intervention under a federal monitor. Detectives will have more time to clear cases. Friends of Eckhart Park Volunteers on April 27 will clean Eckhart Park, 1330 W. Chicago Ave., to mark Earth Day, said Ben Beadles of Friends of Eckhart Park. Garden plots are tended the first Tuesday of the month from May till September. Fundraising will support youth sports and purchase park benches, said Claudia Sainsot. More in...

A rendering for the Shake-It restaurant proposed at 820 N. Damen. East Village Association board meeting August 14, 2017 West Town Bakery, 1916 W. Chicago Ave. Neighbors of a car-repair shop at 820 N. Damen Ave. oppose its conversion to a burger bar. In East Village Association board discussion, president Michael VanDam said that neighbors' nuisance concerns should take precedence. The patio could operate weekends till midnight under city ordinance. Its Motown soundtrack could run till 10. Damen Avenue is zoned for business use, but most buildings on the street are residential. The restaurant and bar would feature milkshakes, burgers and pizza. Drinks would contribute up to half the revenue, according to estimates provided to EVA from Cleveland-based nightclub operator Forward Entertainment Group. Half the seating would be outdoors, in a layout similar to Big Star taqueria at 1531 N. Damen Ave. At an Aug. 10 hearing, Ald. Brian Hopkins suggested that he would have litt...